Since this blog, and my research, is all about creating a successful fabric, I guess some details into my process is a good place to begin. For me, this project began in Fall 2007. For my final project- ever- in the College of Design, I took a very different path from what is normally expected of an Advance Fibers piece. It was at this point that I had finalized my decision to attend CoT Graduate School and to pursue automotive textiles. Over the past year I had gained a lot of interest and experience in creating trend boards and decided to create trend boards reflecting the Hyundai Qarmaq concept vehicle. I turned a design project into an all out research opportunity creating an in-depth demographic analysis, reflecting on the type of vehicle, design elements, and material choices, and manipulating the name itself "qarmaq", which is a traditional inuit dwelling, until I found harmony in all of these elements.
The outcome was 2 trend boards representing 2 colorways: neutrals (Biome) and gray with accents (Polaris). The critique went over flawlessly, and for the first time in over 4 years, I was completely comfortable with my work, my goals, and the outcome. The ultimate purpose of this exercise was to complete a line of fabric options reflecting these trend boards. But school is not the real world, and a new chapter in my life began with a whole new set of projects.
Then, ATS/Kolon Competition was announced. I was exuberant when I realize that I would have the opportunity to continue work on this project, and for something so valuable. I really didn't begin again on this competition until early November (my Halloween costume was the most elaborate yet and all of October had focused on its creation- the peacock photo). For the next 3 weeks, between learning the EAT: Design Scope software, designing for the Jubilee Embroidery Competition, and building my first weave blanket, (all of these can be seen in my portfolio link to the right) I still didn't managed to get much farther than the brainstorming phase. Most these thoughts weren't even on paper. The deadline was approaching fast and its possible that I put more time into worrying about the competition than designing for it.
Finally, Thanksgiving break was approaching- giving me 6 days to design at least 6 fabrics in 2 different colorways. Yikes!
Ok...so that might be exaggerating slightly. The previous week I had spent developing the yarn properties, fabric structure, and seat design. With my technical background, I certainly felt like this was one way I could get ahead and decided to combine many of the aspects that I feel will be most beneficial to the materials. (I will only summarize this information here, if you'd like more details, please feel free to email me.) First I knew I wanted an elastomeric mesh to form the primary support structure of the seat. In order to convey this, I knitted a "nopped" fabric on an industrial V-bed. I feel that this structure will provide adequate support, stretch, comfort, and breathability. It will also reduce weight and eliminate foams, therefore improving the sustainability of the vehicle. These yarns are core-spun, consisting of an elastomeric polymer core wrapped in filament yarns which were converted from recycled plastic bottles, resulting in 100% recyclability post-use. The other fibers throughout the vehicle can also be created in this manner, which materializes with a surprisingly soft hand and high flame-resistance. A final technical attribute of these fabrics is the titanium dioxide coating, which with help from the fiber and fabric construction, results in a superhydrophobic and self-cleaning effect. The titanium dioxide reacts with UV light (sunlight) to break down the surface and effectively, self-clean.
So at this point (remember 6 days away), there was certainly thought, mostly a result of past research, but I still did not have what the competition was asking for- I needed designs! In order to review my process for this blog, I referred to my planner, or to what I like to call my "jennabean's book'o'lists". I rarely doodle in this, but this particular week, you could tell exactly where my mind was. Written underneath my schedules I had "ATS is TEXTILE Design". On the opposing page were a number of seat constructions representing my nopped mesh (you've got to start somewhere).
Finally, Thanksgiving Break came. That Tuesday, immediately following classes, I jumped in the back of my Dad's "2008 Super Duty F350 (Diesel, Crew Cab 4x4...not some puny 250. But what the heck, it's really just my ToyHauler)"- correction from my dad :)... and prepared for a 16 hour drive to visit my family in St. Louis. Ok, so I'm not naming the truck just to brag, or because I'm a "car girl"...that truck, and that journey, inspired my creativity in more ways than I ever would have imagined. The design elements reflecting the textiles in that truck were flawless. The bodycloth (from 2 different patterns), the door handles, the floormats, and the headliner were all in 3 simple tones of black, grey, and white and represented perfect harmony.
For the majority of the trip (there and back), I had my laptop plugged in through an inverter. But during the entire 6 days, including the time at my grandma's, I did not have a consistent connection to the Internet. What I thought to be my biggest disadvantage, turned into what was perhaps the most rattling thing to happen to me during this process. It was liberating to step away from using google images and stock photos for idea generation. I downloaded a couple photoshop tutorials while at a local coffee shop and from there let my mouse and my fingers do the work. By the end of it all, I had created 10 different sets of patterns. I spent the remaining 16 hours of my journey home creating portfolio pages of each design, and ultimately selecting 6 to include on my final design submission board. (All of this was thanks to lots of feedback from Nancy who was also fighting with lack of Internet access and full e-mailboxes.) These designs can also be seen in my online portfolio, linked to the right, and the final board is shown below.
Ben Bruzga was one of the main team members for the Splinter Wooden Supercar. But far more than that, Ben is an incredible artist, which I got to see first hand this past weekend at his exhibition in Durham. His installation "Wasted" incorporated all used and recycled materials in order to create a beautiful scene comprised of cardboard trees, candy wrapper flowers, and an entire pizza box house. Please check out the pictures linked to the right, as well as his digital portfolio to learn more about Ben's work: www.thebrewfactory.biz All pieces from the exhibition are for sale.
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