Textile Design and Technology - Two Poles?

Abstract

The imagination of a pure textile artist remains unbounded by practical considerations during the process of artistic creation. For a work of textile art no specific textile knowledge and textile craft skills are necessary. In his experimental textile work a fashion designer can link artistic value and basic textile knowledge and experience into a more complex work of textile art which does not need to include a functional value but nevertheless, some textile technology has to be involved. An industrial textile designer has to work within limits imposed by the raw material, the appropriate technology and the market. In his case an idea “on paper” has to be translated into a useful textile which has to satisfy the initial need of a consumer or a functional purpose. A textile engineer has to be aware of those technological limits, he has to be able to predict and to control them and to adapt technologically. One could simply divide textile innovation activities into creation freedom, recognized by textile designers and technological limits, imposed by textile engineers and conclude that design and technology represent the two oposite poles. But a useful textile product can only be developed by a team of a cooperative textile design, technology and marketing experts.