"Textiles, innovations et matières actives"

Having first appeared in the 1980s, textiles with active functions, or "smart textiles," represent a rapidly growing market. At the crossroads of technology and handicraft, their creation is a high-voltage challenge, be it in the field of fashion, or that of design, art, architecture, health, or sports.

A selection of authors presents the many fascinating applications of these new materials, whose own technical nature leans toward more informal developments of synergistic and supple materials. This European overview describes new creation processes through the profiles of five types of designers: "researchers," DIY "mutualists," "editors," "eco-techs," and "pathfinder."

Published by Eyrolles, as part of the “Make It Design” collection, this expert overview comes with many illustrated examples, interviews, reports, and conversations, that lead on to many fields for further research.

   Industrial and Social Evolution

   Functional textiles

   Evolving Definitions of Innovation

From Material to Active Materials

Creative Processes in Progress

Connection. A Matter In Itself