Textile Design and Clothing Manufacture PhD

The Research Institute for Flexible Materials (RIFleX), under the leadership of Professor George Stylios, carries out leading research at the textile/clothing interface, for example, in methods for measurement of textile aesthetics and for fabric mechanics. In addition, computer-aided 3D modelling and visualisation techniques, linked to human body and face modelling, are being developed to simulate garment drape. In addition to opportunities in PhD research, the School houses a unique collection of historical textiles within the Archive Resource Centre and accommodates research related to the history of art and design. A number of projects integrate textile design with technology. A current example includes a study of the aesthetic concepts associated with the incorporation of shape memory materials into textiles to produce fabrics with ‘intelligent’ properties. There is also exciting research in the design of multi-sensory textile products utilising the light-emitting properties of optical fibres, combined with novel applications of electronic sound technology.