1 M. Webster 2007
2 James Laver 1937 p 150
‘Technology is a systematic treatment of an art, that deals with a usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects an ability to control and adapt to its environment.’1
The pre-historical discovery of how to make garments out of skin- created the ability to survive in colder environments- so that mankind could even inhabit the circumpolar region, like Inuit’s. So clothing is a technology which adapts to the physical environment.
But while clothing industry was developing [industrialization] and renewed technology changed our environment, -building houses, cultivate land for food, cars, house warming, air
conditioning- the need for protection ‘is now relegated to a very minor role’.2 Clothing became a method of for expressing oneself, of showing off status- of communicating. At that point clothing became fashion.
4 Jeffrey Grübb 2002 p 194 creater of Fashion Active Laboratory (FAL)
Fashion developed as a metaphor for consumer culture, a paradox industry. ‘Fashionable clothing hyperventilates,’3 growing sales by giving people the identity of that moment. Quickly changing just because commerce taught people that if you want to be successful in life, you have to dress up-to-date, and fashionably.
The last few decades has seen a fashion design loop. Different parts of the 20th century saw different eclectic shapes. ‘Soon fashion will run out of retro and have to find new ideas.’4 To let fashion again develop to what it pretends to be- always more than up-to-date,[new sources of inspiration are needed. >>]
6 All individuals and organisations pioneering the technical aspects of clothing include a wide range of researchers, scientists and technicians. These terms are used loosely and interchangeable as a definitive professional title has not yet been established.
7 Louise Fresco 2007 hoogleraar Amsterdam p 40
Advancements in technology have provided fashion inventors with much inspiration. In this ever-changing postmodern world, when communication tools quickly develop and natural sources become low, we have to rethink the function of clothes and engage fashion ideas in regard to social and environmental issues- ‘The vogue world can hardly ignore environmental impact of the production of clothing, and with that, its technical innovations,’5 said Arie Vervelde of Studio Commandeur.
Most times innovative products appear when disciplines start working together. Collaboration with scientists and technicians6 will improve fashion in function, sustainability and capability. Look for new meanings and representations. ‘We need new technology for a better and sustainable world.’7 Recent developments in textiles, wearable electronics and innovative production processes can greatly help.
Intro >> Problem
I’m curious about big companies with innovative (secret) processes. In the second and third year of my fashion design study I tried to start collaboration projects. [GRIP] [Burberry] [Indust] Because these projects did not succeed, I decided to spend a total year to research this topic to find out why. Although lots of designers, artists and companies start projects to integrate technical developments in fashion- [Event analysis >>] there still isn’t much fashionable technology on the commercial market.
From own experiences I see that several reasons prevent fashionable technology from breaking through. Acceptance in society is one reason. There are opportunities for future fashion designers but then designers must collaborate with technicians.
I noticed that it is very hard to create a good spillover with technicians. Maybe cause of our different backgrounds and communication methods.
To position my inter-disciplinary design concepts more securely in the commercial fashion world, I need to explore the creative gap between fashion designers and technicians.
8 Suzanne Lee 2005 p. 15
Intro >> Research
questions & content
The main question of my research is:
What are the conditions to implement more techno
garments and processes on the commercial fashion market?
More specific information is needed to answer this question:
1 Have technical innovations influenced fashion throughout
history?
‘Historically, fashion designers have embraced new technologies
in the fabrication and fashioning of clothes.’8
Said Suzanne Lee. An overview of technical influences in fashion is predicted
in the first chapter. [History >>]
2 What happened the last decade in fashion &
technology spillovers?
A field research was made about the development of fashion and technology
during the last couple decades. More than one hundred collaboration projects
will be placed in a timeline and classified in three fields: [textiles]
(materials), [wearable electronics]
and new [production processes].
3 What are the future opportunities of technologically
fashion?
The field research will be extrapolated to estimate future developments.
[Field research >>]
4 What are the pitfalls for the implementation of
technology in the fashion market?
three examples of technical implementations in the different fields will
be explained and analyzed. This will identify the above-mentioned pitfalls.
5 What are the opportunities for future fashion designers?
6 What are the pitfalls in collaboration between
fashion designers and technicians from a fashion perspective?
Some experiments- with the following goal: to collaborate with technicians
to create a garment where fashion and technology merge into an innovative
setting, and identify problems that appear along the way. [Experiments
>>]
Intro >> Goal
The goal is to make this research a source of inspiration for designers
and technicians, allowing them to implement more technology in the commercial
fashion world; and to advise how to create successful collaboration between
designers and technicians. I hope to motivate more spillover between fashion
and technicians to make fashion innovative again. by-wire.net will continue
the research by creating a collaboration platform. My role will be an
intermediary between the technicians and designers. A bricolager; make
connections between individuals and companies, start and motivate interdisciplinary
projects. [the
world of the others, brickolager >>]
But before this can happen we must examine the patterns in past collaborations
and the pitfalls that will appear during present collaboration with technicians.