One Day Symposium - 21st Century Textiles
May 10th 2008

Five shining stars in the world of contemporary textiles, each at the peak of their career and at the forefront of contemporary textiles, presented a one day symposium, which explored new directions and new thinking, and encouraged lots of debate and discussion, during this year's Stroudwater International Textile Festival.

Participating Speakers were:

Marie O'Mahony
Marie is an independent consultant specialising in advanced textiles and technology. Writer, curator, lecturer. Co writer 'Techno Textiles 2: Revolutionary Fabrics for Fashion & Design'
Presentation: Collaboration – the Future of Textiles

Sarah E Braddock Clarke
Writer, curator & lecturer. Co-author of 'Techno Textiles 2: Revolutionary Fabrics for Fashion & Design' with Marie O'Mahony. Sarah will be focusing on new materials and their applications to fashion and art.
Presentation: 'The New Flexibles'
materials and techniques will be discussed & samples brought to experience their handle and construction (see presentation synopsis below)

Rebecca Earley
Designer and Reader of Textiles Environment Design (TED) at Chelsea College of Art & Design. Curator Crafts Council's 'Well Fashioned: Eco Style in the UK'
Presentation: Textiles and the Environment, and the role and responsibility of the textile designer in the future

Sally Freshwater
Principal Lecturer at School of Art & Design, University of Hertfordshire and Programme Leader on MA Art Practices. She uses textiles in large site-specific structures, working with architects and architect practices.
Presentation: 'Development of site specific work – working with architecture'

Jennifer Shellard
London College of Fashion. Programme Leader Surface Textiles
BA Hons fashion, Design & technology. Research into light responsive materials; woven textiles.
Presentation: 'LIGHT CLOTH'
is a body of work which explores interactions of colour between hand woven textiles and projected, manipulated light.

The day was chaired by Dr. Polly Binns Research Professor in Visual Culture at Buckinghamshire New University. Writer, tutor, lecturer, arts advisor. Polly has also exhibited worldwide

The Symposium was supported by the Idlewild Trust and Stroud Town Council

The Symposium held on 10 May as part of this year's Festival was a resounding success. The speakers were inspiring full of energy, imagination and creative vision. The day was chaired by Polly Binns who was equally impressive with her ability to keep the sessions moving forward.

Here listed are some suggested web sites and, hopefully, some helpful hints from the day.

The link is: www.mediastreaming.org.uk/video/Light2.wmv

Textile Forum Research Group which includes Becky Earley and Rachel Wingfield
www.tfrg.org.uk

Although Axis website is for artists of all disciplines, there is a helpful search and numerous textile people there including Ainsley Hillard who did those beautiful photo-ikat woven banners:
www.axisweb.org.uk

Rezia Wahid has a site with extensive gallery of images
www.woven-air.com

During the panel discussion on forming collaborations Jennifer mentioned textile groups including ETN 
www.etn-net.org

“The New Flexibles” by Sarah E. Braddock Clarke

Description of Paper
“The New Flexibles”

In the last two decades there have been huge advances in the area of materials. Not only in ultra-sophisticated synthetics but in ‘techno naturals’ where natural fibres/fabrics are enhanced in various ways. From seemingly delicate ‘papers’ to tough stainless steel, textiles has expanded its vocabulary to touch on new fields.  The result is a new range of flexibles with their own unique properties -  an exciting combination of textile and non-textile materials to create a new aesthetic and tactile experience. Examples will be given of the work of international artists and designers - both textiles and their subsequent applications.  The New Flexibles will be discussed and samples brought to experience their handle and construction.

MATERIALS & TECHNIQUES

SYNTHETICS/MICROFIBRES
SAMPLE 1 - “Jelly Fish” - designed by Reiko Sudo for Nuno Corporation. 

SAMPLE 2 - “Big Checkerboard” - designed by Jun’ichi Arai for Nuno Corporation. 

SLIDE 1 - Issey Miyake. Synthetic textile inspired by water with matching hat. 

SLIDE 2 - Issey Miyake. An example from his famous ‘Pleats Please’ collection. 

SLIDE 3 - Junya Watanabe - waffle pleated garment. 

SLIDE 4 - inspiration for Junya Watanabe’s collection is not only the future but also the natural world as shown with this close-up of a Dahlia flower.

SLIDE 5 - Yoshiki Hishinuma - a fabric created by laminating a polyester taffeta with polyurethane film.

SLIDE 6  - Yoshiki Hishinuma - Autumn/Winter 2002/03 .

METALS
SAMPLE 3 -  “Stainless Matt” - designed by Reiko Sudo for Nuno Corporation. 

SAMPLE 4 - “Copper Cloth” - designed by Reiko Sudo for Nuno Corporation. 

SLIDE 7 - “Stainless Steel Sparklers”-  designed by Reiko Sudo for Nuno Corporation. 

SLIDE 8 -  “Stainless Steel”  collection - designed by Reiko Sudo for Nuno Corporation. 

SLIDE 9 - Hussein Chalayan - buried silk dress with rust markings. 1995. 

NONWOVENS/PAPERS/RUBBERS
SAMPLE 5 - “Patched Paper”  - designed by Reiko Sudo for Nuno Corporation. 

SAMPLE 6 - “Tyvek”  by DuPont.

SLIDE 10 - Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garcons - Spring/Summer 1997. 

SLIDE 11 - Swimwear designer Liza Bruce creates a minimal bikini using a latex material.

SLIDE 12 - Nigel Atkinson - ‘Embroidered Chrysanthemum’ - raised surface printing onto viscose acetate velvet.

SAMPLE 7 - a range of fabrics by Nigel Akinson showing his prints with Expandex.

LASER-CUTTING
SLIDE 13 - Savithri Bartlett/Manel Torres collaboration - laser cutting on nonwoven fabric; laser cutting leather  top and hood.

SLIDE 14 - Valentino - S/S 2007 - laser cut top.

SLIDE 15 & 16 (detail) - Jun Takahashi for Undercover - S/S 2007 - laser cutting. 

RECYCLING
SLIDE 17 - Luisa Cevese - ‘Riedizioni’ bag using recycled fabric waste.

SAMPLE 8 -  Luisa Cevese - a bag. 

SAMPLE 9 - Nuno Circle Bag. Made from recyclable Teijin ECO CIRCLE polyester.

SAMPLE 10  - Technogel by Technogel Italia.

SLIDE 18 - Jessica Ogden works with antique and secondhand fabrics to rework them into clothes.

& THE FUTURE
SLIDE 19 - Mark Dion and J. Morgan Puett in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum. 2003. From the exhibition “RN: The Past, Present and Future of the Nurses’ Uniform” - “Post Apocalyptic Nurse” (c. 2130). 

SLIDE 20 - Manel Torres - ‘Fabrican’ - a fine mist of coloured cotton fibre that builds up layers.  

SLIDE 21 - Issey Miyake - ‘A-Poc’ jeans.

SAMPLE 11- “A-POC” by Issey Miyake. Socks.

SAMPLE 12 - “A-POC” by Issey Miyake. Apron. Created in collaboration with Habitat.

SLIDE 22 - Kas Oosterhuis - this Dutch architect and designer presented “Transports” at the Venice Biennale in 2000. T

SLIDE 23 - Lucy and Jorge Orta - ‘Antarctica’ - this is part of an artistic project set on this frozen continent.