I had never quite realised how many uses there are for textiles. I have been studying the subject for 3 years, but have only ever thought of the production of textiles for use in fashion design or interior design. After my first two sessions in Textile Innovation, Territories of Practise class with Ros Hibbert, I can see that I have been quite naive. There is such a varied scope of industries that need textiles, for example; Automotive, Medical, Domestic, Sport, Industrial and Agricultural, not just clothing and home furnishings that look pretty... For a fabric to be commercially viable, for use in these industries, it has to be flexible, easy to produce and have a continuous source of availability. Some examples are;
Cotton
Provides 45% of the world's fibre consumption
It is regenerable, can be recycled and composted
Linen
Enzyme use can improve environmental aspects of production
Silk
Is an animal based protein
Widely used for it's aesthetic appeal & luxurious qualities
Wool
Natures' high performance fibre
Weatherproof, UV resistant, fibre protection & has elasticity properties
Luxury Hair Fibre
Mohair, Cashmere
Expensive as the animals that produce them cannot be kept in captivity
Excellent thermal insulators
Man-made Cellulosics
Produced from natural cellulose sources of wood pulp, cotton, linen & bamboo
Textiles are fluid, skin friendly with strong wet strength, absorbency & breathability
Acrylic
Oil-based, used widely in paints, plastics & resins
Can be recycled although difficult to find 100% acrylic blend
Polyamide
Known as Nylon, produced from oil
Very strong & light, resists wear & tear, blends well with other fibres
Polyester
Oil based, offers wide range of function & performance
Reuse is possible via product collection, such as polyester water bottles or clothing
Stretch Fibres
Used for comfort, fit, ease of movement and crease recovery
Lycra is a branded elastic fibre
These are the main natural and man-made fibres that are used generally worldwide. Of course there are many more exciting, unusual methods of producing fabrics, such as spraying, growing, 3D weaving and knitting, also using very large or micro size yarns.
The technique which fascinates me most is 3D printing. I feel it is such an amazing innovation and the possibilities seems endless. It can be applied in architecture, engineering, fashion, footwear, eye wear and food, among others. 3D printed bones, skin, blood vessels and medication look set to revolutionise the medical industry, and I feel that something which could improve and save lives should be given as much funding and research as possible. It seems like such a vital technique for our future. The building trade could also benefit from 3D printing, providing a cost-effective method for more affordable housing. Building materials are made directly from the desert by turning sand into glass with heat or binding solutions. The first working 3D printer was created in 1984 by Chuck Hull of 3D Systems Corp and since the start of the 21st century, growth in sales has rocketed, and looks set to continue. It seems crazy that what would seem like an industrial, speciality technique machinery is available to the everyday consumer in Maplin for only £699!
Images courtesy of WGSN and Google
