How Australian women bought less but had more: measuring the environmental sustainability of The Volte's peer-to-peer clothing rental model

Zero Waste Garments from Zero Waste Yarn: Using the UTS Shima Seiki seamless knit machine to create garments from yarn by Dempstah using offcuts collected from High Tea with Mrs Woo

RESEARCH DIRECTOR

Dr Timo Rissanen is an associate professor in fashion and textiles in the School of Design, Faculty of Design, Architecture and Building, at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). His research focuses on design-led approaches to sustainability and social justice in fashion and textile systems. His research expertise includes design for sustainability and circularity, product-service systems, and transition design in fashion. He co-authored Zero Waste Fashion Design (2016) with Holly McQuillan, and co-edited Shaping Sustainable Fashion (2011) with Alison Gwilt. He is a founding member of the Union of Concerned Researchers in Fashion. Read more about Timo’s research areas on the UTS website.

RESEARCH AFFILIATE

Doris is a research leader in advanced fashion manufacturing focusing on knitwear design and technology, including functional garments, new materials, and activewear. She is an authority on Wholegarment knitting design and programming, and supervises research projects on fashion and technology with an emphasis on more sustainable manufacturing and design processes. Doris was a leading researcher in the Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design Limited (AiDLab) a research operation jointly established by Hong Kong Polytechnic University and The Royal College of Art in the U.K. She is a member of the Centre of Excellence’s Fashion Educator’s Working Group. Read more about Doris’ experience on the UTS website.

RESEARCH AFFILIATE

Donna is a Lecturer in fashion and textiles design, with a background as an independent fashion designer. Her research investigates creative pattern cutting in fashion and textile design using studies from nature and methods of metaphoric analysis. Donna teaches across 1st, 3rd and Honours years in the Fashion & Textiles Design Program, and has taught in the School of Design's Interdisciplinary Design and Design Studies programs. She has been involved in the Centre of Excellence on the Steering Committee and Fashion Educator’s Working Group. Read more about Donna’s research on the UTS website.

AFFILIATED PHD CANDIDATES

The Future Factory Network: How do we make slow fashion fast? 

Integrating Industry 5.0 principles and 3D knit technology presents an opportunity to establish a Future Factory Network that fosters the possibility of hyperlocal production for both independent designers and large fashion brands, nullifying the significance of the designer and consumer's geographic location. Embodying circular economy principles, enabling design flexibility and product innovation while significantly reducing waste generation and simplifying customization. The resulting Future Factory Network can promote circular economies and enhance the well-being of every actor in the system through smart manufacturing systems and advanced manufacturing technology.

AFFILIATED PHD CANDIDATES

Adversarial Design and Agonistic Collectives – A Design for Disassembly Approach for Making Athleisure Clothing within a Circular Economy

The research aims to ask questions about the preconceived materiality of athleisure clothing by disassembling the systems of athleisure clothing production rooted in fossil fuel derivatives and hyper-consumption. The research seeks to develop experimental textiles and garment prototypes with natural materials using hand-stitched couture techniques and textile construction techniques such as smocking, circular knitting and weaving in collaboration with a broader fashion and textiles network, including weavers, designers, knitting experts, and industrial facilities. The garments and their feedback will act as proposals for the ‘degrowth’ of the wasteful athleisure garment industry practices, including material selection, limiting resource use, conserving human and natural capital, and maximising the reuse, repair and regeneration opportunities while developing athleisure garments within a circular economy.

AFFILIATED PHD CANDIDATES

Sustainable Bio Fabrics in Fashion 4.0: An Eco-Design Approach to Circular and Regenerative Fashion

This research explores the transformative potential of eco-design and bio-fabrics in achieving circular and regenerative fashion, in line with the Australian Government's commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Leveraging advanced Fashion 4.0 technologies and sustainable practices, the study aims to enhance resource efficiency and closed-loop production. Through a mixed-method approach, it will assess eco-design and bio-fabric practices, consumer attitudes towards sustainable fashion, and develop practical industry recommendations. Expected outcomes include strategies for industry adoption, insights into the impact of eco-design and bio-fabrics, and the creation of a sustainable clothing line from bio-fabrics.

AFFILIATED PHD CANDIDATES

Pluriversal Fashion-Textile Design: Re-Directing towards Relational, Place-Based, Autonomous & Whole Fashion-Textile Worlds

My practice-based PhD research explores the concept of pluriversality (a world of many worlds) as a holistic perspective towards sustainable fashion-textile design practice and enquiry. Anchored in relational, place-based, autonomous, and integrated ways of being in the world, my research explores how these values may be made manifest through fashion-textiles. This is investigated through theory and emergent-making practice through illustrations, embroidery, and garment making. Additionally, social learning workshops were conducted to introduce others to experiential, embodied, relational and integrated ways of engaging with fashion-textiles.

AFFILIATED PHD CANDIDATES

Assessing Triple Bottom Line Sustainability of Cotton Clothing Manufacturing

This research builds on Mia's extensive experience in managing production within the fashion industry and aims to present robust production data to encourage decision-makers to adopt more sustainable practices aligned with the triple bottom line. The key question is, "What production data can be utilized, and how can it be employed to promote sustainable practices that aid decision-makers in the fashion industry?" While an input-output production analysis methodology has been established to address this inquiry, it requires further development during the intended PhD research phase. Nonetheless, the current stage of research reveals substantial opportunities for the growth of Australia's textile industry, estimating that the market value for Australian cotton is ten times greater than the total revenue of the fashion industry. It also identifies the primary impediments to expansion as water and electricity consumption.