NeoCraft: Exploring Smart Textiles in the Light of Traditional Textile Crafts

Smart and interactive textiles have resulted from exploration and adoption of new materials and technology of the Digital age and can be described as the next phase in the evolution of Textiles. As we learn to make textiles with new properties, it is important that we also define the narrative of smart textiles. To develop narratives for smart textiles we can learn from the traditional textile craft communities who, for generations, have successfully embedded their cultural narratives within their fabric, creating textiles that are functional as well as coded with meaning and purpose. This paper describes ways in which craftsman understood and explored materials; the need for us to be craftsman and explore materials that can create new narrative and myths; it also highlights the need to involve traditional artisans to be part of the smart textiles exploration and to learn from them to create transient textiles that can lead to new interactions and experiences.