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CASSIM,TOOMEY,MCNAIR

©2017TheAuthors.PublishedbyLoughboroughUniversity.ThisisanopenaccessarticleundertheCCBY-NClicense(https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/).

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S++:AHybridTextileforHealthcareandWell-BeingContexts

J.Cassim,1,A.Toomey2&J.McNair3

1. J.Cassim,KYOTOD-Lab,KyotoInstituteofTechnology2. A.Toomey,RoyalCollegeofArt3. J.McNair,KYOTOD-Lab,KyotoInstituteofTechnology

ThisitemwassubmittedtotheproceedingsoftheLoughboroughUniversityTextileDesignResearchGroupINTERSECTIONSConference2017byA.Toomey.Citation:Cassim,J.,Toomey,A.&McNair,J.(2017)S++:AHybridTextileforHealthcareandWell-BeingContexts.InProceedingsofIntersections:CollaborationsinTextileDesignResearchConference,13September2017,LoughboroughUniversityLondon,U.K.Availablefromwww.lboro.ac.uk/textile-research/intersections.AdditionalInformation:Publisher:LoughboroughUniversity(©TheAuthors)Rights:ThisworkismadeavailableaccordingtotheconditionsoftheCreativeCommonsAttribution4.0International(CCBY-NC4.0)licence.Fulldetailsofthislicenceareavailableat:https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/PLEASECITETHEPUBLISHEDVERSION.



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Abstract: Thispaperpresentsacollaborative,design-ledresearchprojectbetweenKYOTODesignLab(D-Lab), the Department of Advanced Fibro Science, Kyoto Institute of Technology (KIT) and the RoyalCollegeofArt’sTextilesProgramme(RCA).Theprojectinvolvedaninitialone-weekworkshop,followedby a 6-month design research associateship at KIT’s D-Lab – an innovation incubator deliveredthroughpracticaldesignmethodologiesandinterdisciplinarycollaboration.Thefocusofthisprojectwasto investigatethepossibilityofre-engineeringchirimen,atraditional ‘intelligent’silkcrepefabricbeingwoven in the Tango Peninsula, in northern Kyoto Prefecture. Varying the weave structure itself andintroducing PTT, a thermoplastic polymer, enabled the creation of a hybrid textile of silk which ishydrophilicandPolytrimethyleneterephthalate(PTT)whichishydrophobic.Thishybridtextilesstructureoffersnewproductapplicationsforchirimensilkinhealthcarecontextsagainstabackgroundofindustrydeclineandshrinkingmarketsforthishighlysophisticatedtextile.Keywords:Collaborativeresearch;Inclusivedesign;Hybridtextile;Chirimensilk;HealthcareIntroductionandProjectAimsKYOTO Design Lab was inaugurated in 2014 as an interdisciplinary design and architectural researchcentre independently funded by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, andTechnology(MEXT)attheKyotoInstituteofTechnology(KIT).KITisanationaluniversityestablishedin1949whichtracesitsoriginstotwoschools–theKyotoCraftHighSchoolestablishedin1902andtheKyotoSericultureTrainingSchoolin1899.Asaresult,KITisoneofJapan’sthreemajorcentresfortextileresearch alongside Shinshu University and the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology withparticularexpertiseinthematerials,lifeandinformationsciencesandfibretechnology.UnderthethemeofInnovationbyDesign,KYOTOD-Lab’smissionhasbeentousedesignasthedriverand means to bring together KIT’s expertise in different fields and to work with external partners,particularly inareaswheredesigncanhaveasignificant impact.One irony,however, is thatwhileKIThasawell-regardedfacultyofdesignandarchitecture,textiledesignisnotacurriculumsubject,thereare no looms on campus and it does not have any capacity to weave prototypes although it boastscomprehensivefabrictestingfacilities.Thus,D-Lab’stextile-relatedprojectstodatehaveinvolvedKIT’stextileengineeringandmaterialsscienceexpertisewithexternalpartnersprovidingthetechnicalinputandD-Labthecreativedirectionandprojectmanagement.InAugust2016,KYOTOD-Labhelda5-dayinterdisciplinaryworkshoponthetheme:IntelligentTextilesScenariosforHealthcareandSportsContexts.Theareaofintelligenttextileswaschosensinceitpresentsarichareaforbothcrossoverscenariosthatspanhealthcare(mainstream,specialist,disabilityandage-related),sportsandextremeenvironmentsaswellasthoserelatingtospecificaspectsofeach.Italsodirectlydrawsonthespecialistexpertiseoftheproject partners in their different fields. Intelligent textiles can be defined as those with inherentmaterialqualities,thosewithembeddedtechnologyoracombinationofboth.Theprojectwascenteredon the development of new inclusive product scenarios for these areas harnessing new materialssciencedevelopments,theinherentmaterialqualitiesofchirimensilk,thedesignexpertiseofKYOTOD-Lab and the Royal College of Art’s Textiles Programme and KIT’s inclusive IT specialism, prototypingabilitiesandtextileengineeringresearchnetwork.TheProjectProfessoratKYOTOD-Lab,ProfessorJuliaCassim,andprincipalinvestigatorinthisprojectisaninternationalleadingexpertoninclusivedesignandhaspublishedextensivelyonthesubject.ContextualReviewDesigningforahealthcarecontextrequiresinputfromanumberofstakeholderswitheachonehavingadifferentsetofpriorities,knowledgebase,useofspecialistlanguageandterminologyrelevanttotheir



