Edinburgh Napier University

  Award-winning Digital Lace design work (Taylor & Robertson: ISWC 2014) was one of six, digital exhibits selected for the first V&A Museum of Design Dundee’s Touring Exhibition, Design in Motion.
The exhibit comprised: a new textile sampler iteration, Digital Lace 2 together with two handling samples, developed with distinctive lighting and colour-change sequences.

Three handling samples comprising: a printed Liquid Crystal pattern incorporating positive and negative transition across the pattern on black linen and, two fully integrated fabrics with fibre optics and knitted sensors were commissioned by V&A Dundee.

Materials: White-scattering liquid crystal thermochromic dye; polymer optical fibres; Arduino micro-controllers; fine enamelled copper wire; LED light devices.

Dimensions: 90 cm height, 15cm in width (sampler); 30cm height, 15cm in width (handling samples)

Digital Lace is a re-interpretation of heritage lace which exploits and amalgamates the responsive technologies of dye (newly developed White Scattering Liquid Crystal thermochromics) and fibre (polymer optical fibre) with digital-control. The unique light and colour-changing effects were designed as a vertically hung exhibit and are controlled by Arduino and use specially designed knitted textile heat sensors.

The exhibition showcased seven of Scotland’s contemporary designers who use digital technologies to reimagine traditional heritage. The exhibition toured for 17 weeks with visits to 85 venues across Scotland including rural locations such as Harris, Campeltown, Elgin and Galashiels as well as Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen with the final stop at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Visitor figures totalled 12,000. Media coverage was extensive across Scotland and the UK with a total of 107 pieces of coverage with a circulation of almost 3.2million (V&AD 2015).

Sarah Taylor & Sara Robertson were featured in the 'Textiles in Motion' section of the accompanying V&A Museum of Design's exhibition publication, Design in Motion Inspiration Kit.

V&AD 2015: Design in Motion Project Review Report, Marketing and Communications, Coverage, p14, V&A Museum of Design, Dundee.

[Design in Motion exhibition: www.vandadundee.org/design-in-motion/designers]