eTextile crystallography is a collaboration between Rachel Freire and Melissa Coleman. It explores the idea of growing a luxurious futuristic garment and the aesthetics and practicalities involved. Red carpet dresses and gowns are created at huge expense and often worn only once as they are so unique and recognisable.
Rather than make a single use, incredibly expensive crystal gown with synthesized crystals, we pose the idea that you can create a gown which can be grown and re-grown in different forms to be worn on multiple occasions. Technology is expensive and often not sustainably created, so we wanted to make the foundation of a dress - including interactive and reactive elements - which can be re-used and re-created as a different garment for each wearer. The eTextile electronics in the garment are washable and will stay the same. But each time the dress is worn it's crystals can be re-grown and each resulting gown is completely unique.
TUTORIAL [step by step - how to make the sample to the right] | FLICKR GALLERY - process images
BELOW: An illusion-net collar, grown in two stages:
1. diffusion: white ‘starter’ crystals grown over LEDs to sculpt growth and increase diffusion
2. ombré: a second layer of smaller grey crystals covers the surface. It is disrupted while grown, to create varying thickness and a gradient colour effect
1-3: illusion net collar with bonded taffeta eTextile circuit and 60 cool white SMDs, prepared for growing.
4-6: Protoyping - Smoky diffused crystal samples: a layer of smoky grey crystals, using with natural dyes, grown over larger white ‘starter’ crystals which cover the LEDs
7-8: Protoyping - Dotstar experiments with Statex TechnikTex stretch eTextiles traces. The footprint of programmable LEDs requires much larger crystal growth [see 4-6]
eTextile test circuits: warm and cool white SMD LEDs [top] and addressable LEDs [bottom]
LEDs are adapted for eTextiles by sodering tiny loops to the connectors, and using copper thread for sewing to the fabric. Stretch knit conductive traces are bonded to super-fine washed yak leather
addressable wired LEDs and perforated leather samples with glowing crystals
addressable wired sample with human hair on tulle
work in progress
BELOW: concept image Rachel Freire, photography © Allan Amato
