Case Studies
Education & Training
Kingston University London
Developed a new Master’s programme for Kingston University London. Sustainable Fashion: Business and Practices sets out to affect systemic change in the fashion industry by offering alternatives to the mainstream fashion system. It focuses on developing a deep understanding of the multi-dimensionality of sustainability as it relates to fashion. Sustainable solutions are embedded across coursework, using fashion as a medium to affect social change, resulting in innovative and ethical solutions, transformational systems, and organisations.
Based on critical thinking and problem solving, the program offers the opportunity to plot a new future for the fashion industry that challenges existing practices with practical and inspirational alternatives. Students can choose their area of focus with either a practice, business, or a systems-design outcome. This is the business of design as a problem-solving tool, not a means to produce more stuff.
Image courtesy of Katherine Soucie
Craft and Sustainability is a course module written for Politecnico di Milano masters fashion design students. The overarching theme of this module is focused on craftsmanship and sustainability. Students are asked to design a collection that focuses on a traditional craft that is in danger of disappearing and to utilise it, or an interpretation of it, in collection development. Students undertake in-depth research to understand the embedded codes, and symbolism in the elements they choose to utilise to ensure they are being used respectfully. The design elements must do more than inspire the collection but be part of a strategy to sustain the traditional craft technique through a unique and unexpected design application. Thereby undertaking research, concept development, collection planning and strategy.
Politecnico de Milano
London College of Fashion
Sustainable Fashion is a short non-credit online course developed for the London College of Fashion. The course reviews the impacts of the mainstream fashion system and explores strategies to incorporate sustainable design concepts, conscious material choices and strategies for cyclability into fashion product and business development. The course provides an overview of sustainable fashion design practices, with examples of how designers can incorporate them into their own practice.
Fashion Institute of Technology
FIT’s Design for Social Impact certificate programme introduces the process of Socratic inquiry, systems-based design thinking, and solutions-based design making. Through lectures, discussions, exercises, and creative challenges, this program enables designers to recognise and embrace the power they hold to create designs that empower those who are underserved, voiceless, and marginalised in society. The module on design strategies for sustainable and ethical design was written specifically for this synchronous and collaborative experiential program.
FIT’s MFA in Fashion Design is a creative laboratory where technology, talent, and inspiration intersect in one of the world’s premier fashion capitals. The course - The Fashion Activist plays an important role in the unique four-semester programme, which gives students the opportunity to challenge the accepted and traditional methodologies within the fashion system. This custom written course requires students to question every step of the design development process from inspiration to sample-making and production to sales and marketing.