Re.Code I 2020

project partner: Suzan Camlik, Rebecca van de Sand, Lobke Beckfeld, Textile Prototyping Lab, TITV, STFI

How can we transform natural fibre waste into durable textiles that are emotionally enganging?

Nowadays discarding nearly new textiles and clothing has become a cultural practice. The origin of the problem may lie in the failed emotional attachment to the object. The resulting symptoms are masses of textile waste. Re.Code wants to counteract both the short life span of textiles and clothing and the growing amounts of textile waste that is generated during the production and consumption cycles. 

Cellulosic textile waste from the production process, such as short fibre waste, selvedges or long yarn waste, is selected carefully according to fibre quality and colour and spun into new yarn with a small amount of added virgin fibre content. Since the available waste is constantly varying in quality, texture and colour, each yarn is unique. The yarn is woven into double-sided textiles that include an individually chosen text on one side, and a pattern on the other side, which the Re.Code- software generates. Depending on the text, a different pattern is generated, which is woven or knitted, making the textile a personalised piece. The text can also be used to communicate the textile supply chain and create transparency about the entire textile manufacturing process.