London, UK–Heimtex has always promoted the work of textile design students and design studios and this year’s exhibition stayed true to form.
Here are two examples:
Ciara Harris developed an interior textiles and finishes project which “focused on the release of invisible Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) into our home environments, compromising our health,” she says.
“This project envisions a future where CMF (Color, Material, Finish) Design transforms home environments into responsive, resilient, low-carbon living systems,” she says.
Harris collated her research into ‘The Biospheric CMF Design Handbook’ – a speculative guide and living document for designers of the year 2050. “Foresight strategy is key to addressing the unintended consequences embedded in design culture,” she adds.
Ms. Harris recently completed her Master’s in Design Futures at the Royal College of Art, a public research university in London. While there she focused on design innovation, sustainability, and foresight strategy, following a BA (Honors) in Textile Design (Print) from Nottingham Trent University.
The book she produced is a speculative 2050 guide investigating CMF design’s impact on indoor air pollution and health. The fabric shown is digitally printed silk and she included it in the book to demonstrate how printed textiles could have enhanced properties in the future.
Ms. Harris offers design research and consultancy in material innovation and environmental health, with tailored publications for industry partners, so she “wouldn’t sell the book unless it was customised for specific projects or companies.”
Megan Leech, a specialist in woven design and development is a London-based design studio working at the intersection of craft, research and innovation, she explains.
“Each collection is a technical investigation into hand woven construction, creating bespoke fabrics defined by delicate pattern, gestural form and contemporary use of color.
“Fabrics that celebrated artisan processes and suggested movement were popular at Heimtex,” she explained. The sample shown above is a double layer weave, with a handpainted silk warp combined with an ordered geometric grid. It is composed of worsted wool and silk.