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Abstract
In the context of a transition to a more sustainable fashion and textile industry, blended textiles (materials where two or more different resources are combined) are a major issue. These are described as “monstrous hybrids” and used to create “Frankenstein products” that are difficult to recover and recycle. The circular economy champions mono-materiality. It asks that technical and biological materials are kept in separate cycles, as shown in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s “butterfly model”; named because of its two wing-like sides. But in reality, materials are mixed in most of the textiles that surround us, and fully mono-material design is unrealistic in many cases. The butterfly wings are broken. This paper explores the various ways textile designers make blended textiles and acknowledges their role and creativity when providing solutions for aesthetic and technical requirements. The study draws on the first two authors’ PhD practice research that explored these issues from complementary re-active and pro-active approaches. Both carried out at the University of the Arts London, one project investigated Textile Design for Disassembly and the other Design for Recycling Knitwear. Using an after-action review approach, joint insights from both projects are presented. The paper investigates blending across three themes: hierarchy, technique and fibre type. It focuses on why these themes are relevant to designers and explores their different levels of complexity, before demonstrating how multiple perspectives are necessary to address the complex and systemic issues tied to blend recyclability. The paper concludes that blending and recovery are not mutually exclusive and that blended textiles can, with forethought, form part of the circular economy.
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the funding provided by University of the Arts London and the Cotton Textile Research Trust, without which the research this paper is based on would not be possible.
Disclosure Statement
The authors report there are no competing interests to declare.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Cathryn Anneka Hall
Dr Cathryn Anneka Hall is a postdoctoral researcher at University of Arts London and Design School Kolding currently working on Bio-Inspired Textile research and ReSuit (Recycling Technologies and Sustainable Textile Product Design) research projects respectively. Working at the intersection of academia and industry, Cathryn’s research explores recycling, sorting, and designing of post-consumer waste textiles for the circular economy. [email protected]
Laetitia Forst
Dr Laetitia Forst completed her PhD on Textile Design for Disassembly in December 2020. Since then she has been a post-doctoral research fellow at UAL, working on the UKRI funded Business of Fashion and Textiles project with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion and on the EU Horizon 2020 funded HEREWEAR project with the Centre for Circular Design.
Kate Goldsworthy
Professor Kate Goldsworthy is Chair of Circular Design and Innovation and co-founder of the Centre for Circular Design at Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London. Her research explores future manufacturing and material recovery contexts through interdisciplinary design and often involves R&D with industry partners to progress their circular and sustainable practices.
Rebecca Earley
Professor Rebecca Earley is a researcher, award-winning designer and co-founder of Centre for Circular Design at Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London. Her creative fashion textile research work has been widely exhibited over the last twenty-five years. She leads EU project work packages on social and circular design and supports organisations to explore and embed creative strategies.