Iron Textile, Fabric, Textures, Patterns and Cloth Design · 2021
Reminiscent Fragrant Textiles
- A' Design Award 2021 Iron Winner in Textile, Fabric, Textures, Patterns and Cloth Design
- Awarded April 15, 2021
- CLIENT: Pallavi Padukone
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 26,678
- Verification code D047AD7C59 · Verify this award
About Reminiscent Fragrant Textiles
Reinterpreting the fragrance industry, Pallavi Padukone uses textiles as aromatherapy to condense time and distance and create an immersive experience to reconnect with nature, nostalgia, her home, and identity. Reminiscent uses natural ways to integrate and infuse scents into textiles through perfumed pockets and embroidery and embellishment using scent coated cotton yarn and organza silk. At a time when wearing masks is the new normal, her textiles pay tribute to the sensorial experience of smell and its effect on mental and physical wellness.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Reinterpreting the fragrance industry, Reminiscent uses natural ways to integrate and infuse scents into hand-made textiles through embroidery and embellishment.
Collaborating with nature I use only biodegradable materials in my production process. I developed a natural coating for cotton yarn as a carrier for fragrances that are embroidered onto Organza silk. I have used the calming scent of jasmine in these textiles as it is reminiscent of my hometown of Bengaluru in India and brings me a sense of comfort. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Jasmine Textile I Dimension : 1041.4 mm x 1117.6 mm
Jasmine Textile II Dimension: 914.4 mm x 1371.6 mm - Tags
- Textiles, Fragrant embroidery, Scented embellishment, Material innovation, Natural fibers, Sustainable textiles, Natural dyes, Handcrafted, Coated yarn
- Production Technology
- Jasmine II is handcrafted from 100% sheer organza silk with hand-smocked accessible pockets to store flowers and fragrances. Jasmine I is crafted with 100% organza silk with scented embellishment that is handset and machine embroidered.
Creating a system of fragrant embellishment, through trial and error, I developed a natural coating for cotton yarn using filtered beeswax hardened with tree resin, pure jasmine essential oil, and colored with natural pigments. The yarn is coated in the medium and cured in a sealed casing for 24 hours to lock in the scent before it is ready to be used for embellishment. - Design Challenge
- The creative challenge was the temporality of scents and how to make them last longer. The accessible pockets in Jasmine II allow the user to replenish the fragrance once the flower buds lose their scent.
The scent-coated yarn on Jasmine I allows the fragrance to remain anywhere up to one to three months, depending on their exposure to heat and light. The impermanence is a reminder of its completely natural state, just as the color of natural dyes also tends to alter with time.
I use beeswax as my base for my coating as it burns slowly and therefore releases the scent at a slower pace. I combine the wax with a tree-based resin that increases its melting point and hardens and strengthens it, making it more durable for manipulation and use in embroidery and weaving. - Project Duration
- The project started in December 2019 in New York and finished in May 2020 in New York, and was exhibited at New York Textile Month in September 2020
- Operation Flow
- The multi-sensorial qualities of these textiles allow the user to engage with them on different levels of interaction- through touch, smell, and sight. Fragrances can be customized based on the user's preference. The fragrances of the coated yarn are released strongly when the textiles are placed in direct contact with heat. The textiles are also made from natural materials, which are biodegradable including dyes, which are less harmful to the environment. The accessible pockets on Jasmine II allow the user to replace the flowers in the textile when the smell fades away or interchange them with another fragrance.
- Research
- Over the last year, the COVID pandemic has forced all of us to make significant lifestyle changes. The all-pervasive change has been the wearing of masks that restricts our sense of smell, a sense that we usually take for granted. The pandemic has made us also realize the power of this sense in our lives, whether it is with the cool, fresh air that we breathe or its ability to evoke wonder, desire, or longing, of memories and of happiness. Reminiscent textiles pay tribute to this powerful sensorial experience and its effect on mental and physical wellness.
- Inspiration
- The calming effect of a small pouch of lavender while being cooped up in my apartment during the lockdown in 2020 gave me the idea to further explore the concept of scents for wellness and how they can be expressed through color, patterns, and textures. Reminiscent, is my way of using textiles as aromatherapy, to condense time and distance and reconnect with nature, nostalgia, home, and identity.
- Image Credits
- Image #1 Photographer Olivia Koval, Reminiscent Jasmine II, 2019
Image #2 Photographer Olivia Koval, Reminiscent Jasmine II, 2019
Image #3 Photographer Pallavi Padukone, Reminiscent Jasmine II, 2019
Image #4 Photographer Pallavi Padukone, Reminiscent Jasmine I, 2020
Image #4 Photographer Pallavi Padukone, Reminiscent Jasmine I, 2020 - Patents
- Copyrights belong to Pallavi Padukone, 2021.