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individualfield.Penetratingthesepotentialbarrierstoarriveatasharedunderstandingandinterestisan important step for all collaborative initiatives. In this case, the challenge was increased by theparticipants’ differing native language and therefore relied heavily on Cassim’s bilingual fluency inEnglishandJapanese.Thestakeholderswhocontributedtothisprojectincludedamajormanufacturerofperformancefabricsandembeddedtechnologies,aKyotocarehome,achirimensilkweavertogetherwiththeprojectpartnersandamulti-disciplinarygroupofparticipantswhorespondedtoanopencall.

1. ContextualBriefingFamiliarisation with the unique properties and weave structure of chirimen silk, together with anunderstanding its complex productionprocesses,was an essential start point for the project. For thetextilepractitioner, anunderstandingof theemotive and sensory valuesofmaterials are anecessaryprecursortothedesignofspecificproduct.Tothisend,and inadvanceoftheworkshop,astudyvisitwas organised for Cassim and McNair by the Kyoto Prefectural Center for Northern Industry in theTangoPeninsula.Manufacturersofchirimensilkcrepeandthecentralchirimenprocessingcooperativefortheregionwerevisitedtoinvestigateandunderstandthecontextandissuessurroundingthedeclineinchirimenproductionandthepotentialanddrawbacksforitsuseinthehealthcarecontext.Theothercontextual briefing tookplaceon the first dayof theworkshopwhere speakers fromGunze, amajormanufacturerofperformancefabrics,aKyotocarehome,AnneToomeyandProfessorSachikoSukigarabriefedallparticipantsontheirareasofexpertise.Theparticipantsweregroupedintosmallteams,eachledbyRCATextilegraduates.Forthefollowingfourdays,eachteamvisualisedandprototypedasetofdesign ideas,whichwerepresented toan invitedaudience for inputwithMcNair remainingafter theworkshopendforhissix-monthDesignAssociateship.HisdesignbrieffortheDesignAssociateshipwasdefinedintwoquestions:Can chirimen, a traditional ‘intelligent’ silk fabric be re-engineered to allow it tomeet the functionalrequirementsofthehealthcaremarket?Can thenewdesign scenariosopenedupby thisnewmaterialhelp revitalize thechirimen industryandenabletheretentionofitsskillsandknowledgebase?

2. WhyChirimen?ThemoistclimateoftheTangoPeninsula,whichborderstheJapanSeacoastisparticularlysuitedtotheproductionoftextilesandisknownforitschirimenorsilkcrepe,atraditional‘intelligent’silkwhichwasintroduced to the area between 1716-36 but has its origins in China (The Cultural Foundation forPromotingtheNationalCostumeofJapan).Chirimenisthegenericnameforsilkfabricinwhichright-laidand left-laidhard-twistyarnarealternated intheweavingprocess(Inoue&Niwa,2012). ‘Chirimenareclassified by difference in yarn, fabric construction and the size of the rugged crimps on the surface’(Nakae, 1993). While there are many variations of chirimen, hitotoshi chirimen is considered to betypical.Theweftusesrawsilkwhichhasbeentwistedapproximately3,600timespermetrewhilethewarpisgenerallytwisted1,200times.Dependingonthedesiredweavetexture,theright-laidandleft-laid twist can also be varied and need not be identical. The silk yarn is then compressed during thecomplex processing stage of thewoven cloth inwhich the sericin, that coats the separate fibres andeffectivelygluesthemtogetherisremovedbyplungingthewoventextileintofouralternatingbathsofboilingalkalinewatertowhichsodacarbonateandsodiumlaurylsulfatehasbeenadded(Figure1).



