Emily Crane: Micro-Nutrient Couture

‘Micro-Nutrient Couture’ evolved from a restrictive brief based on the premise of Zero resources to create fashion futures; without the current mass production capabilities available what would a fashion practitioner do? ‘Micro-Nutrient Couture’ aims to create a fashion experience in a world exploring 'the constant new', offering a fresh alternative to the compulsive shopper obsessed with fast fashion, high street consumption and throw away prices.
My Major Project focuses on creating fashion using boundary-less techniques from the everyday 

- I cook, blend, culture and form ice bubbles as silhouettes. ‘Micro-Nutrient Couture’ is a sensory world of transient fashion where no one but the individual will ever wear the same dress again. Through this unique process and development of new materiality I have laid an innovative creative foundation for future fashion design, conscious of the restraints of our future planet and the impact from current fashion cycles, my methods look towards ‘survival’ as a key factor informing my processes, fashion is no longer a thing of simple beauty, but of nutrition also. I experiment with materials that occur naturally when cooked up from edible ingredients including gelatines, kappa carrageenan, agar-agar sea vegetable, water, natural flavour extracts, glycerine, food colouring and lusters, this is high tech kitchen couture.'-  Emily Crane describing the collection.

Emily Crane is an innovative young designer who has developed a method of producing eco-friendly, edible textiles. This is an original concept that I think is bizarre but brilliant and very inspiring. It's such a creative, fun take on producing new raw materials that I almost forget that it takes a precise, scientific process to reach the end result. After watching a video of the process it's hard to believe that these creations are in fact edible, and I also can't help but wonder how they taste.

Watch the video of the process here:
http://vimeo.com/15801130

References:
-http://emilycrane.co.uk/index.html
-https://vimeo.com/user4956100

Image Sources:
-http://www.fashionblender.com.au/blog/2013/7/31/wearable-food
-http://emilycrane.co.uk/micronutrientcouture.html

Dirty Laundry

A damning report from Greenpeace named 'Dirty Laundry' (2011) highlights the extent of China's poor environmental status, particularly when it comes to water pollution.

"A new investigative report from Greenpeace, 'Dirty Laundry', profiles the problem of toxic water pollution resulting from the release of hazardous chemicals by the textile industry in China. The investigations focuses on two facilities that were found to be discharging a range of hazardous and persistent chemicals with hormone-disrupting properties. These results are indicative of a much wider problem that is posing serious and immediate threats to both our precious ecosystems and to human health. Urgent and transparent action is needed in order to eliminate the use and release of these hazardous chemicals." - Statement from Greenpeace.

Watch the video that investigates the background of the study:



References: 
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/publications/reports/Dirty-Laundry 

Lecture 4: Sustainability in Textiles.

In our fourth and final lecture of the series, Ros Hibbert discussed sustainability issues relating to the materials industry, minimising waste and life-cycle thinking.

Sustainable Textiles: "Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" - UN 1987 Brudland Commission report.

The bottom line here is that interconnectivity needs to be more widely realised,  the design world are beginning to take responsibility, but is that enough? What happens in one part of the world affects another. This is where considerate design comes in; the consideration of the entire life cycle of textile/fashion products.

The Current Environment:
-Retailers are placing larger pressure on manufacturers and suppliers to reduce costs to meet the consumer demands for cheaper prices. 

-Seeing a shift in trade patterns, manufacturers then try to produce a greater number of style variations in smaller quantities. The retail giant Zara are a classic example of a company that produces deft changes and quick turnarounds of collections.

-Corporal social responsibilities are being added to the factors by which companies are judged.

-Product styles are quickly becoming obsolete due to the disposable, throw away culture that we live in; styles are constantly changing with new fashions to replace the old.

"Up to 90% of a product's environmental impact is decided at the design stage."- The Design Council

-Industrial processes and textile design use chemicals heavily in fabric manufacturing and fabric finishing that can be very detrimental to the environment made worse by the fact that it is in conjunction with the extremely high water usage in textile production.

-Monitoring of the supply change is gradually improving, but transparency in this area is difficult in countries that outsource their fabrics.

-Energy and water are used extensively throughout textile production. Intensive cotton agriculture, polyester processing and garment aftercare processes are all very high, and each have a negative effect on the environment.

