Presentation from Professor Sandy Black, Centre for Sustainable Fashion, University of the Arts, WEAR Sustain Open Call London Launch, Digital Catapult 3rd May 2017

1. Fashion,
Technology –
Sustainability?
Professor Sandy Black
Centre for Sustainable Fashion, University of the Arts London.
WEAR sustain 4th May 2017

2. The Power of Fashion
• Social catalyst
• Communication medium
• Personal and public realms
• Display status, sexuality, messages
• Enhance self esteem and express identity
• Reduce stigma in medical/professional contexts
• Engender belonging or difference
• Make radical statements
• Engage others
• Be cool

4. The Fashion Paradox: fast fashion,cheap fashion
fast fashion, cheap fashion
The opening of Primark Oxford St
London 2008

6. Electronic waste
Toxic e-waste in India

7. Catwalk images
Bangladesh factory

8. The paradox of fashion consumption and obsolescence
sustaining economic infrastructure, employment and trade.
Fashion cycles and fashion cultures, the logistics of the
design and manufacturing processes in the fashion
industry’s supply chains, and the role of the designer.
Ethical considerations and environmental impact in textile
and fashion design and production. Humanitarian and social
issues eg fair trading, transparency and labour rights,
inclusive design
Changes in consumer behaviour; evolution of faster fashion
cycles and online channels, social shopping influencing
purchasing decisions
The Fashion Paradox: transience vs sustainability

9. Issues for the textiles and fashion supply chain
environmental impact of textile raw materials, dyes,
effluents and processes, a global supply chain
product design choices and impact on life cycle
- raw material, processes and finishes, manufacture
transportation , laundry and care, disposal infrastructure
re-use, reduce, recycle, re-design, repair, disassemble?
rethink!
the impact of the current fashion system and trends:
- faster fashion cycles and cheap disposable fashion
sourcing of ethical production and working practices,
offshoring vs reshoring
Centre for Sustainable Fashion LCF

10. Evaluation carried out in 2006 for the
Department for Eco-Design &
Sustainable Development of the
French Environment Agency ADEME

11. 2008 2011

12. Solutions?
Less but cleverer stuff
Multifunctional textiles- both delightful and useful
New fibre technologies
Nano-composite materials for fabrics
Fabric coating and micro-encapsulation for therapeutic clothing
Smart materials from renewable sources
Enhanced safety and security – eg warning indicators
New design and manufacturing paradigms
Fashion on demand
Personalised fashion
Local manufacturing
Flexible manufacturing
Longer lasting refreshable clothes
Reduction in cleaning needs
Centre for Sustainable Fashion LCF

13. Wish list for multi-functional textiles and fashion
Fashion which can delight and endure through variation in
surface qualities, density, size and aesthetics
Fabrics which last longer, stay cleaner, and use less energy and
resources to make.
Fabrics which are made from bio-degradable materials
and which decompose benignly
Multifunctional fabrics which can change in colour and pattern ,
without using battery power, in response to mood, choice
Fabrics which can communicate through display
Fabrics which are truly breathable and can ventilate or insulate
in response to conditions
Fabrics which can mend themselves and recharge their
functionalities
Centre for Sustainable Fashion LCF

14. Here and now - materials and technologies
•thermochromic, photochromic and electrochromic materials
•phase change materials
•shape memory alloys and polymers
•conductive fibres and yarns – metals, conductive polymers
•quantum tunnelling composites for switching devices
•piezoelectric resistance
•bio-materials
•light emitting polymers
•light emitting diodes
•photovoltaics and solar cells
•photoluminescence
•fibre optics
•traditional weaving, knitting and embroidery with conductive
threads
Centre for Sustainable Fashion LCF

15. even more technologies….
•Holography
•plasma technologies for fibre and fabric coating
•electrospinning and non-woven fibre assemblies
•carbon nano tubes and graphene
•organic/plastic electronics
•micro and nano encapsulation
•sensor technologies – hard and soft
•virtual and augmented reality
•global positioning systems and wireless communications
•radio frequency identification (RFID) tags
•micro-electronic mechanical systems (MEMS)
•ubiquitous computing and Internet of Things enable immersion
Centre for Sustainable Fashion LCF

