The Erotic Cloth: Seduction and Fetishism in Textiles

Description

Through their metaphorical and material qualities, textiles can be seductive, exciting, intimate and, at times, shocking and disquieting. This book is the first critical examination of the erotically charged relationship between the surface of the skin and the touch of cloth, exploring the ways in which textiles can seduce, conceal and reveal through their interactions with the body. From the beautiful cloth which is quietly suggestive, to bold expressions of deviant sexuality, cloth is a message carrier for both desiring and being desired. The drape, fold, touch and feel, the sound and look of cloth in motion, allow for the exploration of identity as a sensual, gendered or political experience. The book features contributions on the sensory rustle and drape of silk taffeta and the secret pleasures of embroidery, on fetishistic punk street-style and homoerotic intimacy in men's shirts on screen, and a new perspective on the role of cloth and skin in the classic film Blade Runner. In doing so, it interrogates experiences of cloth within social, historical, psychological and cultural contexts. Divided into four sections on representation, design, otherness and performance, The Erotic Cloth showcases a variety of debates that are at the heart of contemporary textile research, drawing on the fields of art, design, film, performance, culture and politics. Playful, provocative and beautifully illustrated with over 50 color images, it will appeal to students and scholars of textiles, fashion, gender, art and anthropology.

Lesley Millar is Professor of Textile Culture and Director of The International Textile Research Center at the University for the Creative Arts, UK. Alice Kettle is Professor of Textile Arts at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK and Visiting Professor at the Center for Real World Learning, University of Winchester, UK.

With such a combination of word and image, this collection fulfills its promise and more: it excites, disturbs, and satisfies. * Selvedge Magazine * Weaver Lesley Millar and embroiderer Alice Kettle introduce 12 substantial essays by an international group ... The excellent colour illustrations throughout range widely through images of textile objects and clothing and their depiction in painting, sculpture, photography, film, dance and performance art in periods from the Renaissance to the present. * Journal for Weavers, Spinners & Dyers * Refreshing ... At last, here is a book that puts textiles into the heart of academia. * Sew Region Magazine * This nuanced and thoughtful set of essays successfully combines the academic with the personal and creative, exploring the different ways in which cloth can relate to the body. -- Sorcha O'Brien, Kingston School of Art, UK A range of sensual engagements with cloth and its representation, this fascinating collection is packed with vivid imagery and insight. -- Barbara Brownie, University of Hertfordshire, UK The Erotic Cloth is a delight to read. Exploring intimacy, erotica, fetish and sexual expectations, Kettle and Millar have gathered research that will profoundly affect fashion scholarship. -- Sandra Alfody, Novia Scotia College of Art & Design, Canada Millar and Kettle's formidable knowledge offers a stimulating exploration of our sensual relationship with cloth. An immensely satisfying book, and essential reading for anyone with a passion for fabric. -- Susan Prichard, Senior Curator of Decorative Arts at Royal Museums Greenwich, UK