Environmentally Friendlier Production Alternatives:

-It is possible to reduce the amount of waste that textile production creates by creating seamless products, knitwear and accessories and through 3D printing.

-Using natural dyes, such as vegetable and plant dyes, to colour fibres and textiles. These dyes are recently becoming explored much more in the hopes of reducing the use of chemical dyes in production.

-There are also investigations into building colour into natural fibres, by feeding silkworms coloured powders to create luminescent colours in the silk. Akin to feeding flamingos food that makes them pinker.

-Using new raw materials: Inego is the first melt processable, naturally based polymer. It is produced from a regenerable resource and is biodegradable, offering a sustainable life cycle. It also has built in UV protection and elasticity.

-Spider silk, as has been mentioned in my previous lecture notes, is a potential new fibre with the dragline silk produced by the Golden Orb-Weaving spider can be up to 5x stronger than steel in comparison.

-Bio Processing, as mentioned in an earlier post about Carole Colette's Bio Lace, which is a manufacturing process for textiles that uses living technology. Biomimicry functions are also being explored in an attempt to create evolvable,, adaptive textiles with zero waste.

-Waste reduction saves money, yarn, dyes, chemicals and can reduce production time.

Changes to our garment care routines is another way we can help to reduce our water usage; laundering clothes less frequently, hand-washing, cold water use and line drying are recommended where possible. A 'waterless' washing machine- Xeros- uses 90% less water than the average commercial washing machine and relies on minute nylon beads to absorb stains.

The average lifetime of a garment is approximately 2 years. Innovation in reprocessing textiles, both pre consumer and post consumer waste, is improving assisted by the price rises in raw materials. Discarded polyethylene fishing nets are extremely hazardous to the ocean environment and can take hundreds of years to biodegrade. However, they are now being collected by plastic recyclers and turned into reusable polymers. Although it must be noted that the lack of cost effective disassembly techniques has held up the development of textile reuse.

- The WEAR-2 system, developed in the UK, allows items such as zips, buttons and trims that contaminate recycled material to be removed.

-The Trash to Trend website is both a database for designers to see where textile waste is available, but to also showcase their own second use products.

Composting fabrics is another alternative to final disposal, bearing in mind that the product must be an organic natural fibre containing no chemicals or toxins. Any non biodegradable elements such as metal or synthetic thread will still remain after composting.

Challenges Ahead:

- We are all recycling more than we ever have before, but there is still a growth in our waste creation.

- The second use of a 'down cycled' product is of lower commercial value than the original, as the fibres are always weaker and have a shorter life span than its first incarnation.

- 'Upcycling' limits the quantity that can be created and also produces irregular sizes of fabric, causing designers to be unable to produce large commercial runs.

- Some consider recycling as merely delaying the arrival of a product to landfill. But surely that's the whole point of recycling? To reuse a product as many times as you can before it can be used no more?

In 2012 it was estimated that the world consumed a total of 60 million tons of fibre, which is 12 million tons more than in 2001. This is set to rise as the population increases.

As a student of textile design I always feel really quite guilty when I hear about the damaging effects that the textile industry has on the environment. However, this lecture given me hope that the industry is ever changing and trying to adapt to a more environmentally friendly method of production.  In the spring term I will be given a project brief that focuses primarily in creating textiles through sustainable production methods and I know that I can go into that project inspired to try and find new and exciting ways to produce textiles ethically.

Image Sources:http://www.innovationintextiles.com/sustainability-in-textiles-clothing-why-should-we-care/

http://fashionbombdaily.com/2012/11/13/fashion-discussion-zara-is-the-worlds-largest-fashion-retailer-is-it-your-favorite/

http://www.ecouterre.com/swedish-student-turns-toxic-textile-effluent-into-clean-dye-free-water/polluted-river-dyes/

http://www.pure-tinctoria.com/

http://creationrevolution.com/2012/07/secrets-of-spider-silk/

http://trash-to-trend.myshopify.com/collections/katrina-kaubi/products/starlet

Light Art by Maggie Orth

Pile Blocks (2008).

 'By touching the woven pile squares (the grey conductive areas) light is transmitted through the woven textile to reveal hidden colour and pattern. Touching the different pile sensors creates different animated lighting patterns, which move over the surface of the piece.

Patterns interact with each other like ripples in a pond.A single piece of fabric combining both double weave and pile textile structures creates the conductive sensors and light transmitting effects. When white, LED light passes through the double weave fabric, the colored weaving on the back is revealed. Software explores a variety of regular patterns and randomly generated sequences.' 

'Firefly' dress and necklace.

Maggie Orth uses electronics frequently within her textile pieces to create interesting, quite interactive effects. I think the 'Pile Blocks' piece is quite lovely as it is almost as though the fabric has the ability to come alive alive as it can react to your touch and completely reinvent itself simply by using a different lighting pattern. I prefer it to her 'firefly' dress due to it's abstract nature and I could see the design being used as a repeat print in fashion textiles.

Luminous Lace by Loop.pH

 Loop.pH installed this illuminated lace at the entrance to Kensington Palace.

'Inspired by the ceremonial lace that has been worn by the British royal family for centuries, the light installation is made from over 4 kilometres of electroluminescent wire and is decorated with Swarovski crystals.'

A beautiful example of electroluminescence, which was discussed in our most recent lecture. I always find the use of light energy really inspiring in works of art and I'm not entirely sure why that is. Perhaps I'm easily effected by light energy and find myself comforted by their glow, I don't know. But I do know is that  these installation pieces by Loop.pH. are gorgeous.

References: http://www.dezeen.com/2012/03/23/designed-in-hackney-luminous-lace-by-loop-ph/

Lecture 3: Finishing and Function of Fabrics.

Our third lecture provided us with lots of information in relation to the different functions and technologies that can be applied to textiles, and also highlighted the possibilities of future functionality in textiles.

In synthetic raw materials, function is frequently added at the polymer stage via micro-encapsulation, which makes these functions very durable. For natural raw materials, function is added at the yarn or fabric production stage where coatings, laminates and prints etc. are applied, which is less durable than if it were added at the polymer stage as it is merely on the surface of the fabric as opposed to being imbedded within it.

Protective Properties: 

-UV Protection. Sunburn prevention can be a big priority when producing contemporary textiles, for example it is mandatory in Australia to have SPF protection in school uniforms and swimwear.  SPF factors can be incorporated into fibres, fabric dyes and laundry detergents. Tighter weaves and heavier weights of fabric offer more protection than loose knits or light fabrics. Polyester, some bast fibres and ceramic good natural protection within them.

-Fire and Spark Resistance. This is imperiteive for the emergency services, military and industrial clothing and nightwear for children. Carpets and upholstery must also be fire resistant. Aramid, glass, carbon and wool fibres all hold some natural resistance, with branded aramid fibres such as Cordura and Kevlar leading the way commercially. Fire resistant finishes can also be applied to natural fibres, as well as using metal coatings to protect. There are also new 'smart' responses such as heat shielding that are becoming more prevalent in the industry.
-Impact Resistance. Impact and abrasion resistance is used within active sportswear and upholstery to help prevent the wear and tear of the fabrics. More importantly it is used in the military and emergency services predominantly in bullet proofing and stab resistant clothing. Stab resistant fabrics use a special coating that allows the fabric to 'heal' itself to prevent the wearer from coming to harm.

Weather Proofing: This is expected in everyday clothing and essential for outdoor sports clothing and equipment. Intelligent solutions and nano-technology play a part, for example the brand Gore-tex create laminates that are lightweight and breathable, yet still remain waterproof. 100% cotton and pure wool can be naturally waterproof. 'Ventile' is a 100% cotton fabric dating back to WW2 and was created to reduce soldiers losing their lives due to the harsh weather conditions. It was made from long staple cotton fibres in a very tight plain weave construction.

Moisture Management: Engineered polyester fibres such as Coolmax and layered membrane protection is designed to keep skin dry and comfortable and is used in sportswear, underwear, socks/shoes, bed linen and sports equipment. It is engineered to draw moisture away from the skin so it can evaporate more easily over a wider surface area.

