Hidden Floors

STEP INTO THE NEXT ERA OF FASHION INNOVATION WITH SRD'S GROUNDBREAKING ONGOING RESEARCH PROGRAMME INTO DIGITAL FASHION.

With our events & venues reaching capacities and selling out completely for years, struggling for Space, Seats and FROWS, and Designers looking to explore new Skills and Markets post Brexit & Pandemic, SRD is at the heart of Research and Development in ways to reach new audiences outside and abroad, around our core Pillars of Technology, Equity and Sustainability.

We have worked with a host of fantastic Scottish creatives to design and install a new Virtual Exhibition Hall for V&A Dundee, to create and use spaces differently within the physical building. Working with 12 amazing Scottish designers and makers to BUILD new and entirely digital Collections, Exhibition & Runway.

Technology's evolution reshaped the landscape, from 3G's birth of social media to 4G's e-commerce boom. Now, enter 5G—the billion-fold leap that empowers unprecedented creativity, production, and innovation. With the potential to transform studios into incubators of ingenuity and factories into engines of growth, we're embarking on a journey that promises a new dawn for fashion.

Hidden Floors draws together and extends innovations developed for SRD21, where Glasgow-based digital fashion collection Fashion Interrupted were commissioned to develop digital fashion Layers Unseen: Metaverse People and Applied Arts Scotland’s “Digital Immersive Technologies and Craft Engagement” (DISTANCE) Project, where applied artists explored ways that professional craft practitioners work within digital space. Bringing these skills together with Dundee fashion and textile designer-makers shines a spotlight on the excitement of the digital fashion runway.

 Who created this new work?

At the forefront of this venture is SRD, a Dundee-based fashion and textiles social enterprise, leading the way with a unique 5G project funded by the Tay5G Innovation Challenge award. Thanks to the support of the Scottish Government, The Scotland 5G Centre, Dundee City Council, and the Department of Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT) 5G Innovation Regions project, SRD is collaborating with four local designers, partners Lateral North, Applied Arts Scotland, and digital fashion creatives from Fashion Interrupted.

The Hidden Floors project introduces audiences to a virtual reality experience, redefining how fashion is showcased and consumed. Utilizing 5G technology, the digital runway allows designers like Ruby Coyne from Dreamland, Jolene Guthrie from Jo-AMI, Samantha Paton from Isolated Heroes, and Megan Mackay from Little Peril to present their creations in a global context, eliminating the need for international travel and physical runway shows. These Dundee based fashion designers have been working collaboratively with makers from Applied Arts Scotland experienced in working within immersive digital space. They have been paired up to create their digital collections.

• Ann Marie Shillito, a designer maker and jeweller, worked with Megan Mckay.

• Aubin Stewart, a jeweller, worked with Jolene Guthrie.

• Maija Nygren, a knitwear designer, worked with Samantha Paton.

• Carrie Fertig, an interdisciplinary artist worked with Ruby Coyne.

 What sets the Hidden Floors project apart?

It’s not just the innovative use of 5G technology but the broader ecosystem it creates. You can find additional content throughout this page, which sits beside the installation at V&A Dundee. Try out AR interactivity, Instagram filters, watch interviews with designers, and view the digital exhibition; it’s a comprehensive and engaging platform for fashion enthusiasts worldwide.

SRD Director Caitlin Miller expressed excitement about connecting V&A Dundee with virtual reality events, exploring the potential impact on content, touring, sustainability, and audience engagement. The project's exploration goes beyond fashion, delving into the realms of intellectual property, accessibility, and equity.

As a testament to its commitment to sustainability, the project's real-world impact extends beyond the virtual realm. The SRD Awards, sponsored by UNESCO City of Design Dundee and Shelter Scotland, highlight the intersection of fashion, technology, and social responsibility.

In a pioneering move, Hidden Floors is not confined to the digital realm alone. The physical manifestation of the project includes real-life Fashion Salon Shows and SRD Awards presentations, featuring designers like Ava G Knits, Ayton Clothing, and Kirsteen Stewart. The collaboration with Shelter Scotland adds a philanthropic dimension, with designers nominating their favorite to win the Fashion for Social Change Award.

The Hidden Floors project marks a significant milestone in the evolution of fashion exhibitions, embodying the spirit of Dundee as a hub for design and gaming, and Scotland as a centre for innovation. With its emphasis on inclusivity, sustainability, and cutting-edge technology, Hidden Floors paves the way for a new era in the intersection of fashion, technology, and innovation.

