MARIE O’MAHONY TECHNOTHREADS
ISBN 978-0-9558957-0-8
SCIENCE GALLERY
9 780955 895708
TECHNOTHREADS_WHAT FASHION DID NEXT_THE ART AND SCIENCE OF FUTURE FASHION
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FOREWORD
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN NANOTECHNOLOGISTS MEET FASHION DESIGNERS? HOW DO MATERIALS CREATED FOR EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS BECOME STREETWEAR? WILL BIOTECHNOLOGY ENABLE US TO GROW AN ADDITIONAL SKIN? DOES FASHION HAVE A CONSCIENCE? THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT STIMULATED TECHNOTHREADS, A NEW EXHIBITION CURATED BY MARIE O’MAHONY INVITING US TO CONSIDER THE LIMITS OF CLOTHING AND THE FUTURE OF FASHION. SCIENCE GALLERY — LOCATED IN THE HEART OF DUBLIN IN THE GROUNDS OF TRINITY COLLEGE — IS A NEW KIND OF SPACE, A PLACE WHERE IDEAS ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MEET AND OPINIONS COLLIDE. WE HOPE THAT TECHNOTHREADS IS NOT THE LAST WORD BETWEEN FASHION AND SCIENCE BUT THE BEGINNING OF A NEW, CREATIVE AND CRITICAL CONVERSATION. WELCOME TO THE SHOW! MICHAEL JOHN GORMAN DIRECTOR, SCIENCE GALLERY
CONTENTS 01 FOREWORD 02 INTRODUCTION 04 CONCEPTUAL COUTURE 26 AESTHETICS OF SCIENCE 40 FABRIC LABORATORY 54 BI0GRAPHIES 60 CONTACTS 64 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
TECHNOTHREADS AT THE SCIENCE GALLERY 26:04:08 – 25:07:08
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INTRODUCTION FASHION IS ONE OF THE GREAT POPULAR CULTURE BAROMETERS OF OUR AGE. LIKE THE MUCH-MALIGNED MAGPIE, IT SPOTS SHINY NEW IDEAS AND VISUAL REFERENCES AND QUICKLY APPROPRIATES THEM. HOWEVER, THIS IS WHERE THE SIMILARITY ENDS. UNLIKE OUR FEATHERED FRIEND, FASHION DOES NOT HOARD, RATHER IT TAKES THESE ACCUMULATED VISUAL REFERENCES AND BODIES OF KNOWLEDGE AND MAKES THEM ITS OWN. HERE WE SEE WHAT SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST INNOVATIVE FASHION, TEXTILE DESIGNERS AND ARTISTS HAVE DONE WITH SOME OF THESE IDEAS. AS THEY ARE REINTRODUCED TO THE WORLD WE CAN WONDER AT THEM AND GAZE UPON THEM WITH FRESH EYES. THE EXHIBITION IS DIVIDED INTO THREE AREAS. THE FIRST IS TITLED CONCEPTUAL COUTURE. THIS CONCENTRATES ON THE USE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BY FASHION DESIGNERS AND ARTISTS REFLECTING ON THE FUTURE OF FASHION AND HOW WE WEAR CLOTHES. THIS RANGES FROM GARMENTS THAT CAN BE SPRAYED DIRECTLY ONTO THE BODY, TO THE USE OF ELECTROLUMINESCENT WIRES CAUSING GARMENTS TO GLOW AND SEMI-LIVING CLOTHES THAT USE THE LATEST ADVANCES IN BIOTECHNOLOGY. THE WORK HERE IS HIGHLY EXPERIMENTAL WITH SOME PIECES AT A CONCEPTUAL OR PROTOTYPE STAGE. YET ALL ARE VERY REAL IN THEIR USE OF TECHNOLOGY AND POINT TOWARDS THE NEXT GENERATION IN CLOTHING. THE SECOND SECTOR IS TITLED AESTHETICS OF SCIENCE AND LOOKS AT FASHION THAT DEMONSTRATES THE IMPACT OF SCIENCE AS AN AESTHETIC. HERE WE SEE REFERENCES FROM BOTH SCIENCE AND SCIENCE FICTION. THE DIVERSITY SERVES AS A REMINDER OF JUST HOW STRONGLY SCIENCE PERMEATES OUR LIVES WITH DESIGNERS LOOKING AT SPACE TRAVEL, CAMOUFLAGE, STAR WARS AND BRAILLE. IN BRINGING THESE CONCEPTS TOGETHER WITH VISUAL AND TACTILE AESTHETICS, WE ARE MADE MORE MINDFUL OF THE HUMAN AT THE CENTRE OF SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENT. FABRIC LABORATORY FORMS THE THIRD SECTOR AND LOOKS AT THE VERY LATEST IN ADVANCED TEXTILES. FROM THE YARNS TO THE WAY THE FABRIC IS MADE AND THE FINISHING PROCESSES, ALL ASPECTS OF THE FABRIC ARE CONSIDERED HERE. EXHIBITS INCLUDE BOTH GARMENTS AND FABRIC LENGTHS. FABRICS USING A PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING PROCESS SHOW HOW IN AN AGE OF MASS PRODUCTION FABRICS CAN BE UNIQUE. METALLIC, REFLECTIVE AND TRANSPARENT YARNS AND FINISHING TREATMENTS ARE BOTH TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AND AESTHETICALLY FUTURISTIC. ALONGSIDE THE TECHNICAL AND THE AESTHETIC, ETHICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ARE INTRODUCED. THEY ARE A REMINDER THAT WE AS CONSUMERS MUST BE EQUALLY MINDFUL OF THESE ISSUES. A SAMPLE COLLECTION IS PART OF THE NEW FABRIC TECHNOLOGY SECTOR AND WILL SHOW WORK FROM STUDENTS AT FOUR COLLEGES: CHELSEA SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN LONDON; LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN (LUCAD) IN LOUGHBOROUGH; THE NATIONAL SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN (NCAD) IN DUBLIN; THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER IN BELFAST. STUDENTS HAVE BEEN GIVEN ADVANCED TEXTILES THAT ARE NOT NORMALLY USED IN CLOTHING AND ASKED TO TRANSFORM THEM INTO SAMPLES SUITABLE FOR FASHION. A SELECTION OF THE HIGHLY INNOVATIVE RESULTS IS INCLUDED IN THE EXHIBITION. LIKE THE MAGPIE, I URGE YOU TO LOOK AT THE AESTHETICS IN THESE WORKS. BUT THEN TO LOOK AGAIN AND FIND THE SCIENTIFIC STORIES BEHIND THE EXHIBITS. THEY WILL NOT DISAPPOINT.
