new textiles as a catalyst in the co-creative design...

TOWNSEND,SADKOWSKA,SISSONS,HARRIGAN&WEST

©2017TheAuthors.PublishedbyLoughboroughUniversity.ThisisanopenaccessarticleundertheCCBY-NClicense(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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Textilesasacatalystintheco-creativedesignprocess

K.Townsend1,A.Sadkowska2,J.Sissons1,K.Harrigan1&K.West1

1. NottinghamTrentUniversity,UK2. CoventryUniversity,UK

ThisitemwassubmittedtotheproceedingsoftheLoughboroughUniversityTextileDesignResearchGroupINTERSECTIONSConference2017byKatherineTownsendandAniaSadkowska.Citation:Townsend,K.,Sadkowska,A.,Sissons,J.,Harrigan,K.&West,K.(2017)Textilesasacatalystintheco-creativedesignprocess.InProceedingsofIntersections:CollaborationsinTextileDesignResearchConference,13September2017,LoughboroughUniversityLondon,U.K.Availablefromwww.lboro.ac.uk/textile-research/intersections.AdditionalInformation:Publisher:LoughboroughUniversity(©TheAuthors)Rights:ThisworkismadeavailableaccordingtotheconditionsoftheCreativeCommonsAttribution4.0International(CCBY-NC4.0)licence.Fulldetailsofthislicenceareavailableat:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/PLEASECITETHEPUBLISHEDVERSION.



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Abstract: This paper presents findings relating to the crucial role of textiles in the Emotional Fit(Townsend et al. 2016) collaborative research project, which is investigating a person-centered,sustainable approach to fashion for an ageing demographic. Working with a group of Nottinghamwomen (aged 55+) the team have accrued and responded to data drawn from in-depth interviews,wardrobeinventoriesandbodymeasurements,todevelopacollectionofco-designedfashionprototypesthat aim to meet the physical and emotional needs of their participants. By integrating geometriccutting with carefully selected and bespoke printed textiles, the resulting minimal waste garmentsenablewearerstoexpressthemselvesviauniversalsilhouettesincorporatingmultiplestylingoptions,insupportofpersonalagencyandproductlongevity.Textilesactasthecatalystforthedesignandprojectdevelopmentprocessby:providingastartingpointforshapemakingthroughdrapingonthebodyandmannequin;assensorialsubstrates toelicit tactileresponses and interactions; as the surface for photographic imagery, engineered patterns andcontrastingvolumes,tobeenactedbythehumanform.Theprojectdemonstrateshowsuchaco-creativeorhackingapproachnecessitatesashiftawayfromtheestablished hierarchical fashion system (Busch 2009) that often undervalues its consumers. Here, bycontrast,weactivelyexplorethepotentialcustomer’slivedexperienceoftherelationshipbetweenbody,cloth and dress to inform amore holistic fashion design philosophy. Themethodology challenges thegenerally accepted view of the textiles as subordinate to the practice of fashion, by documentingnormally unspoken exchanges with the semantics of fabric through handling, manipulation, testing,printing,toilingandconstructing.Byreflectingontheaestheticsofclothinrelationtotheemotionalfitof clothing, we illustrate how it is intrinsic within the creative decision-making process, wherebyembodiedassociationswiththepastpointtowardsnewlyimaginedwearablefutures.Keywords:Emotionalfit;co-creation;body-clothinteraction;fashioningtextiles;in-betweengarmentsIntroductionEmotional Fit is an ongoing, collaborative research project which is developing a new, more holisticapproach to fashion design for older consumers by engaging with them in the co-creative and socio-materialprocess(Townsendetal2016and2017,Sadkowskaetal2015).Byworkingwithagroupofover40womenfromNottingham,aged55-75,weareexploringsomeofthephysicalandpsychologicalissuesthatconcerntheseindividuals,whoareallpartofthebabyboomergeneration(GilleardandHiggs,2014;Sadkowskaetal2016).Inthispaperwediscusskeydesigningandmakingaspectsinvolvedintheprojectand how our participants embodied understanding of fashion is strongly connected to the relationshipbetweentheirownbodyimageandthesemanticsofcloth;howengagementwithtextileshasactedasthecentralcatalystwithintheco-creativeresearchprocess.Thepaperisorganizedinfoursectionsthatchronologicallytrackdifferentphasesoftheproject:throughinterviews; initial toile development; printed textile and prototype design based on participants’engagement and feedback, leading to prototype development through integrating prints and garmentshapes, and finally testing the resulting ‘in-between garments’ through trying things on in a range ofcontexts.While each researcher was nominally assigned a particular role at the outset of the project,based on their specialist knowledge and skills, as the project developed, sensibilities and practicesoverlapped. The roles of the researchers and participants also blurred, resulting in all involved beingengaged in the co-designing of the final experimental collection of womenswear prototypes. Themethodology, whereby fashion and textile design are practiced with as opposed to for potentialconsumers,subvertstheestablishedhierarchicalfashionsystembyofferingafreshtakeonDIYandslowfashion(Busch2009).



