HSCI-392A: Sust Fashion & Matl Rsrch Lab

The "fast fashion" phenomenon-mass-producing clothing that quickly becomes outdated-is destroying the planet. With textiles alone, more than 60 percent of modern fabric fibers are made from synthetic materials that do not decay when they end up in landfills or oceans (New York Times, 2019). McKinsey (2020) noted that consumers increasingly expect apparel to be sustainable and concluded that "circular business models won't be optional" in the decade to come. Sustainable Fashion and Materials Research Lab is a course in analysis and experimentation that will fuse wearable invention, materials science, and entrepreneurship - viewing them all through the lens of sustainability. It will pay special attention to fast fashion as an area of potential for environmental impact. The course will provide experiential learning opportunities for students to research, identify, test and evaluate models of consumption, material processes, and analysis techniques alongside ArtCenter faculty. Studio credit will be awarded for the TDS course and H&S credit will be award for the H&S version. This class is the equivalent of a 5-hour course, with 3 hours scheduled as in-person course meeting time and 2 hours remote/asynchronous programming.