MARIE O’MAHONY, EXHIBITION CURATOR APRIL 2008
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CONCEPTUAL COUTURE SINCE THE ADVENT OF SCIENCE, CLOTHING AND ITS ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES HAVE BEEN AT THE FOREFRONT OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS. FROM THE SOURCE OF THE FIBRES THAT GO TO MAKE CLOTHES, TO THE MATERIAL AND GARMENT CONSTRUCTION, EVERY ASPECT OF CLOTHING PRODUCTION TODAY HAS BEEN INFLUENCED BY TECHNOLOGY. THE APPEARANCE, HANDLE, DRAPE AND IN SOME INSTANCE HOW THEY SOUND AND SMELL HAS GONE TO CREATE CLOTHES THAT EXCITE THE SENSES AND THE MIND. BECAUSE OF THEIR INHERENT FLEXIBILITY FABRICS HAVE LONG BEEN A CONDUIT FOR NEW TECHNOLOGIES NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH ARE SMART MATERIALS AND SYSTEMS AND OTHER EMBEDDED TECHNOLOGIES. FOR HIS SPRING/SUMMER 2007 CATWALK SHOW HUSSEIN CHALAYAN CREATED A SERIES OF MECHANICAL DRESSES IN COLLABORATION WITH SWARVOSKI. THE CRYSTAL-BEADED DRESSES MORPHED THEIR WAY THROUGH THE DECADES COMBINING THE HIGH-TECH WITH THE HANDMADE. ELENA CORCHERO USES PHOTO VOLTAIC (PV) CELLS TO GATHER AND STORE ENERGY FROM THE SUN. THE PV CELLS ARE INCORPORATED INTO HER GARMENTS AND ACCESSORIES AND GIVEN A DELICATE AESTHETIC QUALITY BY COMBINING THEM WITH INTRICATE EMBROIDERY. CUTE CIRCUIT AND ALYCE SANTORO BOTH EXPLORE THE USE OF CLOTHES AS A COMMUNICATIONS TOOL. VISUALLY AND CONCEPTUALLY UTTERLY DIFFERENT THEY ARE EXAMPLES OF THE RICHNESS OF THE TECHNOLOGICAL LANGUAGE IN THE HANDS OF DESIGNERS AND ARTISTS. CRITZ CAMPBELL AND SUZI WEBSTER USE ELECTROLUMINESCENT WIRES, AGAIN TO VERY DIFFERENT PURPOSES. CAMPBELL HAS CREATED A DRESS WITH THE LIGHT EMBROIDERED ONTO THE SURFACE OF THE DRESS TO CREATE A STUNNINGLY SIMPLE AESTHETIC. WEBSTER USES THE TECHNOLOGY AS PART OF A BIO-RESPONSE UNITY THAT THE WEARER CAN BREATHE INTO TO ELICIT A LIGHT-BASED RESPONSE. MOST GARMENTS ARE STILL BEING MADE IN THE SAME WAY THEY WERE BEING MADE ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO. THIS IS SLOWLY CHANGING AND SET TO CHANGE FURTHER. WATERPROOF CLOTHING IS ALREADY BEING SEALED TO PREVENT WATER GETTING THROUGH AT THE SEAMS WHILE HOSIERY AND SOME EXCLUSIVE CLOTHING ARE PRODUCED AS TUBULAR FORMS. JANNE KYTTÄNEN AT FREEDOM OF CREATION HAS TAKEN THE INDUSTRIAL PROCESS OF RAPID MANUFACTURING AND ADAPTED IT TO CREATE A NEW WAY OF PRODUCING THREE DIMENSIONAL GARMENTS AND ACCESSORIES BY FUSING TOGETHER LAYERS OF A THERMOPLASTIC POWDER TO CREATE INTERLOCKING TEXTILE PATTERNS IN LAYERS. A VERY DIFFERENT PROCESS IS BEING DEVELOPED BY MANEL TORRES AT FABRICAN. HE IS LITERALLY SPRAYING THE GARMENT DIRECTLY ONTO THE BODY OCCASIONALLY ADDING LAYERS OF ADDITIONAL FABRIC TO CREATE MORE SCULPTURAL FORMS. BIOTECHNOLOGY IS THE NAME GIVEN TO ANY TECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATION THAT USES BIOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, LIVING ORGANISMS OR THEIR DERIVATIVES, TO MAKE OR MODIFY PRODUCTS OR PROCESSES FOR SPECIALIST USE. THIS IS A RELATIVELY NEW TECHNOLOGY AND ONE THAT IS ATTRACTING ITS SHARE OF CONTROVERSY. TWO EXHIBITORS TISSUE + CULTURE AND DONNA FRANKLIN AND GARY CASS HAVE LINKS WITH SYMBIOTICA. THIS IS A UNIQUE RESEARCH LAB BASED IN PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA THAT IS DEDICATED TO ARTISTS CONDUCTING RESEARCH WITH BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE. BOTH EXPLORE FUTURE POSSIBILITIES FOR CREATING NEW MATERIALS THAT ARE GROWN IN THE SCIENTIFIC LABORATORY AND CONSIDER THE ETHICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS THAT SURROUND THEM. THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY IN COMPARISON WITH THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION IS THE IMPACT OF SCIENCE ON THE AESTHETIC. THE CLOTH WOVEN ON THE EARLY JACQUARD LOOMS DIFFERED LITTLE IN APPEARANCE FROM ITS HAND-WOVEN PREDECESSOR. THE EXAMPLES DISCUSSED HERE LOOK AND BEHAVE THE WAY THEY DO BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY. THEY COULD NOT HAVE BEEN PRODUCED IN ANY OTHER WAY.
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HUSSEIN CHALAYAN/SWAROVSKI_The Mechanical Dress 40’s – 60’s is a seminal piece from the designer’s Spring/Summer 2007 Collection, One Hundred and Eleven. The title is in reference to transcending the history of fashion for one hundred and eleven years as each garment literally moves through
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ELENA CORCHERO_Combing hand crafted embroidery and appliquĂŠ with technologies such as solar cells (this page) and Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), Corchero demonstrates a future vision for clothing where technology is humanised. Her garments and accessories are also mindful of environmental issues, hence the use of solar cells to harvest heat from the sun and convert it to energy needed to power the LEDs at night.
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CRITZ CAMPBELL_The Eudora dress is named in honour of the Mississippi-based author Eudora Welty as it evokes the dress style favoured during the 1950’s, a period she has written extensively on. The use of electroluminescent cable where hand embroidery would normally have been is a reminder of how technology is subverting the rules of design. Here it is the dress that is handmade and the decoration that relies on the machine-made.
CUTE CIRCUIT_The Hug Shirts are embedded with sensors that sense and respond to touch, the warmth of the skin and the heartbeat rate of the sender. The sensors are linked to actuators that respond to stimuli and recreate the sensation of touch, warmth and emotion of the hug to the shirt of the distant loved one.
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FABRICAN_Aware of the slow process of constructing garments, Manel Torres of Fabrican investigated new and novel ways to speed up this process. This led him to think of developing a material that would magically and somewhat mythologically fit the body like a second skin and at the same time have the appearance of clothing. It offers a whole new way of making and wearing clothes, literally fabric in a can.
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DONNA FRANKLIN/ GARY CASS_The wine dress has been cultivated from a fermentation of a red wine solution to create a seamless, biosynthetic garment. The cotton-like material fits snugly to the body, almost like a second skin. This Scanning Electron Micrograph (SEM) (opposite) shows groups of wine yeast, Saccharomyces ellipsoldeus. The cells typically consist of single vegetative cells that budd off smaller ‘daughter’ cells. The wine yeast completes the process of fermentation.
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FREEDOM OF CREATION_The process of Rapid Manufacturing is more commonly associated with products rather than fashion. Freedom of Creation design on a 3D CAD file then use a digital manufacturing process such as a Laser Sintering Machine to ‘print’ layer upon layer. The result can be a finished three dimensional fabric, garment or accessories. The material is not unlike a lightweight version of chainmail.
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ALYCE SANTORO_Tibetan prayer flags inscribed with wind-activated blessings and cassette tape used as tell-tales on sailing boats act as inspiration for Santoro’s Sonic Fabric. In her Sonic Fabric project she uses 50% recycled audio cassette tapes and 50% cotton weaving them to form an audio fabric. During the weaving process the magnetic quality of the tape is retained, so that when a tape head is run over the fabric sound is created.
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TISSUE + CULTURE_In Victimless Leather Tissue + Culture look at how we might obtain leather-like materials without having to slaughter animals. Using Biotechnology, garments are grown using embryonic mouse cells and human cells seeded over a biodegradable polymer substrate which has been preshaped in the form of the garment. As the semi-living garment grows the polymer scaffold degrades to leave the new garment.
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SUZI WEBSTER_Electric Skin is reactive to the inhalation and exhalation of the wearer’s breath using electroluminescent wires to create pulses of light in response. It is part of a growing number of clothes that use smart or responsive materials. These are materials and technological systems that sense and respond to changes in their environment. The electron micrograph image (left) shows the lining of the trachea or windpipe.
