Noora Yau defended the thesis:
Opponent: Prof.Valentina Rognoli, Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy
Custos: Prof. Kirsi Niinim盲ki,Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture
On June 18, 2025, Noora Yau defended the thesis "Shimmering Wood 鈥 Experimenting with nanocellulose-based structural colour". The public defence was held at Aalto University School of Business.
This thesis researches nanocellulose-based structural colour (CNC SC) through the Shimmering Wood material development case. The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between design and materials science. The core findings of the dissertation involved making the terminology related to structural colour accessible to designers and artists, as well as introducing a more holistic perspective onto the material development process at a practical level.
From Waste to Wear: Sharing Circular Fashion Insights in Tokyo
On April 25, 2025, Anubhuti Bhatnagar and Elina Lewe were invited to deliver the keynote speech at the 鈥淲aste to Wear鈥 symposium, held at TRUNK (HOTEL) in Tokyo. The event was organized by FASHION REVOLUTION JAPAN, part of the global movement pushing for greater transparency and sustainability in the fashion industry. It brought together a wide range of voices from across Japan鈥檚 fashion and textile sectors to talk about one of the biggest challenges we face: how to stop clothes from becoming waste.
In Japan, around 1,200 tons of clothing are thrown away every day. The symposium tackled this issue from multiple angles鈥攚hy this is happening, what the environmental and social impacts are, and most importantly, what we can do about it. There were panel discussions, presentations, and a lot of thoughtful dialogue among consumers, policymakers, industry professionals, and students.
Their keynote, titled "Learnings from the Textile Recycling Excellence Project: How Collaboration Can Fuel the Circular Textile Economy," shared insights from the T-REX project, a large EU initiative focused on recycling post-consumer textile waste. They talked about how citizen engagement鈥攖hings like reuse, repair, and education鈥攃an shift everyday behaviours and support more circular systems. And they emphasized how progress really happens when citizens, industry, academia, and public institutions work together.
While in Tokyo, they also had the chance to connect with a number of inspiring people and organizations. They met with the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, which is running a taskforce to raise awareness about textile waste among consumers. They had a fascinating conversation with fashion designer Yuima Nakazato, who recently created a collection using discarded clothing from Kenya and has been supporting emerging designers interested on sustainability and creative reuse. They also sat down for an interview with WWD JAPAN (the Japanese edition of the global fashion industry magazine Women's Wear Daily) to talk about the role citizens can play in driving a more sustainable and circular fashion future.
They both found it to be a great opportunity to contribute a European perspective to the event and to engage in rich conversations with fellow speakers, including representatives from the apparel industry, recycling businesses, and citizen movements. It was especially encouraging to see how much interest there is in collaborative, transparent approaches to circular fashion鈥攕omething that aligns closely with the goals of both the T-REX project and their broader work.
鈥楾expertise Econogy鈥 Insights
The 鈥楾expertise Econogy鈥 Insights provide answers to questions such as: which SDGs are particularly relevant to the industry? What are the top 5 transparency standards? How are natural and synthetic fibres faring in relation to one other? Which process standards are most widespread? Where does the industry currently stand when it comes to textile recycling? Professor Kirsi Niinim盲ki and Doctoral researcher Elina Lewe were interviewed to 鈥楾expertise Econogy鈥 Insights -publication by Messe Frankfurt.
T-REX Project: 'Creating Apparel Recyclability Guidelines' workshop with designers
Monday 10th March 2025
As part of the 2-day T-REX Project consortium meeting taking place at Aalto University from 11-12th March, we were excited to host a workshop collecting feedback on the latest iteration of the T-REX Design Guidelines draft, with nine designers from Finnish apparel brands. Brands included: Halti, Frenn, Lindstr枚m, Luhta Sportswear Company, Nanso, Miun, R-Collection, Image wear and Reima.