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The following sections have been organised to convey the different stages of the project where theaestheticsandpropertiesofclothwereparticularlyimportantinrelationtotheemotionalfitofclothing,and ultimately, how textiles both emerged and were catalytic in the co-creative design process. Thediagrambelowprovidesadiagramofhowtheresearchwasdesignedandundertakentohelpthereaderconceptualisethedifferentphasesreferredtobelow.

Figure1.ResearchDesignofEmotionalFitproject(2015)Source:EmotionalFitproject,2015

TracingembodiedknowledgeoffashionandtextilesIn the first phase of the Emotional Fit study, a series of five in-depth, conversational interviews wereconducted between June and July 2015. The interviewees, allwomenopenly interested in and activelyengagingwithclothingandfashion(fig.2),wereselectedbasedontheiravailabilityandinterestinbeinginterviewed they expressed. Each interview lasted between 80 and 120minutes; the participantswereinterviewedatNottinghamTrentUniversity(UK).Asetofopen-endedtopicsfordiscussionincluded:howthe participants understood the concept of “fashion” and how they defined it; their past and presentrelationship with fashion, and how it has changed over time; their perfect fashion item; their leastfavourite fashion item;and, theirclothing/dressing/wearingpracticesandhabits; furthermore,eachoftheparticipantbrought to the interview their favouriteand less favourite clothing.Promptsandprobeswereused toencourageparticipants toelaborate furtherwhenunexpected,butpotentially interesting,areasaroseandtoclarifyambiguitiesandavoidmisunderstandings.



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Figure2.Participantsandtheirfavouritegarments;fromlefttoright:Christine(65);Barbara(65);Elizabeth

(67);allpseudonymsSource:EmotionalFitproject,2016

The interviews were analysed using techniques standard to Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis(IPA),withitscommitmenttothedetailedandlengthyexaminationofhowpeoplemakesenseoftheirlifeexperiences (Smith et al. 2009). Consequently, the outcomes included a series of thematic entities,describingtheseparticipants’experiencesofclothingandfashionas theygrowolder. Here,wepresentone of the superordinate themes, ‘Textiles as a Catalyst’, which is concernedwith the variousways inwhichtextileshavefunctionedintheparticipants’livesprovidingaparticularmaterialgestaltunderpinningthedynamicsoftheirfashionidentities.Thissuperordinatethemecomprisesofthreesubordinatethemes,whichwepresentandinterpretbelow.Allidentifyinginformationhasbeenanonymisedinordertoprotecttheparticipants’confidentiality.Firstly, the narratives of the five interviewed women provided multiple insights into their embodiedexperienceoffashion,clothing,andtextiles.Interestingly,whenaskedabouttheirpersonalunderstandingoftheterm‘fashion’,alloftheparticipantsdescribedtheirpastrelationswithclothing,oftengoingasfarback as their childhood and early teenage years, and explaining the important role of textiles being acatalystforacquiringcertainclothesmakingskills,triggeringtheirearlyinterestinafashionableattire.ThiswasoftenlinkedtobeingpartoftheparticulargenerationofBritishwomenbornin1940sand1950s,wholearneddressmakingskillsfromthepreviousgeneration,i.e.theirmothers,womenwhohadlimitedaccesstoready-madeclothingandreliedmainlyonhome-madegarments(Goode2016);thiswasdiscussedbynearlyallofthoseinterviewed.InthefollowingextractChristine(65)explainshow,beingmentoredbyhermotherandmakingclothes,offeredheraspacetocreategarmentsthatwerecustomisedtoheruniquebodyform:

I’vealwayshadaninterestinclothingwhichisIthinkbecauseI’vealwaysbeenalittlebitplumpand quite short so not always fitting into clothes, even from a young age, and because I likedsewingandmymotherwasabletoteachmeandencouragemeI’vealwaysmadeclothesandI’vealwayslikedfabricsandtextiles.



