Research – Kayleigh Mace

New Market Trip

Kayleigh — Fri, 28 Apr 2017 18:34:41 +0000

To further my market research and gain more inspiration I visited London again to explore the latest collections and how they differed from my first visit. There was a particularly inspiring display on at Liberty's which focused on garments that were embroidered and embellished. There were a range of styles on show but the most used technique was digital embroidery. Seeing these garments gave me a good insight into how high-end designers are currently using digital embroidery in their designs and the varying approaches to style that are being explored. It was also good to see the scale and placement of the embroidery which I can use as inspiration for my design ideas when creating final samples.

Materials Research

Kayleigh — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 01:30:06 +0000

Fabric Types

Previously I have mainly worked with silks and cottons so I wanted to make sure I looked at a wider range of fabrics for this project. I have purchased a range of materials in various colours with my palette or dyed them myself and decided the group them into their types to see exactly what I had to work with. The fabrics I currently have to work with are:

Acetate, cotton, denim, faux leather/suede, polyester holed fabrics, leathers/suede, neoprene/faux neoprene, transfolie, transparent silks/cotton organdie, silks/polyester, stretch fabrics, tulle and wool/velvet.

The wide range of fabrics were chosen based on the market research I have conducted. I was hoping to be able to use some more technical fabrics however as of yet I haven't been able to obtain the ones I had wanted to use. I'm looking at how some others that I can get hold of might be able to fit into my project. For now though I have a good range to get started with using the smart textile applications and innovative ideas. From my sampling it is becoming clear that not all of the ideas work with each other but they do work in smaller groups. Because of this I have decided to create mini collections so, looking at the fabrics I currently have I put them together into 3 collections to represent how they will be used.

The final collection groups currently look as follows:

One thing that did become apparent was that there is currently a lot of black fabrics which is something that needs addressing.

Ying Gao

Kayleigh — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 00:22:42 +0000

From my research I've come across Ying Gao on a few occasions and I am particularly fond of her designs. The use of smart textiles, e-textiles and programming in the garments is a great example of what can be achieved within the field. It is also good to see how the textile applications have been incorporated into a garment

(NO)WHERE (NOW)HERE

This project comprises of 2 dresses that are made using photoluminescent threads and embedded with eye tracking technology. The technology is activated by a spectators gaze which causes the dress to move. The photoluminscent threads are activated by absorbing natural daylight and then glowing when in a dark environment. I intend to use solar threads that work the same way within my project so its inspiring to see how another design has appraoched the idea of having them on a garment.

INCERTITUDES

This project consists of 2 garments that react to a spectators voice. The pins move to a spectators voice making them appear to engage in a conversation. I am interested in using sensors within my work but this is far more advanced than what I could achieve. I was fortunate enough to be able to see this dress up close at premiere vision and watch it move.

The Unseen

Kayleigh — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 23:14:37 +0000

The Unseen

My contextual research has led me to come across a company called The Unseen. Their website states that:

"T H E U N S E E N is a material exploration house that blends science into materials; focused on seeing the unseen."

There is a range of projects to view on their website showing how they have successfully combined science with materials with my favourite being 'Air'. This particular project has resulted in a material that changes colour to the wind and so reacts to the environment around it.

It was showcased as an interactive performance during London Fashion week in Feb 2014 in the Dead house Underneath Somerset House. The material was prepared into a capsule couture collection that included an exclusive piece which was supported by SWAROVSKI GEMSTONES. They state that for Air "THEUNSEEN has developed a form of wind reactive ink that changes colour upon contact with the air around us. Intended to reveal the otherwise unseen turbulence surrounding the human as it goes about its environment." The colours are beautiful but I also find the construction interesting as it seems to resemble feathers. Their experimental approach and use of smart textiles in fashion is inspiring, most of it may be unattainable to myseld but it is good to see how they used it in an end product.

More of their work can be seen on their website:

http://seetheunseen.co.uk/

And in case you haven't seen it yet their latest creation which was unveiled at London Fashion Week, Fire.

Fire_creative_concept_film from T H E U N S E E N on Vimeo.

Smart Fashion Research

Kayleigh — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 17:08:39 +0000

Whilst researching into smart fashion at the beginning of the project I came across Pauline Van Dongen a design studio that specilises in wearable technology. During my research I had found it difficult to find smart fashion that was particularly fashionable and where the design aesthetic had not been compromised for the technology. The work of this studio however focuses on creating garments that are wearable and fashionable containing the latest technological advancements. The website states that:

TECHNOLOGY IS NOT THE STARTING POINT OF OUR DESIGNS, IT IS NEVER ABOUT ‘TECHNOLOGY FOR TECHNOLOGY’S SAKE’. OUR DESIGNS BEGIN AND END WITH THE BODY, OR EVEN MORE SPECIFICALLY: A MOVING BODY IN SPACE.

