Conversational skins : heirloom 'pelts' that emerge and evolve : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand

Fabric garments augment and transform the body as a second skin. This project is a poetic, heuristic inquiry that investigates taking this ‘second skin’ through multiple forms, transitioning between flat fabric, garment form, flat fabric, garment form etc. In this cyclical long-term relationship, the surface of the textile-skin is inscribed and augmented as cuts are made, and ‘healed’ through various textile processes. The scars write a story on the surface. There is a ceremonial sensation to removing and the ‘flattening’ the skin, which evokes the collection of a pelt. Using a phenomenological methodology the ‘flat’ and ‘form’ iterations are performed and photographed, growing a catalogue of the fabric’s evolution. Returning a garment to ‘flat’ offers erasure of form; it can become a level plane for a new construction. This action is achieved by utilising the method of ‘zero waste’ design, in which no fabric is removed in the construction of a garment. This enables the form to be unpicked, reassembled and sewn back to a flat-fabric state. The flat/ form/flat/form cycle is played out as a conversation with the cloth, responding to the flow and tendencies of each textile. The central proposition is that the flat-form-flat cycle provides a channel to engage in the transformative performance of dress, while enacting a use practice that diverges from problematic consumption models. In doing this, a unique surface pattern is inscribed on the cloth. The process asks: ‘what might be allowed to develop?’ The outcome demonstrates a collection of nine textile ‘pelts’ with documented progression; liminal pieces that are detailed artefacts in themselves, yet invite further interaction. Key Words: Textile Design, Speculative, Zero-waste, Shapeshift, Fashion, Skin, Transformation, Performance

Make/Use: : A System for Open Source, User-Modifiable, Zero Waste Fashion Practice

This paper discusses Make/Use, a multi-disciplinary research project exploring “User Modifiable Zero Waste Fashion”. In particular, it addresses the use of textile print and a parametric matrix to facilitate the cognitive and creative processes involved in the transformation from two-dimensional (2D) to three-dimensional (3D) form. The Make/Use project centers on the development and testing of an embedded navigational system by which users can formulate a functional understanding of the form and construction of a garment and its opportunities for manipulation. It questions how the encoding of navigational clues and markers into a garment might aid in its facility for creation and modification by the user, aiming to enhance emotional investment and connection, and extending its functional life by providing embedded opportunities for alteration and visible repair.The research for this work took place while I was a researcher at Massey University, the article was published while an employee at the University of Borås.</p