Exploring clothing repair using creative digital tools at ReLondon Repair Week
The Consumer Experience Digital Tools project hosted workshops during ReLondon Repair Week 2023 on the use of creative digital tools that can support people to repair clothes.
To be a sustainable fashion consumer requires us to extend the life of our garments through repairing, refurbishing and upgrading them. Clothes are often discarded due to minor damage such as small holes, missing buttons or split seams. Our research proposes that creative technologies can empower people to learn the skills required to repair clothes, suggest appropriate tools and guide them through the steps involved.
In these workshops, participants interacted with a range of prototype digital tools that could be integrated into the repair process. During demonstrations participants were able to reflect on repair techniques and workflows and were supported to imagine ways that technology could enable or enhance their repair knowledge and skills.
The Consumer Experience Digital Tools for Dematerialisation for the Circular Economy research project aimed to develop a suite of digital tools that empowered consumers to extend the life of garments. This helped the UK apparel-textiles sector to achieve ‘zero avoidable waste’ as part of a Circular Economy. The project supported experiences and services for clothes related to care, repair and upgrade, which encouraged people to take on the role of ‘custodian’.
A Circular Economy is a model of production that tries to remove the concept of waste by reusing materials and remaking products from them. The model keeps materials circulating by ensuring they are shared, reused, repaired, upgraded and refurbished. The Consumer Experience Digital Tools for Dematerialisation for the Circular Economy research project explores ways for clothes to keep their value and stay in circulation for as long as possible.
This project was developed with the Materials Science Research Centre, RCA and UCL Interaction Centre and Computer Science Dept.