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Figure 1. RemovalofthesericinattheTangochirimenprocessingcooperative

Source:KYOTOD-Lab

Thisresultsinthepartialuntwistingoftheweftandshrinkageofthefabricbyupto30%afterwhichthewidth is re-calibrated to the required size in thecomplexprocessing steps that follow.The result is araised,shimmeringpatternoffinecrepe-texturedcrimpsonthesurface,whichareresponsibleforthedistinctivedrapeofthefabricanditspre-eminenceasakimonofabric(Figure2).



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Figure2.InspectionofChirimenfabricattheKyotoPrefecturalInstituteforNorthernIndustry

Source:KYOTOD-Lab

3. ReasonsfortheChirimenIndustryDeclineThefocusoftheS++projectwastoinvestigatewhetheritwaspossibletore-engineerchirimensothatfuture scenarios of use and new product applications could be found for it against a background ofindustrydeclineandshrinkingmarketsforthishighlysophisticatedtextile(Figure3).Akimonorequiresonetanofclothmeasuring13.5metresinlengthand38cmwide.In1973,itspeakyearofproduction,996,000 tan of chirimenwerebeingwovenbutby2016 this figurehadbeen reduced to310,000 tanaccordingtoKyotoPrefecturalInstituteforNorthernIndustrystatistics.The industry is in decline for a range of reasons due primarily to the contemporary preference forwestern clothes over the kimono for everyday wear in Japan. This manifested itself first in theimmediatepostwarperiodwheresilkwassupersededbywoolworstedforuseineverydaykimonoandsilk kimono entered the realm of high-quality kimono for formal occasions or as luxury goods alone(Hashino, T. 2015). Other factors are the lack of contemporary design input into an industrycharacterised by a strong relationship between wholesaler and producer whereby the wholesalercommissionsthetextilebasedonthestyletrendsofanageingmarketandaccordingtoa fixedsetofcolour conventions that are seasonal, related to the age of the wearer, the occasion at which thekimonowillbewornandleavelittleroomforinnovativeordisruptiveapproachesintermsofcolourorpattern. As a result, the designs themselves are often based on stock patterns or variations oftraditionalmotifsadaptedby themanufacturerwithoutany formaldesign input.Thisand thenarrow38cmwidth of the fabric in turn limits the potential of chirimen to be considered for other productscenariosbeyondthoseoftraditionalclothingoraccessories.Theclosednatureoftheindustrywithfewinternational connections due to a lack of linguistic skills on the part of producers have furtherexacerbated the situationashas thedisconnectbetweendyerandweaverwhereby thecloth isdyedprimarily in Kyoto and delivered via thewholesaler as white cloth. There are, however, encouragingsignsofchange.Withtheriseofdirectmarketingviathe internet,someproducersareabletobypass



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thewholesalersandselldirectlyeitherviatheirwebsiteorbyinvitationindepartmentstoresinpop-updisplayswherewhat is now an ‘exotic’ craft is demonstrated. A younger generation of experimentalproducers are working with international haute couture clients as a result of the exposure andpromotionof theirworkbyKyotoPrefecture at such international trade fairs asMaison&Objet andPremiereVision.