16. What is the Future of Digital Fashion and
Wearables? What is the potential for digital fashion?
 Is there a future for craft and hand made?
 How will we expect our clothing to perform for us in 20
years?
 What can wearable technology do better for us?
 What are the implications for sustainability and waste?
 If our emotional states can easily be revealed by
sensors, chips and tags in our surroundings , then who is
in control of our identity?
 Can we choose not to participate in the IoT?
 With the future potential for technology implants will the
body become the ultimate computer interface?
Centre for Sustainable Fashion LCF

17. Early experiments in
electronic textiles and
wearable technology
-hard and soft

18. First generation embedded technologies
Fibretronic
Softswitch
technology
O’Neill jacket
cells

19. Burton 2001
Angel Chang 2006
softer design approaches
Embedded technologies
Georgia Tech 2000

20. O’Neill solar back pack Smartlife

21. Peratech technology
Nike
Relaunched pressure
sensitive fabric
technology

22. S
LED display and interaction
PIX Korea
NYX USA
Studio 5050

23. Interrogating Fashion
Designing for the 21st
Century project

24. Georgie Ichikawa LCF for Thomas Kitazawa
Nyx technology LED display
Urban Heart Angels
Interrogating Fashion @LCF

25. Sarah Kettley and
Speckled computing
Napier University
www.specknet.org
Interactive jewellery
Interrogating Fashion @LCF

26. Interrogating Fashion @LCF
Memory-rich clothing: Joanna Berzowska, XS Labs, Canada
Touch sensitive responsive technologies

27. Interrogating Fashion @LCF

28. SKORPIONS by Joanna Berzowska & Di Mainstone
©XS Labs Montreal 2007
Radical concepts for functionalised fashion

29. Whispers project
Camille Baker

30. Personalised Fashion
and fit- Considerate
Design project

31. CONSIDERATE DESIGN for
PERSONALISED FASHION PRODUCTS
Prof Sandy Black, LCF
Dr Claudia Eckert, Open University
Philip Delamore LCF
Dr Frances Geesin LCF
Steven Harkin Design
Dr Penelope Watkins LCF
Dr David Wynn EDC Cambridge
Fatemeh Eskandarypur

34. Individual size and shape: made to measure
customisation paradigm
UCL/London College of Fashion

35. Steven Harkin Design

36. Bespoke back pack – craft and technology

37. Hybrid Bespoke designs

38. Ergonomic design from scan, to moulded back

39. Freedom of Creation – rapid manufacturing

40. Freedom of Creation: Janne Kyttanen and Jiri Evenhuis
New paradigms: Evolving Textiles?

41. © Complex Matters

42. Evolving Textiles – first prototyp
© Philip Delamore and partners
First and fourth iterations

43. Personalised knitwear
-a near-finished garment directly off the
knitting machine meeting the needs for
personal fit, preference and design

44. Precision fit in standard knitwear for comfort and medical
applications

45. Functionalised fashion
and textiles

46. Hussein Chalayan
a/w 2007 a/w 2009

47. Hussein Chalayan s/s 2007

48. Hussein Chalayan s/s 2007

49. Integrated soft circuits: Intelligent Textiles Ltd
Stan Swallow and Asha Peta Thompson

50. Integrated soft circuits: Intelligent Textiles
Stan Swallow and Asha Peta Thompson

51. Integrated soft circuits: Intelligent Textiles Ltd
Health and wellbeing
HEAT fabric
Pressure pads for monitoring
Soft Remote control with C Collet