The workshop was co-facilitated by T-REX consortium members Anja Kossel-Scharf and Natalia Mena from Adidas, Doris Hondtong from ARAPAHA, professor Kirsi Niinim盲ki and FTF researchers Kasia Gorniak and Essi Karell.
The final version of the guidelines is due to be published in May, 2025.
Research on Amami 艑shima鈥檚 mud dyeing practice as part of the exhibition 鈥楽ustainable Textile Futures: Contemporary Design Responses to Traditional Japanese Craft鈥 at the Embassy of Japan in the UK
From the 21st of January to the 10th of March, doctoral candidate Leonardo Hidalgo-Uribe will showcase his research on Amami 艑shima鈥檚 mud dyeing at the exhibition 鈥楽ustainable Textile Futures: Contemporary Design Responses to Traditional Japanese Craft鈥, developed and curated by Loughborough University in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan in the UK. The exhibition features Leonardo鈥檚 colour libraries of the mud-dyeing process and audiovisual pieces that illustrate the dyeing techniques, life in Amami, and the environmental entanglements involved in the making of black dyes from plants and soil. Leonardo is giving an online presentation of his work together with the embassy on February 13th.
Research on dyeing practices in the Northwest Amazon exhibited in Dialogues 鈥 Creating Textile Futures at the Dutch Design Week
During October 2024, doctoral candidate Leonardo Hidalgo-Uribe showcased his research in the Colombian Amazon as part of Aalto University鈥檚 exhibition 鈥楧ialogues 鈥 Creating Textile Futures鈥. He presented the colour libraries developed in collaboration with master dyer Bora Kasia Morales, alongside audiovisual pieces documenting Kasia鈥檚 dyeing practice and her relationship with the rainforest.
Colors From Living Lands 鈥 artistic research exhibited in Designing with Biocolours for Biocolours Conference 2024
In June 2024, as part of the exhibition Designing with Biocolours, doctoral candidate Leonardo Hidalgo-Uribe presented his ongoing research titled Colors From Living Lands. The researcher showcased his practice-led and ethnographic work on dyeing practices using local plants in Finland and the Colombian Amazon. The exhibition featured audiovisual documentation of the ethnographic work and colour libraries developed with plants foraged in Finland during various seasons, as well as plants gathered by Bora master dyer Kasia Morales in the Northwest Amazon.
Visit to textile and colour designer Margrethe Odgaard鈥檚 studio
In October 2024, doctoral candidate Leonardo Hidalgo-Uribe visited the studio of textile and colour designer Margrethe Odgaard in Helsing酶r, Denmark. Margrethe's design and artistic practice focus on the relationships between colour, material, and light. She also develops colours for industries including textiles and architecture. During the visit, Margrethe shared her approach to colour through the materiality of pigments and their translation to different mediums, depending on their industrial application. This visit was interesting for Leonardo鈥檚 research on biocolourants and local dyeing practices, as it provided insight into the role of a colour designer and their connection between industry and the materialities involved in dyeing applications.
Ethnographic research on biocolours in the Amami 艑shima, Southern Japan
During the spring of 2024, doctoral candidate Leonardo Hidalgo-Uribe undertook a research trip to Amami 艑shima, a subtropical island in the Ry奴ky奴 archipelago of southern Japan. Leonardo collaborated with the dyeing house Kanai Kougei, which specialises in mud-dyeing practices for Amami鈥檚 traditional textile craft known as 艑shima Tsumugi. The soil of Amami contains iron-rich minerals that, together with other dyeing plants, produce deep black colours. The researcher spent two months visiting the factory, engaging with the workers, and participating in their craft practices as an apprentice. This work forms part of Leonardo鈥檚 doctoral thesis on biocolours, local craft practices, and human-environment interactions. The research trip was funded by The Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation.
