Saturday, June 27, 2015

Wearable Art Produced by TextielLab in 2013[1-2]
Wearable Art

Marie-Therese Wisniowski

Preamble
The TextielLab (Tilburg, The Netherlands) is a well established art weaving and knitting institution in Europe. It appeals to students, designers, artists, and architects since it is a one-stop shop experience. It is a well-equipped laboratory and so is home to the latest high-tech weaving looms and 3D-knitting machines. It has a well stocked yarn bank and has in-house expertise so that suitable materials may be custom dyed.

Knitting machine in action at TextielLab.

The TextielLab has previously featured on this blog spot – see:
Textile Museum in Tilburg (The Netherlands)
TexteilLab & TexteilMuseum - 2013


Introduction[1]
Todays post will concentrate on giving a glimpse of TextielLab’s 2013 wearable art output. Stef Miero who has 30 years experience in textiles believes that creativity should rule the design process. He is now a senior product developer at TextielLab specializing in weaving. He believes if you go beyond what software and looms are programed to do, that is when you begin to straddle the edge of creativity. It all comes down to research and experiment, which is not always possible within the mainstream textile industry for production pressure. For Miero the real satisfaction comes from working with designers, some of who have never worked with textiles before, to help them translate their creative vision into fabric.

Stef Miero.


Wearable Art from TextielLab in 2013
This post will only give a glimpse of five wearable art projects that were completed in the TextielLab in 2013. For a more detailed review please see reference[2].

Name: Virginia Burlina[2]
Title: For Wonder.
Technique: Laser Cutting/Digital Printing.

Flower-decked swimming caps have become icons of 1970s style. Virginia Burlina, a third-year fashion design student at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp, was inspired to expand the look for her whimsical women’s wear collection.

Digital printing in action for Virginia Burlina’s designs.

Design sketch.

Another design sketch.

Hundreds of flowers of different sizes were laser cut from latex sheets and painstakingly washed before being applied to the underlying fabric. Virginia’s aim in adding the 3D floral elements gives the feeling of a “controlled wildness”.

Floral prints and a laser cut layer.

A series of scarfs was also printed with watercolour impressions of topical forests.

A typical look.

The collection was launched at the academy in Antwerp.

Name: KRJST[2]
Title: K2.
Technique: Digital Printing and Weaving.

Sub-culture heroes such as Jim Morrison, Frida Kahlo, Joan Baez, Catholic iconography and male-female antagonism are among the influences drawn on by Krjst, A Brussels-based fashion collective founded in 2012 by Justine Moriamé and Erika Schillebeeckx. In characteristically complex digital prints and weaves, these eclectic influences burst across the fabrics like colors from a prism.

Design sketch of Krjst.

Digital printing Krjst design.

Weaving in progress of Krjst design.

The labour intensity of the production process means collections are kept small, but are updated each season. New collections are often developed with the input of guest collaborators from other disciplines, including graphic designers, illustrators and photographers.

Fashion.

Name: Pauline van Dongen[2]
Title: Hyperspace.
Technique: Knitting.

Pauline van Dongen took advantage of wool’s resilience by creating a pleated fabric as a basis for a sculptural dress.

The designer selecting a yarn.

In addition, she fashioned a top with woolen trimmings made on traditional looms. The trimmings allow the garment to be worn in different ways.

Sculpture knitwear.

This capsule collections features three woollen outfits.

A dress.

One of three outfits.

Name: Fashion Museum. Hasselt Mass Architects[2]
Title: Skyline of Florence.
Technique: Knitting.

The signature stripes of Italian fashion house Missoni are recreated here in the knitted skyline of Florence. This colorful mix of cotton, acrylic, mohair, linen and organic wool provides the backdrop for a special exhibition in tribute to the history of Italian fashion. The bright stripes and scale of the design transform the décor into a work of art in its own right.

Knitted panels.

Panel in detail.

It is rare to make use of such large knits, so filling the exhibition space was a challenge. The different panels had to form a seamless fit. The scenography was a joint collaboration between Fashion Museum of Hasselt and MASS Architects.

Exhibition in Hasselt.

Name: Studio Marcel Wanders[2]
Title: Phoebe.
Technique: Knit and Wear.

A 3D-knitted lampshade is one of Studio Marcel Wander’s most recent creations.

Close-up of the knitted mohair spheres.

Made from knitted spheres of mohair, strong monofilaments and elastic, the result is highly tactile, emitting a diffuse light.

Form studies.

The monofilaments add strength, giving the whole a sculptural quality. Much research went into finding materials that were suitable for knitting. The tougher the material, the harder it is to knit.

Transparency test.

The research succeeded and circular knits came rolling off the machine.

Final shape of spheres.

This limited-edition lamp was on show at the TextielMuseum’s “Talking Textiles” exhibition curated by Lidwij Edelkoort as well as at the Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam.

Video still of soft radiance.

All circular knits aglow.


References:
[1] TextielLab – 100% Innovation.
[2] TextileMuseum and TexteilLab 2013 Year Book.

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