Introduction
“A textile restorer must have good knowledge of textile history and a future textile restorer must have a good knowledge of and be partially skilled in the machine and traditional Slovak textile techniques.” Well said by Eva Cisárová-Mináriková, Textile visual artist and lecturer, in her interview. (ULUV.sk.com; About ‘textile, memory, and celebration of creation,)
Textiles are regarded as an identity unique to a community and it reflects the lifestyle of the villagers with their superstitions, traditions, religion, and culture, as well as their relationship with their environment and locale. The styles, the weaving techniques, patterns, colors and materials used also differ from community to community
The topic of the research given by our instructor is ‘Between trend and tradition’ with specific reference to the new textiles: trends and traditions, fabrics, industries, future fabrics traditional & future textiles techniques. Let’s start with the definitions of trend, tradition, and textiles. I have found the best definition of the words from World Web-Dictionary that explains trend as ‘the popular taste at a given time’ tradition as ‘an inherited pattern of thought or action’ and ‘a specific practice of long standing’ and textiles as ‘Artefact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibbers’.
Textiles & Farbric
Wikipedia encyclopedia states ‘A textile is a flexible material comprised of a network of natural or artificial fiber often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw wool fibers, linen, cotton, or other material on a spinning wheel to produce long strands known as yarn. Textiles are formed by weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, or pressing fibers together (felt). The words fabric and cloth are commonly used in textile assembly trades (such as tailoring and dressmaking) as synonyms for textile. However, there are subtle differences in these terms. Textile refers to any material made of interlacing fibers. Fabric refers to any material made through weaving, knitting, crocheting, or bonding. Cloth refers to a finished piece of fabric that can be used for a purpose such as covering a bed’. (Textile – Wikipedia)
Uses of Textiles
Textiles are used for various purposes for example; clothing, bags, carpeting, covering for tables, beds, and other flat surfaces, etc. they are also used for industrial purposes like medical textiles (e.g. implants), geotextiles (reinforcement of embankments), geotextiles (textiles for crop protection), and bulletproof vests, etc.
Textiles are made from different kinds of materials. These materials mainly come from four sources: animal, plant, mineral, and synthetic. In the past, all textiles were made from natural fibers, including plant, animal, and mineral sources. In the 20th century, these were supplemented by artificial fibers made from petroleum. (Textile – Wikipedia)
Taking it all together, we can say that in the textile industry the textile trends should match the historical background of textile trends of the particular area they are working for and should preserve their cultural heritage. That is why, evolution and development of textile design depend on religion, commerce, and travel, regionalism.
Types of Textiles
There are two types of Textile; traditional textile and industrial textile. The origin of Traditional Textiles and Industrial Textiles trace back several thousand years ago but Traditional textiles are considered to be a little older than industrial textiles.
Traditional Textiles
Textiles woven by hand are called ‘Traditional Textiles’ or ‘Woven Fabrics’. The materials used for making fabrics are called fiber. In Bharattextile.com it is stated that ‘some fibers occur in nature as fine strands that can be twisted into yarns. These natural fibers come from plants, animals, and minerals. For most of history, people had only natural fibers to use in making cloth. Most textiles are produced by twisting fibers into yarns and then knitting or weaving the yarns into a fabric.
This method of making cloth has been used for thousands of years. But throughout most of that time, workers did the twisting, knitting, or weaving largely by hand. With today’s modern machinery, textile mills can manufacture as much fabric in a few seconds as it once took workers weeks to produce by hand. However, the textile industry produces another class of fabrics specifically called no woven fabrics.
- Cotton: Cotton is a soft white fibrous substance covering seeds of certain plants. It is used to make blouses, shirts, singlets, shorts, bermudas, jackets, and pants. It can also be made into bedspreads, pillowcases, carpets, and curtains.
- Wool: Woollen fabric is made from the fleece of sheep. It is used to make sweaters, dresses, coats, suits, jackets, pants, and the lining of boots. It can also be made into blankets and carpets.
- Silk: Silk is the fine strong soft lustrous fiber produced by silkworms. It is used to make blouses, dresses, scarves, pants, and ties. It can also be made into curtains, draperies, cushion covers, and sofa covers.