Ethnographic research on biocolours in the Colombian Amazon
During the spring of 2023, doctoral candidate Leonardo Hidalgo-Uribe conducted a research trip to the Colombian Amazon with the support of Fundaci贸n Etnollano (https://fundacionetnollano.org/). Leonardo spent one month in Leticia and the Uitoto-Tikuna Resguardo Km 11, where he carried out ethnographic research on natural dyeing practices using plants and fruits from the Northwest Amazon. He collaborated closely with Bora master dyer, Kasia Morales, to examine her cultivation and harvesting techniques, as well as her color management practices with local plants and fibers. This work is part of Leonardo鈥檚 doctoral thesis on biocolours, local craft practices and human-environment interactions.
Post Growth(?) Fashion Futures - From Research to Action
Join and for the next FREE webinar on Post Growth (?) Fashion Futures - conversations with top research voices on how to re-imagine the fashion system and bring scientific findings closer to policy and social change actors. Brought to you by the .
When : Friday the 8th November 2024 at 4pm EET (3pm CET)
Designs for Cooler Planet - Exhibition 2024
Fashion/Textile FUTURES researchers are exhibiting in Designs for Cooler Planet exhibition in new Marsio building in Otaniemi until 3rd October. The theme for the exhibition is Makers of the Impossible.
Biocolours - Sustainable colour aesthetics
Showcasing Sofia Ilmonen鈥檚 modular garments dyed with biocolours, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect their attitudes towards fading, change and temporality.
/en/events/biocolour-sustainable-colour-aesthetics
Bioeconomy 2.0
Noora Yau with Anna Semi is presenting new application from her structural colours research in a form of fashion dress decorated with wooden crystals.
/en/news/natural-luxury-wooden-crystals-make-fashion-shine
Magnificient materials
Pirjo K盲盲ri盲inen is involved with experiential material development. Publication Magnificent Materials - instructions for bio-based experiments is a material guide for children and young people aged 10-15.
/en/events/magnificent-materials
Entangled - Reimagining Textile Functionalities, Aesthetics and Sustainability
The presented textile prototypes by Mithila Mohan reimagines textiles as active elements in their environments 鈥 being able to react to environmental stimuli by changing their shape, colour, or other qualities. The research is in collaboration with Multifunctional Materials Design and Beyond eTextiles.
Chosen for Redesign
During this Summer, Aalto University fashion and textile students partnered with second hand clothing seller Emmy to find out how the lifespan of discarded clothing could be extended through redesign approaches. What are the challenges and opportunities? Can redesign raise the value of unsold second hand clothing? Could design be directed towards redesign of existing clothing, instead of solely producing new virgin materials?
Selected pieces from the project are sold as a part of a charity campaign on Emmy webstore.The profits will be donated towards the protection of the Baltic Sea, J. Nurminen foundation.
The project hopes to highlight the value and wasted potential of discarded clothing and to inspire people to modify and repair their own clothing instead of simply throwing precious material away. The project continues into the fall with a set of DIY open source- instructions made available to the public.
Everything and Everybody as Material: Dialogical Bodies conference
The second iteration of the Dialogical Bodies conference took place at the Swedish School of Textiles, Bor氓s from 19th - 20th of April 2024. Collaboratively organised by the School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University, ArtEZ University of the Arts and The Swedish School of Textiles, the conference brought together a diverse range of fashion and textile research with the aim of expanding the foundations of knowledge in fashion practice. FTF members Julia Valle Noronha, Elina M盲盲t盲nen & Kasia Gorniak presented their work.
Exploring The Future of Circular Textiles: New Cotton Project final seminar
Three and a half years has passed and NEW COTTON PROJECT has ended with the final seminar on 21st March 2024. 150 participants gathered to Dipoli listening to presentations and main findings not only from New Cotton Project but also from and several other EU funded projects. The final press release from NEW COTTON PROJECT can be found Aalto university will still circulate a policy brief among European commission on topic Extended Producer Responsibility EPR which is based on the policy round table -session organized in Brussels 7.3. and view academic papers are on the way. Aalto University also constructed a website about and the learning material is available for everyone.
