Fabric for Fashion The Complete GuideNatural and man-made fibers Published in 2014 by Laurence King Publishing Ltd 361–373 City Road London EC1V 1LR tel +44 20 7841 6900 fax +44 20 7841 6910 e-mail enquiries@laurenceking.com © text 2014 Amanda Johnston and Clive Hallett All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN-13: 978 1 78067 334 9 Cover image: Courtesy Yiqing Yin, photo by Laurence Laborie Designed by Struktur Design Limited Printed in China Fabric for Fashion The Complete Guide Natural and man-made fibers Clive Hallett and Amanda Johnston Photo editing and commissioned photography by Myka Baum Laurence King Publishing Introduction Section 1: Animal fibers Section 2: Plant fibers Section 3: Man-made fibers Useful information Introduction 8 Fibers to fabrics 12 Introducing color 44 Wool 62 Luxury animal fibers 86 Silk 104 Linen 128 Cotton 142 Alternative plant fibers 166 Synthetic fibers 184 Artificial fibers 212 Fabric and the fashion industry 236 Resources/Glossary 248 Index/Credits/Acknowledgments 262 6 Introduction Fashion design and textile knowledge are often taught as separate disciplines, and knowledge of the raw materials and processes that make up a fabric are not usually integrated into fashion studies.
A confident understanding of fabrics, and the fibers they are composed of, is fundamental to the design process, allowing one to make informed choices rather than arbitrary decisions based upon surface appeal. 7 This book is intended as an easily navigable fabric lexicon Our relationship with fibers and fabrics is intimate and all- 8 that explores the relationship between fashion and textiles encompassing; we are surrounded by, sleep in, and are clothed and encourages an awareness of fibers and fabrics in a broader by them. Historically textiles have been valued not only for their fashion context. It is designed to inform the reader of the practical and aesthetic properties, but also as incredibly powerful endless possibilities that fabrics offer to the design process.
It is cultural indicators. Textiles display the artistry and ingenuity of not intended as an exhaustive technical manual, but rather as a a civilization, the most precious examples of which even help tool to inform, inspire, and encourage the creative use of fabrics. to denote status within society. In contemporary life an ever- The content of the book is intended to support an essential more sophisticated and growing range of fabrics expresses the knowledge base, which is fundamental to developing a range complex language of fashion.
of fashion products. The textile industry may be simplistically viewed as the Focusing in turn on animal, plant, and man-made fibers, supplier of the raw materials for the fashion industry, whereas in each of the three sections considers the origins of specific fibers reality the two industries are inextricably linked. Developments within these classifications, their history, provenance, and the in the textile industry invariably impact upon the fashion processing journey to finished fabric. Additionally, it explores the industry, and vice versa.
Fabrics are also incredibly powerful as socioeconomic factors that may have influenced the importance a strong visual indicator of a brand, often defining aspects of a of a specific fiber, in order to create an awareness of how one’s brand identity. choice of material may impact upon ecological, sustainable, and The fashion designer’s relationship with fabric is at the ethical issues. heart of the creative process. The right choice of fabric is Each section provides an extensive database fundamental to good design and is instrumental to its success.
of terminology, to encourage informed and effective The better the understanding of the material, the more effective communication with industry professionals. This is is the symbiosis between the design and fabric. underpinned with information about processes generic to all fibers regardless of origin. The importance of color is explored within a separate section, and the final chapter “The future of fashion lies in fabrics.
Everything comes contextualizes the interrelationship of all the components that from fabrics.” make up the fashion industry. Donna Karan “The bond between fashion and textiles is one of mutual dependency and reciprocal influence; a shared destiny based upon our need for clothing.” Fashion and Textiles: An Overview Colin Gale and Jasbir Kaur (Berg Publishers, 2004) OTHER SYNTHETICS ACRYLIC This chart shows recent figures for global textile fiber demand, illustrating the current worldwide dominance of low-cost synthetic fibers. In the natural and bio-based fiber sectors, cotton is the most popular choice. Statistic source: The Fiber Year, 2010, Oerlikon Introduction 9 Introduction 10 Fabrics: the raw material Recent decades have seen a growing appreciation of natural fibers at accessible price points.
Today, exciting potential of fashion is offered by leaps in technology with natural fibers, man-made artificial regenerates, and refined synthetics. They offer exciting options for an increasingly complex range of consumer demands. Throughout history people have clothed themselves with natural Sophisticated developments in man-made textiles offer a look fabrics made from animal or plant fibers. Man’s ingenuity in quite different to traditional, natural materials, and do not work developing and processing these raw materials has become more against them but alongside them instead.
Combinations of sophisticated over time. microfibers (the new generation of ultra-fine synthetics) with The twentieth century heralded the invention of synthetic regenerated yarns, silks, cottons, and linens provide new looks fabrics, originally developed to mimic the attributes of natural and performance potential. The emphasis placed on recycling fibers, and provide inexpensive alternatives with a low- in our everyday life has influenced current research into the maintenance appeal. Brand names such as Dacron, Terylene, development of biodegradable synthetics.
