What future for textiles?

The world of textiles needs dynamic designers who can propose and realise intelligent, responsible innovations with strategic thought, leadership and personal vision. We provide a think-tank in which to cultivate ideas, reflect on individual practice, and challenge boundaries of textile design. Students investigate issues affecting the textile design discipline in the short, medium and long-term future. Practice-led, the course initiates and encourages design innovation. Joint lecture programmes and projects with other Masters courses such as Industrial Design, Creative Practice for the Narrative Environment and Design: Ceramics, Furniture or Jewellery (by Project) foster a creative and challenging multidisciplinary environment, nourishing experimental and innovative hybrid design practices.

We support textile designers with the potential to shift existing design boundaries, re-shape how we live and create the textiles of tomorrow. The 21st century marks the beginning of a new textile revolution, and we believe it is smart, invisible, sustainable, ethical and poetic.

Smart?

The emergence of intelligent technologies such as conductive textiles, sensory fabrics, wearable computing, biomaterials, and nanotechnology demand greater collaboration between science and design to transform textile design processes and products.

Invisible?

New fibres and finishings create textiles with invisible built-in functionality such as vitamin-enhanced fabrics, anti-stress fibre, solar-reactive yarns and composite materials.

Sustainable?

Increasing demands to consider sustainability necessitate more responsible approaches to textile design. Current modes of production, consumption and waste are significantly changing potential design processes and outputs.

Ethical?

Demographics, globalisation, changing consumption patterns that impact on markets can be challenged by design.

Poetic?

Human need for inspiring aesthetics and comforting materials persists. The aesthetic and emotional qualities of cloth and craft become even more relevant in a high-tech, high-speed consumer culture.