Fashion Design Commons^™

Weaving “National Spirit”: Jacquard-Woven Silk Images In The Nanjing Decade (1927–1937), Brielle Pizzala

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Industrial silk factories in Hangzhou and Shanghai represent active efforts to modernize and weave together the turbulent Republic of China (1912–1949). The Guomindang government, under Chiang Kai-Shek (1887–1975), acculturated modernity, as demonstrated by the silk industry, to unite China and secure the nation from trans-colonial threats, including economic security. Countless silk reelers, weavers, and businessmen in China, altered traditional sericulture with imported industry and ideologies in order to secure national autonomy. Imported steam reeling and jacquard loom factories became means to secure economic survival and national autonomy during this anxious and extremely political period. How did creating silk tapestries materialize …

Speculative Futures With Southern California Fibershed, Lesley Roberts

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Regenerative agriculture disruptor Fibershed embraces and gives voice to the fullness of textile paradigms, economies, societies, ecologies, and skill traditions, seeks to address and rectify the sins and the promises of textile making and textile futures, and promotes healthy, holistic wellbeing. Fibershed is a movement of farmers, fashion activists, and makers growing a new textile economy. Founded in 2012 in a bioregion in Northern California, the community has grown to more than 75 chapters worldwide. Fibershed touts a soil-to-soil paradigm that asks us to consider the entire lifecycle of our textiles. It proposes a climate beneficial, regenerative system whose scope …

Wild Silk: Repairing And Healing Our Planet And Social Fabric, Karen Selk

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Wild silk, tasar, muga and eri, is much more than miraculous journey of metamorphosis from caterpillar to silken luxury. Caring for wild silkworms in open jungles is nothing like raising white, cultivated silkworms - it is primal - a whole new perspective of the world of silk. The passage from rearing caterpillars to unravelling cocoons making yarn and weaving cloth that possesses the essence of mother nature, is tightly woven to an ancient living culture in remote forests of central and eastern India. It is a celebration of indigenous, Adivasi people ushering their heritage into the contemporary world while preserving …

Weaving Rituals For Resistance: Queering The Tallit, Sam Simons

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

“Weaving Rituals for Resistance” explores the history and significance of the tallit, a Jewish prayer shawl, as an immersive and transformative experience. Since 2022, I have been researching the historical development, making practices, and use of tallit, and its intersections with gender, sexuality, and power. Traditionally, tallit are worn by men; that is changing. There is no one way to feel about wearing tallit, but many share that they feel safe, protected and held. I worked with my rabbi to develop educational programming – a five-session course in Fall 2023. We covered history, textual sources for design and use, biblical …

Lost & Looted - The Fate Of Bejeweled Textiles And Gemstone Carpets, Anou Lunia Singhvi

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

I would like to present my family's role in shaping my love for Bejeweled Textiles, my father, P. C. Lunia was a reclusive genius extra-ordinaire, he created what no other jeweler would dare put--majestic gemstone chandeliers, fine silver gem studded sculptures and monumental textile art bejeweled with the powerful energy of gemstones He worked with the likes of Harry Winston, Cartier and Adler, jewelry houses known to the whole world. As a visual artist and performer why was I attracted to this luxurious medium, in the timeless genre of Agra Gemstone Carpets that rose into prominence in Mughal India, when …

Weaving Transformations: Integrating The Tc2 Loom In Higher Education Textile Programs, Anna Stuffelbeam, Kate Nartker, Janie Woodbridge

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The Thread Controller 2 (TC2) loom is a novel technology that has reshaped how artists and designers explore the technical intricacies in jacquard weaving and harness textiles for creative expression. In this presentation, we discuss the integration of the TC2 within higher education art and design programs across the United States. Our research aims to explore the complexities and opportunities presented by the TC2 loom from both educator and student perspectives. The integration of this unique technology emphasizes the need for adaptation and innovation in pedagogical approaches.

In this two-part presentation, we first discuss the results of a qualitative study …

A Study Of “Kurar”: Its Historical And Cultural Significance To The Kingdom Of Bahrain, Tomoko Torimaru

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

When contemplating the origin and development of weaving and textiles, one must consider the role of warp twining. My research indicates that textile technology originated with the twisting and interlacing of strands of fiber, producing thin and long practical articles, such as belts, bands, ties, cords, and ribbons. This evolved into a wider cloth and necessitated the invention of a reed. Eventually warp and weft became balanced in contrast to the earlier warp-faced weavings. My current research has focused on “finger-held loop-manipulated warp twining,” an ancient technique for building woven structures, which is still practiced in scattered areas.

My field …

Environmental Metrics In Action: Exploring U.S. Superfund Sites Affiliated With The Fashion Industry, Nidia K. Trejo

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Little is known of Superfund sites, long-term clean up sites, affiliated with the apparel and footwear supply chain in the United States. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) manages the clean up of contaminated sites that pose a significant risk to human health and the environment under the Superfund program. A site can become contaminated if hazardous waste from industrial operations are mismanaged or dumped into the environment, in an uncontrolled manner. In this study, a proposed Superfund site (Mohawk Tannery in Nashua, New Hampshire), an active Superfund site (Ciba-Geigy Corp. in Toms River, New Jersery), and a …

Experimentation On Manual Paper Making Using Mango Seed Fibers, Mercy Wanduara

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This paper seeks to explore the use of Kenyan mango fiber as a core ingredient in papermaking. Mango is a tropical fruit grown in many countries around the world, including Kenya. The fruit tree grows naturally and has a maturity period of approximately three years. When this juicy fruit is ready for harvesting most of the fruits are harvested for consumption but plenty of them find their way into compost because of overproduction and lack of market. Moreover, the fruits are either consumed whole or juiced. The core of the fruit is a hairy seed which has little value to …

Dreams Intertwined In Strands Of Silver And Gold: Hidden Stories Of Home-Based Women Zardozi Artisans Of Bhopal, India, Meeta Siddhu, Anjali Karolia

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This paper examines the experiences of home-based women zardozi artisans in Bhopal, India, who use traditional embroidery skills to create fashionable products. It highlights the role of the traditional craft sector in promoting women's empowerment, enhancing economic well-being, and supporting sustainable development in the Global South. Through ethnographic research, including literature review and interviews, the study reveals the resilience of these artisans, many of whom come from low-income backgrounds with limited education. Despite modest earnings, their craft contributes to their families' status and elevates women's roles within households. The findings suggest that the handicraft sector can provide viable economic opportunities …

Felt: Leaning Into The Chaotic, Fafnir Adamites

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This presentation is a reflection on felt as a chaos structure, an underdog and a queer material capable of offering a physical manifestation of exhilarating, transformative possibility. Images of artwork from my own studio practice will act as orientation points to examine the physical and the psychological. The physical exploration includes the intrinsic characteristics of wool as well as the material transformation of the wet felting process. The psychological aspects include opportunities to embrace intuitive, collaborative and expansive ways of making. Writing on feltmaking as it relates to the canon of textile scholarship will also be examined. Viewing felt through …

A Contribution To The Preservation And Revival Of The Cabo Verdean Pano D’Obra Textiles, Maggy Fragoso

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Textiles from Cabo Verde were highly prized for trading along the West African coast, from the second half of the 16^th century to the end of the 18^th century. They originated from the fusion of different cultural sources making their design visually distinct from the other textiles of West Africa: slave weavers were taken to Cabo Verde by the Portuguese and with their characteristic narrow strip looms, which had to be adjusted, were made to weave textiles with North African patterns and Christian references.

