Posh Swaps Blog

In response to 21st Century concerns and the rapidly evolving luxury market, the Gucci Group will sponsor a Ph.D. Scholarship that will explore the potential of new technology in answering the call for sustainability in the challenging context of fashion and textiles.

The First ‘Gucci Group Ph.D Scholarship’ is aimed at promoting creativity and innovation to define what future luxury may be with sustainability in its core.
Gucci Group believe that cutting edge design, science and material innovation hold the key to developing new methods and processes that will assist in defining the future of craft and manufacturing, and help ensure the future for luxury brands that will take into account environmental concerns and climate change.

The Ph.D. Scholarship will be hosted by Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and supported by Textile Futures Research and Consultancy (TFRC) at the University of the Arts London (UAL). This research facilitates technology, translation and convergence, improving the interface between science and design, the exploration of sustainability, the expansion of the textile product and new applications. Linked to TFRC, the Ph.D. Scholar will join a community of specialist researchers and practitioners with internationally recognised expertise in wide ranging and related projects that include:

‘BioCouture’: is a visionary research project to grow clothing. It unites fashion and textile design with bio and nanotechnologies for future sustainable fashion. Led by fashion designer Suzanne Lee, at Central Saint Martins, and scientist Dr. David Hepworth, BioCouture entails the growing of clothing from laboratory cultured bacterial-cellulose. The sheet material is grown in a green tea solution and can be dried down to form a seamless shape or cut and sewn conventionally for clothing;
Rethinking Recycled Textiles’: Kate Goldsworthy, at Central Saint Martins, employs new finishing and laser surfacing technologies for ‘upcycling’ synthetic materials. What were otherwise unwanted; ‘ugly’ materials are transformed into highly desirable fabrics for fashion and interiors;
Ever & Again’: a research project led by Becky Earley, at Chelsea College of Art & Design, about ‘upcycling’, the development of processes and design that improve upon the value of the original textile product in some way;
Pop Up’: Designer Carole Collet, at Central Saint Martins, is developing smart textile surfaces that will change shape in reaction to ambient environmental changes. This project is investigating the potential of applying biomimetic principals from nature, in textile design.

Gucci Group is committed to environmental stewardship and to the sustainable development of its businesses.
Gucci Group recognizes the importance of using innovation to create new and dynamic ways of consuming and to develop commercially viable solutions that at the same time respect nature and mankind. The future holds a new palette of options that could provide sustainable directives to influence our company and beyond.

About Textile Futures Research & Consultancy:

Using a variety of research methods and partnerships, TFRC brings together staff working in different colleges of the University of the Arts London, other national and international academic, research and cultural institutions, industry and commerce. TFRC is building on staff and student textile work in the areas of fashion, product, environment, architecture, medicine, well-being as well as history and theory. The research feeds back into current and future graduate and postgraduate programmes and provides through its activities and outputs (products, publications, patents, conferences, etc.) a creative profile that constructively counterbalances the proliferation of technology driven textile research. www.tfrg.org.uk

London College of Fashion is one of the worlds leading fashion colleges. It has a huge influence on the new designers and up and coming talents that graduate from it’s courses each year. It is really exciting to see London College of Fashion embracing recycling and second hand clothing with their short course in recycled clothing.

This course is great for anyone who wants to develop their own unique or individual style through second hand and vintage clothing. With second hand clothing being so immensley popular this course will give you the chance to get creative and also utilise some of your jumble sale or posh swaps finds to make some thing gorgeous.

The course will teach you how to make a capsule wardrobe from second hand clothes or clothes in your existing wardrobe. Following some research on current fashion and trends combined with your own inspiration before learning how to apply customising techniques. You will also learn aboout key skills like soft tailoring and pattern cutting which will allow you to alter items, improve the fit, change the lining etc. You will also get the chance to have a go at creative techniques like beading and embellishment.

The best bit about the course is that it is aimed at beginners so you only need basic hand and sewing machine skills. You could even make yourself some extra money by selling your recycled creations on posh-swaps.com.