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ForChristine,usingtextilesasawaytoclotheherbodyinaninformedandresponsiveway,waslinkedtoherdevelopingasenseofachievementbyovercomingacertain issueofhavingwhatsheperceivesasa‘difficult’body,assheexplainedelsewhereintheinterview:

Becauseovertheyears, I feel thatmybodytype isabitdifficultandsotherefore I’veprobablyworkedouthowtodressit.

ItisthispotentiallyproblematicbodythatforcesChristineto‘workout’thebestwaytodressandpresentit(Entwistle2002).Anotherparticipant,Elizabeth(67),whoinherinterviewfrequentlycommentsonhershort statureand relatedclothing limitations,discussesher interest in fashionasbeingclosely linked tofindingclothesthatsuitherparticularfigure:

Soall thewaythrough Isuppose Ihavebeenkindof interested inclothingratherthanfashion.Whatsuitsmeandstuff.

Theseextractsillustratethatfromaveryearlyage,textilesfacilitatedacreativespacefortheparticipants,wherebyproducing theirownclothing theydevelopedan in-depthand intimateunderstandingof theirbodyforms.Thiscanbeinterpretedasaspecifictypeof(self-)tacitknowledgethatthroughtheircurrentengagementwithfashionandclothingtheycontinuetodevelop.Additionally,theparticipantsoftenlinkedthematerialityoftextileswithaparticularsensorialfeelingtheyexperiencedduetobeinginvolvedintheprocessofproductionoftheirclothes.Inthefollowingextract,Anna(64)explainshowtextilesbecomeacatalystforherproducingoutfitsforspecialoccasionssuchasweddings:

Imakemyownclothesforspecialoccasions,forweddingsorspecialoccasionsIcertainlydo.AndthenifIjustfindsomenicefabric,IgoonEBayandbuysomenicesarisinsilkandmakethemintojacketsandtops.

Especiallytellinghereistheuseoftheadjective‘nice’repeatedtwiceinthisotherwiseshortextract,wherethecarefullyselectedfabricallowsAnnatocreateanoutfitinwhichshefeelshappy.Asimilarreflectionispresented by another participant, Barbara (65), who recalls a particular instance of when shemade agarmentfromthefabricsheboughtabroad:

Idothinkofnaturalfabricsasbeautiful,yes,wool,cotton,linen,yes,I,IwentonholidaywhenIwasfourmonthspregnantwithmyfirstchild33yearsagoinItaly,andwentintoafabricshop(…)andIboughtsomeblacklinentherethatwas,oh,justfantastic,(…)whenIsayshinyitwasn’tahigh shine, but therewas something, sheenwas just part of the quality - it was just fantasticquality linen,andI, Imademyselfasuitfromthat,culottes,andaboxerjacket,(…) Ifeltreallygoodwearingthatlinen,(…)Idoremembertheattentionthatwearingthatsuitattractedwhichwasgreat.

Barbara’saccount revolvesaround thedescriptorsof ‘beautiful’, ‘fantastic’, ‘quality’, ‘good’,and ‘great’.Thisistellinginregardstohowpositivetheexperienceofmakingandwearingthosegarmentswasforher.Theextractsabove,suggestthatforthose interviewees itwastheprocessofembodyingtheroleofthemakerofthosegarmentsthatcatalysedaparticularlyemotional,andpotentiallylonglastingrelationshipwiththem(TwiggerHolroyd2017).Asexplainedfurtherinthearticletheideaoffacilitatingandsustainingsuchastrongpsychologicalconnectionbetweenthemakerandthewearerofthegarment,byblurringtheboundariesbetweenthetworoles,becameanimportantelementwithinthecollaborativedesignprocessdiscussedhere.Thefinalsubordinatetheme,isconcernedwithtextilesfunctioningasacatalystforavisualandemotionaltransformation. While the potential of fashion and clothing design is especially potent in terms ofenhancingandenrichingour lives (Gwilt2015), this themeemergedasespeciallycomplex,multifaceted



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andopentovariousinterpretations.Herewepresentthereflectionsoftwoparticipantswhodiscussthisinadifferent,yetconceptuallycoherentway.Barbarareflectsonthedirectwayinwhichclothing,inthiscasea pair of trousers, via fabric selection and employing intelligent pattern cutting and construction, canconcealorexposeparticularbodyparts,providingtherequiredvisualtransformationofbodyshape:

They’ve [the trousers I bought] got 2 invertedpleats there [stomach area] and that provides apanelacrossyourtummyandalthoughtheyare lightweighttheyarequitestiffmaterialsothattypeofthingIfindquiteflattering.(…)andparadoxicallysinceI’velostweight,whenI’mlargerIwouldgoforthingsthatdrapeandthatarebiggerandboxy,[but]nowthatI’msmaller,I’matasize ten, (…) Iwant togo, “oh, look, look (laughs) I’vegot this shapebody”while still trying toconcealbitsofit.

