Miyake and Fujiwara's A–POC (A Piece of Clothing) Queen Textile is an innovative outfitting system that produces self–tailored clothing through mass production, a marriage of systems that seem inherently at odds. An industrial weaving machine is preprogrammed to spin an enormous, continuous tube of fabric. A repeating pattern of seams is woven into the tube, creating a patchwork of shapes whose outlines begin to suggest dresses, shirts, socks, gloves, and hats. The customer can cut along the seams without destroying the tubular structure of each individual item. The result is a puzzle of monochromatic articles of clothing that leaves behind virtually no wasted material.
Each item is designed to be slightly oversized when cut from the roll, allowing users to further customize their garments with scissors—sleeve length, bias, and neckline are just a few of the possibilities. By making the wearer the ultimate designer of the outfit, Miyake and Fujiwara's rapid, efficient, and infinitely customizable system pushes conventional textile technology and creates everyday clothing that transcends ephemeral fashion trends.
Publication excerpt from The Museum of Modern Art, MoMA Highlights since 1980, New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 2007, p. 180.