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AESTHETICS OF SCIENCE THE IMPACT OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND SPACE DISCOVERY POSE MANY AESTHETIC POSSIBILITIES INFLUENCING SILHOUETTE, GARMENT STRUCTURE, FABRIC AND SURFACE DECORATION. SCIENCE FICTION HAS GREATLY INFLUENCED THE ‘SCIENCE’ IMAGE AND ITS AESTHETIC DEVELOPMENT, FROM COMIC STRIPS IN THE PAGES OF MARVEL COMICS AND ALAN MOORE’S AND DAVE GIBBONS’ THE WATCHMEN TO THE WORK OF SEMINAL FILMMAKERS FRITZ LANG AND STANLEY KUBRICK. THE DESIGNERS WITHIN THIS SECTION TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE AESTHETIC NOTIONS TO FORM PLAYFUL KITSCH MOTIFS, CREATE SILHOUETTES OF SHARP LINES AND CONTOURED SURFACES OR FUTURISTIC CONCEPTS OF BRAND ASSOCIATION. AS THE AESTHETIC MOVES WITH EASE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND SCIENCE FICTION, SO TOO OUR NOTION OF WHAT IT IS TO BE HUMAN COMES INTO QUESTION. THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN SCIENCE AND SCIENCE FICTION IS OFTEN BLURRED. THIS CAN PARTLY BE ATTRIBUTED TO THE FACT THAT SO MUCH INSPIRATION BEHIND SCIENCE FICTION COMES FROM SCIENCE THAT IS AT A VERY EARLY STAGE SO THAT IT IS NOT YET COMMON KNOWLEDGE. KNOWEAR’S BRAND ADDICTION IS A WORK THAT STRADDLES THAT DIVIDE, IT MAKES THE VIEWER HESITATE AND ASK IS IT REALLY HAPPENING OR SOMETHING THAT COULD BE ABOUT TO. WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK’S WORK IS HIS OWN FANTASTICAL TAKE ON AUGMENTATION OF THE HUMAN BODY. IT RECALLS BOTH THE DISTORTED BODY FORMS DEPICTED IN THE MEDIEVAL BESTIARIES AND CONTEMPORARY PLASTIC SURGERY AND CHEMICAL ENHANCEMENTS. CLAUDY JONGSTRA’S WORK WITH FELTED FABRICS EVOKES AT ONCE TRADITIONAL HANDICRAFTS BUT HAS ALSO ITS PLACE ON THE LAVISH AND FUTURISTIC COSTUMES WORN BY PRINCESS LEIA IN STAR WARS THE PHANTOM MENACE. MANISH ARORA MOVES WITH EASE BETWEEN TRADITIONAL INDIAN EMBROIDERY AND BEADING AND THE HIGH TECHNOLOGY IMAGES OF ASTRONAUTS AND ROCKETS. THE BRINGING TOGETHER OF THE TWO HEIGHTENS OUR AWARENESS OF EACH AND BRING TO MIND THE CONTRASTS BETWEEN THE HAND CRAFTED AND THE TECHNOLOGICAL THAT SURROUND US IN OUR DAILY LIVES. WHILE MANY FASHION DESIGNERS ARE STARTING TO INCORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS IN THEIR CLOTHES, OTHERS ARE INSPIRED BY THE IDEA OF COMMUNICATION. SHELLEY FOX LOOKS AT BRAILLE AND MORSE CODE, TWO VERY DIFFERENT FORMS OF COMMUNICATION. THEIR INTERPRETATION INTO THE SURFACE PATTERN ON HER GARMENTS REFLECTS THEIR METHOD OF COMMUNICATION. THE BRAILLE PIECES HAVE A RAISED SURFACE TEXTURE WHILE THE MORSE CODE IS PRINTED AS A FLAT PATTERN. MAHARISHI IS BEST KNOWN FOR THEIR INTERPRETATION AND PROMOTION OF CAMOUFLAGE FOR NONMILITARY PURPOSES. MANY ARE ADAPTED FROM MILITARY ORIGINS SUCH AS THE DAZZLE AND BONSAI SERIES. OTHERS COME VIA POPULAR CULTURE SUCH AS THE SEMINAL FILM APOCALYPSE NOW AND THE NEW YORK GRAFFITI ARTIST FUTURA. THE RESULT IN BOTH DESIGNERS’ WORK IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF LAYERS OF INTERPRETATION AND REINTERPRETATION. WHAT WE SEE THROUGH THE WORK IN THIS SECTION OF THE EXHIBITION IS NOT JUST THE IMPACT OF SCIENCE ON FASHION AS AN AESTHETIC, BUT ALSO THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NARRATIVE FOR MODERN CLOTHING. NATURAL FIBERS AND MATERIALS HAVE ALWAYS HAD THIS FROM THEIR INCEPTION TO THE ONSET OF PATINATION AS THEY BECOME WORN THROUGH USE. SYNTHETIC MATERIALS HAVE STRUGGLED FOR A LANGUAGE THAT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD IN THIS RESPECT, HENCE THEIR RELATIVE DISPOSABILITY. THIS IS CHANGING WITH THE RECOGNITION BY DESIGNERS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF THE HUMAN ELEMENT. WHETHER THROUGH THE DESIGN NARRATIVE OR THE HAND MAKING, IT IS THE HUMAN ELEMENT THAT IS MAKING THE HIGH-TECH PERSONAL.
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MANISH ARORA_Details from Arora’s Autumn/Winter 2007 collection that dwells on the theme of space odyssey. Rigorous colour and often kitsch motifs are realised using traditional embroidery, appliqué and beading.
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SHELLEY FOX_Braille inspired Shelley Fox Autumn/Winter 1998 collection. Invented by Louis Braille in the nineteenth century, it allows blind and partially sighted people to read and write through touch.
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KNOWEAR_Brand addiction is taken to extremes in this art installation which considers it as a potential cause for a futuristic skin disease.
MAHARISHI_Camouflage is never far from the inspiration behind maharishi’s collections and these two details are no exception. The black and white graphics from the from Spring/Summer 2008 sweatshirt on the left reference dazzle disruptive patterns on World War I and World War II ships. The dazzle paint scheme involved painting ships in disruptive patterns in order to confuse enemy torpedo operators as to the ship’s direction, how far away it was and its speed. All critical information for a direct hit. Shown right is an Autumn/Winter 2007 richly embroidered stadium jacket from featuring artwork from graffiti artist and regular collaborator Futura.
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WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK_From the Sexclown men’s Spring/ Summer 2008 collection the work reflects a fascination with new types of future fetishism. Avatars, digital life forms and African Sogobo rituals combine to create an aesthetic that celebrates masculinity and body diversity. Van Beirendonck has designed costumes for U2’s PopMart tour, including Bono’s striking ‘bubble’ ensemble.
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CLAUDY JONGSTRA/ALEXANDER VON SLOBBE_Jongstra felted fabrics go far beyond traditional notions and aesthetics of the medium regularly combining raw silk, Merino wool and silk chiffon to create strikingly graphic, richly coloured and textured materials. The jackets are a collaboration between Claudy and the fashion designer Alexander von Slobbe in his label Orson + Bodil. The collaboration in 2002 is part of an ongoing research project exploring new ways of colouring felt.