Importantly, inBarbara’sutterancethecomfortshefinds fromwearingthisparticularpairof trousers islessaresultofaphysicalcomfort,andmoreofanemotionalonelinkedtohowothersperceiveandreadher transformed physique. In contrast to Barbara’s reflection, Elizabeth offers a different perspective,where emotional comfort is the result of the close psychological connection she makes between thegarmentandherhusband:

The(…)thingIfeltreallygoodinwas,itwasinVietnamanditwasinthiskindoflittlevillageandtherewasthistribe.Theyweresellingkindoflittlehand-embroideredjacketsandofcoursetheyareallsmallinVietnam,thewomen.Itwasdarknavyandithadthisbeautifulkindofbluesandgreensembroidery. [Myhusband]saidohthat’snice. I justwentandbought itonsight.And infactIwastoldtheircoloursrunsoIkindofsoakeditinsalt.OhIlovedthatjacket.Iwouldwearitfor Christmas for do’s and I actuallywore it for the funeral [ofmyhusband] because thatwasalwayssomethingthatwasreallyhappytowear.(…)Ilovedthatjacket.

WhatissignificantinElizabeth’saccountisthewayinwhichthematerialityofthegarment,itscoloursandembellishment, togetherwith thehistoryofpurchasing itwhileaccompaniedbyherdeceasedhusbandallowshertofindcomfortinwearingit,signallingaparticularemotionalresonance.Whilethisindividualemotionalattachmenttoagarment,iscloselylinkedtotheparticipants’personaltrajectories(Lerpiniere2015)and,consequentlyaredifficulttoartificiallyreplicatewithinthedesignprocess,itwasthroughthemethod of wardrobe inventories that some of the elements, may it be a specific colour tone orembellishment, of the participants’ existing garments were captured and included within the series ofproducedartefacts.HowtextilechoicesinformedgarmentsilhouetteThetextilechoicesintheEmotionalFitprojectnotonlyinformedthecuttingandconstructionprocedures,butalsooffereda contrastinggarment silhouette in termsof fit anddrape (hang),whichvariedgreatlyfrom the use of the same garment pattern block / design. The geometric approach to pattern cuttingadoptedintheproject,respondedtothepreferencesexpressedbythewomenintheinterviewsandad-hoc conversations, byofferingpossibilities for creatingminimalistic styled, versatile garments. Effortlesssilhouetteswithasimilaraesthetictokimonoshapescouldbeproduced.Shapesthatlendthemselvestosimplicityandindividualstyleindesign,withmorefocusoncomfort,fabricqualityandlongevity,referredtobyAakkoas‘artisanal’(2016),werepreferredoverfastfashionandtrendbasedgarments.WhilebodymeasurementswereaccruedinWorkshopsIand2informingtheconstructionoflivegarmentblocks,theproject soon became focused on how the process of ‘making’ together could offer new insights fordesigningfashionforolderwomen(SolomonandSissons2013).Anumberofstylesweretoiledupinfinelyknittedjerseyandwovenfabrics(fig.3);somewiththegarmentpatterncuton thestraightgrainandsomeonthebiasgrain, inorder to investigate the fitandhangofthesegeometric stylegarments.The jerseyandbiascutgarments,offereda softer silhouetteand fullerdrape,asexploredintheCircleDress–thoserealisedinknittedfabricsrequiredfinishesassociatedwith



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knitwearproduction (Sissons2010)while thewovenversionswereconstructedusingFrenchseamsandtiny rolled hems. In contrast the garments made in woven fabrics, cut on a straight grain, offered astructuredaestheticandamoretailoredapproachtodesigningeneral;thesesuggestedaformalapproachtoconstruction,withtheuseoffacingsandlinings.

