We found much inspiration at the Functional Fabric Fair held in Portland last week. The fair, originated in Germany and launched last year in the US, showcases the latest trends in fabric development for the functional textile industry.

As we walked the booths, we drew on our knowledge of the Bauhaus. Textiles are part of the inner circle of the school’s curriculum wheel. And scaled garment production processes are born of industrial design.

The Bauhaus came into being in response to the industrial revolution. Their curriculum was centered on learning how to design manufactured products that did not lose the sense of the materials they came from. And to design a product by allowing its function to guide its form. ‘The process is one of interaction and mutuality. It is the organization of materials and processes in the productive, economic way, in a harmonious balance of all elements necessary for a certain function. ‘ (L. Moholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, p 35, 45)

‘With increased knowledge and new findings the industrial revolution today enters a new phase.’ Bauhaus instructor László Moholy-Nagy’s words written in 1946 still ring true today. (L. Moholy-Nagy, Vision in Motion, p 48)