Figure3.ChirimensilkfabricbeingwovenintheTangoPeninsula

Source:KYOTOD-Lab

4. FunctionalDemandsofHealthcareTextiles

Itwas, therefore, importanttofindnewdesigncontexts forchirimen.Giventhebeneficialqualitiesofsilk as a material, Japan’s super-ageing society and the burgeoning healthcare market, healthcaretextileswasanobviouschoicebutitscostandotherfactorsprecludeditsuse.Itwasclearthatchirimenwould have to be re-engineered to be sufficiently durable to meet the functional demands of thehealthcare context. Thus, it would need to be combined with a more durable low-cost yarn whosequalitiescouldenhancethefinalfabricanddeliverthefunctionalelementsthatsilkalonecouldnot.Frequent launderingathightemperaturesforsterilizationandstainremoval isalsoasinequanon forhealthcare textiles resulting in many that are synthetic in composition. Their high performancecharacteristics, however, are often derived from chemical additives that may be environmentallyunfriendlyandcanactivelypromotethedevelopmentofadverseskinconditions(Silas, JDetal2007).Thus, the design challenge was to retain the therapeutic properties of silk whilst ensuring that thehybrid textile created was sufficiently robust to withstand the functional demands of healthcarescenarios.The new materials’ physical properties required considerations regarding absorbency, tenacity,flexibility,softness,moisturemanagementandair-permeability.Thelatterthreepropertiesinparticular



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were crucial for situations inwhichpatientsmaybebed-bound, incontinentor spend longperiods infixedpositionssuchasinwheelchairsandthusarevulnerabletotheriskofpressuresores(Figure4).

Figure4.Functionalrequirementsoftextilesforthehealthcaresetting

Source:KYOTOD-Lab

CollaborativeMethodologiesandMechanismsofDeliveryWherethecollaborationcentresondesignandinvolvesarangeofpartnersfromdifferentfields,threeseparatemechanismshavebeencreatedatD-LabbyCassimtodeliverthisinterdisciplinaryapproach–an Open Workshop Programme, a Design Associate Programme and a Designer–in-ResidenceProgramme,ofwhichthefirsttwowereusedinthisproject.Thefirstmechanismconsistsof intensivedesignworkshopsofuptofivedays,whichareorganisedincollaborationwitharesearchgroupatKITand a partner university and/or researchers or designers overseas with expertise in the workshoptheme. Design workshops of this kind follow the Challenge Workshops model developed by CassimwhileattheHelenHamlynCentreforDesignattheRCA(Cassim,J.&Dong,H.2013)andcanbesaidtobeanacceleratedversionof the frontend ideationstageofadesignproject.Assuchtheyhavebeenused at D-Lab as a seeding ground to brainstorm ideas for the Design Associate Programme, whichdirectlyfollowstheworkshop.The Kyoto D-Lab Design Associates program is a six-month research-based innovation incubatordelivered throughpractical design methodologies and interdisciplinary collaboration. In it a youngdesigner fromabroador fromwithin Japan is invited towork collaborativelywith the same researchgroup and external partners to develop a project in response to specific needs or potential areas of



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innovation identified prior to or during the workshop. This programme has a history of successfulcollaborative research projects. For example, in 2015, two young designers - Frank Kolkman fromDesignInteractionsattheRCAandMichelleBaggermanfromtheDesignAcademyEindhovenjoinedKITasKYOTOD-LabDesignAssociates.BothwerematchedwithexistingresearchteamsatKIT–KolkmanworkedwithProfessorMasamitsuYamaguchiof theDepartmentofAppliedBiologywhileBaggermanworked with Professor Teruo Kimura of the Department of Advanced Fibro-Science. In both cases,designwas used amediating and transformative tool to propose new applications and scenarios forexisting researchand toprototypeand refine them in theD-Labworkshops.The resultsofbothhavebeenoutstandingwithKolkman’sprojectwinninga2016DutchDesignAward.TechnicalandLogisticalCollaborativeMethodologiesforS++TheS++project followedthesamemethodologywithan initialworkshoponthethemeof ‘IntelligentTextilesScenariosforHealthcareandSportsContexts’heldatKYOTOD-LabfromAugust29–September2, 2016 in advance of the project start. Anne Toomey,Head of the Textiles Programme at the RoyalCollegeofArt(RCA),aspecialistinthesubject,wasinvitedtoleadthefive-dayworkshopandbroughtthreerecentgraduatesofherprogramme, includingMcNair, thenewDesignAssociatechosenfortheS++project. Theyledthethreeteamsoftextileengineers,materialsscientists,weaversanddesignerswhoparticipatedasaresultofanopencall.TheKITresearchgroupwasheadedbyProfessorSachikoSukigara fromtheDepartmentofAdvancedFibroScienceand includedProfessorNoriakiKuwahara,aspecialist in embedded technology and Dr Kazunari Masutani from the Department of Bio-BasedMaterials. A chirimen silk producer, a major manufacturer of performance fabrics and a Kyotohealthcareproviderforeldercitizensalsoparticipated.In the S++ project, given the inability to prototype any fabric samples on campus and the fact thatneither Cassim nor McNair were weave specialists, the support of the Kyoto Prefectural Center forNorthern Industry in the TangoPeninsulawas enlisted. The roleof this public body is to support thetextile industry in the region through research, development, technical support andpromotion. TheircollaborationprovedvitaltotherealizationoftheS++projectintwokeyaspects:• Atthestartoftheproject,theirSeniorResearcher,IchiroIzawaeffectedthecrucialvisitsbyCassimand

