Category Archives: Seminar

Scanning the Transdisciplinary

“To mark the launch of the new Graduate Program in Transdisciplinary Design, this year’s Stephan Weiss Lecture Series in The School of Design Strategies is dedicated to the theme of transdisciplinary design. The series will explore the shifting of boundaries of design in a complex world. Designers are rethinking their practices as they increasingly confront a world in which the complexity and interconnectedness of its people, infrastructures, networks, and economies challenges traditional, disciplinary responses. Designers are increasingly designing businesses, services, experiences, policies, and even emergent social forms; and along the way they are inventing new methods, new tools, and new ways of conceiving design. This year’s series will include a diverse range of designers and design thinkers who are reflecting on these new conditions and envisioning future practices. Staged as a series of four moderated conversations, the Stephan Weiss Lecture Series for 2010 will present multiple vantages on the state of design today and the possibilities for design tomorrow.” (Parsons, MFA Transdisciplinary Design)

If you missed the first lecture, Transformational Networks, on Feb. 23rd, you can still catch the next two in the series:

Transfiguring Practices, Thursday, March 25, 6-8 pm

What are the pressures on design consultancies and businesses as the rules of the game are shifting in unpredictable ways? How are design-led businesses succeeding at defining new territories to work in and new ways of operating?

Transitional States, Tuesday, April 6, 6-8 pm

Can design play a role in governmental and non-governmental delivery of things like infrastructure, education, and health care? What kinds of alliances and collaborations are forming to bring design-led practices into large scale social and technological services?

Source: Parsons, MFA Transdisciplinary Design

Go Green Week, 2010 // The University of the Arts

Timo Rissanen offers a great post with his notes on ‘The Sustainability Equation: Ethics and Aesthetics in Contemporary Fashion’ and on the ‘Ethics and Aesthetics = Sustainable Fashion’ exhibit at Pratt on his personal blog “Timo Rissanen: Fashion Creation Without Fabric Waste Creation.”

Not to be confused with the Pratt exhibit, that runs until the 20th of February, the graduate students of the MA in Fashion and the Environment over at the London College of Fashion will host “[a]n informal evening called Ethics+Aesthetics = Sustainable Fashion, […] on Friday 12th February at the HUB” for Go Green Week 2010, along with other awareness campaigns such as a fashion swapshop and workshops.

Here is message from the MA Fashion and the Environment students via the Centre for Sustainable Fashion with all of the details:

“Fashion is saving the world this week at the University of the Arts! The first UAL Go Green Week of 2010 at The University of the Arts is fast approaching, held the week of the 8th until the 12th February, and the students from the LCF course MA Fashion and the Environment, who are advocates of an ethical and sustainable fashion industry; based at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, are raising awareness throughout the University of the exciting and innovative developments of sustainable design within the fashion and textile industries.

We have a couple of, what promise to be, exciting and informative events organised for Go Green week, in order to increase public consciousness of environmental issues that are becoming increasingly prominent of late in the industry. Over the course of the week, the Fashion and the Environment students are out to spread the word about what you and I can do to make our wardrobes greener, so to speak! Green is the new black, darling!

A Fashion Swapshop is organised for Thursday the 11th Feb, at the HUB, at the Davies Street between 6pm and 9pm. We are invited to search our wardrobes for garments we never wear, bring them along, and swap them for ones we will wear and love. The Swapshop is not the only focus of the evening, as it will also include speakers from textile recycling company TRAID who aim to protect the environment by diverting clothes from landfill, clothing customising workshops, and, for one night only in London, a vintage clothing stall all the way from Italy–Mercatino Michela.

An informal evening called Ethics+Aesthetics = Sustainable Fashion, will be held on Friday 12th February at the HUB, at the Davies Street between 7pm and 9pm (the bar will be open) introducing and exploring the diverse and innovative areas of sustainability within the Fashion and Textile Industry. This event will be personally hosted by MA Fashion and the Environment students from LCF in collaboration with the Centre for Sustainable Fashion. Open to all students from around the university , we are invited to come along to learn more and find out why this is such a vitally important area of contemporary design, ask questions and even get advice regarding sustainable design for our own projects. This evening promises a scintillating line up of from ethical clothing companies such as: People Tree, Ethical Fashion Forum and, Environmental Justice Foundation (also selling their t-shirts) who will be discussing the work they do to play an important role in a changing industry. The evening will also include a short film made by the MA Fashion and the Environment students, showcasing the variety of work and unique individual talents all working towards securing a more sustainable fashion future.”

More info at SU Arts University Student Union.

Source: CSF

Gallatin Eco-Fashion Week

“Save the dates for a dynamic line-up of informative lectures and panels, roundtable discussions, educational workshops, presentations, art installations, and fashion shows that will uncover the trends emerging throughout the world of eco-fashion. The majority of ideas featured at Gallatin Eco-Fashion Week 2010 will highlight the unique, original research of Gallatin community members.

