In X, in Y, in Z, in time: experiments in weaving

Woven fabrics derive their physical properties, and their potential uses, from the materials they’re made of and the structures in which they’re interlaced together. Operating within this binary – ingredients and recipe, “what” and “how” – we can radically change how a fabric looks, feels and behaves. Weaving, at its core an additive manufacturing process, has much in common with other fabrication methods: it’s receptive to many material inputs, capable of computer-controlled precision and yields vast design affordances. What are the parameters we can change when designing and prototyping textiles? How might we locate the boundaries of this space of possibilities? Towards what ends – functional, beautiful, ephemeral?

Elizabeth Meiklejohn is a textile engineer, researcher and designer specializing in complex wovens. From three-dimensional fabrics to those that transform over time, her work utilizes engineering fundamentals alongside firsthand knowledge of material tendencies. By designing experiments according to these principles, novel forms and capabilities in textiles can be revealed.