Techno Textiles 2: Revolutionary Fabrics for Fashion and Design

This book builds on the first edition's theme of technologically-innovative textiles, with a focus on explaining the textiles and showing their applications in architecture, design, fashion and art. Many of the materials covered have origins in military, space or heavy industry (a shirt, for instance, made partially with metal alloys that "remember" their original shape has roots in the European space program), but have been transformed by engineers, designers, architects and artists into improved (or just different) versions of objects traditionally made with plastic or natural fabric, i.e. three-dimensional embroidery, used for a vascular prosthesis; ceramic-based fabrics that conduct very little heat and make ideal fuel filters and swimwear; and woven polypropylene, as used in architectural applications. Examples are presented in a thoughtful layout that includes hundreds of bright photographs. (Though the "Fashion" section, a fitful marriage of glossy fashion mags and dull techtalk, is lacking in the inspiration department.) The writing, however, runs the gamut from bland to clunky to grammatically or structurally flawed ("Fashion designers choose the new textiles largely for their progressive appearance and sometimes regardless of their supreme performance properties") and can belabor the obvious. ( "Umbrella structures are used in many outdoor sites to provide protection from the elements.") This book has a trove of information and eye candy, but its lack of writing chops makes it more a flip-through visual reference than a satisfying read.
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