Professor Lina Cardenas visit
Professor Lina Cardenas from Chile is visiting during the first two weeks of April. She is part of the Department of Design at the Pontificia Universidad Cat贸lica, and will be at Aalto in the context of our TFK project. She will give a presentation on Monday 8 of April from 15:00 to 17:00 at F101 about her research on color management for textiles, and biocolours.
Open positions: Doctoral researchers to the Circular Materials Bioeconomy Network (CIMANET)
Application closes on 19.04.2024
Open positions for motivated doctoral researchers to join the Circular Materials Bioeconomy Network (CIMANET). Looking for candidates for the following doctoral project: Designing consumer acceptance: biobased and recycled materials in textile/fashion design.
Learn more
PLATE2023 Conference proceedings published!
The 5th Product Lifetimes and the Environment Conference was held at Aalto University, Espoo, Finland, 31 May 鈥 2 June, 2023.
The 5th international PLATE conference (Product Lifetimes and the
Environment) addressed product lifetimes in the context of
sustainability. The PLATE conference, which has been running since 2015, has successfully been able to establish a solid network of researchers around its core theme. The topic has come to the forefront of current (political, scientific & societal) debates due to its interconnectedness with a number of recent prominent movements, such as the circular economy, eco-design and collaborative consumption. Sustainable fashion is one of the most important tracks in Plate conferences.
Open position: Doctoral Researcher under the topic Textiles for planetary emergency
Application closes on 30.11.2023
Open position of Doctoral Researcher in Fashion/Textile FUTURES research group in Aalto university, in collaboration with Swedish School of Textiles and Aalto Bioinnovation Center.
Learn more
Garment as Material - Redesign Workshop with Anna Lidstr枚m
11.-12.10.2023
A two-day workshop for first year MA students with visiting designer-researcher Anna Lidstr枚m, for FINIX research project.
Garments, or any existing products, are often thought of as the end point of a design process but need to be reconsidered to be the creative starting point of a redesign process. Therefore, we need to develop new vocabulary and design methods to enable new expressions and business models from existing products. The workshop gave students a broader knowledge of how to design from garment materials and basic design methodology for hands-on design development for redesign. They explored three different approaches, based on Lidstr枚m's dissertation, : Vamping, Sampling, and Mapping.
Helsinki Design Week: Textile Circularity exhibition at Designs for a Cooler Planet
6.9.鈥6.10.2023
An exhibition curated by professor Kirsi Niinim盲ki, comprising the latest developments from New Cotton, T-REX and FINIX research projects, at the forefront of a circular economy with sustainable collaboration, recycling technologies and recyclable designs.
Emmi Pouta defended the thesis "Layered Approaches - Woven eTextile Explorations Through Applied Textile Thinking". The public defence was held at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Design.
The practice-based approach grounded on textile thinking was found to be well-suited for mapping the design space of woven eTextiles to discover new research opportunities. The approach enables accessing methods based on textile design and construction skills and conducting the investigation through the possibilities of weaving. As a core contribution, this thesis proposes a model for approaching woven eTextiles as electrically functional material systems, in which woven textiles' structural hierarchy collides with circuit design principles.
MISTERY 鈥 Multispectral Optical Sensors for Textiles Recycling Project
MISTERY (Multispectral Optical Sensors for Textiles Recycling) is one of the projects that has received funding from Innovation Challenge 2021 by Refashion. The project aims at prototyping the use of multispectral optical sensors in characterising used household textiles. CEA YSPOT from France coordinates the project. Aalto is taking part in MISTERY by giving expertise in the optical identification of textile materials, and in different textile recycling technologies by a postdoctoral researcher Kirsti Cura.
Chile is Changing its Skin part of Desenlace de la Forma exhibition
by Doctoral Candidate Sofia Guridi Sotomayor
Material exploration that shows the potential for integration of biomaterials in textile structures, demonstrating their biodegradability, texture, versatility, and capacity for transformation.
Simulating a skin that renews itself, the biomaterial degrades when it comes into contact with water, giving way to a new layer or skin and, in that, to a message concealed in the fabric.