- Nylon: Nylon is a strong, light synthetic fiber. It is man-made. It is popular for hosiery and is used to make track pants, shorts, swimwear, activewear, windbreakers, bedspread, and draperies. It can also be made into parachutes, flak vests, combat uniforms, tires, and life vests, or used as the netting of bridal veils, umbrellas, and luggage.
- Polyester: Polyester is the general name for any group of widely used synthetic products. Polyesters are strong, tough materials that are manufactured in a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. It is used to make most forms of clothing like shirts, running shorts, track pants, windbreakers, and lingerie. It can also be made into curtains and draperies.’
Industrial or Technical Textiles or Techno Textiles
Textiles which are specifically designed to be used in products, processes or services of mostly non-textile industries are known as industrial textiles (also termed as non-traditional textiles and technical textiles) and it is utilized by industrial professionals (like astronauts, military personnel, etc.)in different types of high performance and heavy-duty applications from non-textile industries. Industrial textiles started when the canvas cloth was introduced to sailing ships in the ocean and it has brought a remarkable change in textile during the first half of the 20th century with the invention of man-made fibers.
The Textile Conservation Centre, University of Southampton (TCC), and the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) said about techno-textiles that “They can respond to environmental changes, like any other textile. However, specific responses can be built into them, allowing them some ‘initiative’ so that the textiles can react to external stimuli and can change their state and functionality. For example, the material used to make the outfit by Owen Gaster is made of thermochromic polyvinylchloride (PVA) fabric. The goals of this collaborative pilot project were to develop a framework for the preservation of these innovative fabrics by conservators for long-term public access and benefit, and to enhance their interpretation by museum curators.”
The art, design and technology, and way of life of the 21st-century are fully depicted by Techno Textiles. Textiles are developed to an extent that they do not protect us from extreme weather but can be used in space. Such textiles are developed from carbon, steel, glass and ceramics; and other materials.
Trend, Techniques, and Tradition in Textiles
Aesthetic sense is a must for a textile designer. He should have the ability to observe various forms of objects from their surroundings and nature and to translate his observation into practice without the use of this graphic. Thames and Hudson’s site stated about Sarah E. Braddock and Marie O’Mahony’s book, Techno Textile
“One undeniable, and to some, unsettling, truth about any facet of the present day art is its unwavering reflection of contemporary life. When the arts are then merged with innovative technologies created within state-of-the-art industries, we are presented with a dynamic new arena, one that reflects how we surround and define ourselves with what we have created.
Techno Textiles, subtitled Revolutionary Fabrics for Fashion and Design, boldly and quite beautifully lays out this merger of art and technology, in this case, textile technology, and the way discoveries have been incorporated into not just fashion, but also into the design, architecture, and art. Techno Textiles is an artfully presented, glistening mirror of contemporary art and culture via the revolutionary fabrics that have recently been created around the world. In his book that has divided techno textile into three sections: Innovations, Transformations, Reference.
In Innovations, the authors discuss the future of fibers and fabrics, electronic textiles, engineered textiles, and textile finishes. It states about the revolutionary development and uses of microfibres; regenerated, or natural chemical textiles; and new flexible fabrics, such as metallic, foams and rubbers, and glass and fiber options. Electronic textiles comprise information on computer-aided designs, virtual reality, and living in space with examples of old and new spacesuits.
The presentation on the cyborg explains how the miniaturization of technology has impacted garment and product designers. Engineered textiles are exactly that: geotextiles, non-woven materials, hybrid materials, glass, even ceramics. The textile finishes illustrate how thermoplastics, printing, laminates, and chemical treatments can alter the original state of material into something altogether different and unique.
‘Transformations’ then translates these innovations within the disciplines of fashion, design, architecture, and art. It is fascinating to picture some of these synthetic materials as actual clothing. Most seem to be the antithesis of our flesh – cold, metallic, electronic, inflexible. But displayed in Techno Textiles, they appear whimsical, futuristic, and more beautifully complex than we could ever have imagined when polyester first came on the scene. An example will amuse slide librarians: a 1996 Paco Rabanne dress fashioned from slide mounts into a three-dimensional outfit complete with earrings!
One triumph of Techno Textiles is the way the authors close the gap between materials and people, between clothing as functionality and clothing as art, or architecture, or science. Equally fascinating are the myriad of other transformations presented. The design examples range from Herman Miller chairs to cycle helmets. Architectural fabrics have specific needs that relate to the type of structure, mobility requirements, and energy uses.
