Editors ’ Note Editors ’ Note: Creative Thinking and Problem Solving in the Textiles and Clothing Discipline

Research connecting creative thinking and problem solving in the textiles and clothing discipline is explored in this focused issue of the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal (CTRJ). The impetus for this issue derived from a perceived lack of research in this important, yet growing field of inter-est. In Ha-Brookshire and Hawley’s (2014) article ‘‘Trends of research published by Clothing and Textiles Research Journal (1993-2012) and outlook for future research,’ ’ within the category of clothing and textiles supply chain functions, creative problem solving was the least commonly occurring published research. The authors state that ‘‘one of the key ways to satisfy humans ’ cloth-ing needs and wants is through creative new product designs, materials, displays, and/or coordina-tion. Yet there is relatively little research that identifies new problems and offers creative solutions’’ (Ha-Brookshire & Hawley, 2014, p. 262). This issue helps fill the gap of creative-thinking and problem-solving research published in CTRJ. Developing This Focused Issue The call for papers was issued in August 2013, and the submission deadline was January 31, 2014. In the call for papers, scholars were encouraged to submit manuscripts on a wide variety of topics focused on creative thinking and problem solving including, but not limited to, fashion issues relate