September 29th 2015 at Stockholm School of Economics, Mistra Future Fashion held a full-day event to an audience of 130 persons containing consortium members, media, fashion stakeholders, NGOs , consumers and others. Half way into the program scope, its researchers presented key research results as well as painted a foresight on the future system in fashion industry and how to get there.
In the future fashion industry it will be all about taking full advantage of the garment throughout its life-cycle. This will be central for how new business models will evolve, how users’ behavior and attitudes will change, how the design process gets optimized, and how used textile will be regenerated into new textiles. This was presented by the key program researchers who has been leading eight research projects on sustainable fashion.
The morning opened by three professors; Rebecka Earley at University of the Arts London, Esben Rahbek Pedersen at Copenhagen Business School and Gregory Peters at Chalmers University of Technology, who jointly talked about what tomorrow sustainable business look like and how can we get there. Based on their research findings and results they presented a business scenario with multiple mix of business models, with a new role by the designer and superior tools for circular economy.
This was followed by Associate professor Wencke Gwodzd at Copenhagen Business School talked what role do consumers and other key users play for a systemic change. She presented what hinders consumers to make sustainable choices, what they can do already today and foremost how their involvement will become key driver for system transformation.
Last, Dr Hanna de la Motte at SP and researcher Sandra Roos at SwereaIVF talked what technology progression that is needed and how far we have reached, covering new fibers and fiber regeneration, and what supporting infrastructure is needed for a circular system.
Prototype garments and exhibition from the design research was available for audience to review.
In addition the Mistra Future Fashion researchers presented the research areas for next four year. In focus is circular economy and the research is organized into four themes; Design, Supply, Users and Recycling. Theme leaders have been appointed to each, Dr Kate Goldsworthy (UAL) for Design, Sandra Roos (SwereaIVF) for Supply, Ass. prof Wencke Gwodzd (CBS) and Dr Hanna de la Motte (SP) for Recycling.
The day was followed up with a second full-day workshop with the program’s consortium partners, presenting the four new research areas and task, collecting industry input and thus kick-started the research for coming four years.
The research results and foresight of the future fashion industry have been summarized in a manifesto which was handed out to the audience. This can also be found here.
Presentations from the event is available here:
