Centre for Sustainable Fashion’s Post

🚀 LESS THAN TWO WEEKS LEFT! State of Fashion is launching an Open Call for Curators for its 2026 Biennale, taking place in Arnhem, The Netherlands. We’re looking for visionary thinkers and makers with an outspoken view on the challenges the world faces at the moment, the necessity for fundamental change, and the role that fashion has in the ability to transform and reframe social and cultural contexts. Our leading question is: how can fashion & textile contribute to a better world? 🌟 THE OPEN CALL For our fourth edition, State of Fashion asks prospective curators to build upon the main outcomes from our previous editions. Our goal is to focus on collaborative and collective action, where the global is connected to the local. We urge the curators to respond to the themes from an intersectional approach. We invite the new curators to …. → unpack the politics of dress → forge community → honour unseen labour(s) → move beyond the binary → amplify voices from the global majority The above mentioned thematic Calls to Action serve as food for thought, not as a fixed framework. As a platform we continuously research the format of the Biennale and therefore entrust the new curators to challenge and reinterpret ways of presenting and programming their proposal, beyond the format of the exhibition. Examples could be a commission based approach where makers get the chance to create new work. Furthermore, the emphasis is often on the end result, we actively want to make space for the work in process. 👉🏽 Apply now to our Open Call for Curators and visit our website stateoffashion.org ⏰ Deadline: the Open Call will close on Sunday 19 January 2025. Design by Studio van Onna #stateoffashion #biennale2026 #opencallforcurators #apply #deadline19January2025

📣 Open Call for Curators 📣 State of Fashion is launching an Open Call for Curators for its 2026 Biennale, taking place in Arnhem, The Netherlands. We’re looking for visionary thinkers and makers with an outspoken view on the challenges the world faces at the moment, the necessity for fundamental change, and the role that fashion has in the ability to transform and reframe social and cultural contexts. Our leading question is: how can fashion & textile contribute to a better world? THE OPEN CALL For our fourth edition, State of Fashion asks prospective curators to build upon the main outcomes from our previous editions. Our goal is to focus on collaborative and collective action, where the global is connected to the local. We urge the curators to respond to the themes from an intersectional approach. We invite the new curators to …. → unpack the politics of dress → forge community  → honour unseen labour(s) → move beyond the binary  → amplify voices from the global majority The above mentioned thematic Calls to Action serve as food for thought, not as a fixed framework. As a platform we continuously research the format of the Biennale and therefore entrust the new curators to challenge and reinterpret ways of presenting and programming their proposal, beyond the format of the exhibition. Examples could be a commission based approach where makers get the chance to create new work. Furthermore, the emphasis is often on the end result, we actively want to make space for the work in process. 👉🏽 Apply now to our Open Call for Curators and visit our website for more information about the Open Call: https://lnkd.in/eRK8xsy5 ⏰ Deadline: the Open Call for Curators will close on Sunday 19 January 2025. Design by Studio van Onna

F/W 24/25 Graduation Collection: THE VOICE OF ETERNAL TEMPORALITY 🔍 Trend Research: The Ukraine-Russia war has become a global war due to economic, religious, political, and ideological reasons. The UNHCR reports a significant refugee crisis in 2023, with nearly 6 million refugees and 8 million internally displaced. This has led to a severe economic crisis, food shortage, and a refugee crisis by 2024/25. The war has also impacted women's mental and physical health, prompting a focus on these key trends for a final graduation collection. 💡 Concept: This collection explores the complex emotions and hardships faced by refugees. It juxtaposes the "decadence of sadness" with the strength and resilience they possess. 📝 Inspiration: The collection draws inspiration from the realities of refugee life: the feeling of displacement, the architecture of refugee camps, and the constant struggle for survival. This translates into design elements that evoke a sense of both vulnerability and empowerment. 💲 Target Customer: The main target customer is based in the UK Luxury market. This collection is for the socially conscious consumer who appreciates avant-garde design with a message. The woman wearing these pieces is strong, independent, and seeks fashion that pushes boundaries. 💼 Brand: The chosen brand is a Japanese designer brand which is Yohji Yamamoto. Yamamoto's distinctive aesthetic aligns seamlessly with the keywords, evoking emotions of wounded resilience, tormented beauty, and a profound connection to the eternal pain that shapes our journey through life, He Most used the Japanese boro textile technique for his unique Vanguard collection and It's more appropriate to my final collection 📍 What's Included: This portfolio showcases the complete development process, from initial concept to final execution. You'll find: 📌 Tech Packs: Detailed specifications for each garment, ensuring quality and consistency. 📌 Flat Sketches: Technical drawings that illustrate the construction and silhouette of each piece. 📌 Hand Sketches: Raw and expressive sketches that capture the early stages of the design process. 📌 Final Range: Images of the finished collection, showcasing the culmination of the design journey. ⚠ Beyond Fashion: This collection is more than just clothing. It's a call to action, urging viewers to consider the human cost of war and conflict.

