March 19, 2013 by renee
The Local Wisdom project will be in Melbourne this Saturday, 23 March to gather more tales and images of the creative and ingenious practices associated with using garments. This will be the final shoot of a year of touring that has included Kolding, San Francisco, London, Vancouver, New York City and Wellington and will kick start our design collaboration with students and researchers at RMIT University of Technology. More information can be found at http://localwisdom.info
Let anyone in Melbourne or Victoria know to come and share their insights with us!
We’ll be at:
The Melbourne GPO
350 Bourke Street
11am until 4pm.
What should you bring to be photographed?
Perhaps you have a garment that…
• Is easily repairable
• Is worn regularly and has never been washed (and isn’t leather!)
• Is enjoying a third, fourth or fifth life
• Surprises you each time you wear it
• Shows or tells the story of how it’s been used
• Is worn in ways that defy the producer’s values
• Is adapted over and again in order to meet changing needs
• Has interchangeable parts that can be worn in different ways
• Is shared between people
• Connects you to others
• Is worn in response to changing economic and environmental concerns
• Is made up of interchangeable pieces that can be worn in different ways
Images from the recent photoshoot in Vancouver…
Questions? Email more@localwisdom.info
January 15, 2013 by renee
The Local Wisdom project arrives in Canada and New York this month kicking off our projects with The Emily Carr University of Art and Design and Parsons The New School for Design. If you are in either of these locations please do take this opportunity to contribute to the project by telling the story of how you use your clothes and be photographed wearing your garment. See below for dates, times and locations.
Vancouver
Saturday 19 January 2013
10:00am – 4:00pm
1399 Johnston Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3RN
New York
Saturday 26 January 2013
10:00am – 4:00pm
2 West 13th Street (Corner of 5th Avenue)
New York, NY 10011
What should you bring to be photographed? Perhaps you have a garment that is…• Is easily repairable
• Is worn regularly and has never been washed (and isn’t leather!)
• Is enjoying a third, fourth or fifth life
• Surprises you each time you wear it
• Shows or tells the story of how it’s been used
• Is worn in ways that defy the producer’s values
• Is adapted over and again in order to meet changing needs
• Has interchangeable parts that can be worn in different ways
• Is shared between people
• Connects you to others
• Is worn in response to changing economic and environmental concerns
• Is made up of interchangeable pieces that can be worn in different ways
Images from the recent photoshoot in London…
March 30, 2012 by zbeck
We are pleased to announce the next two lectures from an exciting series of talks on diverse subjects related to the theme of Better Lives, subjects will include ‘ageing and self esteem’, ‘is the fashion industry contributing to the low self-esteem of the nation as well as to mental health problems’ and ‘self-esteem and the modern trend towards surgical/cosmetic procedures’. These talks are organised in collaboration with Dr Paul Matts of Procter & Gamble Visiting Professor at London College of Fashion.
Lecture 3: Self Esteem in a Changing World with Andy Lancaster
Thursday 19th April (please note change of date from previously advertised)
Time: 6-7pm
Location: London College of Fashion, RHS East Space, 20 John Princes St, London, W1G 0BJ. (Please contact us in advance if you have access requirements)
The pace of change is faster than it’s ever been! However, in a society which places immense value on what we do and what we have, what impact can change have on self-esteem? And, what happens if we struggle to adapt? Through working with those experiencing addictions, the homeless, excluded young people and older people Andy explores how our ability to cope with change is inextricably linked to maintaining self-esteem.
Andy Lancaster Bio:
Starting out lecturing in computer-aided design at Brunel University, Andy has subsequently led learning and development in a number of national organisations in the commercial and charitable sectors. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and the Chartered Management Institute and was runner up at the 2011 Training Journal National Training Awards for “Learning and Development Professional of the Year”.