Temperature Regulation: Fabrics created for NASA such as 'Airvantage' use air chambers within the garment to regulate the temperature of the wearer, as these fabrics are so expensive to produce there are no plans to release this to a commercial market. However cooling jackets using 'Aerogel' take inspiration from astronauts clothing using phase change technology developed for aerospace, which can now be used in sportswear, workwear and bedding. It works by using paraffin wax which is embedded in the textile fibres, when the wearer becomes too warm the wax will melt slightly to absorb the heat and regulate the temperature.

Buoyancy and Inflatables: Air trapping areas can be integrated into garments for sailing and riding and most well recognisable in life vests, inflatable rafts and buoyancy aids. These can be automatically activated by sudden movements and impact, for instance the air bags in a car, to aid human life.


Antistatic: Static electricity causes minor discomfort at best, and fires and explosions at worse. Adding a mental content to a fabric, or the use of a protective finish reduces the danger of this happening. However there are still some safety issues involved as this can be known to cause other problems such as releasing harmful emissions.

Reflective Textiles: Important for safety at night, accessories for cyclists and young children, sportswear/equipment, on industrial sites and for the emergency services. Embedded glass beads or mini reflector dishes reflect light for up to 200 metres, and even works under water on diving suits/equipment. There are explorations for the use of reflective textiles on car doors at night, for added safety.


Refractive Textiles: A biometric colour shift originally found in the hogberry plant. It is where multiple layers of cells interfere with light waves producing an effect akin to a soap bubble, a rainbow. Morpho butterfly wings were an inspiration for fabrics that show colour via the use of phototronics as seen in the company Tejin's 'Morphotex' fabrics. There is a potential use of refractive textiles in sportswear, as they could potentially show visually changes in response to muscle tension, pressure or heat.

Phosphorence: Fibres trap and store light energy and emit it as a glow. 'Permalight' uses zinc sulphate to do so and is available as a printing ink. Electroluminescence uses trapped phosphor powder which is then excited by an electric current. There is a Marmot jacket that uses electroluminescent panels to illuminate areas of the jacket for safety. Interestingly, certain coloured lights are beneficial to health and are actually used in the medical world.

Chromatic Properties: Certain dyes have the ability to change their colour in response to heat, water or UV light. Fabrics that are used in the military and emergency services and also in wound dressing use this dying technology, these textiles can display a warning for extreme heat, danger or infection. There are also personal products that can indicate hormonal changes in the body, such as underwear that can determine if a woman is ovulating. Which I just find really interesting.


Easy Care: Treatments that assist in keeping a textile clean. Certain nanotechnologies and Teflon treatments impart stain resistant qualities. There is also the use of non-iron easy care in shirting and bed lined textiles which prevents creases to a certain extent.

Comfort and Ease: Lycra and Dow XLA are branded elastic fibres that are used heavily in sportswear and underwear as they provide comfort and the feeling of fluidity with the body. Mechanically crimped yarns from synthetic fibres provide a gentler comfort stretch. This is also important in medical applications as it can assist the blood flow and reduce burn scarring.

Aromatic Agents: Scented textiles release aroma when agitated or warmed. Microencapsulation traps the scented particles, aromatherapy elements can also be used, creating multi-sensory textiles and clothing.

Anti-Bacterial Protection: For fibres that assist in protecting the health of the user. Used within garment production, cosmetics, washing powders, underwear, bedding, footwear, sportswear, catering and medical products. Natural antibacterial functions can be found in silver, tea tree, aloe vera and crustacean shells. Some say that antibacterial textiles could reduce the amount we'd need to launder our clothes, however there is a high possibility that the germs would eventually mutate and therefore become resistant to the antibacterial substance.

Insect Repellence: Fabric treatments can assist in reducing the harmful insects that can live in textiles such as dust mites, particularly in bedding, which can be detrimental to the health of asthma sufferers and those with respiratory problems. This is also important to protect young babies before their immune systems develop as they would very easy pick up allergies and develop childhood asthma.

Catalystic Clothing: A relatively new exploration. Can potentially assist in reducing the harmful effects of air pollution, using nanotechnology that can be applied to the fabric through the laundry process. Effectively when the active agent in the fabric is activated by a catalyst (in this case, air pollution) it will get to work to purify the surrounding air.