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FABRIC LABORATORY THE ARRIVAL OF NEW MATERIALS IS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED BY GREAT DESIGN INNOVATION IN FASHION. THE INTRODUCTION OF LYCRA SAW THE POSSIBILITY OF USING STRETCH FABRICS AND CHANGED THE SILHOUETTE AND STYLE OF AN ERA. TODAY’S INNOVATIONS ARE RARELY AS DRAMATIC, BUT THEY ARE DIVERSE TOUCHING ON ALL ASPECTS OF FABRIC PRODUCTION FROM FIBER TO FABRIC STRUCTURE AND FINISHES. THE EXHIBITS IN THIS SECTOR RANGE FROM LASER-CUT AND EMBROIDERED FABRICS FROM THE HAUTE COUTURE CATWALKS OF PARIS TO THE USE OF THERMAL INSULATING TECHNOLOGY FROM THE SPACE INDUSTRY. THESE FABRICS DEMONSTRATE HOW TECHNOLOGY AND TRADITION CAN COME TOGETHER TO CREATE FABRICS WITH DISTINCTIVE VISUAL AND TACTILE QUALITIES THAT DEMAND A HUMAN RESPONSE. TWO COMPANIES UTILISE TECHNOLOGIES THAT HAVE THEIR ORIGIN IN THE SPACE INDUSTRY, GRADO ZERO ESPACE AND SCHOELLER. THE FORMER HAVE BEEN EXPLORING THE USE IN CLOTHING OF AEROGEL, A SUBSTANCE THAT HAS THE MOST EFFICIENT WEIGHT-THERMAL INSULATION RATIO. THE RESULTING JACKETS ARE EXTREMELY LIGHTWEIGHT BUT VERY WARM. SCHOELLER HAS LONG BEEN ESTABLISHED IN THE PRODUCTION OF SOPHISTICATED, HIGHLY TECHNICAL FABRICS FOR FASHION, SPORTS AND LEISUREWEAR. THEY HAVE PRODUCED THEIR OWN SCHOELLERPCM, PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL. THE PCM HAS THE ABILITY TO CHANGE STATE (SUCH AS FROM A SOLID TO A LIQUID TO A GAS) WHEN SUBJECTED TO A TEMPERATURE CHANGE. THE IDEA BEING THAT INCORPORATED INTO A FABRIC IT CAN KEEP THE WEARER WARM WHILE STANDING WAITING FOR A BUS IN WINTER, AND COOL WHEN RUNNING TO CATCH THE BUS. A VERY DIFFERENT ROUTE TO TEXTILE INNOVATION HAS BEEN TAKEN BY THE SWISS COMPANY JAKOB SCHLAEPFER AND JAPANESE DESIGNER YOSHIKI HISHINUMA. THEY COMBINE THE HIGH AND LOW TECH, THE HAND CRAFTED AND TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED. FABRICS ARE BEING HEAT TREATED OR LASERCUT BUT BOTH DESIGNERS ARE MINDFUL OF MAINTAINING THE HUMAN ELEMENT AT SOME STAGE IN THE PROCESS. IT SEEMS IRONIC THAT TODAY IT IS THE MIX OF CRAFT AND MACHINE THAT HAS COME TO DENOTE LUXURY. THE HAND-MADE IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW END OF THE MARKET AS CHEAP IMPORTS FROM COUNTRIES LIKE CHINA FLOOD THE HIGH STREET. ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS ARE NOW RECOGNISED AS A WIDER ISSUE THAN SIMPLY THE TYPE OF YARN OR DYE USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF A FABRIC. REBECCA EARLEY TAKES THESE AS A STARTING POINT THEN GOES ON TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE DESIGN PROCESS AND HOW WE USE AND REUSE CLOTHING. SHE CONSIDERS HOW THESE ISSUES CAN BE TAKEN ON BOARD AT THE POINT OF DESIGN SO THAT LONGEVITY RATHER THAN OBSOLESCENCE IS BUILT IN. TEXTILE STUDENTS FROM FOUR COLLEGES HAVE BEEN INVITED TO TAKE MILITARY AND INDUSTRIAL FABRICS AND ADAPT THEM AS SAMPLERS FOR FASHION. FABRIC FROM PALMHIVE AND VERDANT SOLUTIONS ARE THE STARTING POINT AS STUDENTS FROM THE TEXTILE DESIGN DEPARTMENT CHELSEA SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN, MULTI-MEDIA DEPARTMENT AT LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN, FASHION AND TEXTILE DEPARTMENT AT THE NATIONAL COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN AND INTERFACE, UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER PROCEED TO STITCH, BURN, LAYER AND CUT THE FABRICS TO TRANSFORM THEM CAUSING US TO LOOK AFRESH AT THE FABRICS AROUND US THAT WE TAKE FOR GRANTED.
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REBECCA EARLEY_Earley has become increasingly concerned with the environmental impact of the textile industry. She uses exhaust dyeing, reusing the dye bath several times so that the garments become paler each time. This is an integral part of her design philosophy and aesthetic as each piece becomes unique. The two images on this page are of the Aral Sea in Kazakhstan showing the impact of cotton production on the environment. The images are taken less than twenty years apart, the image on the right in 2003.
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GRADO ZERO ESPACE_The Aerogel jacket uses aerogel, the lightest solid in the world – so light that in their purest form they can float on air. It is also highly insulating with an excellent weight to heat insulation ratio. The technology has been used by the ESA with this jacket produced as part of a collaboration between the European Space Agency and Grado Zero Espace.
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YOSHIKI HISHINUMA_ Instead of taking flat cloth then cutting and stitching it to make a 3D form, Hishinuma is developing a range of 3D knitted garments. In some instances even the buttons have been knitted in this way. Collection from autunm/winter 2005.
JAKOB SCHLAEPFER_ Suede effect, transparent, silver and gold coloured lurex threads with Jacquard weave, laser-cutting, embroidery and embossing all combine to create fabrics that are both technically advanced and have a futuristic aesthetic in these fabrics for Haute Couture.
SCHOELLER/ANGEWANDTE KUNST SCHNEEBERG_ There is a growing interest by designers in nature not simply for visual but technical inspiration. Biomimetics is the extraction of good design from nature. Schoeller have looked to the pine cone and its ability to open and contract as inspiration for their c_change membrane technology for fabrics. Students at the Angewandte Kunst Schneeberg have undertaken several fashion projects using Schoeller’s advanced fabrics.
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Student Samplers with fabrics supplied by Palmhive (black bobble anti-radar camouflage) and Verdant Solutions (suppliers of industrial materials including nonwovens). Participating colleges: Chelsea School of Art and Design; Multi-Media Textile Department, LUCAD; Textile Design, NCAD; Centre for Research in Art Technologies and Design, Interface in the University of Ulster. Fabrics l-r: Palmhive, Suzie Chrisfield, Sarah Walker, Chloe Wragg, Sarah McPhee, Skyla Jade Iza, Rebecca Boatfield, Natalie Wooller, Sharon Dean, Hannah Gilbert, Ellen Cobb, Amy Bear, Tomoko Fujimura and Emily Skinner.
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BIOGRAPHIES MANISH ARORA ARORA STUDIED AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FASHION AND TECHNOLOGY IN NEW DELHI BEFORE SETTING UP HIS OWN LABEL IN 1997. IN 2005 HE JOINED THE SCHEDULE AT LONDON FASHION WEEK, DISPLAYING HIS COLLECTION OF VIVID COLOURS AND KITSCH MOTIFS. HIS GARMENTS COMBINE CONTEMPORARY SILHOUETTES WITH A RANGE OF TRADITIONAL INDIAN CRAFT TECHNIQUES INCLUDING EMBROIDERY, APPLIQUÉ AND BEADING. MANISH HAS MADE COSTUMES FOR BOLLYWOOD FILMS. IN 2007 HE PARTICIPATED IN THE VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM’S ‘FASHION IN MOTION’ SEASON AND MADE HIS DEBUT AT PARIS FASHION WEEK WITH SWAROVSKI CRYSTAL ELEMENTS. CRITZ CAMPBELL CRITZ CAMPBELL IS A CHICAGO BASED DESIGNER AND PRINCIPAL OF B9 DESIGN. HE IS A GRADUATE OF THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO AND RECEIVED A DEGREE IN FURNITURE DESIGN AT PARNHAM COLLEGE, DORSET. HE HAS RECEIVED GRANTS FROM THE MISSISSIPPI ARTS COMMISSION AND THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS. HE HAS EXHIBITED WIDELY INCLUDING THE 2003 COOPER HEWITT DESIGN MUSEUM’S DESIGN TRIENNIAL ‘INSIDE DESIGN NOW’. CRITZ HAS COMMERCIAL DESIGNS PRODUCED UNDER LICENSE FOR CRATE AND BARREL AND CSL TORONTO. HE CURRENTLY TEACHES AT THE SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO. GARY CASS
INCLUDED THE INFAMOUS BURIED SILK DRESSES WHICH WERE BURIED THEN EXHUMED FROM THE GROUND FOR HIS FINAL SHOW. SINCE THEN HIS CATWALK SHOWS EACH SEASON SURPRISE AND DELIGHT AUDIENCES COMBING GROUND BREAKING TECHNOLOGIES SUCH AS ROBOTICS AND SHAPE MEMORY ALLOYS, WITH THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF CRAFTSMANSHIP. HE COLLABORATES WITH ARTISTS, ARCHITECTS, AND DESIGNERS WITH COLLABORATORS INCLUDING SWAROVSKI. HE WAS AWARDED AN MBE IN THE 2006 QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST. TEXTILE DESIGN, CHELSEA SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN THE HISTORY OF CHELSEA SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE LATE NINETEENTH CENTURY AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW VOCATIONAL COURSES IN THE ARTS, CRAFTS AND DESIGN. THE COLLEGE HAS BEEN LOCATED AT ITS CURRENT SITE NEXT TO TATE BRITAIN SINCE 2005. IN 1989 TEXTILE DESIGN WAS ONE OF THREE HNDS TO BE CONVERTED TO BA HONOURS IN DESIGN. ELENA CORCHERO CORCHERO IS AN EXPERIENCED FASHION AND INTERACTION DESIGNER WITH A FINE ARTS BACKGROUND. SHE HAS SPECIALIST KNOWLEDGE IN SMART TEXTILES THROUGH WORK ON WEARABLE TECHNOLOGIES AS A RESEARCH ASSOCIATE IN MIT MEDIA LAB EUROPE HUMAN CONNECTEDNESS. ELENA RECENTLY GRADUATED FROM MA TEXTILE FUTURES AT CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS, WHERE SHE DEVELOPED NEW AESTHETICS FOR SOLAR WEARABLE TECHNOLOGIES, INSPIRED IN TRADITION AND ANTIQUE EMBELLISHMENT TECHNIQUES. SHE IS CURRENTLY A SENIOR RESEARCHER AT DISTANCE LAB, INVERNESS SCOTLAND.