Figure3.InitialdrapingonthestandtoinformtoileideasusingjerseyandwovenfabricqualitiesSource:EmotionalFitproject,2016

Theparticipantsexpressedaneedforthegarmentstobefunctionalandflexible,eitherworn looselyortiedandfoldedinawaythatenhances‘fit’.Inanattempttokeepthesimplisticminimalisticapproachtodesign construction, linings were avoided throughout the development stage and different weights ofjersey were investigated. The heavier weights were found to be good for garments with less volume,providingaqualitydrapethatdoesnotcling toeverycurveof thebody.The lighter jerseydrapeswereusedinthefullershapedgarmentsthatcouldbetied,foldedandworninmultipleways.Thefinerfabricsproduced lessbulk,whenfoldedorgathered inareas.Thepreferredfinishingstyleoverallwasminimal,includingtheuseofrawcutedges.Itwasimportanttoutilisethephysicalbodyintheshapedevelopmentprocesssoaswellasmeasurementsbeingtaken,livedrapingwasconducted(fig.4).



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Figure4.ToilecreatedbydrapingonthestandandbodyusingarectangleofwovenfabricSource:EmotionalFitproject,2016

Newformscanemergewhenexploringbodymovementsandidentifyingpropertiesofcomfortthat occur in bodily interactions between people and their environments, especially whenobservinghowabodyisshapedandpatterned,orhowpeoplewraptheirbodiesaspartoftheirwearingbehaviours.(Jeon2015:149)

The geometric cutting approach also lends itself to sustainability, as most of the garments canaccommodate more than a single size, due to being cut with zero or minimal waste and their stylingflexibilityinwear.Rectanglesweredrapedtofollowthebodyline,whilethecirclesworkwellfordrapeasbeingcutonthebiasgrainallowedthemtomouldormoveanddrapearoundonthebodyeasily.Consideringtheinterrelationshipbetweenprint,bodyandgarmentshapeThe considerations of how the fabric informed different silhouettes resulted in a range of geometricpattern shapes that were realised in plain and printed qualities. This section discusses how bespokeprinted textiles were developed through triangulation of: the interview findings, research into printedgarmentarchetypesandaestheticresponsestothe2Dpatternsshapesand3Dtoiles.Assuggestedintheinterviews,growingupinthe1960sand70s,mostofourparticipantswereproactivelyinvolvedinmakingtheirownclothes(Goode2016).FashiondesignerssuchasMaryQuant,OssieClarkeand Zandra Rhodes were referred to by our participants throughout the project, in relation to theirinfluence on the style of contemporary cut/ silhouette and corresponding fabric qualities. Notably, allthesepractitionersdesignedtheirowntextilesthemselvesorasinClarke’scasewhosecombinationofabody-sculptingcutwithCeliaBirtwell’sfluidprintswasindivisible(Clark1998inTownsend2004a,Ch3-7;Townsend2008).Additionally,theworkofthesedesignersalsorepresentsthreedifferentapproachesinrelationtohowtheroleoftextilescanactasacatalystinthefashiondesignprocessthoughexamplesof‘architectural, sculptural and crossover’ or hybrid models (Townsend 2004a/b). For example, Quant’sshort, geometric shapes were often realised in bold, graphic printed, woven or knitted qualities thatechoedtheboxyshapesofthesquareandrectangularsilhouettes.Whilethewearer’sarmsandlegswereoftenrevealed,thebody(shouldersandwaist)actedasanarmatureforthearchitecturaldressform. Incontrast,Clarke’sutilizationofBirtwell’s illustrativeprintsonwoolandsilkcrepesandjerseyscutonthebias,notonlyreliedonthefemalebodystructure,butitscurvesandcontours,foritssculpturalrealisation



