TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IN FASHION TEACHING RESOURCE:

Introduction As one of the fundamental materials produced throughout human history, production and trade of textiles has always been linked to developments in technology. In the 18 th century, developments in the mass production of textiles in the north of England disrupted the nature of work and society and ushered in the seeds of the world which we recognise today. As the engineering evolved and demand for textiles grew, so did the types of products which were being designed and made. Today, digital tools have not only changed the production of fabrics but they have also influenced their visual language too, with designers taking influence from the geometry of digital art and repurposing it alongside traditional patterns.

From synthetic materials to smart textiles, the current digital tools used in creating fashion offer a huge scope of possibilities. Designers are now able to create textiles which react to the wearer’s environment, connect to the internet or even change their form through the use of electronic circuits. At present we are seeing the emergence of digital wearables, from smart watches and Google Glass, to fitness and productivity trackers. As the market develops and as the products are adopted in mainstream fashion and workplaces, new challenges arise. What impact do these items have on our privacy and relation with the immediate world and our peers? What is the environmental impact of such products and how can design find solutions to these?

Using this resource ‘Search the Collections’ is the V&A’s online database, go to vam.ac.uk, then ‘Discover the V&A’ to find it. The information in the notes section of each slide has been taken from ‘Search the Collections’, with the link at the end. Every object in the V&A collection has an acquisition number. This number has been included on each slide. Use this number to help you locate the object in ‘Search the Collections’. The following slides show you some examples from the collection, both on display and in storage. There are thousands of objects that you can discover on our website to gain inspiration.

Gallery

W.H. Morley Child’s sock c.1851 Location: British Galleries, Level 4, Room 122f Ref: T.62E-1959 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

Dispo Paper dress, 1967 Location: Fashion Gallery, case CA14 Ref: T © Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Dispo

Paco Rabanne Evening mini-dress, 1967 Ref: T.165:1 to In storage © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / Paco Rabanne

Eddie Squires Circuit, 1968 Ref. CIRC Location: In storage © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / Eddie Squires

Harold Cohen , 2002 Ref. E Location: Prints & Drawings Study Room, room 405M, case B, shelf 3 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / Harold Cohen

David Mabb Liubov Popova Untitled Textile Design on William Morris Wallpaper for H&M, 2010 Ref. E Location: Prints & Drawings Study Room, level D, case LP, shelf 30 © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / David Mabb

Julie Verhoeven Design, 2002 Ref. E Location: In storage © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / Julie Verhoeven

Hussein Chalayan Trouser Suit, 1995 Ref. T.679:1, Location: In storage © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / Hussein Chalayan

Nicolas Ghesquiere for Balenciaga Dress, 2004 Location: Fashion Gallery, case CA17 Ref: T ©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Nicolas Ghesquière for Balenciaga

Hussein Chalayan Laser Cut Tulle Dress, 2000 Ref. T Location: In storage © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / Hussein Chalayan

Jonathan Saunders Celyn, 2011 Ref. T Location: In storage © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / Jonathan Saunders

Matthew Williamson Evening Dress, 2011 Ref. T Location: In storage © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / David Williamson

Alexander Mcqueen Plato’s Atlantis, 2010 Location: In storage Ref: T ©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Alexander McQueen

Atalanta Weller Scotty Black Boots, 2010 Ref. T.94: Location: In storage © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / Atalanta Weller

Motorola Motorola WT400 Wearable Terminal, 2013 Location: Rapid Response Collecting Room, room 74a Ref. CD.39:1 to © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / Motorola

Oculus VR Oculus Rift Virtual Reality Headset, 2012 Ref. CD.49:1 to Location: Rapid Response Collecting Room, room 74a © Victoria and Albert Museum, London / Oculus VR

Glossary Digital Textile Prints Digital textile printing is described as any ink jet based method of printing colorants onto fabric. Most notably, digital textile printing is referred to when identifying either printing smaller designs onto garments (t-shirts, dresses, promotional wear; abbreviated as DTG, which stands for Direct to Garment) and printing larger designs onto large format rolls of textile. Digital textile printing started in the late 1980s as a possible replacement for analog screen printing. With the development of a dye-sublimation printer in the early 1990s, it became possible to print with low energy sublimation inks and high energy disperse direct inks directly onto textile media, as opposed to print dye- sublimation inks on a transfer paper and, in a separate process using a heat press, transfer it to the fabric. Wearables Wearable technology, fashionable technology, wearable devices, tech togs, or fashion electronics are clothing and accessories incorporating computer and advanced electronic technologies. The designs often incorporate practical functions and features, but may also have a purely critical or aesthetic agenda.

Continued Lasercutting Laser cutting is a technology that uses a laser to cut materials, and is typically used for industrial manufacturing applications, but is also starting to be used by schools, small businesses, and hobbyists. Laser cutting works by directing the output of a high- power laser most commonly through optics. The laser optics and CNC (computer numerical control) are used to direct the material or the laser beam generated. A typical commercial laser for cutting materials would involve a motion control system to follow a CNC or G-code of the pattern to be cut onto the material. The focused laser beam directed at the material then either melts, burns, vaporizes away, or is blown away by a jet of gas, leaving an edge with a high-quality surface finish. Industrial laser cutters are used to cut flat-sheet material as well as structural and piping materials. Smart Textiles Smart Textiles, also known as electronic textiles, e-textiles, smart shirts or smart fabrics, are fabrics that enable digital components (including small computers), and electronics to be embedded in them. Many intelligent clothing, smart clothing, wearable technology, and wearable computing projects involve the use of e-textiles. Electronic textiles are distinct from wearable computing because emphasis is placed on the seamless integration of textiles with electronic elements like microcontrollers, sensors, and actuators. Furthermore, e-textiles need not be wearable. For instance, e-textiles are also found in interior design.

Further Resources Visit the V&A British Galleries - Technological Innovations Rapid Response Collecting Room – Contains contemporary objects including wearables and fashion Rapid Response Collecting Room Inspiration Boards and Tutorials Our Pinterest board - tutorials, links to interesting designs and videos Our Pinterest board Pinterest board - with new wearable technology applications Pinterest board Pinterest board - with links to materials and tutorials Pinterest board Tutorials - thousands of step by step tutorials and projects for the classroom in digital printing, wearables, electronics and more Tutorials Make Magazine’s Round-up of Soft Circuit Tutorials

Further Resources Video “Climate Change Dress” – A short film on Centre for Sustainable Fashion’s Hack Project at the V&A. “Climate Change Dress PBS Digital Studios Video – introducing the current state of wearable technology and new materials. PBS Digital Studios Video V&A video on the development of the Jacquard Weaving Loom which is recognised as one of the first programmable machines.development of the Jacquard Weaving Loom A series of 3 films from Intel’s “The Creators Project” exploring the future of wearable technologies and materials.The Creators Project

Further Resources Links to Designers and Tutorials

Further Resources Books Make: Wearable Electronics: Design, Prototype and wear your own Interactive Garments – Kate Hartman (Maker Media, 2014) Digital Fashion Print: With Photoshop and Illustrator – Kevin Tallon (Batsford Ltd, 2011) Digital Textile Design – Melanie Bowles (Laurence King, 2012) Fashioning Technology: A DIY Intro to Smart Crafting – Syuzi Pakchyan (Maker Media, 2008) Textile Futures: Fashion, Design and Technology – Bradley Quinn (Bloomsbury, 2010) Techno Textiles 2: Revolutionary Fabrics for Fashion and Design – Sarah E. Braddock Clarke (Thames and Hudson, 2008) Arduino Wearables: Technology in Action – Tony Olsson (Apress, 2012)

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