Holly McQuillan: Weaving Multimorphic Textile-Forms

19 June 2021 |
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When Holly McQuillan began her PhD almost 5 years ago, she knew very little about the process of weaving or its potential to transform her research practice, which was primarily form-focused in the context of zero waste fashion design and pattern cutting. However, her experience at the Department of Design in the Swedish School of Textiles provided access to exciting technology and skillful colleagues, and combined with her inherent curiosity to lead to a body of research that operates at the boundary between weave thinking and form thinking, helping to grow the emerging field of textile-form (or 3D) weaving.

Holly came to weaving through her experience consulting with industry and researching zero waste design practices and pattern cutting. Like weaving, zero waste garment design is inherently an ancient practice that values textiles first and foremost. In contrast the fashion industry values speed and cost first. As McQuillan discovered during one of her PhD case studies, the industry would rather waste 4km of virgin textiles (on a single style and size for a season!), than add a single seam. In response, Holly’s research began to explore alternative systems of garment and form creation, coming to focus on textile-form weaving, which, like 3D (seamless and fully fashioned) knitting, enables the simultaneous and on-demand creation of textile and form.

The majority of 3D woven garments have been developed by textile designers, so Holly was interested to explore the potential of applying a zero waste form-making lens to the design of weave-able 3D forms. Beginning with simple t-shirt forms (one shown below), the experiments in McQuillan’s PhD, “Zero Waste Systems Thinking: Multimorphic Textile-forms”, progressively build a foundation of the textile-form thinking skills needed to construct these complex topologies.

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New Loom Developments: vLoom Jacquard & The Oxford Frame Loom

18 June 2021 |
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This post features two new weaving loom developments. The vLoom is a prototype and The Oxford Frame Loom  is available now

vLoom

Miles Visman is a computer programmer by profession, creating games for consoles, PCs and mobiles. He learnt how to code in the late 1980s while doing a Fine Art degree which led to programming computers to generate visuals for pop videos and interactive installations. In the last ten years he has been teaching himself to weave and he codes algorithms to create both the patterns and weave structures which he then hand weaves.

Six years ago he attended a Jacquard weaving course, run by Julie Holyoke and Eva Basile, at Lisio Foundation in Florence and learning how traditional Jacquard looms work and their part in the development of computers. Subsequently he visited the TextileLab in the Netherlands where under the guidance of Stef Miero he learnt how to produce textiles on their state of the art computer controlled looms.
Inspired by these experiences he developed an obsession to build his own Jacquard loom. With the wide availability of laser cutting and 3d printing combined with the whole electronic maker world of Arduinos etc it is much easier to build prototypes. (And over the years there have been quite a few!) In the last twelve months he has found a design that works and has steadily built up a loom capable of controlling 176 individual warps. Alongside which he has developed software available on his website  to both generate new patterns and that can also be used to fill those patterns with weave structures. Continue reading →

Job Opportunity: BFTT | ReWeave R&D Project Lead

18 May 2021 |
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ReWeave R&D Project Lead  is an exciting opportunity for a Postgraduate or Post-Doctoral Researcher (or equivalent demonstrable industry/research experience) to work as the Research & Development (R&D) Project Lead to facilitate a collaborative project with ReWeave – a woven textile studio based in London and Hastings that has been awarded funding within the BFTT R&D SME Support Programme.

The aim of the project is to develop R&D around sustainable woven textile design and manufacture using industry waste fabrics.

The role involves working collaboratively with Academic Mentors from the Centre for Circular Design and Textile Futures Research Community at University of the Arts London and the Company Lead at the Reweave Ltd.

You can find more information about the role here.

Instagram:@re_weave_

With thanks to BFTT and Kirsty McDougall for text & images

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Company Profile: AKHL

27 April 2021 |
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AKHL was founded by Akhil Nagpal in 2019.

AKHL is defined by its commitment to innovation, experimentation and the crafting of evocative pieces of fashion by contemporising traditional Indian handcrafting and handweaving techniques.

Essential to its designs are distinctive and complex textiles, engineered using unusual and often upcycled materials, employing a wide range of processes including hand weaving, traditional Indian hand embroidery, hand printing, applique and spectrum dyeing.

Ultimately, these signature textiles, in conjunction with handwoven and new age fabrics, are meticulously tailored into inventive and evocative luxury womenswear.

