Decarbonise: Fashion & Textiles

Short course focusing on environmental data and sustainability literacy for designers and students at UAL.

Decarbonise: Fashion & Textiles is a short course focusing on environmental data and sustainability literacy for makers, designers and students in the fashion and textiles sector. Over a day, we will build an understanding of the data available across the sector and how we can interpret, question, and ultimately use this as a driver to support smarter decision-making across design and retail.The course is structured around three modules. Each unpacks carbon data in a specific context: global, local, and organisational.

We start with the big picture: how we understand and measure climate change, and the fashion and textiles sector's interconnection with polluting industries and innovative mitigation technologies. Then, we take a look at everyday products and processes, discovering the carbon impact of everything from using a sewing machine and designing a pair of jeans, to making a mannequin, mining a diamond, or building a catwalk. In our final module, we put this in context by exploring a range of data driving contemporary and future sustainability policy in the fashion and textiles industries.

Our course is taught by George Barker and Ozge Sahin, members of the UAL Net Zero & Sustainability team and co-creators of Carboned Out, a card and board game which uncovers the carbon impact of everything we do. The approach of this course aligns with an educational goal: to recognise data and material literacy as a critical skill and tool for designers + makers of the future. Together, they have lead over 100+ workshops to over 3000+ students, staff, industry partners and members of the public.

Event will take place in Seminar Room EB405

The day will take place in the following format:

11:00 - 12:00, Carbon Data in the Fashion Chain

12:15 - 13:30, Life Cycle Analysis + Everyday Footprints

13:30 - 14:30, Lunchbreak

14:30 - 16:00, Fashion Futures: Data in a Policy context.