Digital Craft (2006 -2007)
Principal Investigator: Melanie Bowles
Funded by: Chelsea College of Art and Design

Digital textile design and print is a fast growing development in the textiles and fashion. This is having a huge impact on the look of textile design and as a result a new aesthetic is emerging. Printed textiles are being created with a harder and more graphic ‘look’. My research explores methods of designing textiles with digital media, with the intention of retaining historical and traditional textile elements that have been lost in the new technological explosion. The main aim is to redefine a contemporary textile craft practice utilizing new digital technologies. The research focuses on 3 main areas:

1. Design
Using the vector graphics program Adobe Illustrator as my design tool I translate traditional embroidery techniques digitally. My digital stylus replicates the meticulous process of the embroideries needle rather than the immediate cut and paste that is so often used. I explore the capabilities of design technology to create a new textile aesthetic that has only been achievable by traditional skills and methods of embroidery.

2. Historical
The research focuses on retaining the beauty of rich, cultural and historical imagery in its design but within a contemporary context to create a ‘future antique’. It aims to reconnects the viewer to the past craft and beauty of historically textiles which has recently been lost with new technology.

3. Environmental
The research addresses the emotional value of a textile product to give it a longer life. The research will be using digital textile printing, which offers environmental benefits over traditional printing.

The outcome for this research is an eight-piece textile collection of digitally printed scarves on silk. This collection was shown at London Craft Fair ‘Origin, which is organised by The Crafts Council, October 2007. www.melaniebowles.co.uk