McNairtodifferentchirimen(silkcrepe)producers.Thiswastoenablethemtounderstandtheproductionprocessandthechallengesfacinganindustrycharacterizedbysmallfamilyfirmswithanaverageof1.6employeesofwhich78.5%areagedover60,accordingtothecentre’s2016statistics.Withoutthisintroductioninacountrywhereintroductionsbytrustedthirdpartiesarevital,itwouldhavebeendifficultfortheresearchteamtoestablishcontactwiththekeyplayersinwhatisessentiallyaclosedtraditionalindustryoreventoconductthebasiccontextualresearchnecessarytoadvancetheproject.

• ThefabricsampleswerewovenundertheguidanceofIchiroIzawaandhisteamatthecentreintwobatchesfollowingtheirtechnicalinputregardingoptimalweavestructurefortheproposedhybridfabricandthelikelychirimenbehaviourasaresultofprocessing(Figure1).Theinitialbatchwasalsotestedonthespotatthecentretomeasurepotentialshrinkageoncethesericinwasremovedforeachfabricsample.

Thus,thecollaborationwiththeKyotoPrefecturalCenterforNorthernIndustrywasprimarilytechnicalandlogisticalinnatureandtherelationshipcharacterizedbyastrongquidproquofactorofmutualself-interest.KIT’sinabilitytotechnicallydelivertheprojectwascounterbalancedbytheCenter’slackofanyexternal designnetworkor internal designexpertise,whichhampered their ownmission to findnewpossibilitiesforchirimentostemtheindustrydecline CollaborativeFabricationMethodologyforS++

1. Re-engineeringtheChirimensilk



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Inre-engineeringtheTangoChirimen,wetookadvantageofthedifferential intheyarntwist, thefactthatsilkshrinksandwhenusedforbothwarpandweftcouldserveasafirmstructuretoholdthePTTfilamentandensurethatitwouldsitonthesurfaceofthefinishedfabrictherebymeetingthefunctionalrequirementofoptimummoisturemanagement.VaryingtheweavestructureitselfandintroducingPTT,a thermoplastic polymer, enabled the creation of a hybrid textile of silk, which is hydrophilic andPolytrimethyleneterephthalate(PTT)whichishydrophobic.Theresultisastructuredfabricinwhichthetightlytwistedsilkyarnuntwistsduringtheprocessingstage,pushingthePTTtowardtheskinsurface(Figures5&6).Itwasimportantthatthenewfabricbeassustainableaspossibletoreduceitsenvironmentalimpact.ThePTTyarnusedwasDupont’sSorona®manufacturedunder licenseinJapanbyTeijinasSolotex.®PTT ismadefromthenaturallyoccurringstarchinthekernelsofcorn.DuPontdescribesitashavingathree-partenvironmental story. Composed of 37% plant-based materials renewable resources instead ofpetrochemicals, Sorona® requires 40% less energy toproduce that an equal amountof petrochemical-based polyester making it a more environmentally-friendly alternative than conventional polyesters.Producing Sorona® reduces CO2 emissions by up to 60% over an equal amount of petroleum-basedpolyester(Dupont2017)(Figure8).InitialadviceandsupportinobtainingrawmaterialswasgivenbyDr.KazunariMasutani,aspecialistinPLAintheDepartmentofBiobasedMaterialsScience,atKIT(Figure7).

