Motion pleats​

Abstract

Pleating is one of the most time consuming, labour intensive and material heavy textile manipulations. However, sustainability is a crucial and pertinent issue in fashion industry these days. The researcher received General Research Fund (GRF) to conduct ‘Developing sustainable pleats design and production methods through body, movement and modern dance’ (Funding amount: HKD 480,000, no. 15613223). Therefore, this research project combines digital knitting, weaving and 3D printing with pleating to examine how cutting-edge technologies bring sustainability to traditional pleat formation. It is apparent that pleats are formed by two factors. The first one is production methods and the second is patterns. Over the last decade, a common question in pleating practice is if the pattern is brand new. Unlike prior methods that directly visualize motion trajectories, this study employs a hybrid approach combining mathematical computations, 2D graphing, and 3D modeling. Utilizing data from a Vicon motion capture system, the research converts dance movements into sculptural forms through Euclidean Distance formula, showcasing how these dynamics can inspire design. This research provided three approaches for new pattern generation. The approach 1 is Woven Pleats with continuous stop-motion images from Vicon motion capture. The 2nd approach is Digital Knitting which adopts Riho3D to divide the form made by Euclidean Distance formula. The approach 3 uses 3D printing to print the new folding structure breaks down by software Pepakura Designer. To conclude, this GRF-supported research project investigates the possibility of generating new folding patterns via body motion, and the patterns are used for sustainable pleating production through digital knitting, weaving and 3D printing. This research outcome is in the form of one journal paper, one conference paper, three conference presentations and four design collections. The dissemination would be at five exhibitions: Beijing, Hong Kong, Venice, Sicily and Paris.