Next to it, the word "grows" acts, revealing part of the message when it perceives the presence of the spectators.
Desenlace de la Forma - Centro de Extensi贸n Palacio Pereira, Santiago, Chile
Duration: 26 Oct 2022 鈫 30 Jan 2023
Light Tissue project part of the Dialogues - Creating New Textile Futures exhibition
鈥淟ight Tissue鈥 is a sample collection of cellulose-based light-emitting textiles with touch-sensing capabilities. The aim is to propose more sustainable options for smart textiles as an alternative to metals and plastic usually integrated into yarn structures. The final woven, bio-based, biodegradable fabrics could be utilized to create light therapy garments or disposable touch sensors for healthcare.
This project was done in collaboration with Aalto University, VTT and Tampere University.
New report鈥 鈥 Transparency and Traceability in the Textile Value Chain
Cura, K., Jain, S. & Niinim盲ki, K. (2022). Transparency and traceability in textile supply chain. Aalto University publication series ART + DESIGN + ARCHITECTURE
This report gives a concise description of the data that is generated across the value chain, and the tools and technologies that can help the value chain to promote traceability, transparency and sustainability in textile and apparel value chains. Writers are Kirsti Cura, Sheenam Jain, Kirsi Niinim盲ki
This report has been written with the financial support of Fortum Power and Heat Oy, Mets盲 Spring Oy and ExpandFibre co-financed by Business Finland. Furthermore, this research work was supported by the Academy of Finland鈥檚 Strategic Research Council鈥檚 Grant n:o 327299 Sustainable textile systems: Co-creating resource-wise business for Finland in global textile networks (FINIX) consortium, and the Academy of Finland鈥檚 funded project the Circular Design Network (CircDNet), Grant n:o 337714 (Special funding for RDI partnership networks).
Report Launch Online 鈥 Unfit, Unfair, Unfashionable | resizing fashion for a fair consumption space | Hot or Cool
The report will be available to download on the 25th November, 2022
With retail mega-event Black Friday just around the corner, it is more important than ever to raise the alarm over how the fashion industry is leaving our climate threadbare - and, in particular, how the industry鈥檚 oversized climate impact is being driven by the richest in society.
A new report from the Hot or Cool Institute, titled 鈥楿nfit, Unfair, Unfashionable: Resizing Fashion for a Fair Consumption Space鈥, published jointly with the Rapid Transition Alliance, will launch on the 24th November 2022. It argues that current fashion consumption and production is unsustainable, structurally unfair, and in need of urgent reform to align with global climate agreements and binding legislation. To mark the report launch, a webinar will take place on Thursday 24th November at 10am GMT / 11am CET / 5am EST.
New textbook 鈥 Sustainable Fashion Management
Henninger, C., Niinim盲ki, K., Jones, C. & Cano, M.B. (2022) Sustainable Fashion Management. London, New York: Routledge. ISBN 9780367564551
This book provides a holistic and accessible approach to sustainable fashion management. It offers an interdisciplinary and practical outlook, combining theory with practical application from a management perspective and underpinned by the Sustainable Development Goals throughout.
The book helps students to gain a better understanding of what sustainable fashion is and how it is implemented across the fashion industry, through business model innovations, innovative designs, new technology and digital approaches, and material innovations. Global case studies are employed throughout each chapter, including fashion companies and events of all sizes, alongside other pedagogical features to aid learning, including key learning points, chapter objectives, and textboxes explaining key terminology.
Natalia S盲rm盲kari defended the thesis From a Tool to a Culture
November 3, 2022
MA Natalia S盲rm盲kari defended the thesis "From a Tool to a Culture: Authorship and Professionalism of Fashion 4.0 Designers in Contemporary Digital Environments". The public defence was held on 28 October 2022 at Aalto University School of Arts, Design and Architecture, Department of Design.
