By Maria Iacobo | Olivia Mintz | The School of Architecture and Planning|
The only way to get clothes that fit your body the way it should have was through bespoke tailoring, which is tailoring clothing made to a customer’s personal specifications. For most people, the cost of practice sewing is expensive. However, the textile industry is being impacted by the development of modern knitting techniques and active fibers.
” We all wear clothes and shoes”, says Sasha MicKinlay MArch ‘ 23, a new graduate of the MIT Department of Architecture. ” It’s a human need. But there’s also the people need to communicate oneself. I like the idea of creating lasting clothing customs. This outfit promises to be more environmentally conscious than standard trend, both for the consumer and the producer.
McKinlay, a textile artist and scientist at the Self-Assembly Lab, created the garment for Ministry of Supply, a high-tech clothing business. To create a unique fit and style, the gown combines various systems. The molded fit is produced by heat-activated yarns, automated knitting, and mechanical stimulation around each garment. A group at Ministry of Supply led the choices on the firm fibers, color, unique dimensions, and overall style.
” Everyone’s body is various”, says Skylar Tibbits, interact professor in the Department of Architecture and chairman of the Self- Council Test. ” Even if you wear the same length as another individual, you’re not really the equal”.
Active garments
For a number of years, individuals in the Self-Assembly Lab have been creating powerful textiles. The yarns they create is change design, change property, modify insulation, or be lightweight. Past uses for tailoring clothing include and Tibbits claims that the 4D Weave Dress is the culmination of everything the individuals have discovered while working with lively textiles.
McKinlay helped create the lively yarns, created the idea style, developed the knitted technique, and programmed the lab’s commercial knitting machine. The machine can quickly produce numerous dresses after the garment design is programmed into it. The inclusion of effective yarns in the design allows the dress to wear a variety of styles, including pintucks, folds, an empire waist, and a fastened waist.
” The style is crucial”, McKinlay says. The majority of people rely on a person’s size, but I believe their style sets them apart. We’re all evolving as people, and I think our type evolves as effectively. After suit, people focus on specific expression”.
Danny Griffin MArch ‘ 22, a current graduate student in architectural design, does n’t have a background in garment making or the fashion industry. Griffin was chosen by Tibbits to join the team because of his background with technology jobs in the construction industry. Griffin incorporated the warmth activation process into a customizable mechanical procedure that could accurately control its application.
” When we apply heat, the materials decrease, causing the cotton to bunch up in a particular area, effectively tightening the form as if we’re tailoring the garment”, says Griffin. ” The robot and the heat gun were a lot of trial and error as we figured it out.” To activate the fibers in each garment, heat must be applied in precise locations. Another challenge was” setting the temperature and the application of heat”
How the robot could access every aspect of the dress took some time to figure out.
” We could n’t use a commercial heat gun — which is like a handheld hair dryer — because they’re too large”, says Griffin. ” We needed a more compact design. Once we had it all figured out, writing the robot’s script turned out to be very enjoyable.
A dress can begin with one design, such as pintucks across the chest, and be worn for months before being heat re-applied to alter its appearance. Heat can be used more often to customize the dress.
Beyond fit and fashion
Efficiently producing garments is a “big challenge” in the fashion industry, according to Gihan Amarasiriwardena ‘ 11, the co- founder and president of Ministry of Supply.
” A lot of times you’ll be guessing what a season’s style is”, he says. ” Sometimes the style does n’t do well, or some sizes do n’t sell out. They could be greatly discounted, or they might end up going to a landfill.
” Fast fashion” is a term that describes clothes that are inexpensive, trendy, and easily disposed of by the consumer. They are quickly produced and designed to keep up with current trends. The 4D Knit Dress, says Tibbits, is the opposite of fast fashion. Unlike the traditional” cut- and- sew” process in the fashion industry, the 4D Knit Dress is made entirely in one piece, which virtually eliminates waste.
” From a global standpoint, you do n’t have tons of excess inventory because the dress is customized to your size”, says Tibbits.
McKinlay says she hopes that the use of this new technology will lower the amount of inventory waste that stores typically have at the end of the season.
According to her,” the dress could be modified to fit these modifications in terms of aesthetics and tastes.” It might also be able to take some of the sizes that retailers need to have in stock. Instead of extra- small, small, medium, large, and extra- large sizes, retailers may be able to have one dress for the smaller sizes and one for the larger sizes. Of course, these are the same sustainability points that would benefit the consumer”.
The Self-Assembly Lab has worked with the Ministry of Supply on projects involving active textiles for a while. Late last year, the team debuted the at the company’s flagship store in Boston, complete with a robotic arm working its way around a dress as customers watched. It was a chance for Amarasiriwardena to gauge interest and get feedback from customers who wanted to try the dress on.
” If the demand is there, this is something we can create quickly” unlike the usual design and manufacturing process, which can take years, says Amarasiriwardena.
Griffin and McKinlay were present for the demonstration, and they were pleased with the outcomes. For Griffin, with the “technical barriers” overcome, he sees many different avenues for the project.
” This experience leaves me wanting to try more”, he says.
McKinlay would enjoy creating more artwork.
According to McKinlay,” I hope this research project helps people reevaluate or reevaluate their relationship with clothes.” When people buy a piece of clothing, it currently only has one “look.” How exciting would it be to buy one piece of clothing and re-create it so that it can change and evolve as you go along, or as the seasons or fashions change? I’m hoping that’s the takeaway that people will have”.
—
Reprinted with permission
***
These From The Good Men Project Might Also Be of Your Interest.
Join The Good Men Project today as a Premium Member.
The Good Men Project can be watched by all Premium Members with NO ADS. You receive an all-access pass with a membership fee of$ 50 per year. You can be a part of every call, group, class and community. A$ 25 annual membership gives you access to one class, one Social Interest group and our online communities. A$ 12 annual membership gives you access to our Friday calls with the publisher, our online community. Need more info?.
—
Photo credit: