The Synthetics Revolution: man-made fibres and everyday fashion

A collaboration between the Yorkshire Fashion Archive, ULITA and the Enterprise of Culture project has culminated in an exhibition charting the rise of synthetic fibres in everyday clothing.

The rise of man-made and synthetic fibres has placed 'miracle' materials at the heart of the modern fashion system. Today, these high-performance test-tube materials are found in clothing, furnishings and household goods. From the mid twentieth century, firms such as DuPont, ICI and Courtaulds revolutionised people's relationships with fibres by making and promoting a family of man-made and synthetics, including rayon, nylon, polyester and acrylic. DuPont, the world's largest fibre manufacturer, publicised one new material (acrylic) as a 'better fibre by design than a sheep produces inadvertently'.

Drawing on two archive collections of the University of Leeds, the exhibition delves into how the introduction of synthetic fibres into a predominantly woollen manufacturing area, Yorkshire, had an impact on the lives of its inhabitants and changed the face of the textile industry in the region. Synthetic fibres were a global phenomenon but many technical innovations originated in the region.

This exhibition showcases the Yorkshire Fashion Archive and ULITA – an Archive of International Textiles, both based in the University's School of Design. It offers a glimpse into the range of items these two archives have in their collections and encourages audiences to engage with them.

Through a public programme of events, the exhibition will investigate the experiences of people in Yorkshire as they came to know the new wonder fibres during a period of steadily increasing mass consumption — and their love/hate relationship with them.

The aims of this exhibition are to highlight the existence of these two important archives, to give a glimpse into the range of items they include and to encourage audiences to engage with them.

Opening times: 

Exhibition open from 22 June to 21 July and 4 October to 1 December 2016.
Open Tuesdays to Thursdays, 9.30am to 4.30pm (Friday by appointment).
(August/September by appointment).

See the ULITA website for full venue information or email Jill Winder (0113 343 3919).

For more details about this collaborative project, including information on associated events, please email Fiona Blair or see the Enterprise of Culture website.

The exhibition is financially supported by HERA II (Humanities in the European Research Area) and the EU-funded Rethinking Textiles project.