How does digitalisation transform the field of fashion design? The research provides new knowledge on digital fashion from the perspective of the fashion designer profession. The extensive empirical research material deepens the understanding of how the field of digital fashion re-professionalises fashion design and reconstructs the social status of designers.
November 3, 2022
The New Cotton Project marks a key milestone with the launch of an exhibit installation in the Fashion for Good Innovation Lounge. The installation celebrates the recent launch of Adidas and H&M Group鈥檚 garments produced through the consortium, which are the first to be produced through the demonstration of a potential circular ecosystem. Aalto University releases an overview white paper on Circular Business Models and the New Cotton Project Ecosystem鈥檚 Blueprint, sharing accessible insights and analysis from the project.
October 14, 2021
Biocolour 鈥 Exploring Sustainable Colour seminar is both an introduction to (Valo and Katve 1 and 2 galleries, Arktikum, Rovaniemi 14.10.-5.12.) and an independent opening to various themes of sustainable color and biocolourants. The seminar program includes presentations about the backgrounds of the exhibition, research fields related to biocolours as well as future visions of colour by various experts in science, art, design, and education. We also hear presentations by people working with biocolourants. Welcome to follow seminar streaming
September 9, 2021
Does textile waste and circular economy make out the basis of success for the fashion of the future? Associate Professor of design and fashion, Kirsi Niinim盲ki from Aalto University in Helsinki, led the discussion with Petri Alava/Infinited Fiber Company, Elina Ibounig/Marimekko, Laura Roman/Halti and Ina Budde/Circular.Fashion
was organised in collaboration with FINIX project and the Embassy of Finland, Berlin.
Defence of doctoral thesis in the field of design, MA Essi Karell
The title of the thesis is Closing the Loop through Clothing Design: Wishful Thinking or Achievable Practice?
NEWSILK project
The New Road to Silk: Bio-based production of silk like materials
May 6, 2021
Three and half year's Academy of Finland funded project NEWSILK has ended. In the project, material researchers worked together with designers with the aim to produce new types of silk-like materials in the context of synthetic biology. What makes sense in interdisciplinary collaboration between disciplines? How materials will be made in the future? How we can learn from the nature?
Please watch our outcomes on .
Hidden photovoltaics enables freedom to design e-textiles
The Sun-powered Textiles project explores a practical and scalable solar cell textile technology
Multidisciplinary project 'Shimmering wood' shortlisted in Fast Company鈥檚 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards
Shimmering wood is an innovation of Noora Yau and Konrad Klockars.
Collaboration between Aalto and small businesses: Case of Sun-powered Textiles
April 29, 2021
Sun-powered Textiles project was featured in Fab-magazine (4/2021) with project specialist 贰濒颈苍补&苍产蝉辫;滨濒茅苍 sharing her insights on the collaboration between Aalto and small businesses.
Check the full article .
Photo by Bettina Blomstedt.
Open call for Sustainability journal
Special Issue "Sustainable Textiles and Garments in the Context of a Circular Economy: Extended Use, Material Circulation and New Business Understanding"
This Special Issue will focus on sustainable textile and fashion in the context of a circular economy, and therefore, we expect to receive contributions especially from the following themes:
- How to slow down the system;
- How to extend the use time of textiles and garments;
- How to improve the recyclability of textiles and garments;
- How to construct new business models linking to a circular economy.
Deadline: 30th of November, 2021.
Editors for this special Issue are Kirsi Niinim盲ki and Natalia Moreira.
More information .
Going beyond cotton
Aalto University part of a consortium that harnesses collaboration and cutting-edge technology to create circular fashion.
Theses: Threading the needle 鈥 together!
Taking care of your clothes is an environmental act, says Marium Durrani. Communal clothing repair workshops are popular around the world and have now landed also in Finland to push against unsustainable fast fashion practices.
