Weaving Form, Forming Weave : Submitted as an exhibition proposal under the track ‘Critical Textiles’

The traditional method of cut and assemble in garment making is accused of disregarding the importance of the materiality of textiles, and the three dimensionality of our body. Our joint venture aims to address this gap by investigating the expressive possibilities of woven textiles with inherent form-giving qualities in conjunction with garment moulds, similar to Miyake’s self-forming weaves (Howarth 2014) and Brown’s ideas on the relationship between form and surface (Brown 2013). Changes in texture, size and shape of the textile and the placement of openings for limbs inform the shape of the mould and the placement of the textile on the mould. Likewise, the form of the mould informs the shape of the garment through the textile’s ability for change. This allows for close communication between textile and form as both are developed in conjunction, from initial sketch through to final garment. The moulds are obtained using a method of ‘reversed crafting’, mimicking processes found in glass and ceramics where the space between body is addressed whilst treating form giving and crafting of surfaces as a simultaneous act of doing and thinking. Formability is embedded in Jacquard woven multi-layered fabrics through combining heat reactive shrinking yarns with stable base materials. Stops and seams are added in the fabric while weaving, creating a raw shape for the garment. The results are presented as 4-6 form experiments in scale 1:4, arrived at in collaboration with material, body and digital and analogue tools. Process images illustrate the relationship between the weave and the mould in the form giving processes of dress. Together, we suggest a renewed focus on the tangible materiality of textiles when forming garments in interplay with the three dimensional form. Further, the work proposes alternative methods for design making and thinking at the intersection of textile and fashion design