Peer Reviewed Article
The Exploration of Modular Systems for Textile and Apparel Design
The aim of this design research is to explore modular shapes and interlocking systems for apparel design using research through practice approach. As a transformable design approach, modular design features small standardized units that can be independently combined in various configurations to create different forms and provide multiple functions. However, there has been little hands-on integration of methods for developing more fitted garment designs and incorporating visually appealing surfaces, such as prints, within a modular system. By adopting Bye’s description of a research through practice approach, the researchers for this study aimed to explore modular textile systems that would result in more fitted garments and aesthetically appealing surfaces. Through documenting and analyzing a range of data from the design process and outcome of four experimental designs, this study resulted in the development of advanced research through a Focused Knowledge Design Practice framework.
Cite article:
Chen, C., & Lapolla, K. (2021). The Exploration of the Modular System in Textile and Apparel Design. Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, 39(1), 39-54. https://doi.org/10.1177/0887302X20937061
Focused Knowledge Design Practice Framework.
The starting point of the framework is based on a project aim or questions derived from previous experience. Detailed contextual review leads to the action of data collection through practices such as sketching, digital drawing, and sampling. Then, the data are analyzed, leading to the development of the experimental design. The process is repeated to gain increasingly focused knowledge which supports the future study. This coincides with Bye’s (2010) Framework for Clothing and Textile Design Scholarship, which suggests that the advancement of a research through practice framework depends on continuous exploration of the subject and review of past experimental designs.
Figure 6. A Research through Practice Framework Leads to Focused Knowledge.