Lecture 4: Cosmetic Surgery: Self-Esteem, Aesthetics and Ethics with Ian Mackay MB BS FRCS and Margaret Ramage RGN RSCN
Thursday 29th May
Time: 6-7pm
Location: London College of Fashion, RHS East Space, 20 John Princes St, London, W1G 0BJ. (Please contact us in advance if you have access requirements)
We live in a Society where, for some, image seems to be everything. In order to get the right job, the right friends or indeed the right partner, we perceive that we must not only dress the part but also be physically perfect. This presentation will explore the ethics of cosmetic surgery, the procedures available, finding a doctor, the consultation, follow-up and dealing with the disappointments when patients either didn’t understand the limitations of surgery or things have gone seriously wrong. The Medical Defence Union has stated that “There are some common reasons for patients bringing claims… patients’ dissatisfaction with the aesthetic result of the procedure, are problems which could be avoided with improved communication between the doctor and patient prior to the operation.” Improved pre-operative communication may include an assessment by a psychiatrist or trained psychologist to assess the emotional feelings and drives which lead people to request cosmetic surgery. Case examples will be given to demonstrate some of these emotional factors and the ethical issues which may arise in the context of aesthetic surgery.
Ian Mackay MB BS FRCS
Harley Street Nose Clinic, Hon. Consultant ENT Surgeon Charing Cross Hospital and King Edward VII Hospital, Visiting Professor Mayo Clinic USA
Margaret Ramage RGN RSCN
Sexual & Relationship Psychotherapist
** Please RSVP to csf.events@fashion.arts.ac.uk **
August 16, 2010 by Hatty
London College of Fashion has been working with the University of Moratuwa since 2002 and, with funding provided by the British Fashion Council, an incredible opportunity arose for our MA Fashion and the Environment students to visit Sri Lanka; to experience and learn about the Sri Lankan fashion industry and gain an understanding of the sustainability challenges and opportunities within it.
And so on the 31st July four of our fantastic students – Beth, Kate, Saida and Zoe – set off to spend a month in Sri Lanka, conducting research which will inform their Major Projects and, to discover first-hand the contrasts between small cottage industry and large-scale factory manufacturing, interrogate traditional craft techniques and to gain an invaluable insight into workers experiences of co-operative enterprise and factory environments in the country, as well as much, much more…
The students have been travelling extensively during their time in Sri Lanka however the University of Moratuwa, located 19 kilometres south of the capital Colombo, is acting as a base for them during their visit. The University, one of 12 government-funded Higher Education institutions in Sri Lanka, boasts the brilliant Department of Textiles established just over 20 years ago. Dr Nirmali de Silva, Head of Department, has been responsible for leading new curriculum initiatives for Sri Lanka and will be providing support to our students throughout their time there.
This dynamic foursome have certainly been making the most of their time in Sri Lanka so far, taking the opportunity to develop a unique appreciation of diverse areas within the fashion supply chain including design, pattern construction, garment production and management, craft, photography and customer engagement.
And we’re lucky enough to be able to share in their experiences as they continue on this amazing journey. They’ve been doing us proud, blogging away since day one… and their posts make compelling reading! So why not follow their progress as they endeavour to develop a holistic understanding of the Sri Lankan fashion industry and each person’s role within it. Read their blog here:
http://connectsrilanka.blogspot.com/
… the CSF team are totally hooked!!
The students will also be presenting their research at the end of the project to the British Council and faculty members at the University of Moratuwa and on their return to London College of Fashion in September so keep checking the CSF bulletin for up-dates about this.
May 14, 2010 by Hatty
Recycling Textile Technologies
A one-day workshop from 9am to 5pm, on June 14th 2010
To be held at University College London.
This one-day interdisciplinary workshop brings together those working on textile recycling across disciplines and sectors, including anthropologists, geographers, historians, designers, waste consultants and consumer researchers. Through this exchange we hope to develop a greater understanding of the underlying relationships between people and things, raw materials and technologies, the emergence of entrepreneurs and innovators in social networks, and their contextual variations. For further details, please see Recycling Textile Technologies Workshop web page.
Organisers:
Lucy Norris and Julie Botticello, Dept of Anthropology, UCL
Registration:
The registration fee covers refreshments and lunch with vegetarian options.
Waged: £25 and Unwaged/Student: £18
Please contact Julie Botticello on ucsajbo@ucl.ac.uk to reserve your place. The deadline for registration is 7th of June 2010.
