Our latest newsletter and press articles

November 2020

Textile and Design Lab student awards

Congratulations to all the recipients of this year’s Textile and Design Lab student awards. Final year Textile Design students, Ella McIntosh and Jess Hadwin, won the TDL Outstanding Graduate Work in Print and Outstanding Graduate Work in Knit awards respectively. Fellow Textile Design student, Aloisa Ngata, won the prestigious Ian Scrivener Award for Excellence in Print having produced a range of digitally printed streetwear at the lab.

In the Creative Technologies discipline, the TDL award went to four students who collaborated on a team project entitled IVS (Infant Vital Suit) in which they developed a smart apparel product using e-textile functionality. The garment monitors body temperature with the added benefits of comfort and an accompanying mobile application to alert parents and caregivers to abnormal temperatures. The winning team comprised of Roxy Allnutt, Ella O’Connell-Biddlecombe, Thomas Woodfield and Sophie Matthews.

Read more about this year’s award winners from our Art and Design School and School of Future Environments.

^{Aloisa Ngata’s award winning print collection (left) and the IVS smart garment (right)
Images courtesy of AD20}

TDL support for award winning Electrical Engineering student

Final year Bachelor of Engineering student and recipient of the Best Project award, Suavira Va’ai, has been working with the lab’s Research and Development Technician, Jyoti Kalyanji, to develop heated gloves for Antarctic researchers who are exposed to extremely cold conditions. Heating elements comprising of carbon fibre are integrated into the glove through which controlled current is passed. Suavira also assisted in developing a new research direction with commercial possibilities that involves utilising carbon nanotube conductors in conjunction with merino wool. ‘This process will open up additional possibilities for machine knittable conductors that can be used in various wearable electronic applications’, says her supervisor and Senior Lecturer, Craig Baguley.

Woven textiles workshop

Following the commissioning of its first digital weaving loom earlier this year, the lab ran its first Introduction to Woven Textiles workshop earlier this month. Participants were introduced to weaving theory and technology by presenter, Mitali Natiyal, and given some insight into fibres, yarns, commercial considerations and pre and post weaving processes by TDL manager, Peter Heslop. The remainder of day one was based in a computer lab where Photoshop skills relevant to weaving non-conventional weaving patterns and photographic imagery were covered. The second day of the workshop was hands-on to enable participants to weave samples of their designs on the lab’s TC2 loom.

^{Vivienne Stone (left) and Leona Wang (right) with their woven fabrics produced at the workshop}

CoDesign publication

TDL Director, Professor Frances Joseph, and Dr Miranda Smitheram of Concordia University in Montreal, have had their recent work published in the International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts (CoDesign). The paper reflects on the conceptual frameworks central to their ‘Phenomenal Dress’ project (2017 - 2019) and aspects of its methodological approach and realisation. Through a localised, practice-led process, informed by material thinking, post human theory from Māori perspectives and processes of ‘making-with’. The project was a collaboration with the environment at Karekare Beach.

Head of School prize for Industrial Designer’s knitted concept

Industrial Design student, Jonathan Aquino, was awarded the Head of School prize for his knitted interactive baby suit, ‘Bub’, that helps and educates parents to achieve optimum winding. It is designed to be an essential tool for all parents in the first 12 months of raising their new born. The suit is 100% natural merino crafted by 3D knit techniques developed with TDL Research and Development Technician, Jyoti Kalyanji. The coloured and braille-like knitted piece indicates where the wind travels in the digestive system. It is designed for the parent to feel and recognise where on the child's body to stroke and place pressure, where the pain is felt most. ‘This will encourage intuitive interaction and rich learning for parents’, says Jonathan.

^{Jonathan’s interactive baby suit aptly named ‘Bub’}

Summer studentships

Postgraduate Creative Technologies student, Finn Godbolt, and third year undergraduate Textile Design student, Aloisa Ngata, have been awarded summer studentships to carry out wool research related work and a series of case studies respectively in conjunction with staff at the Textile and Design Lab.

2021 short courses and workshops

Dates for our 2021 short courses and workshops will be announced in mid-December.

Holiday closure dates

The lab will be closed for the summer holiday period from 4.30 pm on Friday 18 December and will reopen on Monday 11 January 2021.