Since its founding, AKHL has been a recipient of various awards and honours. It showcased its debut collection at Lakme Fashion Week SS20 as the winner of the prestigious Gen Next Competition and won The Grazia Young Fashion Award in 2021.

It has also been awarded the curated title ‘Black Sheep’ on Not Just A Label, given to the most innovative and striking designers on the platform.

AKHL has been featured on the ‘Label Alert’ segment in Harper’s Bazaar India and Grazia India as well as in various other editorials by leading Indian fashion publications including Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Grazia and Cosmopolitan.

Reflektor SS21 Collection
AKHL SS21 collection has been visually inspired by interactions and distortions of light and colour. The studio has  studied these interactions in highly-engineered and uniquely processed reflective installation artworks by Olafur Eliasson and James Turnell, as well as in softer, yet equally compelling, natural reflective surfaces.

These vivid colour and light visual studies helped them develop new-age handwoven and hand-embroidered textiles as well as sharply-cut sculptural silhouettes, all of them ultimately culminating into an innovative and evocative collection of modern ensembles.

The most dominant textile in this collection has been their handwoven/hand-embroidered silk-raffia mesh. This textile is first meticulously woven on a handloom, it has a raw silk warp and a raffia weft.

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Textile Innovation from Sudō Reiko: Talk & Conversation

24 April 2021 |
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Textile Innovation from Sudō Reiko: Talk & Conversation
Online Event
Date: Tuesday 27 April 2021, 12:00-13:00 BST
Booking Essential; Admission Free. Click here for link

Join Japan House for a special online talk with pioneering textile designer Sudō Reiko whose innovative works are featured in Japan House London’s exhibition MAKING NUNO Japanese Textile Innovation from Sudō Reiko.

As the Design Director of leading textile design firm Nuno and a member of the Japan Design Committee, Sudō Reiko is renowned for pushing boundaries of textile production and championing new methods of sustainable manufacturing.

During this talk she gives a special insight into the creative processes, craftmanship, techniques, and materials that are woven into her wide range of innovative textiles.

Following her talk, Sudō is joined by Anne Marr, Programme Director for Jewellery, Textiles and Materials at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London in a conversation chaired by Japan House London’s Programming Director Simon Wright.

There is an opportunity for registered guests to ask questions to the speakers during this live online event.

The exhibition MAKING NUNO Japanese Textile Innovation from Sudō Reiko opens in the Japan House London Gallery on 17 May, subject to UK government guidelines. See previous post on The Weave Shed

 MAKING NUNO: Japanese Textile Innovation from Sudō Reiko

23 April 2021 |
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Japan House London Launches Exhibition of Critically Acclaimed Textile Designer Sudō Reiko

MAKING NUNO Japanese Textile Innovation from Sudō Reiko is a brand-new exhibition adaptation presenting work by internationally acclaimed Japanese textile designer Sudō Reiko with projection installations designed by the exhibition’s artistic director, Saitō Seiichi of Panoramatiks (formerly Rhizomatiks Architecture).

Produced in collaboration with CHAT (Centre for Heritage, Arts and Textile) in Hong Kong, the exhibition expands on the successful show in 2019 curated by Takahashi Mizuki, Executive Director and Chief Curator of CHAT.

The free exhibition reveals how Sudō Reiko’s work pushes the boundaries of textile production with unconventional and sustainable materials and engineering techniques, working with manufacturers from across Japan

Featuring five large-scale installations combining NUNO textiles and art projections by leading technological designers Panoramatiks from Tokyo, shown for the first time in the UK, with supporting drawings and sketches, raw materials, design prototypes, and video.

Launches Monday 17 May 2021

Japan House London presents an exhibition showcasing the innovative work of textile designer Sudō Reiko. Running from 17 May ‒ 11 July 2021, this new exhibition, with art direction by Saitō Seiichi of Panoramatiks (formerly Rhizomatiks Architecture), shines a spotlight on the Japanese designer pushing the boundaries of textile production and championing new methods of sustainable manufacture.

Design Director of leading textile design firm NUNO for over 30 years, Sudō trained as a textile and industrial designer, and she designs fabrics that incorporate traditions of Japanese crafts with new engineering techniques and unusual combinations of materials. She works with materials as diverse as silk, hand-made washi (Japanese paper) nylon tape and thermoplastic, and technologies derived from Japanese hand craft traditions such as caustic burning, weaving and dying. Her inspiring designs are currently housed in collections around the world, including in MoMA in New York and in the V&A in London.

