SUDO REIKO: MAKING NUNO TEXTILES

The appearance of textiles, which by common perception is their main attribute, is shaped by many different factors, such as the raw material, ornamentation and structure, both as an external form and a manner of connecting fibers and other elements of textiles. It is not always realised by contemporary artists and designers that the same factors also determine the durability, conservation and storage methods. The paper briefly describes the main factors constituting textiles, showing how important the awareness of their role is to all who deal with textiles, from artists and designers, conservators and critics, to visitors to a gallery and museum exhibitions. It also shows that historical textiles, contemporary textile art and industrial textile products only appear to constitute separate independent worlds and in fact influence each other

Perspective, 2016

New Voices 7, 2015

Kimono are not considered suitable for contemporary life in Japan—it is difficult to even ride a bicycle while wearing a kimono. Because of this there is a pervading view that the Japanese traditional textile industry is in decline. However, Japanese designers and consumers are redefining Japanese clothing while retaining its "traditional" image. This project investigates how the reinvention of Japanese clothing embodies the process by which tradition and modernity interact with each other and helps us understand how these new designs represent a vehicle for designers’ and consumers’ expressions of Japanese culture.

Proceedings of 10th International Scientific-Professional Conference Textile Science and Economy, 2019

In this work, the author highlights the possibilities of reinterpretation of the national tradition, craft, and traditional folk motifs in product-, fashion- and textile design. Through the examples of student project works, writing presents the potentials of reinterpreting national heritage, introducing the critical issues of the methodology, and describing the overall and specific methodological benefits of the work. The idea of sustainability guided the works and collections presented in this writing; some of them have been created in line with the tendencies of slow fashion. Examples of student works were realized at the Óbuda University in Budapest (Hungary); part of them were diploma works, and some were Project Works realized by international students, who participated in student exchange programs. The base assignment to the students was to make a research on a specific area of the traditions and national heritage, and after establishing the requirements and framing the design concept to prepare a series of designs, produce mock-ups, samples or prototypes, and finally, to elaborate results in an essay. These requirements help specialized knowledge to integrate into a single project developing individual skills. As a unique feature, while learning about re-interpretation and application possibilities of folk motifs in different areas of design, and gaining knowledge in collection development and experiences vital for the profession, students familiarize with the culture, traditions, and heritage of a foreign nation.

Conservar Património, 2019

In the last few years, textiles have been increasingly valued as products of specific periods and societies, reflecting the historical, social, artistic, economic and political contexts in which they were manufactured. Exceedingly resourceful, textiles have been essential for human life since time immemorial, being used and adapted in diverse applications and contexts. Due to their protective characteristics, by offering comfort and cover, but also as works of art or symbols of social status and economic power, textiles have been always highly regarded amongst all members of society [1]. Not only were they indispensable, but the inherent craftsmanship for the acquisition and preparation of the materials of which they were made, and subsequently, their production, were labour-consuming and subsequently expensive as well. All processes associated with the textile industry were often the foundations of entire communities, given the complexity and the lucrativeness of their manufacture. The demand and circulation of textiles reached its height during the Early Modern period, with the settlement of long-distance trade routes at a global scale that came to enrich local markets with the most sophisticated manufactures from all over the world [2, pp. 312-313]. This has been demonstrated by an increasing and diversified number of exhibitions, studies and publications dedicated to the field of textiles, confirming the timeliness and potential of this subject. Examples of these are exhibition catalogues, monographs and case studies on objects from archaeological sites or museum,

If for traditional fashion design as clothes making or as basics for the creation of fashion products the concept of good design is now acquired, knitwear is now facing its decisive change from hobby into project; the enhancement of craft (Micelli S. 2011) does not refer to any nostalgia for the past times, and even better in Italy it is a very fertile area to be innovated and experimented. The ability to innovate and promote new points of view in design processes does not arise only from a thorough understanding of specific areas, but also from a lifestyle open to diversity, that society has to accept and recognize (Micelli S . 2011). Today, the ability of designers to explore contexts in an original way, proposing ideas and results that are not just technical solutions of established problems, sees in creativity and in fashion design education the ability to solve problems through materials and their constant innovation for clothes, to experiment or to look at old problems in a different way with the aim of going beyond the usual “fashion” idea. This paper is written at the end of an educational experience in the Knit Design Lab at the School of Design of Politecnico di Milano, where Missoni, the most important Italian knitwear brand, together with Woolmark, the most influencing certification body at an international level for the promotion and enhancement of Merino wool, in collaboration with Knitlab, a digital platform for the learning of the traditional knitting techniques active in the School of Design at Politecnico di Milano, realized a project in which the knitting techniques have been the first tool for the creation, design and prototyping of a clothes collection for the spring-summer 2017, coherent with the brand identity of Missoni and with at least the 70% of merino wool as a condition dictated by Woolmark. The aim of the paper is to highlight the moments of convergence and differentiation regarding the methodologies and the design process into the different areas of design. In this way today we can talk about knitwear design: a specific field of Made in Italy completely changing: to become project, knitwear must produce garments and collections enhancing traditional techniques while expressing the spirit of time and in which the manual technique becomes a research tool and method to deal with all the aspects in their influence on the industrial production chain.

The approach to fashion design and system build around it must be faced in cross-sectional way; to work on fashion doesn’t mean develop a dresses collection but it refers to the analysis of design processes that generate the project intention. The paper focuses on the territorial dimension of the project, which is meant to be a resource for the development and support of local economies, helping them to increase the value of their cultural identity and their design process as well as production’s know how. Considering such observations, we can identify a new trend aiming to recover settled in time values, through the strong relationship that connects an individual to a community and manual arts to history and local identity.

International Textile and Costume Congress, 2019

Woven textiles of Thailand are especially evident for their intangible cultural heritage, which contributes to the Soft Power of Thailand through various means, i.e. the national identity and branding. However, in the recent decades, a number of weaving communities have been declining as a sequence of the expansion of industrialization and globalization for trade of mass produced goods. Few young people are being trained in traditional weaving, whereas experienced weavers are over forty years of age. Indigenous knowledge of traditional weaving is likely to be lost in the near future, if there is no immediate action happened to reinforce their cultural adherence and continuity. Designers are encouraged to design for cultural revitalization. The author utilises research and educational activities to letting the young generation engaged in design for cultural revitalization. A co-creation project was implemented with the weaving communities of Long district, Phrae province because of the erosion of indigenous knowledge about woven textiles. These communities wanted to reinforce and revival their indigenous knowledge of woven textiles by developing some tools, which they could use to exchange knowledge with other people. They preferred a booklet of traditional textile patterns and a card game. It was agreed to explore a vintage collection of a type of traditional skirts, known locally as 'sin tin chok', which are exhibited in the 'Komol Phaboraan Museum'. This design process lasted eight months, involving fieldwork and data collection, booklet design and design of a card game. The research group included the principal researcher, a specialist in game design and five undergraduate students. This design process embraced people within the district (i.e. textile masters, experienced weavers, villagers) and outside the district/province (i.e. undergraduate students, school children, teachers, potential users and tourists). Co-creation through design process can enable knowledge exchange between engaging actors that does not limit to indigenous knowledge about woven textiles. Their knowledge exchange may expand to other knowledge domains, such as local history and languages, and digital technology.