Health and Cosmetic Benefits: There are coatings that can be applied to fabrics that are called pollen protection as they have a smooth surface which helps them to shed pollen easily, helping to reduce the effects of hay fever. For a standard t-shirt weighing 200mgs a vitamin C content can be imparted that equals the equivalent of 2 lemons. There are treatments applied to textiles to assist in moisturising skin and delivering active health benefits by trapping moisturising capsules within the fibres. Claims have been made by the likes of Victoria's Secret and Miss Sixty that wearing their moisture enriched underwear can actively reduce the look and feel of cellulite. How much truth lies in these claims I don't know.


Conductivity: This is an essential element in interactive textiles. Conductivity can be imparted by the use of metal fibres/content, or with special coatings and printing ink, depending on the product's use and desired functionality. In conductive gloves fine copper thread in used to complete the electric circuit between skin and screen. Conductive power sources are lightweight and flexible and it is also essential for them to be washable, however solar power elements can be woven into the garment as a back-up power source. Gorix is a branded, carbonised fibre with electrical conductive properties used for heated car sets, motorbike clothing and heated diving suits.

Soft Interfaces: using textiles as a carrier, the development of 'ambient technology' plans to create products for the home that are soft and tactile. Furniture that can 'memorise' personal preferences and then adapt accordingly.

Monitoring and Health: The Lifeshirt can record the wearer's vital signs and record it as data via sensors within the garment. This same technology can be used to also monitor emergency workers. it is also used in sport to monitor training, it allows realtime interaction during activity and also provides direct feedback. Can also be used as personal protection via GPS and garments that can shock an attacker. The GPS technology could also track the location of those with health issues in case they come into danger.

Optical camouflage: is also under development, to create camouflage that has an instinctive chameleon effect. Intelligent camouflage built using nanotechnology have the possible ability to divert light wavelengths, to change light from positive to negative refraction, rendering the object invisible.



Image Sources:
http://www.saftechinc.com/
http://www.embracethechange.com/articles/supplier-info/coolmax-and-climarelle-bedding
http://leslieinvancan.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/l-is-for-life-preserver.html
http://www.fashioningtech.com/profiles/blog/list?user=306sf06eygkoc&month=10&year=2009
http://sites.moca.org/thecurve/category/the-geffen-contemporary-at-moca/page/2/
http://qinglianchen.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/space-of-production.html
http://www.dhgate.com/product/japan-anti-cellulite-bur-fat-slimming-pants/113634694.html
http://silvergroup.asia/blog/remote-patient-monitoring-worth-us8-billion-by-2012/

Embroidery in Medical Textiles

Textile structures such as medical implants are widely used to replace and support soft tissues and can act as scaffolds in tissue engineering as they have the ability to provide optimal spatial and nutritional conditions for cell maintenance. Tissue engineering textiles and surgical implants have been used in vitro on tissues such as the liver, skin, bone, cartilage and muscle, including non-woven, woven and knitted fabrics.

An example of an embroidered surgical implant.

Embroidery technology allows the creation of highly complex 3D structures that can integrate structure dependent functions in the tissue, such as pore patterns and the ability to adjust a wide range of mechanical properties to match the properties of the host tissue.

As opposed to weaving where threads are arranged at flat angles, embroidery allows rounded shapes which enables the use of embroidered stents in the body, such as the one pictured above. This is used to repair abdominal aortic aneurysms, swellings in the main wall of the aorta, that are likely to rupture and can prove fatal.

An embroidered Tissue Scaffold.

What this highlights to me is just how significant textile technology is when it has the ability to save countless numbers of lives, it's just a brilliant use of textiles that often goes unnoticed. A number of people have told me that textile design is 'boring' and 'easy' when they ask me what I'm studying, and now I have yet another example of why they are just so wrong, not to mention patronising.

References:
Anand S (2001), 'Medical Textiles '99. Proceeding of the International Conference 24 & 25 August 1999', Woodhead Publishing Limited, p 200-6.

Wintermantel E, Mayer J, Eckert KL, Lüscher P, Mathey M (1996) 'Tissue Engineering Scaffolds Using Superstructures', Biomaterials, 17 p 18-92
http://www.swicofil.com/biomedical_textiles.http://www.tex.tuiasi.ro/biblioteca/carti/CARTI/Textile/Smart%20Fibres,%20Fabrics%20and%20Clothing/014.pdf

Image sources:
http://frankly.folksy.com/2011/11/18/the-power-of-making

http://www.amycongdon.com/?_escaped_fragment_=symbiotica-biological-bespoke/c1rgv

http://www.ellisdev.co.uk/vascular.html

Knitting in Medical Textiles

Knitting tends to involves a higher number of individual fibres than other biomedical textile engineering techniques, which can create higher intricacy and performance capabilities in textile structures. 

3D printed artificial blood vessel.

Knitted fabrics are the most widely 
used within medical textiles and are used frequently for: 

-Surgical mesh, gloves, masks and gowns.

-Prosthesis ligaments and bones

-Hernia repair

-Gynecological slings and prolapse devices

-Reconstructive and cosmetic surgery mesh

-Artificial blood vessels

-Bandages/ Wound Applications

- Surgical hosiery
-Pressure Gloves

Knitting is commonly used for manufacture of bandages in tubular form.

The weft knitting machine is chiefly used for production of two classes of medical textiles:
-support bandages and elastic bandages. 

Since these garments are to be continuously worn, the seams need to be very strong whilst allowing for fluid body movement. 

The warp knitting machines is used to manufacture wound dressings, 

bandages and vascular grafts. These tubular structures can best be produced on circular warp knitting 

machines.  

Successfully developed artificial blood vessels and bi-furcated valves are highly innovative and are an indication of the suitability of knitted tissue scaffolds as a potential substitute of non-woven scaffolds for tissue engineering.

A slightly unnerving list of human body parts that can be created using textile materials and into the body:

-Kidney
-Blood Vessel
-Cornea

-Liver
-Pancreas
-Nervous system
-Planted Hair
-Skin

-Lung

-Heart
-Muscle
-Bones & Tendon

I honestly do find this whole thing really fascinating, as it seems amazing to me that we are capable of building and repairing organs that can then fuse to living human tissue and become fully functional. In fact, the more I think about it the more I can appreciate the intelligence of it all and the more it astounds me.

References:
-Ray SC (2012). 'Fundamentals and Advances in Knitting Technology', Woodhead Publishing Limited.
-Horrocks AR and Anand SC (2000). Handbook of Technical Textiles, Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge in association with The Textile Institute, Abington.
-http://www.bmsri.com/structures-overview/
-http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/pdffiles/Nonwovens-For-Medical-Textiles.pdf

Image Sources:
-http://www.csiro.au/Organisation-Structure/Divisions/CMSE/Fibre-Science/MedicalTextiles.aspx
-http://thecoolgadgets.com/3d-printed-artifical-blood-vessels-two-photon-polymerization-and-3d-printing-technologies/

BioCouture: Suzanne Lee

Growing Textiles

BioCouture work investigates the use of microbes to grow a textile/ leather type biomaterial. Lee ferments bacteria from a dense layer, as opposed to to chemically exploiting materials. She is essentially using microbes that multiply and feed on waste which creates live, growing bacteria sheets., which she then stitches together to create her design.

The eco-friendly Kimono

This is a method of textile production that is an interesting alternative to using leather or synthetic fibres which produce a huge carbon footprint. Although not yet viable for mass production due to the time it takes to produce the materials and unpredictable usage life, I do think this is an interesting concept to keep an eye out for.

The 'leather' jacket. (My personal favourite)

References & Image sources:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-24/suzanne-lees-biocouture-fashion-grown-from-http://www.designboom.com/design/suzanne-lee-biocouture-growing-textiles/
http://www.yatzer.com/assets/Article/2493/images/vow-8-Bio-Couture-by-Suzanne-Lee-yatzer-4.jpg

Lecture 2: Innovative and Experimental Textiles.

Moving onto our second lecture the focus was on innovative and experimental fibre types, and to introduce us to the new materials and technology that are influencing contemporary design and production variations; in the hopes that this will educate us outside of the textile design process that we had become accustomed to.

Non- Traditional Fibre Sources:

Bast Fibres: A natural fibre source. Fibres such as Nettle, Jute and Ramie. These are quite linen-like and can be used for clothing as they can be very soft. Also Hemp, man's oldest cultivated fibre is very versatile as every part of the hemp plant can be used. It can be knitted and woven and turned into denim and it also has a natural strength and built in UV protection.