GARY CASS HAS BEEN A KEY SCIENTIFIC COLLABORATOR WITH NUMEROUS ART AND SCIENCE PROJECTS BASED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA, CONTRIBUTING A VAST RANGE OF SKILLS IN AGRICULTURAL AND BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES TO ONGOING RESEARCH PROJECTS. CASS IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF BIOALLOY, AN ONGOING RESEARCH ENDEAVOUR INTO ARTISTIC CYBORGIAN SYSTEMS DEVELOPED IN THE FNAS LABORATORIES AT THE UWA. HE HAS COLLABORATED WITH PERFORMANCE ARTISTS. CHANDRASEKARAN AND CONTEMPORARY ARTIST DONNA FRANKLIN. CASS COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS WITH CHANDRASEKARAN HAVE BEEN EXHIBITED AROUND THE WORLD, MOST RECENTLY AS A FRINGE EVENT AT THE VENICE BIENNALE AND DOCUMENTA AND THE BIENNALE OF ELECTRONIC ARTS PERTH (ALL 2007).
THE WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY AND INTERACTION DESIGN COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN 2004 BY FRANCESCA ROSELLA AND RYAN GENZ. CUTE CIRCUIT PRODUCTS ARE WEARABLE TECHNOLOGIES AND SMART TEXTILES FOR USE IN FASHION, SPORT AND COMMUNICATION INDUSTRIES. BOTH HOLD A MASTERS IN INTERACTION DESIGN FROM INTERACTION DESIGN INSTITUTE IVREA. FRANCESCA IS A FASHION DESIGNER (VALENTINO, ESPRIT) AND ARCHITECT AND RYAN AN ARTIST AND ANTHROPOLOGIST. THE HUG SHIRT, WAS NOMINATED AS ONE OF THE BEST INVENTIONS OF THE YEAR BY TIME MAGAZINE.
HUSSEIN CHALAYAN
REBECCA EARLEY
CHALAYAN GRADUATED FROM CENTRAL SAINT MARTINS SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN IN 1993. HIS DEGREE SHOW
A GRADUATE IN PRINTED TEXTILES FROM LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART & DESIGN, EARLEY WENT ON TO
CUTE CIRCUIT
FESTIVAL 2007 AND SKIN TO SKIN AT THE FREMANTLE ART CENTRE, 2008. MOST RECENT PROJECTS INCLUDE THE MICRO’BE’ GARMENTS IN COLLABORATION WITH GARY CASS. THESE ARE FERMENTED FROM RED WINE AND BEER, WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF CULTIVATING A SEAMLESS, BIOSYNTHETIC GARMENT WITHOUT A SINGLE STITCH.
OF SYNTHETICS AND THEIR THERMOPLASTIC PROPERTIES, CREATING TRANSPARENCY AND OPACITY AND FLAT NEXT TO HIGH RELIEF SURFACES. HE IS ALSO RESEARCHING AND DEVELOPING INNOVATIVE THREE-DIMENSIONAL KNITTED GARMENTS. HISHINUMA HAS DESIGNED COSTUMES FOR DANCE INCLUDING THE NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER’S ARCIMBOLDO.
FREEDOM OF CREATION
CLAUDY JONGSTRA
FABRICAN WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2003 BY DR MANEL TORRES AND PROF PAUL LUCKHAM, COMBINING THE EXPERTISE OF BOTH THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART AND IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON. IT IS A PRIVATELY OWNED AND SELF-FINANCING COMPANY, RESEARCHING INTO THE DEVELOPMENT OF SPRAY-ON FABRIC FOR A NUMBER OF MARKET SECTORS INCLUDING HYGIENE PRODUCTS, MEDICAL APPLICATION, FASHION AND INDUSTRY.
THE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED BY INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER JANNE KYTTANEN IN HELSINKI IN 2000. NOW BASED IN AMSTERDAM, THE COMPANY SPECIALISES IN THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF RAPID MANUFACTURED TEXTILES. THE FIRST COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS WERE LAUNCHED IN 2005, EMPLOYING THE TECHNIQUES OF LASER SINTERING TO PRODUCE INTERLOCKING TEXTILE PATTERNS THROUGH BUILDING UP NUMEROUS PRINTED LAYERS. THE DESIGNS ARE INITIATED BY JIRI EVENHUIS AND JANNE KYTTÄNEN, THE LATTER IS ALSO CREATIVE DIRECTOR AT THE COMPANY. THE COMPANY PRODUCE THEIR OWN RANGE OF CLOTHING, ACCESSORIES AND LIGHTING BUT ALSO UNDERTAKE NUMEROUS COMMISSIONS FOR CLIENTS SUCH AS ONITSUKA TIGER, DEVELOPING THE ICONIC CREATION FOR THEIR ‘ELECTRIC TIGER LAND’ CAMPAIGN.
JONGSTRA STUDIED FASHION AT THE ART SCHOOL IN UTRECHT GRADUATING IN 1989. SHE USES NATURAL MATERIALS — WILD SILK, WILD LINEN, WILD CAMEL, WILD CASHMERE AND ESPECIALLY WILD WOOL — WHICH SHE THEN FELTS AND TREATS WITH ORIGINAL TECHNIQUES THAT RESULT IN SOME OF THE MOST CREATIVE FABRICS EVER SEEN. FELT IS HER INSTINCTIVE FABRIC, ONE SHE NEVER TIRES OF REINVENTING FOR CLIENTS AS VARIED AS CHRISTIAN LACROIX, DONNA KARAN, JOHN GALLIANO, SO BY ALEXANDER VAN SLOBBE, HELLA JONGERIUS, STEVEN HOLL AND MANY OTHERS. SHE HAS ALSO MADE FELTED FABRIC FOR STAR WARS – THE PHANTOM MENACE.
SHELLEY FOX
GRADO ZERO ESPACE
FOX IS A GRADUATE FROM CENTRAL ST MARTINS SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN. HER GRADUATING COLLECTION WAS BOUGHT BY LIBERTY, LONDON. IN 1996 SHE WON A CRAFTS COUNCIL DEVELOPMENT AWARD AND IN 1999 THE JERWOOD FASHION PRIZE. SHE LAUNCHED HER OWN LABEL IN 1997 AND CREATES CONCEPTUAL CLOTHING WHICH DEMONSTRATES A PARTICULAR INTEREST IN UNUSUAL MATERIALS AND FINISHES. EXHIBITIONS INCLUDE THE BRITISH COUNCIL’S ‘THE FABRIC OF FASHION’, 2000-2, ‘FASHION AT BELSAY’, 2004 WITH ENGLISH HERITAGE AND NORTHERN ARTS AND DESIGN AND THE ELASTIC MIND, MOMA 2008. SHE HAS BEEN APPOINTED DONNA KARAN PROFESSOR OF FASHION, MFA FASHION AND SOCIETY AT PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN.