Figure5.WickingpropertiesofS++fabric

Source:KYOTOD-Lab



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Figure6.StructureoftheS++fabric

Source:KYOTOD-Lab



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Figure7.DiscussionwithDr.MasutaniatKIT’sDepartmentofBio-BasedMaterials

Source:KYOTOD-Lab

2.TheChoiceofPTTandWeaveStructurePolytrimethyleneterephthalate(PTT)hasotherqualitiesthatrecommendeditscompatibilityforthesilkyarnincomparisontoPLAwhichwastheinitialresearchfocus.PTTcouldprovideessentialstretchandrecovery,softnessandhadmoisturemanagementpropertiesandinherentstainresistance,includingUVand chlorine resistance. Silk, on the other hand, is temperature regulating, has moisture wickingpropertiesandisalsobio-compatible.Inre-engineeringthechirimentomeettheconstraintsofthehealthcareenvironment,theweaveofthefabric, including the structural parameters had to be taken into consideration given the differencebetweentheyarnsandtheneedforthePTTtositclosetotheskinsurface.Thedoubleweavestructurewas designed tomaximise air andmoisture permeability, factors which were pre-determined in thedesigningphaseandrealisedintheweavingphaseunderthesupervisionofIchiroIzawa.

3.TheBenefitsoftheNewHybridTextileUsing the hydrophobic PTT yarn close to the skin surface in a point-based, embossedway allows freemovement of air penetration, moisture and carbon dioxide, providing the skin with oxygen moreefficiently,whilst pushingmoisture away from the skin surface toward the hydrophilic silk background.BothPTTand silkare continuous filamentyarns. Thus,notonlydo theywickmoisturemoreeffectivelyawayfromtheskinbutalsoallowforawoventextiletobecreatedwithasmoothersurface,incomparisontothecottonorpoly-cottonalternativescommonlyusedinthehealthcareenvironment(Figures9&10).



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Figure8.Polytrimethyleneterephthalate(PTT)

Source:KYOTOD-Lab



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Figure9.Magnificationofcottonfibreandfilamentwovenstructures

Source:KYOTOD-Lab



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Figure10.S++fabricSource:KYOTOD-Lab



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Figure11.WickingpropertiesofS++fabric

Source:KYOTOD-Lab

Thesilkbackgroundhelps tokeep theskindrybecause thehygroscopic fibrecan rapidlycaptureandholdone-thirdof itsownweight inmoisturewithoutfeelingdamp(Figure11).Thisabsorbedmoistureremains at body temperature and is evaporated into the environment or absorbed by outer layers(Figure 12). It was necessary, also, for the silk to be stain resistant and to incorporate antibacterialqualities.Silkisaproteinfibreandcanpromotethegrowthofbacteria,thusitmustbecoatedwithanantimicrobialtreatmentsuchasAEM5772/5toinhibitthegrowthofgermsandbacteria.Toensurethesilk yarnwas stain resistant like the PTT yarn a hyper-guard coatingwas used; this soil release finishprotectsthedelicatesilkyarn.



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Figure12.MoisturemanagementpropertiesofS++fabric

Source:KYOTOD-Lab

SummaryofCollaborativemethodsforS++Duringthecourseofthisprojectachainof3differentmodelsofcollaborationwereused(Figure13).Itisdoubtfulwhetheranysinglemodelusedinisolationwouldhaveyieldedcomparableresults.The initial interdisciplinary workshop on ‘Intelligent Textiles scenarios for Healthcare and SportsContexts’heldatKIT’sD-LabinKyotofollowedCassim’sChallengeWorkshopsmodel(Cassim,J.&Dong,H. 2013). Stakeholder participation and contributions included a chirimen silk producer, a majormanufacturerofperformancefabricsandembeddedtechnologies,textileengineers,materialscientistsand a Kyoto healthcare provider for elder citizens. Using an Inclusive Design approach to develop ashared understanding of the scope of the project, the workshop was mediated by three design-ledteams. The team leaders were all textile designers, whereas the team members’ profiles weremultidisciplinary and included architecture, product design, computing, textile engineering, materialscienceandindustrialdesign.ThisstageoftheprojecthelpedtoproducetheresearchquestionandthecontextfortheDesignAssociateship.The Design Associateship followed Cassim’s D-Lab model of practical design methodologies andinterdisciplinary collaboration.However, therewere somedistinctaspectsof this stageof theprojectthat identifywithaDesign-STEMmodel, that isanadaptationoftheconventionaldesignprocessthataims to merge the creative, opportunity-seeking aspects of design with the systematic, knowledge-seekingaspectsofSTEM(Toomey,A.&Kapsali,V.2014).Design-STEMischaracterisedbyoneormoreofthefollowingpoints:• Designingwithadvancedmaterials