The exhibition at Japan House London includes five large-scale installations of Sudō’s work with the manufacturing processes brought to life by Saitō Seiichi’s artistic direction. Using a variety of thought-provoking processes from washi dyeing to chemical lace embroidery inspired by rolls of paper, each installation is accompanied by drawings and sketches, alongside raw materials and design prototypes.

Visitors to the exhibition encounter a series of installations that demonstrates the ways in which Sudō uses innovation and creativity to make steps towards building a more sustainable global textile production industry, with particular focus on the sustainability of materials, regional manufacturing industries and craftsmanship.

Sustainability of Material:
Explore how Sudō harnesses unconventional materials such as washi alongside textile techniques such as heating and bonding to create entirely original works.

Not to be missed, Kibiso Crisscross, a collaborative project with the Tsuruoka Textile Makers Cooperative, takes discarded kibiso, the protective outer layer of silk cocoons and uses a specially developed machine to create yarns from the tough remnants, creating the first step towards realising the ‘no-waste, use everything potential’ not previously seen in the silk industry.

Sustainability of Regional Manufacturing
Explore the origins of Sudō’s work, following her decades of work with family-run factories across Japan which specialise in different production techniques, collaborating with each to develop new, alternative production methods to push the possibilities of industrial machinery making and help revitalise these regional manufacturing hubs.

Sustainability of Traditions and Craftsmanship
Discover Sudō’s designs that revive old textile machines and Japanese craftsmanship on the verge of disappearing. Learn how she incorporates intricate craftsmanship into industrial textile production, collaborating with different experts and artisans along the way to help preserve craft heritage through upcycling and reinvention.

Sudō Reiko, Textile Designer and Design Director of NUNO:
“Japanese textiles are born of a long history, embracing both refined traditions of artistry and unparalleled high-tech materials. Since 1984, Nuno has collaborated with skilled local artisans all over Japan using a wide variety of different fibres and techniques to craft some 3000 different textiles. Among these are the richly textured maku partitions to be displayed in the centre of Japan House London’s ground floor. Much more than a mere ‘curtain’, these textiles afford entry into a visionary realm with a uniquely Japanese essence. Please step inside and be transported into our weaving wonderland.”

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Weave Designer Profile: Graysha Audren | Founder – Weffan

18 April 2021 |
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Weffan

Fully Fashioned 3D Woven Garments

Inspired by the possibilities of new textile technology to sustainably redesign fashion production systems, textile designer Graysha Audren, founded Weffan to revolutionise the way clothes are made. Weffan creates fully-fashioned 3D woven garments, produced in one step, engineered on an automated jacquard loom. 3D weaving whole garments on the loom means the fabric and the garment are woven at the same time to shorten production steps, minimise fabric and resource waste, and build a more dynamic, transparent manufacturing supply chain.

With its 3D weaving garment technology, Weffan aims to align fashion industry incentives with sustainability goals through manufacturing efficiency resulting in cost-effectiveness.
To this end, Weffan uses existing loom technology, making sustainable manufacturing accessible, for the biggest positive impact.

Weffan’s first research project Loom-State: 3D Woven Garments, focuses on trousers, since solving for the complexity in sizing, fit, materials, and recyclability of this garment is transferable to most other clothing. The Loom-State trouser prototypes are woven in the Netherlands by EE Exclusives, a leading jacquard mill.

The continued research and development of a 3D woven trouser will ultimately lead to a full garment production system aimed at limiting pre-consumer waste, eliminating overproduction, and responding more accurately to demand.

Weffan’s low cost of adoption could support near-shore manufacturing to the UK, lowering a garment’s carbon footprint even further and reducing the risk of supply chain interruption on labour and business.