GRADO ZERO ESPACE IS THE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT OF CORPO NOVE. THE COMPANY’S MISSION IS TO DEVELOP NEW MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGIES FOR INDUSTRY, WITH THE AIM TO IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE, WORK AND ENVIRONMENT. THE RESEARCH LABORATORY IS ACTIVE IN THE AREA OF TEXTILE AND GARMENT INNOVATION WITH ITS AIM TO BUILD ON THE PARENT COMPANY’S EXISTING EXPERTISE TO PROVIDE CONTRACT RESEARCH SERVICES AND INNOVATION CONSULTANCY. THEIR AIM IS TO INTEGRATE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS INTO WEARABLE GARMENTS. THEY HAVE COLLABORATED WITH THE EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY AS PART OF THEIR TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAMME, WHICH INCLUDED DEVELOPING GARMENTS FOR THE MCLAREN-HUGO BOSS F1 MECHANICS.
COMPLETE AN MA IN FASHION SPECIALISING IN PRINTED TEXTILES FROM CENTRAL ST MARTINS SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN IN 1994. SHE IS CURRENTLY SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW ON THE TEXTILES ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN PROJECT AND ASSOCIATE LECTURER ON BA AND MA TEXTILES, CHELSEA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN. SHE ESTABLISHED HER OWN LABEL, B. EARLEY, IN 1993 CREATING WOMENSWEAR AND ACCESSORIES SUCH AS LARGE WRAPS AND SCARVES. HER SIGNATURE TEXTILE IS THE HEAT PHOTOGRAM TECHNIQUE WHICH SHE BEGAN EXPLORING WHILE STUDYING HER MA. SHE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN MANY GROUP EXHIBITIONS INCLUDING ‘THE FABRIC OF FASHION’, A BRITISH COUNCIL TOURING SHOW, 2000-02 AND GREAT EXPECTATIONS, A DESIGN COUNCIL TOURING SHOW, 2001-03. FABRICAN
DONNA FRANKLIN RECENTLY COMPLETING HER MASTER OF ARTS AT EDITH COWAN UNIVERSITY (ECU). SHE WAS AWARDED AN ARTIST RESIDENCY AT SYMBIOTICA. DURING THIS TIME SHE COMPLETED THE WORK ENTITLED FIBRE REACTIVE, A LIVING AND GROWING DRESS ENCRUSTED WITH ORANGE BRACKET FUNGHI. SHE HAS SINCE COLLABORATED IN VARIOUS PROJECTS WORKING WITH TECHNOLOGIES OF MICROBIOLOGY USING PERFORMANCE, INSTALLATION AND FILM. DONNA HAS EXHIBITED WIDELY INCLUDING THE ARS ELECTRONICA
YOSHIKI HISHINUMA HISHINUMA IS A TEXTILE AND FASHION DESIGNER WHO LAUNCHED HIS OWN LABEL IN 1984 AND WAS AWARDED THE NEW DESIGNER’S PRIZE AT TOKYO’S MAINICHI FASHION GRAND PRIX. HE TRAINED IN TEXTILES AND FASHION AT THE MIYAKE DESIGN STUDIO, GIVING INSIGHT INTO THE WORLD OF EXPERIMENTAL TEXTILES TECHNOLOGY FOR FASHION. HIS WORK PUSHES THE BOUNDARIES OF FABRIC AND FASHION THROUGH THE EXPLORATION
KNOWEAR THE COMPANY WAS CREATED BY PETER ALLEN AND CARLA ROSS ALLEN IN 2000 FOLLOWING CARLA’S MA AT CRANBROOK ACADEMY OF ART BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI. THEY EXPLORE THE CONCEPT OF BRAND ADDICTION TO THE POINT WHERE IT APPEARS LIKE AN EMBEDDED SKIN DISEASE. OF PARTICULAR INTEREST IS THEIR BRANDX SERIES, USING A SERIES OF SCULPTURED MANNEQUINS WHERE THE BRAND LOGOS OF FENDI, LOUIS VUITTON AND GUCCI APPEAR TO BE GROWING OUT OF THEIR SKIN. MULTI MEDIA TEXTILES (MMT), LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN (LUCAD) MULTI MEDIA TEXTILES (MMT) IS ONE OF THREE SPECIALIST TEXTILES AT LUCAD. THE DEPARTMENT IS AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF TEXTILES. AS A RESULT IT HAS RECEIVED NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL PRESS ACCLAIM OVER RECENT YEARS FOR INNOVATIVE DESIGN AND ART CONCLUSIONS. STUDENTS REGULARLY PARTICIPATE IN NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIONS. THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN PROJECTS WITH FASHION DESIGNERS ROBERT CAREY WILLIAMS AND CHRISTIAN LA CROIX, REEBOK USA AND SWAROVSKI AUSTRIA. THE SPECIALISM HAS ALSO SOLD WELL AT INDIGO PARIS. MAHARISHI IN 1994 MAHARISHI WAS FOUNDED BY HARDY BLECHMAN WHO REMAINS THE CREATIVE DIRECTOR. THE COMPANY
CARRIES A STRONG ETHOS OF RESPECT FOR NATURE WHILE UTILISING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY. BLECHMAN BEGAN BY PRODUCING HEMP AND OTHER NATURAL FIBRE CLOTHING AS WELL AS RECYCLING WORKWEAR AND MILITARY SURPLUS. THE LATTER HAS EVOLVED TO BECOME THE COMPANY’S SIGNATURE CAMOUFLAGE DESIGN RANGE FOR MENS, WOMENS, CHILDRENS CLOTHING AS WELL AS ACCESSORIES AND PRODUCTS. CONSTANTLY COLLABORATING WITH ARTISTS AND DESIGNERS INCLUDING THE GRAFITTI ARTIST FUTURA. TEXTILE DESIGN, NATIONAL COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN (NCAD) THE NCAD WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1746 WHEN ROBERT WEST HELD A PRIVATE DRAWING SCHOOL IN GEORGE’S LANE IN DUBLIN. THROUGHOUT THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY THERE WERE THREE SCHOOLS AND NAMED THE DUBLIN METROPOLITAN SCHOOL OF ART THEN RENAMED THE NATIONAL COLLEGE OF ART AND FINALLY IN 1971 BECOMING THE NATIONAL COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN. THE FACULTY OF DESIGN HOUSES BOTH TEXTILE DESIGN AND FASHION DEGREE COURSES. STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN EXTERNAL PROJECTS INCLUDING A FASHION SHOW AS PART OF THE LIGHTWAVES EXHIBITION AT SCIENCE GALLERY DUBLIN. NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER THE THEATER COMPANY WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1959 WHEN A GROUP OF EIGHTEEN MEMBERS OF FORMER HET NEDERLANDS BALLET (BALLET OF THE NETHERLANDS) BROKE AWAY FROM THE TRADITIONALLY ORIENTATED COMPANY. THE NEW GROUP WAS DEDICATED TO THE EXPLORATION OF NEW FORMS OF DANCE, USING NEW TECHNIQUES AND OPEN TO DIFFERENT IDEAS AND EXPERIMENTATION. JIRI KYLIÁN WITH CAREL BIRNIE CREATED A NEW COMPANY, NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER II, IN WHICH THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WOULD GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS AND TALENTS IN A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS, IN ORDER TO BECOME MEMBERS OF THE MAJOR COMPANY OF NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER. ARCIMBOLDO, WAS A ‘PIÈCE D’OCCASION’ FOR JIRÍ KYLIÁN TO CELEBRATE HIS TWENTY YEARS WITH THE NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER. PALMHIVE TECHNICAL TEXTILE MANUFACTURERS PRODUCING A RANGE OF RASCHEL AND TRICOT WARP KNITTED FABRICS FOR PERFORMANCE APPLICATIONS COVERING GEOSYNTHETICS, MILITARY, INDUSTRIAL, SPORT, MEDICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SAFETY SECTORS. MUCH OF WHAT THEY PRODUCE IS CUSTOMISED TO THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUAL CLIENTS. THEY USE AN EXTENSIVE NUMBER OF ADVANCED FIBERS INCLUDING POLYESTER, POLYPROPYLENE,
