A closer look into the current biotechnological revolution that will transform the fashion industry and the impact the industry has on the environment. Materials grown and engineered from live microorganisms are redefining materials, manufacturing, sustainability, even the design process. Up until now, sustainable efforts have had issues closing the loop in a circular model. Most sustainable options still face numerous tradeoffs, for instance being emission intensive, environmentally degrading, using sources from mono-cropping, relying on petroleum-based sources, etc. The combination of biolo ..read more

The design process is not necessarily linear, and each team can have a different way of working through the process. Being as visual as possible helps not only in realizing a design, but in the communication of this design. I have summarized the design process into clusters, similar to a ‘Design Thinking’ approach: DISCOVER, DEFINE, DEVELOP, PROTOTYPE, TEST It is important to be adaptable, as each product can have different trajectories. For instance, uncharted territory in a product/design for a brand or in an industry as a whole, requires a more rigorous process in design and testing. A key ..read more

E-textiles, a subset of smart textiles, is the integration of electronics and computing in fabric. [ TIMELINE ] + Attaching sensor to apparel, using classical electronic devices, such as conductors, integrated circuits, LEDs, and conventional batteries embedded into garments. + Integrating electronics directly into the textile fiber substrates. Creating passive electronics such as conductors or active components like transistors, diodes, and solar cells. + Ability to sense, react, and adapt their behavior to the given circumstances. [ USES ] Will be developed in fields such as: Health, Milita ..read more

How can a fashion designer get involved with the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0, that is currently in its early stages? Fashion and tech are not so distant. The jacquard loom arguably being the first programmable technology dating to 1801, using punch cards to create patterns. We have created synthetic polymer fibers, moisture wicking and quick drying microfibers, flame resistant and antimicrobial fabrics, heating technology, and conductive fibers. Most recently, an emergence of microcomputers embedded on fabric, sensors and LED’s incorporated into garments, 3D printed accessories ..read more

I wanted to create a simple + clean pattern card to keep my garments organized using industry standards. Here is what I came up with : PATTERN CARD : itemized list of all the pattern pieces for a particular style. CREATED : by pattern maker from designer's sketch, prior to making patterns. USAGE : Hangs in front of the pattern pieces in order to organize and keep track of pieces. [ Rabbit hole punch circle to hang on pattern hooks. ] STYLE NUMBER = Depends on company systemization; can include abbreviations product category number, season, collection number. STYLE NAME = easy name to referenc ..read more

Working with an embroidery machine can be tricky. The software is not intuitive and the machine is very sensitive. Here is a guide using Adobe Illustrator vector files and converting them to embroidery stitch files, using Tajima Autograph and a Tajima Embroidery Machine. [1] Start with your vector image in Adobe Illustrator. [2] Export vector as a BMP file. [3] Open Tajima Autograph + Click on the wizard wand icon + Click on Select Image [4] Follow the dialog window adjusting settings by preference, clicking Next. A) Image Transformation - width, height, unit B) Match Colors - thread count ..read more

A closer look into the current biotechnological revolution that will transform the fashion industry and the impact the industry has on the environment. Materials grown and engineered from live microorganisms are redefining materials, manufacturing, sustainability, even the design process. Up until now, sustainable efforts have had issues closing the loop in a circular model. Most sustainable options still face numerous tradeoffs, for instance being emission intensive, environmentally degrading, using sources from mono-cropping, relying on petroleum-based sources, etc. The combination of biolo ..read more

The design process is not necessarily linear, and each team can have a different way of working through the process. Being as visual as possible helps not only in realizing a design, but in the communication of this design. I have summarized the design process into clusters, similar to a ‘Design Thinking’ approach: DISCOVER, DEFINE, DEVELOP, PROTOTYPE, TEST It is important to be adaptable, as each product can have different trajectories. For instance, uncharted territory in a product/design for a brand or in an industry as a whole, requires a more rigorous process in design and testing. A key ..read more

E-textiles, a subset of smart textiles, is the integration of electronics and computing in fabric. [ TIMELINE ] + Attaching sensor to apparel, using classical electronic devices, such as conductors, integrated circuits, LEDs, and conventional batteries embedded into garments. + Integrating electronics directly into the textile fiber substrates. Creating passive electronics such as conductors or active components like transistors, diodes, and solar cells. + Ability to sense, react, and adapt their behavior to the given circumstances. [ USES ] Will be developed in fields such as: Health, Milita ..read more

How can a fashion designer get involved with the fourth industrial revolution, Industry 4.0, that is currently in its early stages? Fashion and tech are not so distant. The jacquard loom arguably being the first programmable technology dating to 1801, using punch cards to create patterns. We have created synthetic polymer fibers, moisture wicking and quick drying microfibers, flame resistant and antimicrobial fabrics, heating technology, and conductive fibers. Most recently, an emergence of microcomputers embedded on fabric, sensors and LED’s incorporated into garments, 3D printed accessories ..read more