From the 19^th century, a marked decline in the manufacture of these historic …

Materializing Memory Through Quilted Cod: “Making Fish” As Memorial, Gina Granter

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Cod is so central to the history of Newfoundland that the process of salting and drying it is there called “making fish.” For nearly 500 years, Newfoundlanders made fish to ship globally until 1992 when the Canadian government announced an indefinite and ongoing moratorium on its cod fishery, changing the island forever. My presentation is about my own “making fish” from textiles while researching the history of cod in Newfoundland textile arts. When I first cut pieces of fabric into the triangular shapes of a salted cod split, I wanted a garland of quilted fish for my Christmas tree in …

Threads Of Tradition: Unraveling The Shifting Semiotics Of Phulkari Embroidery From Past To Present, Gurvinder Kaur Gundev, Anjali Karolia

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This research paper examines intricate Phulkari embroidery, originating from the culturally rich region of Punjab, traces its historical roots and examines the evolving semiotics of this vibrant craft. The study commences with an exploration of the language embedded in Phulkari during its inception, analysing the symbolic meanings stitched into the intricate patterns and vibrant colours. Through a meticulous examination of archival materials, oral histories, and traditional artifacts, the research uncovers the nuanced cultural narratives expressed through Phulkari, serving as a communicative art form that transcends language barriers and articulates the wearer's identity, beliefs, and aspirations. A pivotal juncture in Phulkari's …

Pieces Of Eight: Diagonal Color Stripes And Beyond, Marilyn Emerson Holtzer

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The most common form of tablet-woven, diagonal color stripes employs four-hole tablets and yields narrow bands having diagonal stripes in two colors. The twining directions of selected groups of cords can be reversed along a diagonal to create patterning. An extension of this technique to six-hole tablets having three-color diagonal stripes has been published. Here, I describe the weaving of textiles having diagonal four-color stripes using eight-hole tablets. Direct extension of the canonical technique to eight-hole tablets yields textiles with the desired striping, but they are thick and have less distinct patterning. Thinner, more tightly woven textiles can be obtained …

Textile Resource Center: On Generosity & Growth Of The Collection, Danielle Lasker

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The School of the Art Institute of Chicago’s Library & Special Collections department is home to the Textile Resource Center--a haptic collection of over 500 textile objects and some 2,000 books related to various textile topics. Objects range from contemporary production up to 500-600 years old and origins all around the world. The texts range across topics such as weaving, individual artists, lace making, exhibition catalogs, crochet, critical theory, and more. The TRC primarily serves the department of Fiber & Material Studies where the collection is physically housed, but also attracts visitors from across SAIC and beyond. Prior to onboarding …

“What Was Before”: Lenore Tawney And Her Circle, 1950–1963, Rebecca Mcnamara

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Lenore Tawney (1907–2007) was a pioneer of 20th-century fiber arts, a position solidified by the pivotal 1963 Woven Forms exhibition at New York’s Museum of Contemporary Crafts. But her journey to this moment is less well-known. This presentation explores the preceding years, when Tawney decided, with great intention, to dedicate her life to art, relocated from Chicago to New York, and in her work, shifted (though not seamlessly nor all at once) from weaving functional objects like table mats—as shown at Chicago's first Good Design exhibition, in 1950—to colorful, figurative, dense wall tapestries to the abstract, open-weave sculptural hangings in …

Shifts & Strands: Rethinking The Possibilities And Potentials Of Textiles: Textile Society Of America 2024 Symposium--Full Program With Abstracts

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Shifts & Strands: Rethinking the Possibilities and Potentials of Textiles

Textile Society of America 2024 Symposium, November 12-17, 2024, a virtual event

Theme and mission

Accessibility statement

About the 2024 symposium logo

Letter from the President, Isaac Facio

Letter from the Co-Vice President, Sharbreon Plummer

Letter from the Co-Vice President Symposia Chair, L Vinebaum

2024 symposium acknowledgements

Symposium organizers

Program agenda

Keynote and plenary sessions

Session abstracts

Awards and scholarships

Congratulations to the 2024 Founding President awardees

2024 winner of the R. L. Shep Award

2024 Student / New Professional Scholarship recipients

Repatriation And Conservation, Sandra Sardjono, Kristal Hale, Christopher Buckley, Saiful Bakhri, Absari Hanifah

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Textile represents one of the most important cultural heritages in Indonesia and is an integral part of social and religious lives of traditional communities. Due to colonial impact, shifts in indigenous belief systems and values, modernization, and tourism, many textiles have left their original environments. Many gained new contexts as museum objects housed in regional museums or private collections in Indonesia and abroad.

