On a recent weekend getaway to London, I found myself meandering through an exhibition put forward by the University of Arts and Central Saint Martins, showcasing the new graduates’ creative projects. The industrial-esc building was overflowing with sculptures, mannequins and artistic displays, however I was lured in by one particular course exhibition: MA Material Futures.

MA Material Futures combines science, technology and design to explore alternative solutions to the many global issues we face in contemporary society. Based on the collective view that the world is in a crisis, and in urgent need of the implementation of new effective systems, the students exhibited a wide range of new, abstract ideas and solutions.

As a lover of fashion and an activist for sustainable clothing, I was particularly interested in two students’ work: a wedding dress constructed using only beeswax, and an exploration into the use of sunflowers as a regenerative, multi-use material in the fashion industry.

The creation of this elegantly beautiful wedding dress shows the endless opportunities that we have to make a switch towards plentiful and sustainable natural materials to improve the sustainability of clothing. Similarly, a second project looked at sunflowers, a globally cultivated crop that grows without pesticides and promotes healthy soils. This particular student demonstrated how we can use the whole sunflower for a range of different uses, from fibre for textiles, to pigments and dyes, to a water-resistant coating for clothing. All of this from a single sunflower!

I left the exhibition feeling inspired and hopeful, and it got me thinking about my position here, at Onesta. We are working hard to make conscious consumerism the norm, and increasing the availability of ethically and sustainably produced clothing. Academic courses like these are paving the way for the future of fashion, investing heavily in the necessary research to find solutions in the industry, so that people like us, can deliver it to you!

If you’re in the London area I would highly recommend going down to Granary Square, and having a look for yourself. Whether it's natural dyes, dissolvable clothing, or digestible swimwear, they have something that will definitely blow your mind!

That’s all for today, but we’ll speak soon!

Lily x

All credit to: https://www.materialfutures.com/projects and their students