The Cat Walk as Spectacle: Hussein Chalayan Spring 2007. A Magician of Technology

This working paper explores my primary research interests in new visual languages available for fashion and textile practitioners using digital tools. It focuses on one of the United Kingdom's most innovative fashion designers, Hussein Chalayan, to illustrate its thesis that a master craftsman moves beyond using technology for its own sake by creating mature visual genres.

I re-examine the premise that it is technology that makes new ideas possible, arguing that it is the uninhibited imagination that leads to inventions, leaving uninspired gadgetry behind. Chalayan's work breaks down the perceived borders between fashion, architecture and engineering, developing a unique style with his fluid use of technology. I also consider Chalayan's work from the audience's perspective, comparing his catwalk to a theatrical performance, where mechanical garments momentarily suspend belief, rendering technology irrelevant. The power of spectacle in the context of a Chalayan fashion show is that the realization of a vision appears to be effortless: neither audience nor artist is distracted by the process or its tools.
The working paper is the publication of a presentation given at Ryerson University [Toronto Metropolitan University] in April 2007.

Ceri Isaac's research involves exploration of the new image styles for surface design made possible through the use of digital photography and inkjet printing. I am fascinated by the idea of photographing objects or textures that are reminiscent of traditional motifs, in a manner that is not too obviously computer generated yet remains modern in impact.

Inspired by the work of Edward Muybridge and Stephen Pippin I have also experimented with the use of motion stills, taken from video footage and laid out into sequences that capture a pattern of movement for the human figure. Viewed from a distance these sequences appear as abstract or geometric shapes.

Since my work relies on digital printing, looking towards the future of this technology as well as forming links with industry developers and other research centres is also an important part of my research.

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