Contents
Introduction 6
How to get the most out of this book 8
The textile sample 10
Researching textiles 12
Designing textiles 24
Textiles into production 32
Future fabrics 36
Fibres 40
Natural 42
Man-made 48
Yarn 54
Dyeing 56
Finishing processes 64
Fabric construction 68
Weave 70
Knit 76
Other forms of construction 84
Surface treatments 88
Print 90
Embroidery and fabric manipulation 100
Embellishment 108
Colour and trends 110
Colour 112
Trend prediction 120
Textiles used in fashion design 128
Choosing fabrics for fashion design 130
Designing with textiles 140
Garment construction 142
How will you work? 154
Conclusion 160
Glossary 162
Bibliography 164
Useful resources and Canon 166–175
Acknowledgements and picture credits 176
Working with ethics 177
Introduction
This book is for the textile designer who is interested in the integration of textile design with fashion and also the fashion designer who wants to fully integrate garment design with textiles. Designers who will consider how the scale of a design will work on the body, how the fabric will function on the body through drape or structure, and how the fabric will be cut and finished will benefit enormously from reading this book.
The book endeavours to cover all the things you need to know about fashion textiles. It begins with a brief history of textiles, showing the links with technical innovation and social developments. It then focuses on the processes of textile design, including the ethical and sustainable issues around textiles today. The book also provides practical information on fibre production, dyeing and finishing techniques. Also examined is how a fibre becomes a fabric through construction techniques, for example, weave and knit, and other more innovative processes. The book continues by looking at the surface treatment of textiles including print, embroidery and embellishment, and then focuses on the way colour and trend can influence textiles and fashion. The final section gives practical information on the use of textiles within fashion design, how to choose, cut and sew fabrics. Additionally, there is a very important section on fashion and textile designers who work in the industry, exploring what they do and how they use textiles within their work.
All the text in this book is underpinned with visual examples of fashion and textiles from designers who create wonderful textiles. I hope their work will inspire you and that you gain a great deal of pleasure from this book.
How to get the most out of this book?
This book introduces different aspects of textiles and fashion via dedicated chapters for each topic. Each chapter provides numerous examples of work by leading fashion designers, annotated to explain the reasons behind choices made. Key textiles and fashion principles are isolated so that the reader can see how they are applied in practice.