TACTILE MATTERS
— Tactile field research on the boundaries of clothing
As our sensory access to the world shifts through increasing digitalization and automation, what tactile and haptic role might clothing play as a “second skin”? How can it help anchor the wearer in the here and now — and positively influence self-awareness?
Tactile Matters explores the sensory potential of clothing through the lens of speculative design, investigating how garments might become tools for perception, presence, and embodied experience.
Master Thesis, 2020
University of Arts and Design Basel
Tactile Tracksuit
— Feel Suit
The Feel Suit is a tight-fitting full-body garment made of soft neoprene. Its surface is treated with flock fibres, strategically applied according to the tactile body map. Designed to train the sense of touch and enhance bodily awareness, the suit invites the wearer to actively explore and reflect on their own perception of physical presence.
Tactile Tracksuit
—Hug Wear
By incorporating strategically placed weights, this garment exerts gentle, continuous pressure on the body—similar to the sensation of a sustained hug. The added weight provides constant sensory feedback, enhancing body awareness and posture perception. This calming effect can support focus and help the wearer remain grounded throughout the day.
Tactile Tracksuit
— Relief Shirt
Originally based on a classic white cotton shirt, this piece was digitally captured using 3D scanning technology. What was once only visible in motion—temporary folds and distortions in the fabric—has now been transformed into a permanent, relief-like surface structure, making the transient tactility of clothing physically and visually tangible.
In Tactile Matters, I explore how clothing can support self-awareness and physical well-being through tactile stimulation—especially in a time when digitalization and automation increasingly shift our interactions into virtual space. As we spend less time in direct contact with the physical world, our visual sense becomes overstimulated, while our sense of touch is often underutilized. Yet touch is fundamental to how we experience our bodies, form relationships, and navigate the world. Drawing on interdisciplinary research, including work by Dr. Martin Grunwald at the Haptics Institute Leipzig, I investigate how tactile input affects emotional states, posture, and body perception—and what role clothing might play as a “second skin” that anchors us in the here and now.
Based on these insights, I developed three tracksuits that activate the tactile sense through material, weight, texture, and fit. Designed as speculative tools, these garments aim to gently train body awareness and offer calming effects in stressful situations. Tactile Matters questions the dominance of the visual in fashion design and proposes an expanded understanding of clothing—as a medium not only for aesthetic expression, but also for sensory connection. The project offers a critical impulse to rethink design logic and explore the potential of textiles to foster everyday well-being through touch.