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• Designingadvancedmaterialsystems• Designprototypingusingadvancedfabrication• DesigningproductswithadvancedfunctionalitiesThe S++ project used DuPont’s Sorona® PTT, manufactured under license in Japan by Teijin asSolotex®, a highly sophisticated polymer. Designing the simultaneous, and thus advanced,functionalitiesofbothhydrophilicandhydrophobicbehaviourswithinone fabriccreatedanadvanced‘materialsystem’forhealthcare.Critically,aDesign-STEMapproach locates thedesignerat theepicentreof theactivity,asasomeonewhocanunderstandenoughSTEMtonotonlyexploitanoveloremergingmaterialbut isabletoabsorbitinto their ‘design toolbox’ andhas theagility tomanageand contextualise innovationemerging fromSTEMcommunities.InthecaseoftheS++project,CassimandMcNairwereabletogainnecessarytechnicalknowledgeinadvanceof the start of theproject through study visits to the chirimenproducers and identified andsought out the relevant additional expertise and knowledge required to convert the idea of re-engineeredchirimensilkintoareality.WhilstboththecollaborationswiththeTangochirimenweaversand theAdvanced Fibro-ScienceDepartmentwere essential for the success of the project, they bothfollowedanagendasetandledbyD-Lab.Additionally,McNairhadtostep across into the domain of the textile technologist to learnhowtoanalysetheS++fabricintheAdvancedFibro-Sciencelabsinordertodetermineandunderstanditsstructureandperformance. Thethird,andfinalstageoftheprojectwasacollaborativeworkshopheldattheRCA’sTextilestudiosaftercompletion of the Design Associate programme and involvedMA Textile design students fromweave,mixed media and print specialisms. Taking the S++ material as a start point and working within theframeworkof healthcare scenarios, the studentsworkedwithMcNair andToomey to explorepotentialapplicationsforthefabric.Thisalsoincludedfuturemodificationsandadaptationsofthefabric.Theresultsof this workshop were included in D-Lab’s Tokyo exhibition (Figure 14) and will help to inform futurescenariosofuseandnewproductapplications.ThemodelusedherebearsstrongresemblancetoTotoriceetal’s ‘Braided’modelofframingthecreativeprocessand involvedboth individualandsharedresearchinterestsandcontextualreviews,collectivereflectionanddialogueinordertoarriveatasharedoutcome:FuturescenariosofuseandnewproductapplicationsforS++(Totorice,C.,Davelaar,E.&Cobb,K.2016)



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Stakeholder Participation/Contribution

Shared understanding of scope informs the direction of the Design Associateship

KIT D-Lab

RCA Textiles

Workshop: ‘Intelligent Textiles Scenarios for Healthcare and Sports Contexts’

Design Associateship: Can Chirimen silk fabric be re-engineered to allow it to meet the functional requirements of the healthcare market?

KIT D-Lab

RCA Textiles

KIT D-Lab

KIT Advanced Fibro- Science

Tango Chirimen Weavers

S++ Hybrid Silk

Healthcare Applications for S++

KIT Bio-based Material Science

Workshop: ‘Healthcare Scenarios for S++ Fabric’

Figure13.SummaryofCollaborativemodelsforS++

Source: RCA Textiles



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Figure14.KYOTOD-LabexhibitionSource:KYOTOD-Lab

FutureScenariosofUseandNewProductApplicationsThedesigncontextofthisresearch-ledprojecthasbeenhealthcareperformancetextilesbutthereareother contexts and product applications where the fabric may be used which would requireconsiderationofothernecessaryproperties.ThecharacteristicsofS++focusedonthematerials’abilitytowickmoisture,controlmoistureandtemperature,antimicrobialandanti-odourpropertiesincludingstainresistance.Duringthedevelopmentandweavingofthefabricsamples,itwasobservedthatbychangingtheratioofsilkyarntoPTTyarn,theendproductapplicationsbecamemorevaried.Forexample,usingmorePTTthansilkcreatesafabricwhichhasmorestretch,supportandrecoverythantheoriginalratioof70%silkto 30% PTT making it suitable for a range of support items such as ankle and wrist supports,chemotherapy caps or the traditional haramaki (belly bands) used extensively in winter in Japan forlumbar comfort. These are commonly produced in eitherwool or cottonwhile the hybrid silk fabricwouldaddsignificant thermalandotheradvantages.TheseandotherscenarioswerethesubjectofaworkshopheldattheRCA’sTextilestudiosafterthecompletionoftheDesignAssociateprogrammethataimed toexpand thenewproduct applications for S++andhighlight futuremodificationsof chirimensilk. Following the project and a two-week textiles summer school organised by KYOTO D-Lab incollaborationwiththeCentre,theRCAandtheDesignAcademyEindhoven(DAE)inAugust2017,D-Lab’sdesignexpertisehasbeenenlistedbyKyoTangoCityandthecentertohelporganiseeventsinadvanceofthe300thAnniversaryofchirimenin2020.



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Figure15.TestingtheS++fabricwithintheKITFibreandTextileScienceDepartment

Source:KYOTOD-Lab

TestingtheResultsOncewoven,there-engineeredfabricwastestedintheAdvancedFibroScienceDepartmentatKITforitssurfaceandmechanicalpropertiesandiscurrentlybeingconsideredforapatentapplication(Figure13).Hencetheseresultsarenotincludedinthiscasestudy.ConclusionInterdisciplinary projects of this type are complex tomanage in terms of communication where theproject partners donot all share a common language, thenecessary technical information cannotbeaccessed easily and the need to step across into other disciplines in order to acquire base-lineknowledgeandspecialistvocabularytoreachasharedgoalbothlimitsanddelaysthespeedofdesigndecisions but which conversely allows a lateral perspective. The initial workshop involved multi-disciplinary, international participants and relied on Cassim, as a fluent Japanese speaker, to act asinterpreter formany of the participants.Without this,many of the nuanced details important in theearlystagesofidentifyingtheresearchquestionandthesharedgoalswouldhavebeenlost.McNairasafirst-time visitor to Japan is not fluent in Japanese, and neither McNair nor Cassim were weavespecialists or textile technologists which posed several obstacles in the second stage of the project.However,wherethereisasharedinterestinthesuccessoftheprojectwhichwillvarydependingontheperspectiveandcontextoftheprojectpartner,successfulcollaborationcantakeplace.McNaircametothe project with no pre-conceived cultural notions about chirimen and could therefore think freelyabout how to use design as a tool to innovate. In the same measure, Ichiro Izawa and the KyotoPrefectural Institute for Northern Industry which boasts no English speakers brought their technicalexpertisetothesubjectalongsideavested interest insupportingtheir local industry.However, itwasnecessary forKYOTODesign Lab to serveas a trustedmediating institution to allow this exchange to



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happen.Theoverallroleofdesigninthiscollaborativeprojectgoesbeyondthatofgeneratingnewideasforproduct intooneof understanding andmediating the groupdynamic, synthesizing andorganisingthecollectivethoughtsintoacohesiveplanand,finally,theoverarchingviewpointoftheentireprojectinordertodirectandassimilatetherelevantskills,knowledgeandcollaborativeactivitiesnecessarytodelivertheoutcome.

AcknowledgementsTheauthorswouldliketoextendthankstoKyotoInstituteofTechnology’sKYOTODesign-LabandtoIchiroIzawaandtheKyotoPrefecturalCentreforNorthernIndustryintheTangoPeninsula.

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ProfessorJuliaCassimistheProjectProfessorofKYOTODesignLabattheKyotoInstituteofTechnology.julia-cassim@kit.ac.jpToomey,AAnneToomeyistheHeadoftheTextilesProgrammeattheRoyalCollegeofArt.anne.toomey@rca.ac.ukMcNair,JJohnMcNairisagraduateoftheMATextilesprogrammeattheRoyalCollegeofArt.john.mcnair@network.rca.ac.uk

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