Gallatin Eco-Fashion Week not only recognizes environmentally and socially responsible fashion, but also critically examines what the terms “eco” and “green” really mean within the fashion world. The event is organized by a diverse committee comprised of students, alumni, faculty, and administrators.” (NYU, Gallatin Eco-Fashion Week)

Here is the Schedule:

Monday, January 25

Opening Night
“Eco Chic: Art Representation & Green Living” panel discussion
5:30 – 8 p.m.

Tuesday, January 26

Gallatin Galleries Exhibit
Eco-inspired works by the Gallatin community
9 a.m.–7 p.m.

“Shades of Green”
Eco Talks
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.

“Shades of Green” lunchtime roundtable discussions
12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Fashion Workshop
“Working with Sustainable Materials”
2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Please RSVP

Wednesday, January 27

Fashion Workshop
“Fashion Sketching for the Aspiring Designer”
12 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Please RSVP

Workshop
“Up-cycling for Accessories”
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Please RSVP

“Haute Eco-uture” Fashion Show
Featuring designs by Gallatin students and alumni
6:30 p.m.

All events will be held at the NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study / 1 Washington Place, New York, NY, 10003 (valid ID required toenter building).

For more information: contact Jessica Lee.

Title: Gallatin Eco-Fashion Week
Location: New York
Link out: Click here
Start Date: 2010-01-25
End Date: 2010-01-27

Source:  NYU and Ecouterre

Create10// Call for Papers, Research + Student Design Competition

“The CREATE conference is all about creating innovative interactions, whether digital consumer products, interactive services or interaction paradigms.The event is an opportunity to share and discuss the design opportunities and dilemmas that are currently being addressed by practitioners and researchers from the commercial, public and academic sectors.

As well as presentation of academic research and student work, the event will provide real learning opportunities through hands-on workshops, case studies and demonstrations. We also welcome theoretical and research perspectives on the process of design innovation and approaches to creativity in HCI; how human factors can be integrated within a creative design process, methods that encourage creativity in interaction design, and the challenges of working in multi-disciplinary teams.” (Create 10)

Title: Create10
Location: Edinburgh Napier University, UK
Link out: Click here
Start Date: 2010-06-30
End Date: 2010-07-02

Student Design Competition

“This competition is aimed at students from a wide range of disciplines, for example: interaction design, product design, industrial design, communications design, architecture, fashion, multimedia, HCI, and related fields. Students, both undergraduate and postgraduate, can enter for up to a year after completing their studies.” (Create 10)

Design Brief:

“The conference theme of ‘transitions’ is the inspiration for this competition brief. We want to receive entries that scope, explore, define and prototype interactions that make transitions visible. These could be transitions that investigate the relationship between the analogue and digital realms, or systems that make visible transitions across time, place or information spaces.

For this competition you are asked to design an interactive artefact, interface, installation or experience. If selected, you will be invited to display your working design, or a tangible prototype, in a high profile public exhibition space, so you must consider how it may be displayed.”

Initial submissions

Submissions can be made individually or as group work (max 4 participants).
Should consist of:
1.    An extended abstract (500 – 1,000 words) describing your design and any design principles or theories that have informed your approach to this project. You should include discussion of your research process, paying particular attention to your intended user group, whether this is a specific user or a wider group. If you are submitting as a group you should include a brief description of the roles of each member of the group.
2.    Appropriate images of your work, (max 3 sheets of A4) clearly illustrating the design’s interactivity, and also your inspirations and/or research process. You may also include digital files on disk to support the hard copies, these should be cross-platform.
3.    An explanation (1 page A4) of how the work would be displayed in a public exhibition.
4.    A completed application form, this will be available to download soon from the conference website.

All individual items should be clearly marked with your name(s), institution, course, name of your academic supervisor or tutor, and year of study.

Final format

If your work is selected for display at the Create10 exhibition you will be expected to provide:
1.     An A0 poster describing the development process from concept to finished project.
Plus at least one of the following:
2.     A video of the project, showing it working in context.
3.     A finished working (hi-fidelity prototype) that can actually be exhibited as working at the exhibition.
Conference attendance

If your work is selected for exhibition, you will be expected to register, at the student rate, to attend the Create10 conference at the end of June. In the case of group submission, at least one student per submission must register.

