Kinetic Fabric

One of the past art movements, called kinetic art, was also given a huge remark in fashion history. Focusing on the movements of fabric, especially how the fabrics are flowing and draping with the movements of the wearer, kinetic fashion has described how fabrics could be regarded as an art of action as well as showing a variation on different types of fabric. Therefore, I wanted to add more diversity to the fabric. Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) is used in various ways, in good usage of remembering the trained shape. To be more specific, as you heat the SMA, it will move to the shape it was memorized for the last. When you buy them, they usually go to a straight shape when you heat them. SMA has the characteristic of remembering the shape which got trained in the hot temperature of about 400 degrees celsius and able to return to the shape as exposed to certain degrees of temperature, even after an extensive amount of alteration has been made to it. In addition to smocking pattern, which is one of the embroidery methods to give design on the fabric used a lot in apparel design, home fashion, etc., the movement of SMA will appear on the design of smocking pattern.

*Personal project done by myself, from idea mapping to development

Process

SMA training:

You will need to fix the SMA into the shape you want tightly with tools that are strong against the heat. Here, I would like it to be trained to coil shape, fixing it onto a metal screw using a knot to fix the end tight. And heat it at 400 degrees celsius for 8-10min in order for it to memorize the shape.

Cut and make loops:

Cut SMA in 4cm each with loops crimped by small metal beads on each side.

Smocking patterns:

draw 3X3 smocking pattern on each fabric

SMA stitching:

Stitch SMA that was cut into 4cm with loops on both ends on the fabric following the smocking pattern. Fix this end onto the other marked position on the fabric. These two edges of the SMA will be the point which you gather in the normal smocking. Continue stitching to the next marking point and fix the second SMA. Knot and cut the thread.

Application