CIRCULAR FUTURES

How can circular design be used to create more equitable & fair futures?

Becky’s work considers how design, circularity & technical/social innovations can lead to more positive lifestyles for all. Drawing upon science & humanities research, Becky using a systems design approach to take the audience on a tour of future homes & communities. In this future, circular goods change hands, change shape, change lives.

Designing Textiles for a Circular Future

MOMA Future Materials Conference.

The Future Materials Conference 2022 was organized by the Innovation Center at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest, Hungary. Becky gave the opening keynote address, which outlined key themes for future innovation in the world of circular materials & clothing.

Show Studio: Challenge the Fabric

What is the future of fashion in terms of textiles?

Industry experts Per Götesson, Maria Baldin, Brigitte Stepputtis & Orsola de Castro sat down with Becky to discuss how the future landscape of natural, synthetic & blends looks. Hosted by the Swedish Fashion Council, at the 2018 CTF Award in London.

ReDress the Future

What are the challenges & opportunities that lie ahead for circular fashion?

Becky & Laetitia feature in episode 3 of Waterbear’s ReDress the Future, presented by Michaela Loach. Create a free account on Waterbear to watch the episodes in full.

Circular Fashion 2070

This invited essay to mark 50 years of The Bridge - an engineering journal - takes three garment types & explores how they might be made & used in 50 years’ time, drawing on insights from multiple research projects & emerging innovations.

The Future of Fashion

During the first wave of lockdowns in 2020, Becky took part in the Good Impact Series by Cogo, with Safia Minney MBE. The event was hosted by Mike Barry & Becky was invited to present a future scenario for fashion, based on her research. She read from a fictional diary from 2025. (Watch the playback from 18:45 - 25:34 minutes),

Animate materials at the Royal Society

Panel chaired by Professor Mark Miodownik

Imagine a future where roads can self-heal, tiny robotic molecules can assemble themselves into household objects, & living buildings can harvest carbon dioxide to generate power and purified water. Animate materials could make this a reality. Becky suggests how sustainable fashion could utilise this incredible technology.

Sky News Interview

Global Change Awards

Becky talks about new innovations being supported by H&M Foundation, towards sustainable fashion. The shortlist focused on biobased materials.

  • Listen: Radio 4

    Becky pops up on this Behind the Scenes feature on Amy Powney (Mother of Pearl), to talk about sustainable fashion & the challenges for designers. (From 16:30 - 18:50)

    Listen

  • Read: Clothing 2050

    Becky writes about clothing scenarios for future households in more detail in this Routledge book chapter, ‘Clothing 2050: garment scenarios to drive circular material systems’ (in Charter et al 2023).

    READ

  • Read: Sustainable Materials Roadmap

    Journal of Physics, Special Issue. ‘Sustainable Textiles for Fashion’, article by Becky which outlines an approach that takes a pragmatic & detailed approach to cotton & polyester for future fashion. Pp.80-83

    Read

  • Read: Threads & Opportunities

    Becky gave the closing keynote talk at the Threads & Opportunities conference, Sydney, Australia (26 May 2022). The report from the four-day event can be accessed here.

    Read

  • Read: Future Family Fashions

    In 2020 Becky started writing about potential clothing offers for future households, resulting from emerging technologies & service/system design. Click below to access this essay on Medium.

    Read

  • Read: From Singular to Plural

    Journal article led by Copenhagen Business School colleagues, that explores organisational complexities & circular business model design. It uses Becky’s Service Shirt prototype as a case study.

    Read

  • Read: Circular Design Myths

    ‘Circular textile design: Old myths and new models’. A book chapter in Designing for the Circular Economy, ed. Martin Charter, Published: Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group). (2019)

    Read

  • Read: Circular Design Futures

    Invited essay for the Design Journal, marking its 20 year anniversary. Becky reflects on the TED staff cluster of textile tutors and practicing industry designers at Chelsea, UAL, in the same timeframe.

    Read

  • Read: Global Change Awards

    Becky supported the H&M Foundation’s Global Change Award for several years - as a judge, advisor & event host. You can watch playbacks & read about the winners at the GCA site.

    Read

  • Read: Material Futures 01

    Becky was commissioning editor for this Dezeen award-winning magazine, produced by Franklin Till for the Textiles Futures Research Centre. You can now get the PDF for free from here.

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