Colors of Reminiscent Fragrant Textiles
Design Interview about Reminiscent Fragrant Textiles
I use natural ways to integrate fragrances into hand-crafted textiles. The sense of smell is a powerful catalyst to trigger memories and feelings of calm and comfort. My current experimental sensorial collection Reminiscent is dedicated to scents associated with my hometown of Bengaluru, India. I use textiles as aromatherapy to condense time and distance and create an immersive experience to reconnect with nature, nostalgia, home, and identity.
Each fragrance represents a different color palette and is translated through handwoven and embroidered wall hangings and tapestries. Collaborating with nature and using only biodegradable materials in my production process, using recycled silk, perfumed pockets, and scent-coated yarn my work explores the concept of fragrances for wellness and how they can be expressed through color, patterns, and textures.
Each fragrance represents a different color palette and is translated through handwoven and embroidered wall hangings and tapestries. Collaborating with nature and using only biodegradable materials in my production process, using recycled silk, perfumed pockets, and scent-coated yarn my work explores the concept of fragrances for wellness and how they can be expressed through color, patterns, and textures.
My work explores the idea of reinterpreting the fragrance industry by depicting scents through color, texture, and patterns and exploring textiles as a multi-sensorial medium. The pandemic has also made us realize the power of the sense of smell in our lives, whether with the cool, fresh air that we breathe or the myriad of smells that are powerful catalysts that trigger emotional connection and their therapeutic qualities of evoking calm and comfort. At a time when wearing masks is the new normal, and we take our sense of smell for granted, my textiles pay tribute to this powerful sensorial experience and its effect on mental and physical wellness.
I would like to further develop the idea of creating sensorial experiences through textiles and fragrances for interiors. I plan to develop collections that are reminiscent of new people, places, and time.
I had started to ideate and experiment with this concept in 2019. The testing and sampling with the coated yarn was during 2020. The research and experimentation are still ongoing and I aim to further develop and refine my ideas and techniques.
This concept was initially born while pursuing my Masters in Textiles. The ideation and exploration were a part of my final capstone project and have been further developed since. The integration of fragrance and textiles resonated with me and I find there is great scope for multi-sensorial textiles in terms of applications.
As of now, I plan on producing the work myself.
I have an emotional connection with certain fragrances and a passion for textiles. I was intrigued by the combination. In the last year, I feel that connection grew stronger. The sense of smell is such a powerful catalyst to trigger comfort and familiarity. My initial source of inspiration was the calming effect of a small pouch of lavender while being cooped up in my apartment during the lockdown in 2020. This gave me the idea to further explore the concept of scents for wellness.
The textile tapestries can be used in interior settings and spaces for healing and wellness. The scents I have used such as jasmine having calming qualities that work well in such spaces just as hospitality settings, yoga, and meditation centers, and residential spaces. Fragrances can be interchanged depending on the user's mood and the ambiance of the space. The target customer is anyone who has an appreciation for fragrances and textile art.
Olfactory art is still up and coming. The techniques used in my textiles are unique and the scent-coated yarn I have developed is one of a kind. An important aspect of my work is the use of natural and biodegradable materials in my production process, including natural dyes.
The name Reminiscent is a play on words reflecting the connection I have with memories, nostalgia, and scents. My current collection is a library of fragrances that are reminiscent of my hometown of Bengaluru. Fragrance associated with familiar people, places, and times in my life that bring me a sense of comfort.
I use the adobe creative suite softwares to develop and plan my patterns and for ideation. My textiles are crafted using the handloom or handset and machine embroidered.
Reinterpreting the fragrance industry by using scents as a form of embellishment is a unique concept. My textiles have accessible pockets to store scents that can be replenished or interchanged with new fragrances depending on your mood. My scent-coated yarn can also be integrated into weaving and embroidery. My textiles are all crafted with natural materials.
I have worked independently on this design.
Fragrance preference is very subjective and personal. I conducted surveys to fuel my research to understand and analyze the connection participants had linking smells to memories, emotions, textures, colors, and visual cues.
I initially saw the temporality of scents as a challenge, but I grew to accept the beauty of impermanence. The scents on these textile pieces in my collection continue to remain anywhere up to three months, depending on their exposure to heat and light. The impermanence is a reminder of its completely natural state as they absorb new smells, just as dyes tend to alter with time.
My intention to submit my work to an international design competition is to put my work and ideas out there in the world, to get feedback, and connect and collaborate with others in the industry.
This project was research and material explorative and involved several rounds of testing for the coating and with textile production techniques. I further expanded my research with natural dyes as well. Overall, the project was a learning process.
The power of fragrant textiles has great scope for applications. I am keen to further develop this project and open to collaborations and commissions.