Technology is something I would like to incorporate into my work so this studio has provided great inspiration to see how they have created designs where it has been successfully included in a fashionable garment. Although embroidery is not used one of the designs, the solar shirt, does give the impression of embroidery in how the solar film has been used.

Solar shift 2014

The solar shirt was created in collaboration with Holst Centre using film solar cells and integrated electronics in fabric. The following video shows how the solar shirt can be used in everyday life:

This was one of many projects that have been completed incorporating technology successfully into a fashionable garment that can be worn everyday. Now that i'm sampling ideas and looking at techniques to incorporate into my work I have revisited these designs as inspiration for how I could use smart textile applications for fashion. Although no embroidery has been used I can take inspiration from how the technology has been placed on the garments and where it has been used.

I also came across a blog for the studio which has some great inspirational photos alongside the work they have created.

http://paulinevandongen.tumblr.com/

Anatomy of a Collection

Kayleigh — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 22:59:24 +0000

Whilst in Paris I visited the Palais Galliera to see the 'Anatomy of a Collection' exhibition. The exhibit was focused around how a fashion exhibition is curated using garments from the galleries archive collections. It was a good opportunity to see a range of garments from 1700's to present day from different designers and what had changed with regards to detail, materials, shape and textile application. A quote from the exhibition reading started "clothes are artefacts that seem to incorporate something of the essence of the person to whom they once belonged" and talked about clothes becoming relics or souvenirs. This idea ties in with my research into sustainability and how instilling emotion into fashion can contribute to the idea of wasting less.

Some of the techniques I saw from the early 1800's inlcuded fine needlework, cut-away lace detailing and the colour blue also being used a lot. There were garments using white on white embroidery, rows of feathers attached to garments or lots of stitch filled in leaving the base fabric to act as an outline for the designs.

Moving into the 1900's there were more cut out lace details, gathering, paisley gold work, feathers used as a 3D fringe and appliqué. An Elsa Schiaparelli coat particularly caught my eye which had black florals and leaves embellished onto a purple background which were then appliquéd onto a black coat creating almost shaded layers. A similar use of layering was used in a Christian Dior outfit that had 2 shades of black layered on top of one another creating a 3D look.

There was a small section of stage costume pieces with interesting reading about how like today with film the theatre and stage performers were the trendsetters and launches of fashion. The garments were more extravagant with layered goldwork ropes and heavy materials.

Finally it talked about how with couture a person is the embodiment of their creation and how a design is created for that person to wear. They had the beaded bra top from Prada's 2014 collection which used long bugle beads and 3D sequins all over. I also made a note of some of the fabrics from the latest collection pieces which included crepe jersey, viscose, tulle and cotton to help with my fabric research.

The exhibition was a good chance to see a range of ideas in one place and gave me inspiration to take forward into my own development work. The link below takes you to the exhibition page:

http://www.palaisgalliera.paris.fr/en/exhibitions/anatomy-collection

Wearable Lab

Kayleigh — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 12:26:56 +0000

As a part of PV there was a section dedicated to wearable technology, fashion and materials. It was great to see the latest designs and a variety of new approaches to technology and, how it could be used within a product. These were my favourites on show:

Ezra + Tuba

Butterfly Dress

This dress incorporates e-textiles to create an interactive dress. The collaboration with Intel used the latest integrated textiles technology to create a dress where the butterflies react when someone approaches. They start to move flapping slowly and as someone gets closer the flapping increases. Finally they can released on mass by the person approaching or via an app connected to the dress.

https://iq.intel.com/fashion-metamorphosis-meet-the-butterfly-dress/

Sarah Angold

Kingla Necklace

Innovative use of laser cutting to create a wearable necklace. The shaping i found inspiring and it was nice to see a new approach to laser cutting that I hadn't seen much of before. It is an approach i could use when looking at creating 3D surfaces with laser cutting.

http://www.sarahangold.com/shop.html

Nervous Systems

Tetra Kinematics

3D Printed bracelet using triangular shaping. The shapes allow the bracelet to morph and move creating a product that is flexible. It is a technique that I have seen previously in the 3D printing exhibition for creating flexible surfaces. I haven't considered it to date for my work but it is something I could do later if it became appropriate.

https://n-e-r-v-o-u-s.com/shop/product.php?code=216&osCsid=fvsvc3gf64irl5g9hupdijssj0

There was quite a range of designs on show, all were inspiring and it was good to see it getting a platform at such a large trade show. It supports the idea of technology in fashion and that it is becoming a more viable application in garments and accessories. Both of the accessories are available for people to buy and so its clear that mass production is possible.

