New Collaborative Projects

In January 2011, we gathered together researchers from Edinburgh College of Art, Glasgow Caledonian University, Heriot-Watt University and Robert Gordon University for our first Collaborative Research Conference. They specialise in design, digital technology, fashion, textiles, product design, information science, marketing and chemistry. The combination of these disciplines has resulted in the development of exciting new collaborative research projects with the potential to take the fashion industry forward and lead to real commercial and economic benefits to industry.

Scottish Textile Archive Project (STAR)

The Scottish Textile Archive is a new, multi-media approach to the capture and exploitation of the knowledge-rich archive of textile design artefacts and materials lying untapped in Scotland’s mill cupboards and lofts.

Created by a team from Robert Gordon University and Heriot-Watt University, this project aims to address the issue that many archives in the textile design and manufacturing companies of Scotland are inaccessible to designers, students and researchers. These archives hold the history of the companies, and provide an incredible resource for people working in the industry, yet most are tucked away in filing cabinets and outbuildings. STAR will create an innovative, smart digital archive that allows these resources to inspire new creative work.

Emotional Engagement

The Emotional Engagement project aims to discover how design, colour, size and style affect consumer mood and behaviour, and whether psychological issues related to identity and well-being can be fused into fashion to satisfy and comfort the consumer.

A team led by Edinburgh College of Art is working with All Walks Beyond the Catwalk, to examine how companies can add value to their products through emotionally considerate design. The project will promote sustainability and longevity, and help them to reach out to new markets.

Molecular Imprinted Textiles

The Molecular Imprinted Textiles Project aims to use applications such as laser technology and plasma treatment to create smart, memory-rich textiles capable of storing and feeding back information.

This group includes researchers from Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh College of Art, Robert Gordon University and the Universities of Edinburgh and St Andrews. Incorporating nanotechnology, colour-chemistry, electronics, digital media and textile design, they hope to create textiles that have embedded information in their structure and design. These innovations in technology could have far-reaching implications for the Scottish textile industry.

Digital Print

The development of digital print technology is revolutionising the way that textiles and garments are designed and decorated, presenting new opportunities for Scottish designers, manufacturers and knitwear companies. The project aims to develop new digital print applications, techniques and processes in partnership with Industry. Proposed research themes include:

• New Substrates – from Cashmere Knit to Interior Surfaces
• Colour – Effect Yarns through experimental Pigmentation and Print
• Pattern on Structure – Interaction between Image, Surface and Texture
• Rapid Prototyping – Mass-Customisation and Bespoke Production Refined Manufacture – visual and physical effects by integrating treatment and finishing techniques

• Digital Craft – Digital print, integrating with embroidery, jacquard and laser cutting