Circular Design Speeds: prototyping fast and slow sustainable fashion concepts through interdisciplinary design research

The 'Circular Design Speeds' project was developed as part of the Mistra Future Fashion Design Theme research (2015-2019). The proposition was to develop 'ultra-fast' and 'super- slow' design prototypes for different extremes of use, in order to better understand the design implications of different circular fashion scenarios. Design and science researchers worked closely with material developers and service providers, to design appropriate materials for different speeds of use, production and recovery. Our main aim was to compare and contrast two approaches at the extremes of potential short-life and long-life design concepts. Would product longevity and the slowing down of existing fashion systems hold up as the only sustainable option? Or could we defend a complementary approach moving at a faster pace than most environmentalists might approve of, but with effective recovery of materials outweighing the many negative impacts in more frequent production cycles? This was our challenge.

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