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(Townsend2008).Rhodesoversized,kimonoshapes invibrantprintedsilksandvoiles,wereahybridofboth archetypes, by freeing the body completely in a diaphanous shape, but also drawing attention tocertainareas,bytetheringthevolumeusingdecorativetiesanddetails.Takingtheseprintedgarmentdesignprinciples intoconsideration,particularlythe ‘crossover’archetype,the research teamaimedtodevelopstyles that facilitated ‘elegance,comfortandopenness’andwhere‘thebodyshapestheclothesmorethantheclothesshapethebody’(VanEsschequotedinAakko,2016:187). At the start of the print design process, the team considered Townsend’s ‘simultaneous designmethod’(SDM)wherebytheprintandgarmentwereoriginatedtogetherthroughmodellingthegarmentand imagery simultaneously (on the dress stand) then manipulated in CAD to aesthetically transform(femalebody)shape(Townsend2004a/b). However,althoughthetransformativepotentialofprintwasimportantintheEmotionalFitproject,thecollaborativenatureoftheresearchrequiredamoreiterative,‘parallel’methodology(PiperandTownsend2016)tobeadoptedbyTownsend,wherebytheprintscouldbedesignedalongsideandinresponsetothedevelopmentofthegarmentsilhouettesandfeedbackfromtheparticipants.Firstly, the embodied fashion and textile knowledge of the women was considered in terms of theirpersonalnarratives,visualandtactilechoices,howtheywantedgarmentstointeractwiththeirbodiesandlifestyles. Following this, a series of fabric swatches (fig. 5) were printed with imagery based onphotographsofnaturalphenomenafoundindomestic,urbanandruralenvironments,asidentifiedbythewomenasfamiliarcontexts.Drapery,plants,andlandscapesactedasstartingpointsforinitialideas,inkjet-printed using reactive dyes on different fabric qualities, including cotton, viscose, silk, wool, linen andjersey,inresponsetothewomen’spreferencefor‘naturalfibres’.Individualdesignsweretransposedonatleasttwocontrastingsubstratestoproduce30swatchesor‘fabricsketches’fortheparticipantstoselectfromalongside theworking toilesproduced for theco-designingphaseof theproject (fig.5).Theprintswerereviewedbytheparticipantsandrankedinorderofpreference,usingafeedbacksheetrequiringamarkbetween1-10anda comment. Following theworkshops, the resultswereanalysedand themostpopularprintdesignsweredevelopedaslengthstobecombinedwithsomeofthemosttried-ongarmentshapes,suchastheTriangleandCircleDresses.



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Figure5.SomeexamplesoftheoriginalfabricswatchesproducedforWorkshops3and4Source:EmotionalFitproject,2016

Fundamentally,itwasthetactilequalitiesandcolourwaysthatinfluencedthewomen’schoicesmost,forexample,oneparticipantstatedshe‘wouldneverwearanythinglikethat’(inlinen)thenselectedthesamedesignprintedonsilkasher‘favourite’.Thisintuitive,embodiedprioritisationofcolourandtextureovergraphiccompositionwasreiteratedbyotherparticipants,andvoicedintheEmotionalFit(2017)film.Linksto ‘textilememories’, triggered by the look and feel of the swatches, led to recollections of particularperiods in the women’s lives, favourite designers, events and relationships, which complemented theinterviewfindings.



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Figure6.Workshops3and4–participantstryingontoilesandselectingprintsSource:EmotionalFitproject,2016

SomeofthemostsignificantinteractionsbetweentheparticipantsandresearchersoccurredinWorkshops3 and 4 (fig. 6) and the ‘trying on’ phases of the project. Here, the speculative nature of the partiallyconfigured material concepts allowed for unexpected interventions and outcomes. For example, thegeometrictoilesandswatcheswerehandledspontaneouslyandknowinglybytheparticipants,inasimilarunspokenmanneraswhensomeonefeelsgarmentsonarailbeforetakingoneintothechangingroom.The unfinished nature of the artefacts allowed for the participants to demonstrate their in-depthknowledgeoffashionandfashioning,enactingakindof‘hacking’asdescribedbyBusch:

[But] hacking can also be used tomean the reclaiming of authorship (or co-authorship) of atechnology by supporting transparency andunanticipateduse…hacking is a critical aswell asplayfulactivity,circlingaroundaDIYethosandadesiretoamplifyourmeansofinteractionwiththeworld.(Busch2009:165)

Theopportunityfor‘infiniteplay’throughthereintroductionofthebodyintothefashionprocess(Wibner2017) was reciprocated through personalization through folding, stretching and cutting to reduce orextendthesilhouetteandprintsbeingcompared,handledandanimatedtomimicandassessdrapeandperformance.Here,the‘bodyitselfbecameanessentialstructureincraftingtheformofthetextiledesign’(Jeon,2015,p.138). Itwas thisdemonstrationof theparticipants’ individualexpressionand ‘embodiedfashionknowledge’ throughthatmostsignificantly influencedtheongoingprototypedevelopment,howparticular conceptualisations of fabric and form made our participants and co-creators ‘feel beautiful’(NiinimakiandKoskiken(2011).Integrating,cuttingandconstructingtextilestocreate‘researchtools’Followingtheprintselectionprocess,thetextiledesignswereexperimentedwithbyTownsendusingCADby engineering the scale, direction and placement of the imagery in relation to the square/ triangular,circularandrectangular2Dpatternpiecesandbyassessingtheoverall3Ddrapeofthesilhouette.TakingtheTriangleDress,originallycutbySissons,asanexample:astripeddesignwasdevelopedandprintedonfine wool (Tela Lana) based on a photograph of light permeating drapery. The Stripewas adjusted (inAdobePhotoshop) tocorrelateaestheticallywiththreedifferent (grouped)sizesof thedress,gradedby



