design curriculum? Dr Alison Gwilt / Reader, Fashion & - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

How to integrate sustainability into the fashion design curriculum? Dr Alison Gwilt / Reader, Fashion & Sustainability / Sheffield Hallam University, UK Dr Alana M James / Assistant Professor in Fashion / Heriot-Watt University, UK “The UK is distinguished by the creativity of its designers, the diversity of its high street shopping opportunities - with the retail sector unique internationally in terms of its strong direct links with designers – and the strength of its fashion education system, which offers world-class support in nurturing the creativity of would- be designers.” British Fashion Council, The Value of the UK Fashion Industry, 2014 Images: Central St Martins graduate Naomi Bailey Cooper embedded growing crystals in garments. ’slot + fold’ from University of Brighton Mdes graduate, Cherelle Abrams

methodology ... • OBSERVE: To consider how colleagues in their department currently engage students in the teaching of sustainability • REFLECT: To consider how they engage with sustainability in their own practice • SUPPORT: To compare their own integration of sustainability in the fashion curriculum with that of their colleagues Image: paper zero waste patternmaking exercise, part of the Redress Fashion Academy at Sheffield Institute of the Arts 2017

discussion and conclusions... Initial conclusions... • practices appear fairly robust, utilising a good range of methods and tools. Evidence of best practice (e.g. adoption of sustainable leaders) is encouraging in the further integrating of sustainability in the curriculum. However... • there still remains a huge amount of resistance from colleagues – this is slowing further integration. It leaves those educators currently engaging in the subject feeling isolated and unsupported. • the teaching of sustainability in fashion curriculum is all too often reliant on the personal motivations and values of individuals to drive forward the subject area. Patchwork jacket from designer, Martina Spetlova / ‘Make, do & mend’ clothing repair study by Sheffield Hallam University