ARTS THREAD Milan19: MA Material Futures CSM UAL

Above: Material Futures CSM 1. & 2. Pineapple Wool, Nathalie Spencer / 3. Clothes Moths Services, Chiara Tommencioni Pisapia / 4. SOAPACK, Mi Zhou / 5. Seam Unseam, Naila Al-Thani / 6. Make Weeds Great Again, Daisy Newdick / 7. Skin II, Rosie Broadhead / 8. Future Sequin by Elissa Brunato / 9. The Weight of Value, Eunhye Ko / 10. Bio-Kintsugi, Yiwei Cui

Students from Material Futures MA at Central Saint Martins UAL showcased their work at Milan Design Week. ARTS THREAD visited the show and brings you highlights.

Pineapple Wool by Nathalie Spencer The textile industry is the second largest polluting industry in the world [1]. Studies show that in order to have any chance of slowing down or preventing the climate crisis, society must shift from the use of animal derived products and instead find more sustainable and natural alternatives. The wool industry is not only a contributor towards global pollution but the insatiable demand for fast fashion also often results in unethical and unsustainable farming practices.

Pineapple Wool presents a vegan alternative to wool by utilising the waste leaves from pineapples found in London markets and processing the fibres into a wearable material. In redesigning waste back into the system, an already existing by-product offers a sustainable and biodegradable vegan textile. In questioning the environmental and ethical concerns of animal products, the project challenges both the manner in which we consume as well as the manner in which we make. [1] Conca, J. (2015). Making Climate Change Fashionable – The Garment Industry Takes on Global Warming, Forbes, 3 December.

Clothes Moths Services by Chiara Tommencioni Pisapia One of the biggest problems in the textile industry is the processing of mixed synthetic fibre waste. Considering that ‘every second one garbage truck full of textiles is burned or sent to landfill’ [1], this project investigates how clothes moths larvae could be farmed to break down and separate this waste on our behalf. [1] Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017). A New Textile Economy.

SOAPACK by Mi Zhou There is now more plastic in the ocean than marine life. This project proposes an alternative to single-life disposable plastic packaging.

Packaging has always been thrown away, no matter how well-designed or what material is used. In a commercially-driven society and in order to achieve maximum profits, manufacturers wrap everything in plastic which, as we are all aware, now pollutes every single corner of the world. Through this project, I am proposing that we use soap as a packaging material for toiletry/cleaning products which can be utilised after the contents are used.

AW18: The Future is Plastic by Marcel Nieto-Glowacki The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry worldwide and is therefore an industry in which small changes can make huge differences. My project explores how we can better utilise the mountains of plastic waste created in today’s fashion mass manufacturing and distribution systems by creating a wide range of alternative appliances and innovative uses. The name of this project refers back to the season where the waste itself comes from.

Seam Unseam by Naila Al-Thani Every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned [1].

As fashion quickly morphs into waste within the fast paced, short lived linear cycle of consumption, this project looks at examining garment construction methods in order to devise a better system for a circular lifecycle, as well as refuting the construct that design must be limited in order to produce zero waste or sustainable garments.

By working with a biosynthetically-produced strip, created using heterologous expression in bacteria after genome sequencing, I am exploring a new way of assembling and disassembling garments to give them a new life not just an afterlife. [1] Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017). A New Textile Economy.

Make Weeds Great Again by Daisy Newdick The common dandelion is a ubiquitous plant in the UK. Every part of the dandelion is edible including the flowers, roots, and leaves, yet it is among the most detested weeds in Britain. The roots, when dried and roasted, have a remarkable similarity in taste to coffee.

Coffee is the world’s second most tradable commodity after oil, yet increasing demand from a rapidly expanding population, and the environmental changes that accompany it, put the future of the drink at risk. In response to this, I propose a system of locally sourced dandelion root as a cost effective and sustainable alternative to imported coffee.

Skin II by Rosie Broadhead Invisible to the naked eye, our bodies play host to trillions of microorganisms. Optimal skin conditions depend on the probiotic microbes that live on our bodies. Our skin biome is shaped by our natural environment. Cosmetic products and fabric finishes on clothing can contain toxic chemicals which disrupt the diversity of bacteria living on our skin.

Skin II explores the benefits of encapsulating probiotic bacteria into the fibres of clothing. The encapsulated bacteria have the ability to reduce body odour, encourage cell renewal, and improve the skin’s immune system. Skin II aims to use what is natural on our bodies to advance the functionality of clothing. In collaboration with microbiologist Dr.Callewaert from Ghent University.

Future Sequin by Elissa Brunato What does the future of embroidery look like in a circular fashion system? Future Sequin confronts the environmental impact of plastic sequin embellishment within the fashion and textiles industry. The end of an embroidered garment’s life informs the starting point of the material process. In the context of scientific and technological innovation, this project reconstructs the materiality and the alluring shimmer of a sequin to be completely circular and environmentally embedded. It considers the high visual standards of luxury and Haute Couture fashion as a benchmark for redefining the beauty of sustainability. In collaboration with RISE Research Institute of Sweden.

The Weight of Value by Eunhye Ko Cheap consumer goods are most commonly made using plastic grade 7. Plastic grade 7 essentially means “any other plastics” and is composed of any new plastic or different types of plastic which cannot be widely recycled or repurposed. Given the millions of tonnes of this waste that either get burnt or sent to landfill each year, it is critical we find more sustainable alternatives to this specific plastic type.

Through this project, I celebrate and explore how tradition and craft could not only enrich our emotional connection to such goods, but also be far more sustainable in the process.

How micro-organisms could be utilised in contemporary craft practices.

Kintsugi is the traditional Japanese craft practice in which ceramics are repaired and enhanced through the use of resin and gold leaf. By exploring the qualities and technique of micro-mineralisation, the biological process in which living organisms are naturally able to repair themselves, I am hoping to develop and perfect the practice of Bio-Kintsugi, or rather, develop a technique in which micro-organisms and bacteria can repair broken objects efficiently and beautifully. In collaboration with David Miao (PhD student at Imperial College London).

Learn more about Material Futures MA at Central Saint Martins UAL from their website.

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Source: Artsthread.com

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