New issue of The Colourist published

We are pleased to say the new issue of the SDC members' magazine The Colourist has now been published and will be mailed out to all SDC members around the world next week. This issue has a 'wool dyeing' theme and features the colourful work of designer Ella Robinson on the front cover!

by CMcN

Planet Textiles - new sustainability event

Bookings now open!

This exciting new event is dedicated to improving the environmental and social impact of the global textile and clothing supply chain - brought to you by the SDC, the publisher of Ecotextile News and Messe Frankfurt.

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Planet Textiles takes place on 18 March 2010 in Hong Kong and is supported by leading industry organisations and international clothing retailers. It is being launched in Hong Kong alongside the Interstoff Asia Essential fabric exhibition and will be an annual international event on eco-textiles, moving to different locations around the globe in conjunction with Messe Frankfurt exhibitions.

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The theme of the first event is 'Changing the Culture – Placing Sustainability at the Heart of the Organisation' and it will see representatives from some of the world’s leading clothing and textile companies addressing the very latest issues on sustainability throughout the textiles and clothing supply chain.

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The full line-up has been announced, with a keynote address from Cara Chacon (director of CSR, Patagonia, USA), who will discuss managing sustainable change in a major retail organisation and across the supply chain. The conference will hear executives from leading global companies, such as Adidas and Lenzing.

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There will be Q&A sessions during the day-long event, chaired by John Mowbray (Ecotextile News) and Andrew Filarowski (SDC technical director) and there will also be a parallel 'ask the expert' session, hosted by the main sponsor of this event Huntsman, on the topic of dyeing and finishing.

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The full programme and information about booking can be found at: http://www.planet-textiles.com/

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by CMcN

New SDC corporate colours

The SDC has a new visual identity – an identity that is evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, enabling the Society to move forward into the 21st century, whilst honouring its incredible heritage. This last year has seen the SDC positioning itself for the future, with a new vision and a new business plan in place. As part of the business planning process, a Board decision was taken to rebrand. It was felt that a strong, consistent identity which reflects our new vision was fundamental to the delivery of our business plan.

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Rationale for the new brand colours
The colours in the new SDC logo reflect the organisational values and vision: purple is included to evoke quality, encouraging thoughts of the highest standards; this is mixed with the efficiency, reliability and trustworthiness of blue; and rounded off with warm bright yellow and turquoise to emphasise the young, forward thinking aspects of the new brand.

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The process involved

A rebranding process was initiated, with the input of colour psychology consultants, Colour Affects, in regards to the colour choice for the new logo, working with designer Harmeet Sembi to bring together ideas that would result in a coherent corporate brand. It was seen as important to maintain the colour mauve/purple within the new corporate colours, with perhaps a slightly stronger hue. The significance of purple to the SDC is linked to Sir William Henry Perkin’s discovery of mauveive, the first synthetic dye. It was Perkin's recognition of the potential of mauve as a dye, coupled with his iron determination to commercialise it, that sparked that launched the modern synthetic chemical industry.

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The full palette

Therefore, in honour of Perkin and the colour he invented, purple remains an ‘SDC colour’, with a specific selection of colours available within the full palette. Every colour in the brand palette has a positive relationship with every other colour (this principle is at the heart of the Colour Affects System of applied colour psychology) and these are outlined in the new SDC branding guidelines (PDF file) which is available on the downloads section of the SDC website. Requests for a print-resolution logo can be sent to marketing@sdc.org.uk.

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by CMcN

Competition: colour and social responsibility

The SDC International Design Competition 2010 has been launched. The brief asks for a creative, imaginative and original use of colour in fashion or textiles, with a theme of social responsibility, which might see entrants answering questions along the lines of:

· What are the opportunities for incorporating elements of social responsibility into design?
· What impact does the choice of materials have on all the elements in the supply chain?
· How long are clothes expected to last? Does quality manufacturing provide for social responsibility?
· Natural dyes and fibres vs synthetic dyes and fibres – is it true that ‘natural’ always means better for the environment?
· What role does technology have?

Full details of the brief and the required deliverables are available to download from the SDC website, along with information on how to enter/competition rules. The competition is open to fashion or textile undergraduate students in the following countries:

// Australia // China // Hong Kong // India // Ireland //
New Zealand // Pakistan // Singapore // South Africa // UK

Tutors must pre-select three students per college to enter the regional heats. These will generally be held in the 2nd quarter of 2010 and dates will be announced when available. All country finalists will be invited to the grand final in London in October 2010 and will be in for a chance of winning the SDC Colour Design Award 2010, with a prize of £1000 plus the Veronica Bell Trophy.

If you want to find out more, please get in touch without delay!
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Image: cover of Sep/Oct 2009 issue of FRAME magazine which was jam-packed with colour-related items. More information at: www.framemag.com
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by CMcN

Environmental dyeing

Today sees the second part of the two-phase launch of the - first ever - SDC special interest group (SIG) which will have a focus of environmental dyeing.

It goes without saying that the dyeing and finishing sectors, historically, have been big energy users and often portrayed as using large amounts of energy and water and being a polluter through effluent. However, there is often a public misconception of the current industry, which, increasingly, is seeing the implementation of best practice policies resulting in evermore eco-efficient dyehouses worldwide.

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The SDC has a role to play in this area and through the engagement of strategic alliances with respected environment lobby and resource groups based globally, it will further allow for the promotion of best practice. A key objective for the SDC is to promote good ethical and environment working practice within the textile and coloration supply chain and, in this respect, ensures information and practical advice is available to members and the industry as a whole.

By engaging people with similar goals for the industry and providing one viable and trusted source for information on the topic the SIG will be able to influence the industry and create an environmental and sustainable industry for the future providing confidence for the consumer. It is open to anyone, anywhere in the world with an interest in this topic - which will be made possible by making use of digital technologies (a dedicated WikiSpace is now available).

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Anyone, interested in joining, please get in touch without delay!

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by CMcN

Colour: Design & Creativity

A new article has been published in Colour: Design & Creativity, the SDC online journal available at: http://www.colour-journal.org/. The study deals with the influence of the background on the colour appearance of images and the perception of these; read it here. Issue 4 of the journal is open for submissions and we are keen to hear from authors of regular research articles or review papers, or any artists/designers wishing to submit work to the gallery section. Please contact us at: editorial@sdc.org.uk
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Colour and design were also a key feature at the seminars held last week at the 100% Design exhibition in London, which were organised by Global Color Research/The Mix and featuring experts from a variety of backgrounds inluding GCR and NCS. The GCR stand was very inspiring, with visitors given the opportunity to predict their own colour trends for interiors (shown here).

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The NCS stand also was busy, with visitors checking out the new NCS Navigator brand new application system, which was being demonstarted on the stand and is available through the NCS website.

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Lots of other interesting exhibitors too, including textile designer Sophie Hedderwick, with her Reglo, recycled chair woven with neon wires pictured here.

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Texprint prize winners 2009

A whole host of deserving young designers received recognition as recipients of Texprint First View prizes in July. All the six prize winners are featured on ColourClick, with a full profile available of the Colour Prize winner to follow. Here we are happy to be able share their amazing designs, to delight and inspire!

COLOUR PRIZE: Lisa Stannard : : Profile
Degree: BA Textile Design
Manchester Metropolitan University School of Art

'“People, Places and Things” provide the source for original illustrations which inspire a sophisticated range of digital print designs'

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BREAKING NEW GROUND: Nicola Strathearn
Degree: MA Mixed Media Textiles Royal College of Art

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'Organic growths such as lichen and fungi inspire curious combinations of materials creating innovative and intriguing manipulated fabric designs'

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INTERIOR FASHION: Nancy Taplin

Degree: BA Fashion and Textiles Colchester School of Art & Design

'Embellished print designs informed by narratives drawn from an eclectic personal collection of cultural and historical emblems'

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KNIT: Hollie Maloney

Degree: BA Fashion & Textiles

University of Brighton

'Knitwear design collection inspired by the eco-architecture and the accidental colour within the photography of structure'

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PRINT PRIZE: Ruth Davis

Degree: BA Fashion Design

University of Northumbria

'“Tin Can Alley” celebrates the quintessentially British charm of Scarborough and its market vaults in a collection of screen-printed designs'

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WEAVE: Martha Steadman

Degree: BA Textile Design

Central St Martin’s College of Art and Design

'Traditional associations in the Welsh valleys. Double cloth “carthen” weaving influences a contemporary and personal woven design collection'

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The SDC is pleased to have supported the First View Exhibition for another year, and pleased also to have had a chance to meet all the 24 students who exhibited in London. Pictured below is the SDC chief executive Susie Hargreaves with the Interior Fashion prize winner Nancy Taplin, who was also the runner up in our very own global design competition this year (read more here).

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Good luck to all the prize winners when they exhibit their designs at Indigo (in Paris) in September and at Interstoff Asia (in Hong Kong) in October!

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by CMcN