The Textile Futures Research Centre (TFRC) comprises researchers across Chelsea College of Art and Design, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London College of Fashion, at the University of the Arts London.
The remit of the Centre is to undertake a clearly focused range of textile related research that facilitates technology translation and convergence, improving the interface between science and design, the exploration of sustainability, the expansion of the textile product/applications, and the redefinition of cultural and aesthetic norms.
Using a variety of research methods and partnerships, TFRC brings together staff working in different colleges of the University of the Arts London, other national and international academic, research and cultural institutions, industry and commerce. TFRC is building on staff and student work in the areas of fashion, product, environment, architecture, medicine, well-being as well as history and theory. The research feeds back into current and future graduate and postgraduate programmes and provides through its activities and outputs (products, publications, patents, conferences, etc.) a creative profile that constructively counterbalances the proliferation of technology driven textile research.
Throughout 2010, TFRC research work has been on show in major national museums from London to Tokyo. In terms of creativity the year has been outstanding for the core members and the associates. The CSM TFRC members curated and exhibited Warp Factor 09 in London, Japan and China, presenting “the textiles of tomorrow and exploring potential solutions to aspects of some of today’s key issues, such as health and wellbeing, sustainability, conservation and the reworking of craft traditions.”
The TED TFRC members have also exhibited their research work across the globe this year. At the time of writing this report, research work can be seen in the Audax Textile Museum, Tilburg, (‘reTHINK!’) and in MFIT, New York (‘Eco Fashion: Going Green’). A TFRC cross-college selection of core members can currently be found at The Science Museum in London (Trash Fashion), where they are representing the best in current future thinking around waste textiles and eco fashion.
The First Gucci Group Ph.D Scholarship in ‘Sustainable Technology for Future Luxury’ is aimed at promoting creativity and innovation to define what luxury in the future may be with sustainability at its core.
Gucci Group believe that cutting edge design, science and material innovation hold the key to developing new methods and processes that will assist in defining the future of craft and manufacturing, and help ensure the future for luxury brands that will take into account environmental concerns and climate change.
The Ph.D. Scholarship will be hosted by Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and supported by the Textile Futures Research Group (TFRG) at the University of the Arts London (UAL).
Related Links
www.arts.ac.uk/tfrg
http://textilefutures.co.uk/
www.csm.arts.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/ma-textile-futures.htm
http://textilefuturesphd.blogspot.com/
www.nesta.org.uk
www.futurelab.org.uk