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    Colonial textile culture in mid-nineteenth century Aotearoa New Zealand : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2020) McKergow, Fiona Mary
    Historians are increasingly paying attention to the intersections between objects, people and places as an aspect of the social and cultural histories of settler colonial societies. This thesis investigates selected textiles of British migrant and settler women in Aotearoa New Zealand as an element of what is defined here as ‘colonial textile culture’. It draws on the collections of mid-nineteenth century clothing and textiles held at two provincial museums in the lower North Island of New Zealand: Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science and History, in Palmerston North, and Whanganui Regional Museum, in Whanganui. Colonial textile culture is examined through six surviving objects associated with migrant women of English, Irish and Scottish ethnic origin. These are presented as part of a wider re-evaluation of textiles in colonial cultural history. A set of journals, a mourning sampler and a workbox allow insights into the more personal aspects of textile culture, while a silk wedding dress, a battle flag and a straw bonnet reflect its more public dimensions. Many of these are revealed to be highly emotional objects, in addition to their sensory dimensions, that were essential to the making of relationships, identities and experiences. The concept of colonial textile culture encapsulates the ways in which textiles in mid-nineteenth century Aotearoa New Zealand variously created and sustained family memories; contested and reinforced notions of social class; related to both feminine and masculine identities; and served as a site of interaction between British migrant and settler women and Māori communities. Colonial textile culture was also a source of commercial opportunity for some women. Finally, it was part of a wider circulation of commodities, ideas and practices throughout the British Empire that provided an underpinning to the extension of settler colonialism.
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    Handmade tales : sustainable fashion through craft connections : a thesis submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of Master of Design, Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand
    (Massey University, 2016) Kapur, Harita
    India is a country with an ancient history. The crafts of this country are diverse and are a reflection of the country’s cultural heritage. According to Dasra (2013), the craft industry provides millions of artisans with employment and is one of the largest small scale or cottage industries. For centuries, these craft communities have specialized in traditions that are specific to the regions and respective skills, which have been handed down from generations of artisans. Yet in recent years, as Wood (2011) notes, this sector faces a major threat as a result of growing preference for mass produced designs that are cheap and easy to afford. This has contributed to the steady decline of craft based products. This, alongside a lack of knowledge of new innovative ways to design, and decreasing demand for their products have left the craftspeople very vulnerable and has posed a big threat to their sustainable livelihoods. Integrating fashion design with artisan textiles can help regenerate the community and village culture while enhancing the value of products. This practice led research project offers a framework to meet the emerging challenges associated with ethical and environmental principles linked with fashion by incorporating sustainable processes used in traditional craft production. Importantly, it can also offer one strategy to support economic sustainability issues linked to the livelihood of craftspeople at the village level. The project develops an example of a sustainable fashion design process by drawing from the rich heritage of Indian crafts and focuses on developing a fashion collection that integrates artisan craft textiles into the design process. This reaches out to a market that is sensitive towards sustainability issues linked to artisan livelihood and fashion and values the handmade and organic as an alternative approach. This exploration of issues related to sustainability both for fashion design and craft is an attempt to uncover why developing a relationship between the two is significantly more relevant today than it ever has been.
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    Draped garments : the influences of fabric characteristics and draping methods on 3D form : a thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Design at Massey University
    (Massey University, 2006) Li, Ying
    This thesis explores the way in which fabric characteristics; in particular the drapeability can influence and create three-dimensional form for garments. The aim is to combine scientific, visual and drape research and design methodologies to better inform the final design outcome - in this case a collcction of garments. The characteristics of a fabric influence the draping effect. How fabrics with different drapeabilities influence design ideas and final forms is explored and revealed in this thesis. An experimental fabric drape testing method is developed, which is suitable for the design processes of a practicing designer in order to investigate fabrics' drape characteristics. Six fabrics are chosen from the experiments that establish the quantitative and visual evidences for the design development. Each fabric is draped into one form according to its characteristic that influences the design ideas. Then other fabrics arc draped into the same form to provide comparisons of their different performances and evaluate how they create different appearances for the same form. A range of three-dimensional effects that are different from conventional garment shapes are created in which the fabric controls the final form. Various draping methods inspired by selected contemporary designers are employed to design the spatial effects around the body. Concepts of deconstruction, imperfection, volume, voids and architectural shape, are addressed in the design methodology. The collection "Changing Dresses" is the final outcome of the initial design research, in which six dresses are creatcd with variations from a single basic form. A range of draping methods are employed that best highlight the qualities of the fabrics and create sculptural forms that reflect the knowledge of fabrics on the body gained through the research. The three-dimensional garments, thus, stem from the research into the relationships among fabric characteristics and draping methods.