Sustainable garment campaign
April 9, 2020
At the time of COVID-19 pandemic, Finix project aims to support sustainable Finnish textile and clothing businesses through Sustainable garment campaign (kest盲v盲 vaate -kampanja). For this purpose, members of the Finix project created a list of businesses, which hopefully will survive over the crisis and continue working towards more sustainable clothing and textile industry in the future. The campaign is shared through social media with the hashtag #kest盲v盲vaate.
More information (in Finnish):
A smart jumpsuit provides information on infants鈥 movement and development
A new innovation by University of Helsinki and Aalto University makes it possible, for the first time, to quantitatively assess children鈥檚 spontaneous movement in the natural environment.
Revival of garment mending: communal reskilling addresses global issues of textile waste
Dissertation of the month: Mending clothes, one of the oldest practices known to humankind, nowadays stands for global awareness of the textile waste problem.
Fashion and Design for Sustainability: Research and Practice
November 27, 2019, Amsterdam
FTF group leader Kirsi Niinim盲ki will give a speech in the symposium that takes place in Amsterdam later this autumn. The symposium is linked to Irene Maldini's PhD ceremony, bringing together four international professors in fashion and design for sustainability including Kirsi Niinim盲ki, Tim Cooper, Kate Fletcher and Conny Backer who will all reflect on the relationship between research and practice in these fields, building on examples of their own work.
The professors will also act as opponents in titled as Can design confront consumerism? A critical study of clothing volumes , personalisation, and the wardrobe, taking place on November 26.
PLATE 2019 Conference
September 18-20, 2019, Berlin
The gathered over 200 participants to Berlin to share their insights of product lifetimes and sustainable practices in the development, production, use, reuse and recycling of products from various fields. In the conference, FTF members Kirsi Niinim盲ki, Marium Durrani and Essi Karell presented the following research papers focusing on repair and clothing design practices:
Durrani, M., Niinim盲ki, K. & McLaughlan, S. (2019). Designing for and with Garment Repair: an Exploration of Future Possibilities.
Karell, E. & Niinim盲ki, K. (2019). Deconstructing the Clothing Design Process for a Circular Economy.
Design Culture Salon: Can design research save the planet?
September 11, 2019, Helsinki Design Week
As part of official programme, Finland鈥檚 leading design researchers from Aalto University debated how design could address the global ecological crisis. "What is needed so that design research has an impact on the 鈥榬eal world鈥? How might design profession benefit? How can design researchers work with others in new ways to address the urgent challenges of climate change, and what are the implications?"
The discussion was moderated by Guy Julier, Professor of Design Leadership from Aalto, and accompanied by Eeva Berglund, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Policy, Michael Lettenmeier, sustainability consultant and author of 1.5 Degree Lifestyles, Mikko Jalas, Professor of Sustainable Consumption, Ramia Maze, Professor of New Frontiers in Design and Kirsi Niinim盲ki, Professor of Fashion.
More about .
Tomorrow's Sustainable Lifestyles Showcased in Otaniemi
One of Helsinki Design Week's main events, Designs for a Cooler Planet, will showcase Aalto University's cross-cutting future prototypes, such as a nanocellulose bicycle, microbial headphones and Ioncell clothes
Dress up in wood - sustainability into fashion business
July 18, 2019, Pori
Doctoral Candidate Essi Karell joined panel discussion 'Dress up in wood - sustainability into fashion business'. The discussion was organised in Pori by the Academy of Finland and Sitra.
Panelists:
Ali Harlin, Professor, FinnCERES, VTT
Essi Karell, Doctoral candidate, Fashion designer, Aalto University
Janne Laine, Professor, Vice President for Innovation, Aalto University
Leena-Kaisa Piekkari, Circular Economy Specialist, Sitra
Moderator:
Kirsi Alm-Siira, News Anchor, Journalist, MTV Uutiset
Watch the panel discussion at .
Clothing Design in a Circular Economy
June 8, 2019, Espoo
Doctoral Candidate Essi Karell gave a lecture 'Clothing Design in a Circular Economy' at Finland鈥檚 largest sewing event .The lecture gave an overview of circular economy related challenges in the context of textile products. What could all 'sewists' consider when aiming for product longevity, reusability and recyclability?
