Online Elective Course

In 20 years time, will clothes be intelligent, self cleansing, or grown from a living layer of tissue?

This fully online course will look at the exciting possibilities of the future of textile design in relationship to the body including wearable fabrics, clothing, extensions and accessories. Developments in textile technology are evolving at a rapid pace, with innovations that will allow you to reassess what textiles for the body can be. The course will look at textile design in relationship to both the surface and structure of a ‘fabric’.

The topics will look at the interdependence and relationship between traditional techniques and contemporary technology and how developments across both areas have revolutionised textiles. The course will also look at how these advancements are impacting how we dress today, the materials being used for clothing now, the future potential for wearable fabrics and what these may mean in the future. The course will explore these developments with reference to artists, designers and companies.

You will learn how to analyse the development of textile design from fundamental theoretical and historical viewpoints. You will also be able to identify how contemporary textile design for clothing and the body has been influenced by the interrelationship between traditional and technological processes. By experimenting with your own individual projects you will examine the influence of traditional processes on technology and how traditional techniques utilise new technology. Through collaborative projects you will explore the innovative potential of the characteristics and functions clothing may have in the future. You will learn how to appreciate the scope of textile design for the body.

NOTE: This course is conducted via the Omnium system (omnium.edu.au). Students will receive log in instructions via their UNSW email account prior to the commencement of the course. For international students: This 6 unit of credit (UOC) online course can only be undertaken in addition to the minimum 18 UOC face-to-face requirement per session.