Leaf Fibres: A minority area, as only a few plants have the necessary atributes for fibre production. However those that are able to be used are from the Agave, Pineapple and Banana plants and can be used to create floorings and interior fabrics.

Bark Cloth:  First developed in Asia, Africa, Indonesia and the Pacific. Made my beating wet strips of the inner bark of trees into sheets, which can then be finished into different items. The production of these fibres has a carbon footprint less than zero. Not suitable for garment production but can be used for accessories.

Seed Fibres: Seed fibres, such as the ones that are taken from the Kapok tree, are fine light and silky fibres that are used predominately for insulation and fibre filling as these fibres are moisture resistant, buoyant, resilient and soft, but are not suitable for spinning. Synthetics have replaced most applications for Kapok fibres and now they are used mainly in life preservers. Coir fibres come from the fruit of the Coconut tree, they are hard wearing and abrasion resistant making them suitable for floor coverings, geotextiles and ropes. They are also a good example of an easily renewable natural fibre.

Peat Fibre: Organic plant remains found in Scandinavian peat bogs. They can be woven and knitted and are used for clothing, blankets, interiors and footwear. They have thermal qualities as well as being naturally antiseptic and antistatic. However there are many environmental issues that come with peat harvesting as many scientists believe that peat growth cannot compete with the rapid harvesting and it has been compared to deforestation in its effects of the environment.

Alginate (Seaweed): Brown seaweed is often blended with cellulose fibres. It has natural healing properties due to it's high iodine content and can be used functionally in medical applications. It is also dissolvable and can be used in devoré and invisible printing techniques.

Metal Fibres: Predominantly Copper, Steel and Aluminium. Metal content fibres have the ability for heat memory and therefore react well to heat. They are conductive, protecting against electromagnetic radiation and are detectable by radar. Some trousers have these metal fibres in the pockets to protect the wearer from mobile phone radiation.

Paper Textiles: Made from renewable resources of pine trees, cotton, rice and abaca (a form of banana plant). They are high strength, light fast, renewable, biodegradable textiles.

Latex: A rubber tree will produce latex for 40 years, which creates enough latex to create 10 pairs of latex gloves per week. Due to the growing problem of skin sensitivity in response to natural latex, a latex substitute can be produced from synthetic materials.

Man-made Synthetics: Such as Polyethylene, PVC, Polypropylene and Polyurethane. They have a high strength and can be heat set. They are used in industrial and sports textiles and also in the medical world as they can be germ resistant. These fibres and products can be recycled.

A spider silk cape.

Bio Fibres:  Biotechnology is gaining much attention in the textile world in recent years in the search to find a way of mass producing fibres in a way that is environmentally friendly. Dextrose from plants can create a fibre with an environmentally acceptable life cycle, such as PLA bio-plastic materials. Starch from maize potatoes and sugar beet can also be used to create within a closed loop cycle. A silk-like fibre can be produced from the casein in milk, therefore a profit can still be made from spoiled/waste milk. Investigations into fabric sources from animals and insects are leading to some very interesting results. Spider silk, for example, is one of the biologically engineered fibres being investigated via genetic modification as an alternative to harvesting silk worm cocoons and is statistically stronger than steel. there are also investigations into creating materials that can think, respond and take action such as Honeybee silk, which is 100x finer than human hair, skin friendly and biodegradable.

Innovative Textiles:

Growing Fabrics: BioCouture work investigates the use of microbes to grow a textile/leather type biomaterial, by fermenting bacteria from a dense layer, instead of chemically exploiting materials. Experiments have been made to harness the power of mycelium/fungi to create fabrics and materials that could potentially replace synthetics. The company Ecovative have 'grown' 3D packaging material from this mycelium/fungi.

High Tec Fibres: Carbon fibre is a fibre containing at least 90% carbon and lightweight material that is very strong. It is a good conductor of heat and power, which can be used for interactive uses such as  'smartphone gloves' that let you control touch screen devices whilst still protecting your hands in cold weather.

Fibre-Optics: Can be used for aesthetic purposes such as co-ordinated colour and pattern changes and also enables response, interaction and increased functionality as it can link with other wireless communications, take wireless broadband internet connections for instance.

