Textile Light Design

What happens if light transforms into an integrated active part of a textile surface?The field of Smart Textiles is characterized by the use of a new generation of materials, which no longer have static expressions. They change their performance and expression in a given context through outer stimuli, introducing new dimensions in design and generating a change in design practice.This paper discusses examples of light emitting textile design research, which explore aesthetic-, functional, and conceptual opportunities of PMMA optical fibres in textile applications.The outcome is a range of samples which explore how materials and different textile structures affect light intensity and quality, how to achieve patterns incorporating lighting and not lighting, and 3dimensional lighting surfaces. Light emitting models also stand for visualisation of different concept ideas; incorporating the use of sunlight as a renewable energy source or for dynamic lighting.Keywords: textile design, Smart Textiles, dynamic light, PMMA optical fibres