Premiere Vision

Kayleigh — Sat, 11 Feb 2017 11:48:59 +0000

I have been fortunate enough to be able to visit Premiere Vision this year in Paris, a trade show that I have been wanting to attend for some time. It was everything i had expected and more and, I thoroughly enjoyed the visit. The show was much larger than I have expected with 6 halls filled with suppliers. I researched which companies were going to be attending prior to arriving and downloaded the app for the event. On this I could select the companies I wanted to see the stands of and it would bookmark them. I could then select to view where they were within the show and it would show on the map exactly where their stand was. There were so many different suppliers that I decided I had to be specific about who I was most interested in potentially seeing and for me this was textile studios and embroidery design suppliers. I am happy to say that I was able to speak to most of the companies I had wanted to meet and was also able to secure contacts to get in touch with regards to potential work opportunities in the future.

An area I wanted to look at was how the studios presented themselves and their work at a studio so that I could get a better idea of how I might present myself and my work. I was looking to see how they finished their samples which ranged from rolled hems to simply being cut which, caused a lot of fraying to the designs. I had also noticed some studios presented their samples on headed cards about A3 in size where as others created garment shapes. Speaking to one of the studios, I inquired as to whether they found this made any difference and they felt it would hinder their work as clients would struggle to see the design being used for anything other than that shape. Another studio that was producing exclusively embroidery and embellishment designs felt however that it was necessary to help buyers see how the design could be used. I could see shaping working for some designs, especially when they are created for the neckline so perhaps it is something I could consider for certain design ideas.

I got the chance to look up close at some of the designs as ask about what techniques they were using. I was surprised to hear that one of the studios was already using 3D printing which I was told is big in the China market. A lot of the embroidery was clearly machine stitched but there were some interesting hand embellished pieces where techniques had been pushed. There were also a range of styles on show, floral's were the most common designs on display but i did see some more abstract and conversational embellishment designs. One studio also provided designs in a few colourways for clients to see, I hadn't thought this was needed but i was informed that some buyers struggle to see past the colours the design is presented in at the show. Looking at these highlighted how studios had grouped their collections too with many creating stories containing 8-10 designs. Some were grouped based on colour and others on what their content was for example floral's or geometric designs. This is something I could consider in my work as I am starting to find that it looking a bit separated at times. Its also encouraging to see the use of new techniques with studios showing how they can push ideas to create something original.

Sustainable approach

Kayleigh — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 11:01:25 +0000

Sustainability and Technology

After a lecture and workshop with Angharad Mclean about sustainability with design and how it can be approached I've started to look for information which re-enforces my approach to it within my project. It was talked about how much of a challenge it is to be completely sustainable and how choosing areas within a production cycle is a possible approach to contributing to sustainability. My project does involve the use of chemicals, plastics and components that may not be easily recyclable so I have had to really consider how I can incorporate a sustainable element. I have researched into the possibility of having smart textiles producing their own renewable energy so for example solar panels on clothing. I have also looked at using recycled fabrics such as recycled plastics. The main idea however that I am pursuing is the idea of instilling meaning and a personal identity into the textiles in which the wearer would want to keep them longer due to a personal attachment to it. E-textiles for example can be used to produce clothing that can be programmed and so the wear could change the pattern of garment to suit them. This would create a personal attachment to the garment due to the wearer being able to personalise it to them. The longevity of it would depend on how well the garment is made and the production of tools for example an app that would allow the wearer to create their own patterns or download pre made ones. Further research into this led me to find this article which sums up the same idea and talks about Cute Circuit's and Switch Embassy's programmable t-shirts.

https://www.fastcodesign.com/3048737/wears/programmable-clothes-are-going-commercial

I've also come across this video from a TED talk which talks about how fashion technology and sustainability work together. Its fascinating to hear the latest technologies that are being created for the fashion industry and how it is contributing to sustainability. This is particularly interesting with regards to material usage and how it can contribute to the future of the textiles industry.

Molly Goddard

Kayleigh — Thu, 05 Jan 2017 22:26:57 +0000

What I like

The Molly Goddard exhibition at the NOW Gallery in London consisted of tulle dresses suspended from the ceiling for visitors to embroider. I really wanted to visit this exhibition to see what different people would embroider and how embroidery as a technique would be interpreted. On arriving i was given a large sewing needle and directed to use the embroidery thread on display to embroider any of the dresses. Instructions on the walls ave directions for different embroidery stitches and stated that visitors should use 1 meter of thread to embroider whatever they liked. A lot of the embroideries were political statements with visitors clearly using the opportunity to express their opinions on recent events. There were also a few illustrative portrait embroiders as well as classic floral motifs. The vast range of styles and designs was great to see and it gave me a new idea of what modern embroidery means to people. The styles may not generally fit into my project but it was certainly inspirational to see how embroidery is interpreted in so many ways.

Here are some examples of the stitch work on display.

And my little contribution...