Emerging researchers

While there are several researchers within TFRC who are leading their fields in innovative practice-based textile design work, TFRC also operates as an incubator for emerging researcher/designers who are developing their design practice both within the university and externally in a commercial context.

Two of these emerging researchers are Caroline Till (Senior Lecturer, Textile Futures MA/CSM) and Clara Vuletich (Research Assistant TED/CCW).

Caroline Till has a background in trends forecasting having worked as Design Editor at Future Laboratory for the past four years, and has recently set up her own creative consultancy with colleague Kate Franklin. FranklinTill are creative directors of bi-annual trends magazine Viewpoint, other clients include BeautyStreams.com, Institute of Materials and Mining, PR company Murray Weir Willats and The Future Laboratory. Through her work on the Textile Futures MA and her involvement with TFRC, Caroline is able to offer a unique perspective on the research work being done within TFRC and its value to industry.

Aside from her work within TED at CCW, Clara Vuletich is a designer/maker producing hand and digital printed wallpaper and textiles, and is also part of bricolage, a collective of textile designers who 'craft objects and craft experiences'. bricolage was formed to explore the different roles that textile designers could play both as craft makers and as 'purveyors' of textile knowledge. A large part of their work is running workshops on creative upcycling and textile skills and they have worked with organisations including Transition Town Brixton, New Economics Foundation, The Fashion and Textile Museum and the Crafts Council.

Top image: bricolage

Bottom image: Hiemtextil, FranklinTill

Eco textiles show in Tilburg

Fashion made from recycled polyester? A chair made from resin and flax fibres? A machine powered by solar energy that produces textile objects?

The work of several TFRC members is currently on show in reTHINK!: Eco Textiles at the Audax Textile Museum in Tilburg, Holland. The show is an overview of the lifecycle of textile production from a sustainability point of view and includes the work of independent designers as well as commercial textile companies from the Netherlands.

The work on show originates from the three-year upcycling textiles research project led by Becky Earley at TED/CCW, where a group of textile designers were asked to explore recycling through four interconnected themes - systems and services design; short life/long life; ethical production and new technologies.

On show at Tilburg is one of Becky Earley's upcycled polyester TOP 100 shirts, (below)from her Template Collection, where she created new transfer prints for old polysetr shirts through hand -drawn and painted marks.

Mel Bowles is showing her Wallpaper Dress,(below) a project exploring themes of customisation, co-design and emotional durable design, where a found pattern is transformed into a treasured and unique garment using local resources, skills and bespoke digital printing.

Clara Vuletich is showing her Love & Thrift coat (below) a garment that addresses aspects of both material and emotional durabulity.

Kate Goldsworthy (CSM) is showing a new garment (below) made using laser technology to re-invigorate polyester. Kate is also running a one day workshop on using laser technology for upcycling at the Museum, on January 28th.

There is a good review of the show in Dutch site Design.nl.