Textile and Design Lab January news

News from the Textile and Design Lab at the Auckland University of Technology.

JANUARY NEWS

Lab update

Prior to the holidays the lab placed an order for a new Shima Seiki SRY inlay knitting machine that will be commissioned during the first week of February. This will be the first machine of its kind in New Zealand and will give the lab’s students, commercial and research partners the opportunity to experiment with new developments of hibrid woven/knitted materials for technical, home ware and apparel applications. Our three existing knitting machines have all been stripped, cleaned and reassembled in readiness for another demanding year ahead.

The lab is continuing to encourage commercial organisations to partner with it for new research and development projects. Assistance with locating suitable funding streams and funding applications for the right projects is available.

Our short course and workshop programme commences in April and will be run again in September – please see full details below.

Bachelor of Textile Design degree places still available for 2017

AUT’s Textile Design program intersects a variety of textile disciplines through its use of both traditional analogue and digital techniques for textile making. Access to advanced digital technologies including seamless knitting, digital textile and garment printing and machine felting allows students to explore fusions of traditional textile methods and future practices for contemporary textiles and applications. There are still limited placements available for the 2017 intake of the Bachelor of Design: Textiles major. Read more about the Bachelor of Textile Design degree programme.

Textile Design graduate teams up with Allbirds

Recent Bachelor of Textile Design graduate, Nikki Walker, leaves for San Francisco in February to intern with renowned knitted merino shoe design company, Allbirds. The internship lasts for 3 months and will involve working on projects both in New Zealand and San Francisco. In the US, Nikki will be part of the creative team for 6-7 weeks where she will utilise her Shima Seiki digital knitwear design and programming experience and training. During her textile degree Nikki specialised in knitted textiles producing a wide variety of technical knit fabrications on the lab’s Shima Seiki machines. Read more about Allbirds.

Former student enjoying success at Victoria and Albert

Master of Creative Technologies graduate, Charlotte Alexander, who helped initiate the Textile and Design Lab’s Electronic Textile and Soft Circuit Design workshops, moved to London last year where she now works for the Victoria and Albert Museum’s Learning Department as a Digital Programmes Assistant. ‘Running the e-Textile workshops at AUT was a major factor in helping me to secure the role’, says Charlotte. The V+A is the world's largest museum of decorative arts and design, housing a permanent collection of over 4.5 million objects.

‘Horror’ role for TDL

Award winning costume designer, Barbara Darragh, was charged with making costumes for the second American TV comedy horror series, Ash v Evil Dead, and requested the help of the lab to replicate some vintage knitted cardigans for Ted Raimi, one of the show's guest stars. The show required multiple units of the garment to be worn by stunt doubles, which were subsequently subjected to blood and damage during the story telling of the show! TDL Senior Technician, Gordon Fraser, set to work and created a Shima Seiki knitting programme based on an original garment that was then felted and distressed to create the desired effect. ‘The whole process was a successful and happy collaboration between the two parties’, said Barbara, ‘and many thanks to the team at AUT’.

Actor Ted Raimi wearing the one of cardigans knitted by the TDL – Image courtesy of STARZ

2017 Short course and workshop proramme

The Textile and Design Lab’s short course and workshop programme dates for 2017 have been finalised. The programme consists of mostly 2-day short courses and hands-on workshops around the subjects of design for digital textile printing, knitwear design using the Shima Seiki Apex Design System, textile knowledge, machine felting and e-Textiles and soft circuit design. The programme starts in April and the courses and workshops are run again later in the year. Read more about the lab’s 2017 short course and workshop programme and how to register online.

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Textile and Design Lab
Auckland University of Technology
Private Bag 92006
Auckland 1142
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