June 17, 2009 by amucklow
Professor Lucy Orta is delighted to announce that Lucy + Jorge Orta have been invited by Cape Farewell to participate in the first expedition to the Peruvian Andes from 23 June to 10 July 2009 with a group of international artists and scientists. The research conducted by Lucy + Jorge will be central to their solo exhibition Amazonia at the Natural History Museum London in autumn 2010.
Artists Adriane Colburn, Daro Montag, Lucy and Jorge Orta, Novelist Yann Martel, Photographer Ana Ceclia Gonzales Vigil, Designer Marije De Haas, Sound Artist Brenndan McGuire, Animator Anthony Santoro, Camera man Matt Wainwright and climate science communicator Rhian Salmon will explore the impacts of climate change in the Andean Mountains with Scientists Prof Yadvinder Malhi, Dr Joshua Fisher, and Kathryn Clark from Oxford University, to respond to and inspire a sustainable cultural vision to the potentially devastating climate reality .
Since 2003, Cape Farewell has led seven expeditions to the High Arctic, the ambition of their first expedition to the Andes is to invite artists to witness the impact of climate change in another major climate tipping point; rainforests. The team will visit multiple science stations and partake in varied climate research to gain a full understanding of the breadth of research being undertaken in the Andes and the implications of human activity on this fragile environment.
May 12, 2009 by amucklow
A great opportunity has arisen to be part of a the “Local Wisdom” Fashion Shoot. There are two shoots taking place one in Totnes in June (Saturday 6th) and the other in Bollington in July(Sunday 5th ).
The shoot is for a unique fashion research project organised the Centre for Sustainable Fashion at London College of Fashion to record and celebrate the clothes we wear and the way that we wear them.
So if you have a skirt that you share with a friend; a jumper that has never been washed; or you try and wear something that is made up of separate pieces that can be interchanged; or have trousers that help you connect to nature – with expandable pockets perhaps in which to carry home your foraged supper, then we’d love to meet you and get you involved.
The project team is looking for garments that:
- are shared between people
- have never been washed – and aren’t leather
- have the character of a particular place in them
- link you with the natural world
- catches your attention each time you wear it
- tells the story of how it’s been used
- are made up of separate pieces that can be interchanged
- make you feel part of a community (but not a uniform)
- are enjoying a third, fourth or fifth life
So if you are over 16 and would like to be photographed wearing your clothes so as to share the story please get involved.
For more information click here.
May 6, 2009 by amucklow
CSF needs your help!
We are conducting research into what employers look for in fashion students and graduates with relation to knowledge, skills and attitudes to sustainability. The research will inform teaching and learning at London College of Fashion and other fashion colleges in the UK. If you have a bit of time, we would really appreciate your thoughts and experience on this important subject.
Take part.
April 22, 2009 by amucklow
Impactt have released an new report – Getting Smarter: Ethical Trading in the Downturn
Impactt has been working in ethical trade for 10 years, enabling companies to improve working conditions in their supply chains in a way that brings clear business benefits to both ends of the chain. Impactt’s approach is change-focused, innovative and practical.
The report focuses on how the recessions and all that entails meant that 2008 was a challenging year. The situation poses obvious but important questions for companies: how should they tackle the challenges of ethical trade and labour standards in a downturn? Is work on upholding labour standards an optional extra to be discarded when times are hard? Or have ethical issues moved to a point where they are considered core to operations?
Impactt strives to find creative ways to improve working conditions in supply chains to bring clear business benefits; we have developed case studies on 4 key projects from the year that do just that:
- Bangladesh Ethical Factory: A model for sustainably increasing wages and reducing working hours.
- Practical Child Labour Solutions: Building consensus on effective child labour remediation – getting working children back to school.
- Building Local Capacity: Expanding the capacity of local organisations to work with employers and employees to improve labour practices.
- Better Buying: Integrating ethical trade into the core operations of business.
The report also presents the findings from Impactt’s assessments of 98 production sites during the year to August 2008, which draws on testimony from 1,500 workers in 11 countries.
To download the report click here.
April 2, 2009 by amucklow
If you have time please fill this survey in for Finnish fashion design student Tuija Mäntylä who is researching fashion designers’ attitudes to sustainability during a recession.
The survey can be found here.
