Well Fashioned: Eco Style in the UK, 2006 - 2007

The Textiles Environment Design (TED) project at Chelsea has since 1996 sought to explore the role that the textile designer can play in creating textiles that have a lower impact on the environment, (www.tedresearch.net. Research published by the Design Council in 1998 showed that if designers make informed and appropriate design decisions at the beginning of the chain, then the environmental performance of any product can be improved by up to 90%. Most other research projects look to make improvements within production and manufacture, (‘Well dressed?’ 2006, Sustainable Manufacturing Group, Institute for Manufacturing at Cambridge University). TED is unique in that its focus is on the impacts created by the designer.

‘Well Fashioned’ was the first survey of high-end, well designed and made eco fashion design in the UK, which was the result of research conducted by Earley since 2004 and compiled within the TED Resource at Chelsea.</p><p> Other exhibitions have attempted similar presentations, but either:

·showed poor quality workmanship (‘Remade at Traid’, London), or
·focused on the larger fashion labels (‘Verdopolis: The Future Green City’, New York, 2005), or
·failed to show clothing at a ‘high-end’ or couture level (‘Ethical Fashion Show’, Paris, 2004).

‘Well Fashioned’ considered work made for all stages of the lifecycle of the product: the manufacture, the use, and the disposal of clothing. As curator and an exhibitor, Earley created the format and selected content for the exhibition, and also produced and commissioned new research projects and accompanying texts. The exhibition and website has become a key source for researchers and designers, as the record visitor numbers and extensive national and international press coverage confirms: "Earley has brought passion and dynamism to the Crafts Council, raising a flag for craft and design examined in a profound way.” (Suzy Menkes, International Herald Tribune)

Rebecca can be described as a practice-based textile design researcher in that her research integrates designing both as a mode of investigation and communication of research outcomes. This practice component encompasses a wide range of design related activities. For example, she produces hand and digitally printed textiles for her own label, undertakes public art projects and commissions, and is an educator, facilitator and curator.

• http://www.beckyearley.com/
• http://www.tedresearch.net/
• http://www.everandagain.info/
• http://www.tfrg.org.uk/
• http://www.5ways.info