This report reviews the design research conducted between June 2011 and May 2015 by a team of University of the Arts London (UAL) textile researchers, led by Professor Rebecca Earley, who were part of the Swedish funded multi-disciplinary Mistra Future Fashion (MFF) consortium. The objective of the consortium was to research opportunities to advance a more sustainable and competitive fashion industry.

Whilst the environmental impacts of commercial production and consumption have
increasingly been the subject of debate in recent years, textile and fashion designers have been considering their responsibilities as creators of sustainable products and systems and have been struggling to find a way to fully comprehend the challenges and to know how to go about tackling them. This team wanted to propose design as the agent for change – working right at the heart of the problem. Basing themselves in organisations and companies of all scales, the research team worked on a process of progressive problem solving with others to propose a new course of action to help their community improve its work practices.