Spoilt Bithch

What is your vision of textile futures?
As people become increasingly environmentally aware, the popularity and quality of eco-textiles is rising. Within the last couple of years, eco-clothing has started appearing in high street stores, a clear sign that the old image of dowdy eco-friendly clothing is fading and eco-fabrics are coming into a league of their own. This growing market will hopefully stimulate investment in eco-textile development. It is inevitable that the future of textiles has to be sustainable.

What is your project about?
Dog clothing is becoming increasingly popular; there is now a huge range of jackets and accessories available for dogs. However, there is a big gap in the market for dog jackets that are functional, high performance, practical and look good while not too posh. Spoilt Bitch aims to create a collection of high performance, stylish dog jackets for a wide range of dog breeds.

What inspires you?
Traditional textiles and prints, from herringbones and twills to old wallpaper and carpets. This, combined with my involvement with the rave scene over the past seven years, has led to my love of kitsch. I like bright, clashing colours, with a traditional twist.

Why are you doing this project? What does it mean to you?
I have always been driven by the idea of running my own business and this project has enabled me to get within reach of my goal. I am excited by the idea of not only designing my own fabrics but also by having them made into final products for retail.

What is ‘future’ about it?
Through extensive market research I have found that there is no dog clothing on the current market that incorporates smart technologies. I have selected a range of smart fabric processes and technologies and applied them to various jackets and collars in my collection.

Which materials and technologies have you used?
Microencapsulated lining which permanently infuses the fabric with scent, anti-microbial fibre which is a proven deterrent to parasites, sound-activated electro-luminescent cable making the jacket flash when the dog barks, motion-activated UN LED's attached to tilt switches making the LEDs flash on and off as the dog moves, polyester, 100% silk.

Ellie Gosse
Ellie spent much of her young life travelling with her family throughout the Middle East and Europe, returning to the UK for her senior education followed by an art foundation course at Winchester School of Art. She moved to London to do a BA (Hons) in woven textiles at Central Saint Martins College. After receiving her BA she enrolled on the MA Design for Textile Futures course.

Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to Web Designer Tim Dundon.