In Indonesian museums, these objects are cared for by museum staff with various backgrounds and levels of expertise, who are shifted to new positions every two-three years by the Indonesian Ministry. This methodology is intended as a …

Tactility And Historicity In Contemporary Textile Art: The Greek Example, Markia Liapi

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

The following presentation focuses on studying contemporary textile art through two concepts, originating from contemporary theory of art, tactility and historicity. While tactility describes aesthetic, and specifically tactile qualites of textiles as pieces of art, historicity focuses on more theoretical concerns that the artistic piece proposes on the viewer. The paper analyses these two tools as a stystem of examining and, also, enjoying contemporary textile art, focusing on a concrete paradigm, the example of three contemporary Greek artists, Voula Massoura, Giwta Andriakaina and Artemis Alcalay. The artistic production of these artists is a valuable example of seeing textile art in …

The Stamina Of Things: Jean Toury's Nightshirt, Janet Pollock

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

“Stamina. from Latin stamen (Pliny), literally "foundation in weaving, thread of the warp" ......also threads spun by the Fates.”

A seasoned forager of forest and flea markets, I have tempered my eye to both the unassuming and the unexpected. I make and study textiles of every stripe. The subject of my presentation, this nightshirt, traveled 5500 miles and 80 years to reach my neck of the woods. Tailor-made and monogrammed, well-worn and deeply stained, it was suddenly dispatched into the world, to be sold "as is". I asked and was given a name, a place and a date. Jean Toury. …

The Petticoat: Details Of A Forgotten Garment In Mexico City (1900–1910), Nallely Rangel Vázquez

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

During Porfirian government, Mexican society experienced a flourishing of the textile industry driven by state policies that encouraged both the rise of the national industry and foreign investment. This process was perceived from the daily life of the capital, through the windows of silk shops, shoe shops, warehouses and, above all, the imposing department store El Palacio de Hierro. One of the garments that was designed to fit at the waist and cover the legs was the petticoat, which was assumed to be a piece of female underwear. In this article, I am interested in unravelling details findings about this …

Woven Symphony: Exploring The Parallels Between Weaving And Music, Qianwen Yu

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Weaving and music are art forms often perceived as unrelated but actually share deep connections and fascinating similarities. In this presentation, I will first briefly introduce the impact of the 19th-century Jacquard loom on the invention of the Player Piano, a musical technology that evolved into the modern "MIDI" computer audio notation system. Second, I will explore the similarities found in both weaving and musical composition by presenting some of my own media installation art works. These works translate musical scores into woven textures, and vice versa, creating symphonies and revealing new sensory ways to appreciate textiles and music. I …

Five Quilts As Claims About Collage, Teaching, Learning & Being Together, Tim Abel

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

How can quilting and collage act as creative methods and modes of permission for understanding ways of relating in learning spaces, while also working to help make visible the interrelated nature of being together. Through the networking of personal reflection, lyric essay, theory and concrete reflections related to teaching, this presentation will take five examples of quilts (expansively defined as quilts, quilt-tops, collages, reclaimed and accumulated materials, collective/invitational works) as a way to make space for claims related to collage and pedagogy. This woven investigation helps to scaffod the learning process as a series of interconnected strands because when I …

Gny Rary Tsihy Tsy Enganay (‘We’Re Not Leaving The Mat Weaving’): Transitions Of Craft Practice In Southeast Madagascar, Sarah Emily Brown

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

In Sainte Luce, southeast Madagascar, livelihoods are in a state of transition due to climate change, deforestation, shifting local economies and globalisation. Activities passed on by the ancestors are not sufficient to meet everyday needs. In 2012, embroidery was introduced by an NGO as an alternative to the ancestral process of reed-weaving due to declining reed populations. Embroiderers have now formed a 100-strong independent cooperative.