Congrats to #ArtU Alumna Makayla Godden! From pivoting to textile design to getting her work featured on HBO's "Mare of Easttown," Makayla's journey is truly inspiring. Read more about her story and unique brand in the article below. https://lnkd.in/gUFpb3MU

As my latest book comes out, it’s been fun to reflect on the trajectory that my work has taken over the last 30 years, the way it has shifted from a concern with material phenomena to systems, relationships… and it has made me wonder, what are your trajectories? The first article I published in 1997 was in the journal Ecodesign. It was titled ‘Alternative Materials’. About the same time I worked with Bioregional and Sue Riddlestone OBE to grow an acre and a half of hemp for local textiles. Since then I’ve been pursuing a progressive broadening and deepening of understanding that has led me today to my latest output, 'Fletcher’s Almanac: Nature Encounters and Fashion Systems Through the Year'. It is less about what to wear (materials and product innovations) and more about how we dress (culture and awareness, thinking and acting through clothes). It is about a different way of being in clothes with fashion where we give up the beliefs that humans are separate from nature and there is a hierarchy that we humans sit at the top of it and that nature can be made to fit into fashion industry priorities. This starts with a body and its clothing, with time, presence and attention in nature, with relationships with non-human others and with the places we live. More on Fletcher’s Almanac here: https://lnkd.in/eyjqCHp8 Available at all good bookshops (online and IRL) and direct from the publisher Quickthorn. Illustrations by Danai Tsouloufa

Made in France. A Textile History. Hôtel Soubise/Archives Nationales, Paris/France ----------------------------- At a time when the textile industry is at the heart of environmental and ethical awareness, the National Archives are looking back at its history in France in order to understand the immense economic and social importance it occupied in our country, before it collapsed at the end of the 20th century. Made in France. A History of Textiles aims to show how the State supported this industry, from the efforts of Jean-Baptiste Colbert under Louis XIV to the government plans of the Fourth and Fifth Republics to try to save it from economic crises. It thus presents the action of governments over several centuries to control, understand and encourage the production of French textiles, from natural fibres to synthetic materials. The exhibition tells a history of textiles "Made in France" by drawing mainly on the rich collection of samples kept at the National Archives in the funds devoted to trade and industry, and for the first time shown to the public. Particularly well documented, these samples are representative of the great diversity of a production which has now disappeared, from the most popular to the most luxurious fabrics. In dialogue with pieces from various institutions, these archives, a memory of the commercial policies implemented in the country, bear witness to the importance of this industry. They represent an essential source for understanding the history of textiles in France from the mid-17th century to the present day and the central role it has played in the lives of the multitude of individuals who have participated in its development, from the production of raw materials to final consumption. Organized in four parts, the exhibition covers more than three centuries of industrial development in France, which outline the State's doctrine for this sector: to know, control and support. Commissariat scientifique Anne-Sophie Lienhard, conservatrice du patrimoine, Archives nationales de France Esclarmonde Monteil, conservatrice en chef du patrimoine, ministère de la Culture Alexia Raimondo, chargée d'études documentaire, Archives nationales more information: https://lnkd.in/ghmEHM6i Catalogue: Made in France. Une histoire du textile. Editions Michel Lafon, 30€, 176 pages. ISBN : 978-2-7499-5895-8 Les auteurs: Alexandra Bosc, Magalie Bonnet, Serge Chassagne, Ariane Fennetaux, Liliane Hilaire-Pérez, Anne-Sophie Lienhard, Esclarmonde Monteil, Frédérique Pilleboue, Alexia Raimondo, Marie-Anne Sarda, Jérôme Séjourné, Simon Vacheron #icomcostume #textile #fashion

Workshop: "Weaving Archives. Activating textile archives with artificial intelligence" Organised by: Paolo Franzo and Elisabetta Benelli (University of Florence) and Ines Tolic and Flavia Piancazzo (University of Bologna) Rimini, 6-8 November 2024 The “Weaving Archives” workshop is related to the current hybrid fashion landscape and aims to experiment with how the integration of AI into fashion design influences the designer's thinking and creativity. Specifically: - How does AI allow historical narratives to be reinterpreted and rewritten in fashion? - Can AI transform a textile archive into data that can be used to shape new digital objects, both for fashion and for other design areas? The three-day workshop, scheduled for 6-8 November 2024, will be attended by second-year students of the master’s programme in Fashion System Design at the University of Florence and second-year students of the master’s degree in Fashion Studies at the University of Bologna. It will be developed in cooperation with the Fashion Research Italy Foundation in Bologna, which has more than 18,000 drawings on paper and 12,000 on fabric, produced by more than 80 international textile design studios. Programme: 6 November (Bologna): visit to the Fashion Research Italy Foundation archive and selection of fabrics with which to develop projects; brainstorming by each working group to define the project concept. Free transport Rimini-Bologna and back for workshop participants. 7 November (Rimini): training on AI software (Midjourney) and experimental design exercises using fabrics and textures. Development of the working groups’ project concepts using AI. 8 November (Rimini): Conclusion of the projects. Presentation and discussion. https://lnkd.in/da-8bkas

Disclaimer: These are my personal reflections, not generated by AI. Yesterday , I had the pleasure of attending the Design for Planet Festival (online), hosted in Manchester. It was incredibly inspiring to connect with people across a variety of industries who are all committed to transforming design and processes to benefit our planet. One quote that really resonated with me was, “Innovation doesn’t have to mean new; it means better.” In an industry that has such a significant environmental impact, designing with sustainability isn’t just a trend; it’s a responsibility. As designers, we’re not only innovators but also caretakers with a unique skill set to address these challenges. So why aren’t we collaborating more? Instead of competing for the next big idea, imagine a platform where designers could come together, share ideas, and work toward common goals. If you know of one, please share—or if you’d like to start one with me, let’s make it happen! Design, at its core, is about problem-solving, and with time running out, we need to tackle this urgent challenge together—not for profits or personal gain, but for the future of our planet. I have ideas that I’d love to share with those who are equally passionate about making a positive impact. Thank you, The Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester school of art and Design Council for today’s insights and inspiration. And a special shoutout to @manchesterfashionmovement @alisoncarlin for the video that perfectly captured the essence of honest, purpose-driven, sustainable design. 🌏 https://lnkd.in/ePK2ekFn