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Harrigan(fig.7)asSmall(8-12);Medium(12-16)andAmple(16-20).Theoverlappingsizesofthepatternsreflectedtheversatilenatureof‘fit’throughinterviewsandengagementwiththewomen.Forexample,a‘size12’womanrequiringaskimmingfitcouldoptforaSmall,whilea ‘size12’seekinga loosefitcouldselectaMediumetc. TheStripeprintwasmanipulatedtovisuallycontourboththegarmentshapeandunderlyingformofthewearerbyrepeatingandstretchingtheverticalstripedelementsacrossthetotal(145cm)widthofthefabric,atthreedifferentscalesandtones;generatingnarrowerandlightertowiderandslightlydarkerstripestocorrelatewiththedifferentsizedTriangleDresspatternpieces(fig.8).Thisresultedinasimilarratioofrepeatingelementstobeintegratedintothedimensionsofeachdressvolume,andcomparablebutuniqueopticalvisualcontouringeffects,achievedwhenthebody,garmentandprintwereviewedgsimultaneously(Townsend2004a/b).

Figure7.HarrigangradingtheTriangleDresspatternintothreegroupedsizes;PlacingpatternpiecesonStripedprintedwooltomaximizefabricusage

Source:EmotionalFitproject,2017

Figure8.StripedTriangleDressbacks(inMediumandAmple)showingdifferenttonalandplacementconfigurationofthetextiledesignwithinthepatternpieces.

Source:EmotionalFitproject,2017



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Anotherway inwhich theStripedesignwasmanipulatedon thebodywas through thecuttingprocess,experimented with by Sadkowska, Townsend andWest at different stages of the project.While zero/minimalwastewasaprimeconcern, inthecaseoftheTriangleDress,thesimilarshapedpatternpiecesallowedforvaryingcombinationstobeexploredthroughtheconstructionprocess,withthestripesbeingplacedindifferentdirections(withinthedress)whilestillbeingcutonthestraight-of-grain.Thedualaimofsustainable cloth consumption while creating a garment with a unique aesthetic, was facilitated via acombinationof ‘jigsaw’ layplanningandcutting (Rissanen2013)andan interpretationof ‘opticalpatch-working’whichdrewonthepracticeoftheartist/couturierSoniaDelaunay(seeDamase1991andCh2inTownsend2004a).Thishand/digitalmethodalsodrawsonPiper’sCompositeGarmentWeaving (CGW)methodwheretheconsiderationof2D‘functional’textileproductionaspectsstronglyinformthe‘designaesthetic’ofthefinal3Dobject(PiperandTownsend2016:18).

Figure9.MembersoftheEmotionalFitgrouptryingontheStripeandOrchidTriangleDressesinthefashion

workshop.Source:EmotionalFitproject,2017

TheTriangleDresswasalso fabricated inanOrchidprint (PearlSatin) thatwasmanipulated in termsofscale in relation to the threebase size ranges and cut inboth the face andmore subtle reverseof theprintedsilkfollowingfeedbackduringthe‘tryingon’process,asexploredinthefilm,TryingitOn(2017).TheStripeandOrchiddressespresentedcompletelydifferentvisualand tactileaesthetics thatcouldbewornindifferentcontexts.However,bothversionspresentednumerousoptionsforflexiblewearingandstyling,throughtheadditionandsubsequentutilisationoflongtiesthatallowedforthetransformationofthebody through thepersonal craftingofdivergent ‘material aesthetics’ through fittedorunstructuredlooks(figs.9&10).



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Materialityinthecontextofaestheticsalsoimpliesconnectiontothebody.Aboveallclothingservesfunction,which generally drivesmany aesthetic choices. Functionality aside, in this casematerialityreferstothedesignprocessandtherelationshipofthegarmentwiththebody.(Aakko,2016:187).