My PhD fieldwork (2017-2019) explored the multifaceted dimensions of change for these craftswomen. In addition to the practicalities of mastering a new craft, they have renegotiated collaborative working patterns, obligations to kin and ancestors, flows …

One Thread At A Time: The Role Of Textile Crafts On Well-Being In Marginalized Communities, Michelle Burton, Bianka Hausknecht, Ja-Young Hwang, Kim Hahn, Jihyun Kim-Vick

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Racial injustice and social unrest have spurred support for marginalized communities, historically excluded from mainstream society's activities. Marginalized individuals may often feel powerless and experience societal discrimination and negative stereotypes resulting in diminished well-being (WB). Consequently, finding resources to promote well being in marginalized communities is paramount. One possibility is exploring the art of textile crafts (e.g., repurposing, knitting, crocheting, and quilting) to serve as a platform for rupturing exclusionary hierarchies and oppressive frameworks, fostering empowerment and community cohesion.

In this qualitative study we conducted focus groups and individual interviews to better understand the impact on marginalized communities. Participants in …

Burning Fear, Amy Dorie

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Climate change is leading to more intense and devastating wildfires that lead to tragic loss of life and property (Cal Fire, 2018; Sinco et al., 2023) and disturbing environmental impacts (OECD, 2023). The purpose of this textile design was to create an activist design that communicates the fear and anxiety felt by those impacted by wildfires. First-hand accounts of those experiencing wildfires were researched as inspiration for the textile design. Based on the accounts, a selection of wildfire-related images were cropped in irregular shapes, placed around the canvas, and blended evoking a sense of chaos and devastation. An image of …

Caring Cloth Praxis: Ethics Of Loss, Practices Of Remembering, Suzanna James

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

This research, in continual development as a part of early PhD study, is currently entitled ‘Ethics of Loss, Practices of Remembering’ and locates itself within the field of cultural sustainability. It is foregrounded by my MA thesis entitled ‘Caring Cloth’ and works in response to the words of Louise Bourgeois: ‘the needle is used to repair damage, its claim to forgiveness.’ My own socially and environmentally regenerative textiles practice considers the way in which personal practices of remembering can be developed in response to cultural sustainability.

This textiles practice develops explorative visual textile art and social textile practice research which …

23 Extinct Redwork Quilt Project: Repairing Relationships With Our More-Than-Human Kin, Stitch By Stich, Heather Kerley

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

In 2021, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service proposed 23 species for delisting from the Endangered Species Act due to extinction. I would like to present my redwork quilt, Mourning Lost Kin (23 Extinct), which honors each of these species. I plan to share my process from researching and sketching each species to the embroidering of each block and the over-all construction of the quilt. But most importantly, I would love to share the stories of these species, the layers of meaning in this quilt, and the many questions it raised for me over the course of two years. …

Stitches Of Sustainability: Empowering Women And Preserving Culture Through Pakko Embroidery, Rajesh Kumar, Dharmendra Bana, Deepali Bhatnagar

Textile Society of America: Symposium Proceedings

Pakko embroidery, originating from Gujarat’s Kutch district, stands as a testament to the area's rich textile tradition, marrying exceptional craftsmanship with profound cultural narratives. Currently facing the challenge of conserving its heritage while adapting to the evolving demands of the modern world, this study aims to identify pathways for cultural and economic resurgence.

Pakko embroidery, renowned for its sturdiness and the detailed cheereli saankdi stitch, finds itself at a critical crossroads, battling declining engagement and integration into modern design paradigms. Initiatives to rejuvenate interest and establish sustainable practices for artisans are deemed critical for preserving this ancient art for future …