Future Fashion Landscapes: Fostering biodiversity through collaborations between farmers, designers, and processors of native and rare breed wool

时尚业和农业是气候足迹最高的行业之一，它们过度消耗有限的资源、累积二氧化碳排放、广泛的生态系统污染以及由此导致的广泛的生物多样性丧失。通过改进实践和两个部门的重大范式转变，有巨大的影响潜力。UAL可持续时尚中心的时尚研究人员与东南英格兰（SEE）和西南英格兰（SWE）纤维公司之间的这种以设计为主导的研发合作伙伴关系，在支持可持续农村经济和生物区域纺织品网络的同时，展望了培育多样化、健康生态系统和增加生物多样性的潜力。该合作伙伴关系建立在研究团队之前的项目“超越零净值目标：微循环农村生态系统的再生时尚设计”中创建的区域联系的基础上，该项目由DEP试点计划（2021-22）资助。在生物多样性的总体主题下，该项目侧重于采用再生原则的农场的纤维生产和生物多样性增强潜力，同时对本地和稀有品种的羊进行特定景观的放牧和恢复计划。保持本地品种的繁荣种群是英国政府生物多样性战略（指标12a）的主要生物多样性指标之一。动物遗传资源，DEFRA 2023(https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/england-biodiversity*indicators)).The)国际纤维化运动的SEE和SWE分支机构的愿景是为从长而不透明的时装和纺织品供应链向短而透明的生物区域纤维和时装供应网络的转变提供可行的解决方案，并具有通过复制扩展的潜力。基于2020- 2022年期间广泛的利益相关者咨询，该组织目前的优先事项是促进农民和设计师之间更好的理解，以提高高质量当地纤维的可用性和吸收。重点是羊毛，与植物纤维不同，羊毛在英国仍大量生产，但其在服装生产中的应用潜力尚未得到充分了解。因此，这种可再生纤维来源的价值被低估，利用不足，而且经常被丢弃。该项目将提高人们对英国本土和稀有品种羊毛的认识和理解，从而为宝贵的收入来源开辟新的机会，有利于农村经济、景观保护和生物多样性的增强。该合作伙伴关系将测试合作和设计研究的方法，旨在：通过试点实施SEE & SWE纤维公司的新农业时尚工具包，提高对SEE和SWE及其他地区生物区域本地和稀有品种羊毛生产的特性和生物多样性效益的理解。开发体现“穿着景观”体验的实验性设计原型，为农民和设计师提供切实的概念验证，从而促进进一步的研发和资助。通过与当地景观、动物和自然节奏合作，增进对需求和生产周期的相互理解，为纤维和纺织品的农民、设计师和加工商提供未来的创新和合作机会。该项目将支持SEE和SWE纤维工场的使命，通过引入设计、制作和时尚设计创业方面的技能，建立广泛实验的能力，以测试农村生态系统和城市设计中心再生时尚实践的创新可能性。LCF最近搬迁到东岸校区，为公众参与和动员蓬勃发展的东伦敦设计社区提供了绝佳的机会。

Fashion and agriculture are among the industries with the highestclimate footprint - through over-consumption of finite resources,aggregated CO2 emissions, widespread ecosystem pollution andresulting extensive biodiversity loss. There is enormous potential forimpact through improved practice and a major paradigm shift in bothsectors. This design-led R&D partnership between fashion researchersfrom UAL's Centre for Sustainable Fashion and the South East England(SEE) and South West England (SWE) Fibresheds foregrounds thepotential of fostering diverse, healthy ecosystems and increasedbiodiversity alongside supporting sustainable rural economies andbio-regional textiles networks. The partnership builds on the regionallinks created during the research team's previous project 'Beyond NetZero Goals: Regenerative fashion design for micro-circular ruralecosystems' funded in the DEP pilot scheme (2021-22).Within the overarching biodiversity theme, this project focuses on thefibre production and biodiversity enhancement potential of farmsadopting regenerative principles, while operating landscape-specificgrazing and restoration programmes with native and rare breed sheep.Sustaining thriving populations of native breeds is among the keybiodiversity indicators of the UK Government Biodiversity Strategy forEngland (Indicator 12a: Animal genetic resources, DEFRA 2023(https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/england-biodiversity*indicators)).The vision of the SEE and SWE affiliates of the international Fibershedmovement is to provide viable solutions for the shift from long,opaque fashion and textiles supply chains, towards short, transparentbio-regional fibre and fashion supply networks with potential forscaling through replication. The organisations' current priority, basedon extensive stakeholder consultation during 2020-22, is to facilitatebetter understanding between farmers and designers to improveavailability and uptake of high-quality local fibre. The focus is on woolwhich, unlike plant fibres, is still produced in the UK in abundance yetits potential for application in apparel production is insufficientlyunderstood. As a result, this renewable fibre source is undervalued,underutilised and often discarded. This project will enhance visibilityand comprehension of UK-sourced native and rare breed wool, thusopening up new opportunities for valuable income streams, withbenefits for rural economies plus landscape conservation andbiodiversity enhancement.The partnership will test methods of collaboration and design researchthat aim to:Advance the understanding of properties and biodiversity benefits of bio-regional native and rare breed wool production in the SEE and SWE and beyond, through the pilot implementation of SEE & SWE Fibresheds' new Farming Fashion Toolkit.Develop experimental design prototypes that embody the experience of 'wearing the landscape', providing a tangible proofof-concept that can facilitate access to further R&D and funding for farmers and designers.Facilitate future innovation and collaboration opportunities forfarmers, designers, and processors of fibre and textiles throughimproved mutual understanding of requirements and productioncycles when working with local landscapes, animals and naturalrhythms.The project will support the SEE and SWE Fibresheds' mission byintroducing skills in design, making and fashion designentrepreneurship, building capacity for extensive experimentation totest innovative possibilities for regenerative fashion practice withinrural ecosystems and urban design centres. LCF's recent move to theEast Bank Campus offers exceptional opportunities for publicengagement and mobilising the thriving East London designcommunity for this purpose.