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ARAMIDS AND GLASS FIBER AS WELL AS NATURAL FIBERS SUCH AS COTTON. ALYCE SANTORO SANTORO IS A MUSICIAN AND CONCEPTUAL ARTIST WITH A BACKGROUND IN BOTH SCIENCE AND ART. SHE USES SOUND, VIDEO, COLLAGE, DRAWING, EPHEMERA, AND ASSEMBLAGE TO EXPLORE THE MYSTERIOUS NATURE OF NATURE, SCIENTIFIC THEMES AND THEORIES, AND PHILOSOPHY IN GENERAL. HER “PROPS FOR INSTALLATION AND DIATRIBE”, INCLUDING “SONIC FABRIC” (A TEXTILE WOVEN FROM RECORDED AUDIOCASSETTE TAPE) ARE EXHIBITED IN MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES AROUND THE WORLD. IN ORDER TO MORE ACTIVELY PURSUE EXPERIMENTS INTO SUSTAINABILITY, CONSERVATION, AND PERMACULTURE, ALYCE RECENTLY RELOCATED TO THE HIGH DESERT OF WEST TEXAS WHERE SHE IS THE FOUNDER OF THE CENTER FOR THE IMPROBABLE & (IM)PERMACULTURAL RESEARCH. JAKOB SCHLAEPFER THE TEXTILE DESIGN COMPANY WAS FOUNDED IN 1960. THEIR FABRICS COMBINE THE LATEST TECHNOLOGIES WITH TRADITIONAL ASPECTS. THEIR INNOVATIVE FABRICS FOR FASHION AND INTERIORS USE MANY ADVANCED MATERIALS SUCH AS NEW SYNTHETICS, METALLICS AND FIBRE OPTICS TOGETHER WITH FINISHING TREATMENTS, FOR EXAMPLE LASER CUTTING, INK-JET PRINTING AND EMBROIDERY. JAKOB SCHLAEPFER SHOW VARIOUS COLLECTIONS EACH YEAR – HAUTE COUTURE, PRÊT-ÀPORTER, DIMENSIONAL WOVEN FABRIC AND INTERIOR. THEY SUPPLY LEADING FASHION DESIGNERS SUCH AS CHRISTIAN LACROIX AND JOHN GALLIANO WITH GLAMOROUS AND EXTRAVAGANT FABRICS. IN 2004 THEY HAD AN EXHIBITION AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUM IN ZURICH, ‘BLING BLING’. ART DIRECTOR MARTIN LEUTHOLD COMPILED BLENWERK WITH BERNHARD DUSS, WHICH DEMONSTRATES THEIR INSPIRATION AND CREATIVITY FOR FABRICS AND FASHION, ALSO LAUNCHED IN SUMMER 2004.
FOR ITS TECHNICALLY INNOVATIVE FABRIC RANGE. THESE ARE AIMED AT MARKETS THAT INCLUDE FASHION SPORT AND LEISURE WEAR. SCHOELLER’S ENVIRONMENTAL APPROACH LED, AMONG OTHER THINGS, TO THE INSTALLATION OF A WASTE-WATER REACTOR WHICH WAS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND WORLD WIDE. CURRENT INNOVATIONS RANGE FROM PHASE CHANGE MATERIALS (SCHOELLERPCM) TO DIRT REPELLENT FABRICS INSPIRED BY THE LOTUS LEAF. THEY ARE SUPPORTIVE TO YOUNG DESIGNERS AND STUDENTS, RUNNING COLLABORATIVE VENTURES WITH SCHOOLS SUCH AS ANGEWANDTE KUNST SCHNEEBERG.
ANTWERP, ESTABLISHING HIS OWN LABEL, WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK IN 1983, BEFORE HAVING HIS FIRST BREAKTHROUGH IN 1987 AS PART OF ‘THE ANTWERP SIX BRITISH DESIGNER SHOW’. INFLUENCES RANGE FROM ART, MUSIC AND LITERATURE TO ETHNIC CULTURE, NATURE AND SAFE SEX. HUMOUR, STRONG GRAPHICS AND INNOVATIVE CUTS COMBINED WITH UNUSUAL COLOUR COMBINATIONS ARE A CONSTANT IN HIS WORK. HE WAS CURATOR OF ‘MODE2001 LANDED-GELAND’ FASHION PROJECT, ANTWERP, AND HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN MAJOR FASHION EXHIBITIONS IN MUSEUMS WORLDWIDE. VERDANT SOLUTIONS LTD
SWAROVSKI ESTABLISHED OVER A HUNDRED YEARS AGO, THE COMPANY HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS WITH EXCLUSIVE CUT CRYSTAL FOR FASHION, JEWELLERY AND LIGHTING. CONSISTENTLY AT THE FOREFRONT OF THE MARKET, THE COMPANY PRODUCE THEIR OWN DESIGNS AS WELL AS COLLABORATIONS WITH MANY OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE DESIGNERS TODAY SUCH AS HUSSEIN CHALAYAN AND ZAHA M HADID. THE SWAROVSKI GROUP ALSO INCLUDESA TOOLING AND ABRASIVES DIVISION AS WELL AS SPECIALITY OPTICS. TISSUE + CULTURE ORON CATTS AND IONAT ZURR COMPRISE TISSUE + CULTURE, TISSUE ENGINEERING ARTISTS BASED IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. CATTS IS CO-FOUNDER AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF SYMBIOTICA, THE ART AND SCIENCE COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH LABORATORY, UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA. ZURR IS AN ARTIST IN RESIDENCE/PHD CANDIDATE IN SYMBIOTICA. THEY HAVE LECTURED, RUN WORKSHOPS AND EXHIBITED WIDELY INCLUDING ‘SK-INTERFACES’, FACT LIVERPOOL 2008 AND DESIGN AND THE ELASTIC MIND, MOMA 2008. TISSUE + CULTURE ARE WINNERS OF THE 2007 INAUGURAL PRIX ARS ELECTRONICA GOLDEN NICA IN HYBRID ART.
DEPARTMENT FASHION DESIGN, COLLEGE OF APPLIED ART SCHNEEBERG
INTERFACE, CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN ART TECHNOLOGIES AND DESIGN, UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER
THE ORIGINS OF THE COLLEGE CAN BE TRACED BACK TO 1878 WITH THE FOUNDING OF THE ROYAL PEAK PATTERN CLAPPER SCHOOL IN SCHNEEGERG. IN 1962 THE COLLEGE OF APPLIED ARTS AND SNOW MOUNTAIN (FAK) WAS FORMED. THE DEPARTMENT HAS UNDERTAKEN NUMEROUS COLLABORATIONS WITH SCHOELLER WITH THE RESULTS OFTEN SHOWCASED AT INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIRS SUCH AS AVANTEX.
INTERFACE IS AN INTERDISCIPLINARY AND PRACTICE BASED RESEARCH CENTER SITUATED AT THE SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ULSTER. ESTABLISHED IN 2004, IT IS A KEY ELEMENT IN THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE COLLEGE’S BELFAST CAMPUS. AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN ITS DEVELOPMENT IS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PARTNERSHIPS AND COLLABORATION AT BOTH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.