Important dates

Initial submission deadline: March 31st 2010

Successful exhibitors will be notified by the end of April 2010

Call for full papers, workshops, short presentations, demonstrations and exhibits:

THEME  : :  Transitions

Analogue <> Digital
Academic <>Practice
Place <> Time
Real <> Virtual
Create10 is seeking original, unpublished work under the following categories :
– High quality academic papers for peer review (max 6 pages)
– Practical workshops
– Short papers and/or case studies from practitioners within the field
– Short presentations and/or posters from students
– demonstrations and/or videos of installation-based exhibits or  creative work in progress

IMPORTANT DATES

Submissions of :
1 page abstracts for papers : 15th March 2010
2 page proposals for all other submissions : 15th March 2010
Notification of acceptance :  Early April 2010
Full paper submission :  End of April 2010
For further information please contact Ingi Helgason : i.helgason@napier.ac.uk

Source: Puff and Flock and Create10

EcoChic Geneva

 

The United Nations has declared 2010 the International Year of Biodiversity and the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures.

UN Secretary General Welcome Message for the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity from CBD on Vimeo.

EcoChic Geneva is an event that strives to redefine both sustainability and fashion in this context:

Title: EcoChic Geneva
Location: Geneva, Switzerland
Link out: Click here

As the 2009 International Year for Natural Fibres draws to a close and the focus begins to shift to 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity, Green2greener is delighted to announce its collaboration with the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on a series of activities that will highlight the importance of natural fibres and biodiversity in sustainable development strategies.

EcoChic Geneva will take place on January 20-21, 2010 at the Palais des Nations, the UN headquarters in Geneva. The event will commence with a 1.5 day seminar which will look at “Redefining Sustainability in the International Agenda” from the perspective of the fashion and cosmetics industries.

[EcoChic Fashions Documentary, Hong Kong 2008]

The seminar will be followed by a high-profile gala evening on Thursday 21 January. Highlights include the launch of a Sustainable Fashion Exhibition and dramatic EcoChic Fashion Show featuring sustainable and ethical ready-to-wear and couture looks by fashion designers from around the globe. The Exhibition will be subsequently opened to the public free of charge until February 4, 2010.

This series of activities will bring together senior representatives from the private sector with key decision-makers from government, civil society and other public sector organisations. For more information or to find out how you can get involved, please contact us at ecochic@green2greener.com.” (EcoChic Geneva)

Start Date: 2010-01-20
End Date: 2010-01-21

The Case for Sustainable Fashion: Organic and Sustainable Textile Seminar for Brands and Retailers

21st Century supply chain management calls for innovative mindsets and specialized methodologies. Escalating oil prices, climate change, consumer awareness, water shortages, child labor, biodiversity, landscape management, transparency, pesticide management – all these elements impact on sourcing decisions, the supply chain and how we deliver product to the consumer.” (OE-MB Sustainable Fashion Seminars)

oe-mb_logo_seminar_the case for sustainable fashion

The Seminar is a unique 2 day intensive aimed to bring textile and apparel professionals working within the industry up to speed on opportunities to create responsible change within their supply chain.

Title: The Case for Sustainable Fashion: Organic and Sustainable Textile Seminar for Brands and Retailers
Location: London
Link out: Click here
Description :

Some of the important topics covered include:

  • Environmentally Friendly Fabrics – Understand the Definition, Sourcing and Production Issues,
  • A discussion on Recycled Polyester and Climate Neutral Clothing,
  • Responsible Processing – The Good The Bad & The Ugly of Dyeing and Finishing Industry,
  • Product Integrity – Certification, Labeling, Transparency and Traceability,
  • Social Compliance – Understand the Different Systems and Learn The Actual Work Done,
  • Setting Sustainability Strategy – Learn from the Perspective of Leading Brands, Their Pitfalls, Triumphs and Lessons Learned,
  • Communication Strategy – How Sustainability and Branding Strengthen Each Other?
  • Fashion and Consumer Trends Towards Sustainability in Europe.

Participants will be encouraged to be critical, ask questions and share experiences during discussions. It would be an excellent place to actively share knowledge and information and to network at every possible level.

It is of our main intention that you will leave this event with:

  • Practical and in-depth sustainability strategies that can be used by your business,
  • A roadmap of action – a clear idea of what needs to be done, and how,
  • A new set of meaningful contacts.

Who would benefit most from this seminar?


If you are involved in supply chain management, buying, designing, fabric sourcing, marketing, CSR or are a professional and manager of a clothing brand or retailer, this seminar will assist you to initiate and develop your sustainable textile and apparel programme.
By attending, you will provide your company with an excellent return on investment as you meet with your peers, expand your knowledge of sustainable textiles, and find new opportunities for innovation, risk reduction/brand protection, and cost savings.

Please contact Nany Trivita Kusuma for additional details or questions” (event description directly sourced through OE-MB Sustainable Fashion Seminars)

Start Date: 2009-11-19
End Date: 2009-11-20

Source: CSF and OE-MB Sustainable Fashion Seminars