Book Launch: Sustainable Fashion in a Circular Economy
February 5, 2019, Espoo
Edited by professor Kirsi Niinim盲ki, group leader of F/T Futures research group.
The promotion of sustainable fashion within a circular economy is a vital contemporary topic. This publication presents up-to-date research about the various levels of circularity at work in the fashion industry. Experts of design, consumption, business and industry explain how circularity in the production and consumption of fashion can be approached in manifold ways. This collection of texts highlights the fresh, critical thinking that is currently influencing the fashion industry to adopt the practice of sustainable transformation within a circular economy.
The publication addresses the following themes:
- How to include consumers within the changing process of fashion consumption?
- New design and business strategies for the circular transformation of fashion.
- Developing a systems approach to circularity, which includes the recycling and recovering of materials at an industrial level.
Purchase your copy at !
Re(dis)covering Fashion Designers: Interweaving Dressmaking and Placemaking
November 15, 2018, Helsinki
MFA Namkyu Chun defended his doctoral dissertation 'Re(dis)covering Fashion Designers: Interweaving Dressmaking and Placemaking', having PhD Pammi Sinha from University of Leeds as opponent, and professor Kirsi Niinim盲ki from Aalto University as custos.
'Re(dis)covering Fashion Designers: Interweaving Dressmaking and Placemaking' discusses the social role of fashion designers. It departed from the encounter with the mystification of what they actually do and the unclear contribution to society as a profession. While critically reflecting on design thinking approaches that have contributed to the expansion of design, this book also questions if design can be generalized without the careful understanding of cultural differences among subfields of design.
The dissertation invites a dialogue embracing the material and immaterial worlds of fashion through two studies in Helsinki, Finland. The metaphor of weaving is adopted to not just interlace the narratives of the studies but also to be used as a piece of fabric patchworking the gap between design and fashion. The two studies were constructed to both recover and rediscover fashion designers. The notion of recovery is presented in relation to the meaning of the fashion design pro颅fession in the contemporary fashion system due to certain prejudices. Meanwhile, the notion of rediscovery is tied to the prac颅tice of fashion designers, especially the ignored tradition of dressmaking and their shared culture. The results suggest both rethinking what they are capable of and exploring possibilities to expand their role. The studies woven together present an original contribution of fashion designers as engaged actors of society beyond image-making.
Futures Fabrics, Futures Consumption
September 18, 2018, Helsinki
Professor Kirsi Niinim盲ki gave a presentation 'Futures Fabrics, Futures Consumption' at Helsinki Design Week鈥榮 event Future Fabricon 18th of September, addressing the following question: How does the future of textile industry look like? The event approached the future of Finnish fashion from three perspectives:
- Futures material technologies; how to create new ecological materials.
- From technology into industry; can expensive innovations revolutionise the fashion system?
- Can a small country overcome scalability challenges?
The event was organised by Helsinki Think Company in Science Corner (Tiedekulma). Helsinki Think Company is the entrepreneurship society of the University of Helsinki.
Touch Interwoven 鈥 Interactive Textile as an Interface Between Physical and Digital Worlds
September 12, 2018, Espoo
Doctoral Candidate Emmi Pouta presented her research at Smart Textile Summit, which is a continually organized networking event that deals with the latest Finnish smart textile research and industry. The first event focused on human experiences with smart textiles in different forms of our everyday life.
Event was organized in collaboration between Happy Textiles Bazaar, Aalto University Experience Platform, Aalto University Materials Platform, and Start North. Event was a part of the official Helsinki Design Week program.
The title of the presentation was 'Touch Interwoven 鈥 Interactive Textile as an Interface Between Physical and Digital Worlds'.
More about the event .
Fashion/Textile Futures
The Fashion/Textile Futures research group explores new perspectives on human-centered design research. The group approaches research in the field of fashion, clothing and textiles in multi-faceted ways.