SCHOELLER
WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK
THE TEXTILE COMPANY WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1868. IT HAS A STRONG REPUTATION
VAN BEIRENDONCK STUDIED FASHION AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS IN
VERDANT SPECIALISE IN THE PROVISION OF AN ALL-ROUND EARTH REINFORCEMENT, EROSION CONTROL AND GEOSYNTHETIC SERVICE. THE COMPANY MARKETS A COMPREHENSIVE RANGE OF PRODUCTS AND SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS PROVIDING TECHNICAL SUPPORT. VERDANT HAS YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE APPLICATION OF GEOSYNTHETIC, CONCRETE, ENVIRONMENTAL AND BIOENGINEERING PRODUCTS. ALEXANDER VON SLOBBE ALEXANDER VAN SLOBBE IS OFTEN REGARDED AS THE FOUNDER OF DUTCH MODERNISM. HE GRADUATED WITH HONOURS FROM THE ARNHEM ACADEMY OF ART AND DESIGN, AND TOGETHER WITH SAYONE DAAN, HE HAS BEEN HEAD OF THE FASHION DEPARTMENT SINCE 2003. IN 1989 VAN SLOBBE AND NANNET VAN DER KLEIJN FOUNDED THE LABEL ORSON+BODIL TO COMBINE A CONCEPTUAL PERSPECTIVE WITH SOBER AND PURE AESTHETICS. ONE OF THE DOMINANT INTENTIONS OF ORSON+BODIL WAS THE CROSSOVER OF FASHION BEYOND THE CLASSICAL BOUNDARIES AS A DISCIPLINE, AND THE COLLABORATION WITH ARCHITECTS, ARTISTS, WRITERS AND DESIGNERS INCLUDING CLAUDY JONGSTRA. SUZI WEBSTER WEBSTER IS A CANADIAN MULTIMEDIA ARTIST. SHE GRADUATED FROM THE EMILY CARR INSTITUTE OF ART + DESIGN + MEDIA (ECI), VANCOUVER, CANADA IN 2004 AND WENT ON TO RECEIVE A MASTERS OF FINE ART AT THE SLADE SCHOOL OF ART, LONDON IN 2007. SHE HAS ALREADY EXHIBITED WIDELY INCLUDING ‘CYBORGS: MAN OR MACHINE’, DISCOVERY MUSEUM, NEWCASTLE, UK AS PART OF THE DOTT 07 DESIGN BIENNALE. SHE IS CURRENTLY TEACHING AT THE DIGITAL VISUAL ARTS SESSIONAL FACULTY, EMILY CARR INSTITUTE, VANCOUVER, CANADA.
CONTACTS MANISH ARORA C/O BLOW PR 29-35 RATHBONE STREET LONDON, W1T 1NJ UK WWW.MANISHARORA.WS WALTER VAN BEIRENDONCK BVBA BIG HENRI VAN HEURCKSTRAAT 5 2000 ANTWERP BELGIUM WWW.WALTERVANBEIRENDONCK.COM CRITZ CAMPBELL ASSISTANT PROFESSOR DEPARTMENT OF ART MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY P.O. BOX 5182 102 FREEMAN HALL BARR AVENUE MSU, MS 39762 USA WWW.B9FURNITURE.COM HUSSEIN CHALAYAN STUDIO BLOCK H-FIRST FLOOR ZETLAND HOUSE 109-123 CLIFTON STREET LONDON, EC2A 4LD UK WWW.HUSSEINCHALAYAN.COM
FREEDOM OF CREATION HOBBEMAKADE 85 HS 1071 XP AMSTERDAM THE NETHERLANDS WWW.FREEDOMOFCREATION.COM SHELLEY FOX DONNA KARAN PROFESSOR OF FASHION MFA FASHION AND SOCIETY PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN 560 SEVENTH AVENUE NEW YORK, N.Y. 10018 USA WWW.SHELLEYFOX.COM GRADO ZERO ESPACE SRL VIA 8 MARZO, 8 50053 EMPOLI FIRENZE ITALY WWW.GZESPACE.COM YOSHIKI HISHINUMA ASSOCIATES CO. LTD 3-12-12-2F HIGASHI SHIBUYA-KU TOKYO 150 0011 JAPAN WWW.YOSHIKIHISHINUMA.CO.JP
ALYCE SANTORO 324 LIMPIA CANYON TRAIL FORT DAVIS TEXAS, TX 79734 USA WWW.ALYCESANTORO.COM JAKOB SCHLAEPFER FURSTENLANDSTRASSE 99 CH-9001 ST GALLEN SWITZERLAND WWW.JAKOB-SCHLAEPFER.CH DEPARTMENT FASHION DESIGN DEPARTMENT OF WHZ — UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCE COLLEGE OF APPLIED ART SCHNEEBERG GOETHESTRASSE 1 08289 SCHNEEBERG GERMANY WWW.FH-ZWICKAU.DE SCHOELLER TEXTIL AG BAHNHOFSTRASSE 17 CH- 9475 SEVELEN SWITZERLAND WWW.SCHOELLER-TEXTILES.COM
STUDIO CLAUDY JONGSTRA LYTSE BUORREN 21 8843 KJ SPANNUM THE NETHERLANDS WWW.CLAUDYJONGSTRA.COM
ALEXANDER VON SLOBBE ORSON + BODIL HERENGRACHT 280 1016 BX AMSTERDAM THE NETHERLANDS WWW.ORSON-BODIL.COM
DEPARTMENT OF TEXTILES CHELSEA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN 16 JOHN ISLIP STREET LONDON, SW1P 4JU UK WWW.CHELSEA.ARTS.AC.UK
KNOWEAR 312 5TH STREET BROOKLYN NEW YORK, NY 11215 USA WWW.KNOWEAR.NET
SWAROVSKI CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS UNIT LONDON (CCUL) 14-15 CONDUIT STREET LONDON W1S 2XJ UK WWW.SWAROVSKISPARKLES.TV
ELENA CORCHERO DISTANCE LAB HORIZON SCOTLAND THE ENTERPRISE PARK FORES MORAY IV36 2AB SCOTLAND WWW.LOSTVALUES.COM
DEPT. OF MULTI-MEDIA TEXTILES LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF ART AND DESIGN LOUGHBOROUGH LEICESTER, LE11 3TU UK WWW.LBORO.AC.UK
CUTE CIRCUIT 144-145 SHOREDITCH HIGH STREET LONDON E1 6JE UK WWW.CUTECIRCUIT.COM
MAHARISHI HARDY BLECHMAN LTD 2-3 GREAT PULTENEY STREET LONDON W1F 9LY UK WWW.EMAHARISHI.COM
TISSUE + CULTURE SYMBIOTICA —THE ART AND SCIENCE COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH LABORATORY SCHOOL OF ANATOMY AND HUMAN BIOLOGY UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA MAIL BAG DELIVERY POINT M309 35 STIRLING HIGHWAY CRAWLEY WA 6009 WESTERN AUSTRALIA WWW.TCA.UWA.EDU.AU
REBECCA EARLEY SENIOR RESEARCH FELLOW EG21 TED PROJECT ROOM CHELSEA COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN 16 JOHN ISLIP STREET LONDON SW1P 4RJ UK WWW.BECKYEARLEY.COM
DEPARTMENT OF FASHION & TEXTILES NATIONAL COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN 100 THOMAS STREET DUBLIN 8 IRELAND WWW.NCAD.IE
FABRICAN LTD 28 MACKIE ROAD LONDON SW2 2EB UK WWW.FABRICANLTD.COM DONNA FRANKLIN UNIT 1 / 6 YARRUK STREET YOKINE PERTH 6060 WESTERN AUSTRALIA WWW.BIOALLOY.ORG
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SCIENCE GALLERY WHY? SCIENCE IMPACTS ALL OUR DAILY LIVES YET CAN STILL APPEAR MYSTERIOUS AND REMOTE. WHY SHOULD WE BE KEPT IN THE DARK ABOUT TODAY’S BURNING SCIENTIFIC ISSUES? WHAT? THE SCIENCE GALLERY IS A WORLD FIRST. A NEW TYPE OF VENUE WHERE OPINIONS ON WHITE-HOT SCIENTIFIC ISSUES WILL COLLIDE AND YOU’LL BE ABLE TO HAVE YOUR SAY. A PLACE WHERE IDEAS MEET. HOW? THROUGH EXHIBITIONS, PUBLIC EXPERIMENTS, CHALLENGES, FESTIVALS, DEBATES AND WORKSHOPS. SCIENCE GALLERY IS ABOUT OPENING SCIENCE UP TO PASSIONATE ARGUMENT. SHOULD SCIENCE ADVANCE UNCHECKED? WHAT DIRECTION SHOULD IT GO IN? WHEN? RIGHT NOW. WELCOME TO THE SHOW!
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