Orlon, Acrylan, and Crimplene are examples of materials that were made from the main generic synthetics group that includes polyamide, nylon, polyester, acetate, and acrylic. These fibers and filaments are primarily derived from coal and oil- based raw materials. The cotton and wool trade organizations have invested in fiber development technology and proactive marketing campaigns to regain the market share initially lost to the man-made materials. The future of fabrics As well as aesthetic considerations, there are many issues to take “Fashion designers are alert to the recent into account when working with fabrics.
This showpiece from the developments in fibers and fabrics and the exhibition “Wonderland” (opposite page) explores alternative importance of the right choice for their collections.” approaches informed by factors such as biodegradability and Sarah E. Braddock Clark and Marie Mahoney, the life span of a product. Techno Textiles 2 “Wonderland” is the result of a dynamic collaborative project between Professor Tony Ryan from Sheffield University and designer Helen Storey, incorporating the work of textile designer Trish Belford. The project brings together the worlds of art, fashion, and science in an engaging installation first opened as an exhibition at the London College of Fashion in January 2008.
“Wonderland” was conceived as a series of disappearing dresses made from textiles that slowly dissolve in water to create a visually arresting metaphor for the central themes of the project. Each dress behaves differently as it enters the water, resulting in vibrant underwater fireworks that express the beauty of biodegradability. The disappearing dresses provoke inquiry into the environmental sustainability of our current fashion industry and how we deal with waste. The original focus of the collaboration was the problem of plastic bottle waste and the concept of “intelligent” packaging.
This has resulted in the development of a material that dissolves in hot water to form a gel in which seeds can be sown, with the potential to revolutionize the packaging industry. Introduction 11 Introduction 12 Fibers to fabrics Fibers to fabrics As an introduction to the world of natural fabrics, this chapter examines the processes involved in the manufacturing of textiles, Yarn from the raw fiber through to the finished material, ready to use. Yarns, or threads, are fibers that have been spun together to It is a generic account irrespective of fiber category, whether create a continuous length of interlocked fibers. They are usually derived from animal or vegetable sources.
Each fiber type will be 13 knitted or woven together to make fabric, and may be dyed examined in detail in its respective chapter. before or after this process. Fiber to yarn Carding All natural fabrics begin life as fibers. These natural fibers, Carding is the process of brushing raw or washed fibers to whether animal or plant in origin, are spun into yarn, which prepare them for spinning.
A large variety of fibers can be in turn is constructed into fabric. carded, including all animal hairs, wool, and cotton. Flax is not carded, but is threshed, a process of beating cereal plants in Fiber order to separate the grain from the straw. Carding can also be used to create mixes of different fibers or of different colors.
Hand carding uses two brushes that look a little like dog The term “fiber” can be applied to animal, vegetable, or mineral brushes. The fibers are brushed between them until they all substances, and describes a long, thin, flexible structure. align, more or less, in the same direction. The fibers are then Fibers exist in a natural or synthetic form and can be processed rolled off the brushes and evenly distributed into a rolag, a loose into yarns.
roll of fibers, ready for spinning. The machine-carding device is called a drum carder and can vary in size from tabletop to room size. The fibers are fed into a series of rollers that straighten and align them. When the fibers are removed from the roller drums they form a flat orderly mass known as a bat.
Combing Combing is usually an additional operation after carding, and gives a better, smoother finish to the fibers and to the eventual fabric. Combs are used to remove the short fibers, known as noils, and arrange the remaining fibers in a flat bundle, all facing in the same direction. (opposite page) Yarns or threads, Wool fiber dyed in a range of Hand carding and blending fibers. Blending fibers of different visible in these frayed fabric edges, glowing fall shades in preparation Association of Weavers, Spinners, characteristics together creates can be made of both natural and for the spinning process.
This image and Dyers. innovative new yarns that can man-made fibers. Color can be captures the characteristic springy embody the best aspects of each applied to either finished fabric or ringlets of wool fiber. The mixture of alpaca and silk the yarn, which is then knitted or in this example creates a mélange woven together to make the fabric.
of both texture and color; the alpaca lends warmth and softness while the silk sharpens the texture by lending it luster. Fiber to yarn Spinning Twisting fibers together by spinning binds them into a stronger, longer yarn. Originally fibers were twisted by hand, then a 14 handheld “stick,” or spindle, made the process a little more comfortable. The invention of the spinning wheel allowed continuous, faster spinning.
Used in a domestic environment, spinning wheels were hand or foot operated. Water-driven spinning machines were followed by steam-driven machinery, which took domestic spinning out of the home and into the factory. The invention of electricity made the spinning process much more sophisticated and, with the exception of handicraft spinning, made it a full-time commercial enterprise. (above) Hand spinning—in this by means of a handheld wooden Twist and ply case llama wool in Peru—is a spindle, using methods that remain The direction in which the yarn is spun is called twist.
A “Z” labor-intensive process that is fundamentally unchanged since twist shows a right-hand angle, while an “S” twist has a left- today only practiced for specialty early spinning techniques that hand angle. The tightness of the twist is measured in TPI (twists craft purposes. The yarn is spun predate the spinning wheel.