A crossover between the architecture and art section appears with a photograph of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s Wrapped Reichstag, Berlin, in its very elegant, wrapped glory. Art is also represented in murals, sculptures, and, in the book’s last illustration, a woman’s garment, bringing to full circle the human element within constructed materials. (Marie & Sarah 1997) Let’s see the techniques used by textile designers in today’s trends and traditions.
Traditional Lanna Textiles
In Lanna, the woven textiles or handicrafts are made by the villagers. It is their cultural heritage that has evolved throughout the centuries. They have worked on cotton, silk, and jute textiles. In former times, weaving was considered an integral part of community life in the Lanna Kingdom, especially amongst women. Looms and other weaving equipment could be found in almost every household.
Chiang Mai Info Online Articles.com states ‘Textiles were woven for a variety of purposes with the type and shape-dependent on the intended use. Generally, they can be divided into two types. The first type includes tube skirts woven for daily use which were not so finely detailed and were used for home wear or for working in the fields. These were usually made of cotton and had little design or were plain black or navy blue like the mo home shirts which are well known in the north. Apart from clothing, general-purpose textiles were woven for use as all-purpose cloths, bed covers, and shoulder bags, etc. They were simple in style and carried little or no design.
The other type includes textiles woven for special purposes such as those used or worn in merit-making ceremonies, celebrations, and major festivals or for use in various rituals such as banners known colloquially as tung. Textiles of this type were much more elaborate and required meticulous skill in weaving. Different techniques such as the continuous and discontinuous supplementary weft, twill weave, and ikat were used to enhance the beauty of the textile and to show off the weaver’s skills. They also display the deep faith the people have in their rituals and ceremonies which are grounded on traditional customs and beliefs.’
It further states about ‘dyes’ that “A variety of plants were used in making the dyes, but mostly they were plants that were easily found in the vicinity of the community. Plants used include indigo which gives a navy blue color, Ordxylum Indicum which produces green or brown when mixed with other vegetable products, the ebony tree which gives black, myrobalan wood which gives a military green color, sappan which produces red, Bisea orellra which gives orange, and the wood of the jackfruit tree which gives a dark yellow color. The part of the plant used varies and could be the bark, leaves, fruits, and seeds, or a combination.
Each plant yields a different color and sometimes the color can change depending on the time of day or the season the plant was gathered. This variation of color adds to the charm and beauty of the locally produced textiles because each piece of fabric has its identity which is almost impossible to reproduce. Apart from using plants and vegetables to produce dyes, insects such as the coccus lacca beetle which yields a red color can also be used.’ (Chiang Mai Info Online Articles.com)
Scottish Textile Heritage Online
A new change has been brought in textile design with the introduction of Floral and geometric ornament. Scottish Textiles Heritage Online.com states, ‘as a motif on furnishing fabrics to most people will only bring to mind the “Toils de Jouy” of 18th century France. In some instances, architecture has even been dismissed by its very nature as unsuitable for the flowing softness of the fabric.
Factories can be found on Soviet fabrics of the post-revolution years celebrating industry2 and exotic edifices evoke the (sometimes imaginary) face of colonial splendor on British textiles between the wars. Linear motifs closely associated with design and architecture often crop up in the conversational prints of the 1950s, and souvenir scarves use architectural landmarks next to cancan dancers and the like. Architectural motifs on fabrics have also been used to denote status in the user (and the designer?), which makes for an interesting twist to the medieval tradition of using architecture as a means of representing wealth, power, and knowledge, or the longing for it.’ (Scottish Textiles Heritage Online.com)
Turkish Textiles
Turkish textiles designing has always gained an edge over several textile industries. Let’s discuss some of their textile techniques briefly. The details of Turkish textiles as stated in Talks – Textile Techniques.com are given here:
Turkish weaving – Colours of the Earth
The nomadic people of Central Asia have always been famous for their beautiful weavings, made from the materials around them. Recently, dyers have rediscovered this heritage of the nomads and are once again starting to use traditional natural dyes.
Textiles of the Golden Triangle
The “Golden Triangle” where three countries – Thailand, Laos, and Burma, meet is so-called because of the fortunes made from opium. Traditional clothes are a riot of color with stunning embroidery, embellishment, and weaving techniques. You will be full of admiration for this wonderful work done by hard-working women in remote and difficult surroundings.
Silk from the Ancient Kingdoms
Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos have long been famous for their silk, and to this day, silkworms are raised and the silk spun and woven traditionally by village women on the looms below their homes. In the past 50 years, a complete revival of this dying art has occurred and silk production is now thriving. A look at how and why, and lots of beautiful silk – old and new from these ancient Kingdoms. (Talks – Textile Techniques.com)
Indian Textile
Textile Design, Textile Arts, Textile Fabric, Textile Traditions in India.com states about Indian Textiles, ‘India has a diverse and rich textile tradition. The origin of Indian textiles can be traced to the Indus valley civilization. The people of this civilization used homespun cotton for weaving their garments. Excavations at Harappa and Mohen -jo-Daro, have unearthed household items like needles made of bone and spindles made of wood, amply suggesting that homespun cotton was used to make garments. Fragments of woven cotton have also been found from these sites.’
Modernization in Sportswear
Marie O’Mahony and Sarah E. Braddock said about sportswear in their book Revolutionary Fabrics, Fashion & Design, “The influence of sportswear on fashion is everywhere – from haute couture to street style – and sportswear companies are now producing designer collections in their own right.
Elegance and function have never been more excitingly combined or successfully fused. Advances in textile and garment technology have resulted in ever more sophisticated clothes and shoes specifically made. to speed the runner, streamline the swimmer, protect the snowboarder and keep the football player cool and dry. In ‘extreme’ sports the enthusiasts’ very survival could depend on the properties of their clothes. Leading fashion designers have been quick to appropriate both the aesthetic and the performance of sportswear. In some instances, performance has become the aesthetic.” (Merri & Sarah: ?)
Future of Textile/Fabric Designs
To bring modernization in fabric and textile designing, it is a must to incorporate the trend into tradition. Now, we will try to see the future of textile and fabric designing in a new era.
Waterproof and Water-Repellent Fabrics
It is stated in The Columbia Encyclopedia that ‘materials treated with various substances to make them impervious to water. Permanent waterproofing is achieved by first coating fabrics with rubber or plasticized synthetic resins, then vulcanizing or baking them. Fabrics so treated lose porosity and lightness and when rubberized are subject to cracking. Water-repellent fabrics, sprayed with or immersed in synthetic resins, metallic compounds, oils, or waxes, tend to remain porous and retain their natural characteristics.
Earlier treatments, such as tarring the surface (as for tarpaulin) or oiling (as for oilskin), have been supplemented by highly technical and varied processes and by the method of coating the fibers before cloth construction. Some woolen fabrics, especially Navajo blankets, and tweeds and other napped textiles, are naturally water repellent.’ The idea of waterproof and water-repellent seems to be flourished in the future.
Digital Textile Printing Technology
Digital has brought a tremendous change not only in textile designing but also in the laborious workforce. Professor Hitoshi Ujiie, Philadelphia University, Director of the Centre for Excellence of Digital Ink-Jet for Textiles comprehensively explained the Digital Textile in his speech in August 2001, “Mechanical production methods influence both design aesthetics and styles. In the field of printed textile design, the latest digital fabric printing technology has influenced the style and definition of printed textile design.
Digital fabric printing has had an impact on 2 directions in textile design:
- re-adjusting conventional printing design and
- emerging new looks in design.
In the last several years, digital fabric printing technology has developed and improved; so that, design firms, mills, and converters are now utilizing these production methods. Digital printing methods have enabled manufactures to produce a digital sampling and strike off of designs before engraving. It is apparent that digital textile printing technology has not influenced the style of the design, but has been utilized to expedite the design process.
A majority of the digital fabric printers for sampling and strike off are based on process color systems to simulate the effects of spot color-based conventional printing. Digital printing technology saves time for design processes including; design alternation, colorways, and strike off. Comparatively, printed textile design is much more quickly and efficiently produced for the market needs than conventional printing processes.
Consequently, stylists can maintain a higher level of design quality and aesthetics by continually refining the design in the printing process. As far as printing style is concerned, conventional printers can produce a wide variety of styles, such as direct, discharge, Devore, please, warp print, etc. In comparison, digital printing technology has only been developed for a direct printing application. The latest continuous head printer, Zimmer Chromojet, is designed as a spot color-based production printer. Although this printer is still a direct printing application, new developments in continuous head technology might lead to more complex styles of printing that require more demanding chemical substances.