You can follow Weffan’s progress on instagram @wef.fan
For comments or questions, you can email Weffan

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Opportunity: The Cockpit Arts Clothworkers Award 2021 | Weavers

9 March 2021 |
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The Cockpit Arts Clothworkers Award 2021

About the Award
The Awards aim to assist emerging weavers each year to set up in business by providing studio space and business support through Cockpit Arts as well as shared use of looms. The selection panel, including the acclaimed ikat weaver and designer Mary Restieaux, and representatives of The Clothworkers’ Company, will be looking for THREE individuals who demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit as well as creative excellence and craft skills. The Award is for one year with further financial support for up to three years on a sliding scale, by selection. Each Award contributes to the cost of a place at Cockpit for one year from 1st September 2021 and will include a space in a shared studio equipped with a dye area and Leclerc, Louet and electronic ARM looms. Other panellists may include Scarlet Oliver and a member of our in-house Business Incubation team.

The Award recipients will receive tailored business support and space in a designated studio plus use of shared looms at Cockpit Arts Deptford, worth up to £3,000.

To be supplemented with a £1,000 contribution from each successful applicant, payable to Cockpit Arts over 12 months (approximately £83/month). The total sum (Award and additional contribution) is linked to the cost of the space and support services the Awardees will receive. Electricity costs, insurance and office service charges will be payable on top and cannot be paid for from the Award.

 The Award includes the following benefits:

  • Studio space for one year within the creative community at Cockpit Arts Deptford, South London (SE8). Further financial support for up to three years is available on a sliding scale, by selection.
  • Provision of shared looms and dye area for the duration of the Award, including Leclerc, Louet and electronic ARM looms.
  • Business incubation / acceleration services including coaching and workshops.
  • Selling and promotional opportunities including Cockpit Arts twice-yearly Open Studios and other events.

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Opportunity for Funding: BFTT | SME R&D Support Programme | Round 3

9 March 2021 |
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The Business of Fashion, Textiles & Technology Partnership,

BFTT is one of the nine UK Creative Clusters, which has just launched a call for UK SMEs for the value of approx. £1 million to develop the next generation of products, services and experiences in the fashion, textiles and technology (FTT) sectors – with sustainable innovation at their core.

BFTT is looking forward to hear from the FTT companies and those on the broader STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) fields interested in collaborating with the FTT sector and would like to achieve a step-change in their business trajectory.

The Business of Fashion, Textiles & Technology (BFTT) SME R&D Support Programme is now open for Expressions of Interest (EOI). Round 3

The fashion, textiles and technology-related sector (FTT) is buoyant, innovative and multidisciplinary, informing many adjacent sectors in the wider industry. Quite literally, spanning agriculture to advertising.

You can find more information about the programme, including eligibility, selection criteria, core funding themes and key dates here. They are also keeping an up-to-date list of FAQs.

The deadline to register your Expression of Interest is Monday 29 March 2021, 23:59. 

You can learn more about the 10 R&D projects funded during the Funding Call Round 1 here.

Link to news page:

Image credit: ©Blackhorse Lane Ateliers 

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Job: Weaver at Bute Fabrics Limited

8 March 2021 |
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Bute Fabrics Limited are offering a permanent, full time Weavers job on the Isle Of Bute (PA20), Scotland.

Company description
Bute Fabric Ltd pride themselves on their unique story. The mill was founded in 1947 by the 5th Marquess of Bute with the sole purpose of providing employment opportunities for service people returning home from the Second World War. Since then, they have  gone from strength to strength, cultivating markets worldwide and consistently pushing the boundaries of innovation.

Situated within the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Bute is steeped in history. There is an astonishing array of different landscapes: heather-covered moorland, lush rolling hills, wild forests, sweeping beaches and an ever-changing seascape.

Bute is one of Scotland’s most accessible islands and is only 33 miles away from the city of Glasgow, with a 30 min ferry link to the mainland.

It is not just that  looms that are at the heart of Bute Fabrics, their people are too. It is their specialist skills and drive that make it possible for them to be leaders in an international marketplace. With their staff’s energy, enthusiasm, and dedication, they are able to produce some of the world’s most technically advanced woven textiles.

Job description
Reporting to the Production Director and joining a team of 6 weavers in a busy weaving department of 14 modern rapier looms. The successful candidate will have some previous weaving experience and will be required to carry out normal weaver duties of regular loom patrols, keeping a check on product quality, repairing warp and weft thread breaks, removing woven fabric rolls, etc. Applicants with previous industrial weaving experience is an advantage, but training will be provided to applicants who have general textile experience.

The role will suit someone who is quality conscious with an eye for detail and a flexible, ‘can do’ approach to their work. Training will be provided as required.

This is not a post that can be worked remotely. Continue reading →

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