Hidden floors collaborative pairings

Using high speed 5g connectivity our dundee designers have work in their PARTNERSHIPS with makers across scotland

Ann Marie Shillito and Megan Mckay have been working together as part of the 'Hidden Floors' project, their sub-theme delves into the concept of 'Connection, investigating the intriguing parallels between technological circuits and microorganisms found in the natural world. They also explore how form, shape, and pattern serve as expressive manifestations of this theme.

Jolene and Aubin explore where knitwear meets jewellery and the different connections that can be formed, both physically and conceptually. They play with scale, colour, and shape, all of which have been developed from both designers current collections and reflect a strong brand identity.

Through the Hidden Floors project Samantha and Maija are exploring the space of size inclusivity within the clothing sector creating a digital collection that can be co-designed by the wearer. Starting with a body mapped base garment the wearer can decide the final outcome of their desired runway look through modular construction exploring both designers' disciplines of knitwear and sequin embellishments.

Ruby and Carrie explored concepts of the natural environment, sustainability, unusual materials and oversized silhouettes.

Applied Arts Scotland

APPLIED ARTS SCOTLAND IS A MEMBERSHIP ORGANISATION RUN ‘BY MAKERS FOR MAKERS‘ IN SCOTLAND. WE NURTURE THE CREATIVE HEART AND SOUL OF MAKING PRACTICE, CELEBRATE EXPERTISE, AND FACILITATE PRACTICAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CREATIVE AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

Lynne Hocking is the Chair of Applied Arts Scotland, a professional maker, and freelance project facilitator with a particular interest in the intersection between physical and digital making processes and supporting multi-disciplinary collaboration; and leads the DISTANCE Project on behalf of Applied Arts Scotland.

Lateral North

Lateral North are a multi-disciplinary design-led organisation who creatively tell stories, and offer unique skills; from graphic and website design to photography and photogrammetry; from filmmaking and the creation of immersive virtual worlds to community engagement and education toolkits.

Lateral North has delivered unique projects for communities, organisations, institutions, politicians and governments throughout Scotland and beyond.

Steve Colmer is Head of Digital Creativity at Lateral North, and he specialises in new immersive technology such as Augmented and Virtual Reality. He has over 20 years experience in the digital industry and has led projects such as the British Museum’s first VR experience and he partnered with Applied Arts Scotland on the DISTANCE project teaching makers to create and collaborate in VR.

Fashion Interrupted

Fashion Interrupted is a Glasgow-based collective exploring new ways of working in fashion through immersive collaboration. Pushing beyond the limits of physical materials, with an aim to showcase the work of artists and makers in new and innovative ways, Fashion Interrupted expands the possibilities of fashion through digital representation and experiential design.

Founded by designer and creative producer Ciorstaidh Monk as a research platform to explore emerging innovations in fashion, Fashion Interrupted is an evolving collective including artist and designer Gillian Martin, fashion educator and designer, Emma Clifton and make-up and performance artist Madeleine Brown.

The Scotland 5G Centre

The Scotland 5G Centre (S5GC) is the national centre for accelerating the deployment and adoption of 5G connectivity in Scotland’s Industry and Public Sectors.

Funded by the Scottish Government, S5GC provides a wide range of expert, impartial and transparent services free to Scottish-based private and public sector organisations of all sizes.

The Centre offers businesses a unique opportunity to test their products, services and solutions, risk-free, in a secure environment and to use the Private 5G testbed facilities located nationwide. The Centre provides impartial and expert advice - tailored to each business’s needs, working alongside them on their digital journey and identifying 5G solutions that can help their business.

V&A Dundee    

V&A Dundee is Scotland’s design museum. Designed by Kengo Kuma, the museum is at the centre of Dundee’s reimagined waterfront and is part of the V&A family of museums that celebrate creativity in all its forms from across centuries, for everyone.  

V&A Dundee features world-class exhibitions alongside the permanent Scottish Design Galleries, and a changing programme of commissions, events and activities.  

The new museum was created by Design Dundee Ltd with the support of its founding partners: the Victoria and Albert Museum, Dundee City Council, the University of Dundee, Abertay University and Scottish Enterprise.   

V&A Dundee is open 10.00 to 17.00 every day.  

@VADundee  

We would like to thank Dundee City Council, Tay Cities Region Deal, The Scotland 5G Centre, UNESCO City of Design: Dundee, Shelter Scotland, and V&A Dundee for their support #SRD23 #designdundee #ShelterScotland #vadundee