There is so much more I could do with this material!
Marlies Schets set up an intensive collaboration with Raymakers & Co Textiel in Gemert and the Textielmuseum in Tilburg to develop a reflective fabric. What triggered her was the well-known DayGlo safety vest. What if she could integrate the reflective characteristics into everyday items?
It has resulted in 'Seen': a series of designs that make sure you catch people’s eyes at night, but with which you can also show yourself off in daylight. Marlies has developed a machine-woven fabric that incorporates reflective yarn. The fabrics are great for use in everyday pieces such as bags, coats and shawls. But they also reflect the light as you would expect from safety gear. Seen has won Marlies a nomination for a Keep an Eye Grant. What would she do with €11,000?
"I am not a fashion designer. The issue for me was purely functional, the project was all about the application. And about working with textile.
I would like to take 'Seen' to fairs like Materia, and present the products online. I could do it on a small budget, but to develop Seen into a manufacturing company I need money. There is so much more I could do with this fabric: I could weave fluorescent company logos into fabrics, and it can be turned into all kinds of products. I also think that there is a demand for such products outside the Netherlands. I would like to start with a studio of my own, with good machines, invest in more yarns, perform tests with my fabrics, etcetera. And I would like to work with partners, so that Seen can grow."