52. Intelligent Textiles Ltd soldier system application

53. Anke Loh Dressing Light 2006
Philips Lumalive

54. Anke Loh Ghost Space Fiberoptic Light Dresses 2007

55. Luminex FabricMagic Box

56. E-static Shadows Project Zane Berzina et al sensory
environment

57. E-static Shadows sensory environment

58. Embroidered conductivity
Climate dress display 2009 Diffus Denmark

59. Cute Circuit
Hug shirt and Mobile phone dress
2006

60. Galaxy Dress 2008

61. Twirkle Shirts 2009

62. New York 2015

63. New Cute Circuit

64. Tinkerbell dress for Richard Nicoll
Black Eyed Peas
Studio XO

65. Studio
XO
and
Lady
Gaga

67. Nokia x Fyodor Golan
Phone skirt

68. Wearable technologies for healthcare and wellbeing
WarmXMy Heart 2007

69. Wellbeing and sports
Heart rate monitoring
Numetrex byTextronics

70. Smart shirts
Adidas miCoach based
on Numetrex
Ralph Lauren Polo OM shirt
Under Armour

71. Flyknit shoes
Stoll electronics
Nike Flyknit

73. Flyknit shoes
Stoll electronics
Stoll Knitting collaboration for performance wear

74. Google Project Jacquard x Levis scale-up

75. Fit bits etc – see Anne
Nike Fuel , Jawbone
Apple Watch Jawbone
Fuel Fitbit etc

76. Holition – Warpaint
Holition – ManiMatch
Dior Eyes
Topshop
Virtual Reality / Augmented Reality

77. Martine Jarlgaard s/s 17 mixed reality fashion presentation

79. Design is changing …..
new challenges
new technology
old disciplines redefined
new disciplines
new collaborations
new dialogues

80. Designers’ new role…..
mediating - technology, desire, commerce
communicating - across disciplines
facilitating - participation
navigating - complexity
catalysing - communication & action
rethinking - systems not products
reinventing - new paradigms for
future sustainability

81. Visions for the Future

82. Digital bubbles
Intelligent data exchange between multi-layer
bubbles and between appliances within bubbles
Bubbles can link
to emotion
detection,
medical
monitoring,
thought
recognition.
Communication
via skin, or radio.
Powering needs
nanoscale
devices for
energy harvesting
or use of fuel
cells.
Bubbles can link
to emotion
detection, medical
monitoring,
thought
recognition.
Communication
via skin, or radio.
Powering needs
nanoscale devices
for energy
harvesting or use
of fuel cells.
Digital Bubbles- Ian Pearson
Intelligent data exchange between multi-layer bubbles
and between appliances within bubbles

83. Scentsory Design
Jenny Tillotson
Micro fluidics for
therapuetic
scents

84. Fabrican concept Manel Torres
Spray – on fabrics

85. Fabrican Manel Torres, spin out from RCA and Imperial

86. NGT Kyt ©
Modifies Colour
Lightweight
Resilient
Self-Mending
Adapts to Climate
Self-Powered
Self-Cleaning
Sustainable
NEW GENERATION TRAVEL ©
“We Don’t Change the Way You Look, We Change the Way You Travel.”
LCF MA Fashion 2002
• nano-taylor/cleaner/colorist in a vacuum pod
push-button renewal

89. Infinite Possibilities

90. unseen
THE UNSEEN

91. In-body sensing and monitoring - Proteus Biomedical monitoring

92. UNMADE knitwear Bright New Things at Selfridges

93. Interactive software interface
Unmade have taken on the paradigm of ‘ fashion on demand’ – carrying no stock and making knitted
sweater only to order.
Combination of skills has been vital
INNOVATION
Consumer can customise a range of
patterns over the knitted garment and
then have it knitted to order. Each
piece is unique and Unmade until
connected to the customer
UNMADE/ Knyttan

94. Change of
Paradigm
Virtual
fashion

95. Circular Fashion diagrams
Biological and Technical material circular systems

96. Fashion is a powerful catalyst for engagement
and social change
Future fashion products must address the complex
issues of sustainability, and still satisfy our personal,
environmental, economic and social needs.
Can technology create greater satisfaction and thereby
reduced consumption and waste?

97. Thames & Hudson Oct 2012

98. Fashion Innovation Research Evolution
www.fire-fashion.uk
s.black@fashion.arts.ac.uk