Unlike any conventional textile printing technology, the biggest advantage for digital fabric printing is in its process color application. Preset colors eliminate a need for screens or rollers to be engraved. The design does not require any set repeat size nor even repeats itself. At the same time, there is no restriction on the number of colors in the design. Any graphics created for printing on paper can be printed on fabrics.
Photographic and tonal graphics created with millions of colors in Photoshop can be printed on fabric. The latest development of inks, color management software, and substrates enable users to produce a wider color gamut and finer printing quality. The addition of extra preset colors of orange, blue, green, etc. to the traditional process colors of CMYK, have become the new standard for process color. At the same time, color management software has recently been developed to manage these complex color systems. Drop-on-demand technology allows doing a short-run production on a variety of substrates with minimal downtime.
For this reason, a new look of digitally printed fabrics is emerging in the high-end fashion design field. Experimental looks of textile design are emerging in the market by small print shops, individual designers, and students. The current general design trends including concepts of shadow, shimmering, translucent, vibration, reflection, moire, optical, netting, blurring, layering, superimposing, etc. are directly seen on digitally printed textiles.
These creative approaches can lead to successful experimentation, which creates new trends and design movements. This allows designers to create successful designs, which are either Avant-grade or commercially viable. Similarly, silkscreen printing gave artists and designers great freedom of creativity. Designers were able to experiment with multiple images on fabrics before it developed into major textile printing technology.
Digital textile printing will follow the same path and a new design look with freedom of process color application will be seen on the mass market. At the same time, currently, many companies have been researching and developing high-performance piezo drop on-demand production printers. For example, the Dupont Artistri printer can produce higher volumes than most digital printers. Currently, printing speed is one of the factors that require more improvement in digital fabric printing, compared to conventional textile printing. The year 2000 was a pivotal year for the development of production digital printers and the issue of speed will be solved in time.
Digital fabric printing has not only influenced visual styles, but also the concept and definition of printed textile design. Because of the development of digital fabric printing, printed textile design has become more universal in its application and function. For instance, textile designers can create printed textile designs as a big contained image without repeat, just like a graphic banner. In this sense, print design can function as a graphic advertisement instead of a conventional textile pattern in repeat.
Fashion or interior designers can create their printed fabrics more effortlessly. These designers can produce printed textiles on their own without depending on textile designers by simply operating digital printers. The traditional definition of textile design has been dictated by the repeat and color limitation with a specific textile end-use. In contrast, the new definition of the printed textile design represents printed graphics on cloth in cross-platform applications. However, because of the creative freedom in which anything can be printable and anyone can be a print designer, it is critical to consider the design quality and aesthetics. (Hitoshi Ujiie: 2001)
Conclusion
We have observed that textile or fabric design always represents the cultural heritage of the particular areas so while designing and setting a trend a fabric the designer must keep tradition and cultural heritage in mind. I would like to conclude my dissertation with Professor Hitoshi Ujiie words:
“We predict that shortly, textile printing production will change from a few major textile mills to many small digital textile printing shops. Further innovation in digital printing technology will have an impact on the style and definition of the printed textile design. Future applications of digital technology will become more creative, innovative, and commercially viable for the designer as well as the consumer.”
References
ULUV.sk.com; ‘About textile, memory and celebration of creation’, 2008.
Textile – Wikipedia, free encyclopedia. 2008.
thamesandhudson.com, The Tiems Special Supplement. 2008.
Sarah E. Braddock and Marie O’Mahony, 1997,TECHNO TEXTILES, Thames and Hudson, New York, N. Y, ISBN 0-500-23740-9.
Chiangmaiinfo.com, Traditional Lanna Textiles..2008.
Scottishtextilesheritage.com, Article: Architecture into Textiles, Author: Dr Britta Kalkreuter, Lecturer in Art History, School of Textiles and Design, Heriot-Watt University.. 2008.
techexchange.com, Article: The Effect of Digital Textile Printing Technology on Textile Design Styles, Author Professor Hitoshi Ujiie, Philadelphia University, Director of the Centre for Excellence of Digital Ink Jet. 2008.
Bharattextile.com, library article: types of textile. 2008.