Sprayed Fabrics: Fabrican is a creation of a liquid suspension, sprayed by a spray gun/ aerosol can. Fabric is formed by the cross-linking of fibres which create an instant non-woven textile that can be sprayed onto any surface.

Rapid Prototyping: UV beams are used to fuse layers of powdered thermoplastic into a desired shape/ mould. Products are recyclable and leave behind minimal waste. There is no use of needle and thread.

Oversized & Micro-sized Stitches: Playing with they scale and size of the knit to create unusual/inspiring pieces and products. Nano-knitters create unbelievably tiny miniature garments to scale. There can be up to 80 stitches per inch.

Biomimetics: The ability to mimic a living bio system, often coming form developments made by the military. Stomatex products use the principle of a leafs natural ability to perspire and keep dry to create breathable fabrics that can be used in protective clothing and sportswear. Speedo's Fastskin swim suit replicates the surface of shark skin and helps the swimmer move through water more freely. There are also investigations into to Gecko lizard's ability to stick to surfaces that are being developed into fabric constructions. 

Body Scanning: From body scanning, the body form can be used for 3D garment design which would be designed for and tailored to each individual person's body.

Moulded Fabrics: Yarns that are at least 60% synthetic can be moulded around a form and set to create the desired silhouette , with no cutting or sewing required.

Magnetism: Ferromagnetic materials such as iron or nickel. Ferromagnetism can be used to create textiles that can alter the fabric surfaces, often known as magic textiles. These materials can become permanently magnetised. Electronics can also be embedded into the fabric surface.

Zero Waste Cutting: Some garments can be created without any waste fabric being left over whatsoever, by using pattern cutting templates that use up every inch of fabric. However this technique is very difficulty, and impractical in the sense that it limits the range of different garment shapes that can be created, therefore it's use is not widespread in the commercial textile industry.

I found this lecture really interesting, although we were given so much information on fibres and technologies that i didn't know about that my wrist was hurting trying to frantically write as much as I could down. I find the innovative textiles so inspiring and yet so frustrating because I wish I had the means to try them all, but there's some technology there that I doubt I'll ever get my hands on!

References:

• http://www.textileschool.com/articles/359/natural-cellulosic-seed-fibres
• http://www.speedo.co.uk/infoadvice_1/infoadvice/fastskinlzrracerelite2/fastskin3technologiespg.html
• http://www.toolingu.com/definition-560210-86402-ferromagnetic-material.html
• http://www.stomatex.com/faqs.html

Image Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bast_fibre
http://www.nma.gov.au/online_features/cook_forster/objects/poncho-like_garment_tiputa_oz421
http://charliegwillim.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/keireine-canavan-constructed-textiles-291012/
http://ssingh2301.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/fibres.html
http://arcticstudies.pbworks.com/w/page/13623330/Tundra
http://skin-wound-care.medical-supplies-equipment-company.com/calcium-alginate-dressings-391.htm
http://www.burnertech.co.uk/Products/Metal-Fibre/68/71/
http://kickcanandconkers.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/shellie-holden.html
http://www.kew.org/plants/rubber.html
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/jan/24/spider-silk-cape-show
http://www.designboom.com/design/suzanne-lee-biocouture-growing-textiles/
http://blog.proporta.com/smartphone-gloves-the-best-winter-accessory/
http://www.psgtechteam.com/telecom.html
http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/Clothes-in-a-Can-Fabrican-Comes-Out-with-Spray-On-Fabric-2.jpg/
http://www.newmancraneins.com/2012/10/the-benefits-of-rapid-prototyping-in-the-manufacturing-industry/
http://ullaskovjensen.blogspot.co.uk/2012_10_01_archive.html
http://www.industrijski-dizajn.com/inspiracija/njeno-velicanstvo-majka-priroda-nepresusan-izvor-inspiracije/
http://www.ten24.info/?p=725
http://freshome.com/2011/12/13/redifining-the-connection-between-upholstery-and-fabric-olive-chair/
http://www.surfacedesign.org/newsblog/textile-magnetism-an-extraordinary-workshop-experience-with-jennifer-leary
http://bethnaomi22.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/zero-waste-pattern-cutting.html