Figure10.ParticipantstryingontheOrchidandStripeTriangleDressesinastudiophotoshoot.Source:RebeccaLewis2017

TheCircle,UniversalandTunicdresses,basedoncirclesandrectanglesweremuchsimplerincomparisontotheTriangleDress,intermsofshapingandconstructionandtheprintswereintegratedaccordingly,tobeabstract,painterly, large-scale,withnodecipherablerepeat.Tie-dyedandplain linen inred, inkandwhitewascutinrectangularoversizedpiecestoutilise‘thewholecloth’andallowthevolumetoenvelopethebody.Onceagain, theadditionof ties across thearmsand chest, enabling thewearer to leave thesleevesfull-lengthorruschethemuptotheelbow,therebyrevealingtheforearms,oneofthefewpartsofthebodyfavouredbyallparticipants.ConclusionInterviewing and talking to thewomen in the earlyworkshops about their likes anddislikes, looking at‘favouritegarments’andhearingabouttheirfashionhistoriesandcurrentlifestyles,informedtheprojecton an aesthetic, technical, sustainable but ultimately an emotive level. It is the enactment of theparticipants ‘emotional knowledge’ throughengagingwith fashion and textiles, andultimately how thismadethemfeelthatparticularlyinfluencedthepracticaloutcomesoftheproject.Theversatilenatureof theresultingprinted(oversizedandskimming)Triangle,CircularandRectangularcutpiecesrepresentedauniversalityor‘in-betweengarment’thatencouragedexperimentation,playandagency,identifiedasmissingfromthehighstreetbytheparticipants(GoodeinTownsendetal2017).Thisco-creative research highlights the need for a new kind of participatory designmethodology that linksmorecloselytothesignificanceofperformanceand‘play’withthematerialsandprocessesoffashionandtextiles, asexploredbyWibmer (2017) andothers in the recentEverythingandEverybodyasMaterialsconference.Theprototypesdevelopedthroughtheprojectrepresent‘tools’or‘in-betweengarments’that



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can lead to more expressive objects that more closely incorporate the values of ‘fashion-in between’,representedbyindependent,artisanalandhighqualitydesign,materialsandcraftsmanship(Aakko2016).ThemethodologydevelopedviatheEmotionalFitproject(Townsendetal2016)highlightsthesignificantrole that collaborative engagement through amore open source, less hierarchical fashion system thatdraws on the creative craftsmanship engendered by software related ‘hacking and networking’models(Busch2009).

AcknowledgementsTheauthorswouldliketoextendthankstoallwomenparticipatinginthestudy.ThisresearchhasbeenfundedbyNottinghamTrentUniversity.

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KatherineTownsendDrKatherineTownsendisaReaderinFashionandTextileCraftsatNottinghamTrentUniversity.Hercurrentresearchprojects,EmotionalFitandTheElectricCorsetexploremethodologicaldesignissuesinfashionandageingandtheuseofcostumearchivestoinformwearables.Sheisco-editorofthejournalofCraftResearch.katherine.townsend@ntu.ac.ukAniaSadkowskaDrAniaSadkowskaisafashiondesignlecturerandresearcheratCoventryUniversity.Herresearchexplorestheintersectionofsociologyandpsychologywithartanddesignpractices.Currentprojectsspanavarietyoftopicsincludingfashionandageing,masculinity,phenomenology,andartanddesignresearchmethodologies.ac3739@coventry.ac.ukJulianaSissonsJulianaSissonsisaknitweardesignerandseniorlectureratNottinghamTentUniversity.Herresearchfocusesonthedevelopmentofsculpturaltechniquesintextilemanipulationandpatterncutting.AsaDesignerinResidenceattheV&AMuseum,shehasworkedwithvarioushistoricalcollectionsandcuratorstocreateanddisplaynewinterpretations.juliana.sissons@ntu.ac.ukKarenHarriganKarenHarriganisapatterncutterandseniorlecturerinfashiondesignatNottinghamTrentUniversity.Afterworkinginthefashionindustrysheenteredhighereducationwhereshehassupportedstudentsandcolleaguesindevelopinginnovativecuttingtechniquesandcollaboratedwithresearchersworkinginsmarttextiles,fashionforwellbeingandonherowncreativecollaborations.karen.harrigan@ntu.ac.uk KatherineWestKatherineWestisaResearchFellowintheFashion,TextileandKnitwearsubjectintheSchoolofArtandDesignatNottinghamTrentUniversity.Trainedinfashionandtextilestomaster’slevelshehasrunherowncontourwearcompany,workingwithclientsofallagesonabespokebasis.ThisexperiencehasinformedherroleontheEmotionalFitprojectwhichsherecentlyjoined.katherine.west@ntu.ac.uk



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new textiles as a catalyst in the co-creative design...

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