Veronika Kapsali | University of the Arts London (original) (raw)
Papers by Veronika Kapsali
International Journal of Sustainable Fashion & Textiles
Writing in 2022 we are at a global crisis point, as our use of the planet’s finite resources outs... more Writing in 2022 we are at a global crisis point, as our use of the planet’s finite resources outstrips supply. Our current lifestyles continue to perpetuate this problem by encouraging excessive and wasteful models of consumption. One of the most detrimental industries for this is the clothing industry. Our fashion cycle is now programmed to be ‘ultra-fast’, encouraging excessive consumption of garments causing myriad environmental issues. This article argues that there are developing models of both manufacture and consumption, which can satiate this need for ‘fast’ fashion whilst being part of the wider sustainable fashion conversation. Rather than understanding the short-term life cycle of clothing as inherently unsustainable, this can be reframed as matching a garment’s use phase to the longevity of the material it is made from. This article uses a material culture approach to explore original 1960s paper garments, alongside a critical analysis of the sustainability of their manu...
Proceedings of DRS
Models such as the circular economy, offer guidance to actors from the fashion and textile indust... more Models such as the circular economy, offer guidance to actors from the fashion and textile industry on how to navigate the negative environmental, ethical, and social impacts of the sector's current and historic practices. The principles underpinning these models originate from the intersection of biology and general systems theory and have provided us with valuable alternative paradigms via a topdown lens. This paper seeks to explore the potential for additional insight into sustainable textile design practice from biology by reviewing sustainable design principles emerging from top-down (ecology + systems view) within the context of a bottom-up (biology + engineering) approach for opportunities to mitigate the environmental impact of design decisions informing the physical products we consume. The results suggest a novel practice-based conceptual framework that could enable textile designers to better understand the impacts of resource efficiency, longevity and recovery of their design practice by shifting from a substance and energy approach to designing with structure and information.
The Design Journal
All things bio: a conceptual domain-based approach to mapping practice within the landscape of bi... more All things bio: a conceptual domain-based approach to mapping practice within the landscape of biologically informed disciplines The research presented in this paper tackles the problem of terminological disharmony within biologically informed disciplines (BID). Lexical semantic theories and methods are applied to corpus-based investigations to assess the scope of BID terminology. The results are analysed using statistical and qualitative methods and mapped against known academic domains. The resulting map is evaluated via the analysis and consequent positioning of biologically informed textile research. The findings suggest that the experimental framework embodies an alternative approach to mapping practice within BID landscape that overrides the need for broad, generic terms. Instead presents the work within an established network of theories and concepts with transparent interdisciplinary connections.
An active fibre comprising material activated by an external stimulus, wherein the fibre has a fi... more An active fibre comprising material activated by an external stimulus, wherein the fibre has a first configuration in an unactivated state, and in response to activation by the external stimulus the fibre adopts a second, increased twist, configuration, relative to the first configuration, and wherein the fibre can reversibly move between the active state and the unactivated state
Sustainability
We are currently experiencing a global environmental crisis. Our waste culture is leading to huge... more We are currently experiencing a global environmental crisis. Our waste culture is leading to huge irreversible damage to our planet and ecosystems. This is particularly evident in both the textile and food sectors, with a system-wide restructuring as to how we consume and source materials becoming ever more urgent. By considering our waste as resource, we can access a vast source of raw materials that is now being recognised as such. Viable materials in the form of waste have the potential for conversion into textiles. However, this proposed solution to our contemporary crisis is not new technology. Throughout the 20th century, science and industry have researched and developed materials from food waste to meet global demand for textiles in times of need, with a major development during the world wars being the invention of regenerated protein fibres (RPFs). For various reasons, this research was abandoned, but much of the development work remains valid. This research critically ana...
Proceedings of DRS
The research presented in this paper tackles the problem of terminological disharmony, specifical... more The research presented in this paper tackles the problem of terminological disharmony, specifically within the process of contextualising creative design practice informed by biological science and/or its applications. The study is implemented in three stages; corpus-based investigations of historical and current databases of text are used to assess the scope of biologically informed disciplines (BID) terminology. The results are analysed using statistical and qualitative methods and mapped against known academic domains. The resulting map is evaluated via the analysis and consequent positioning of practice-based biologically informed textile research. The findings suggest that the new approach mitigates the impact of terminological misappropriation in the design sector, by anchoring biologically informed design practice within an established academic disciplinary framework.
ICERI2018 Proceedings, 2018
Satiation, Satiety and the Control of Food Intake, 2013
This short film, broadcasted 28th of May 2013, gives an overview of the research activities of th... more This short film, broadcasted 28th of May 2013, gives an overview of the research activities of the Bioexplore theme at the P3i Studio/lab
Abstract: We imagine the built environment of the future as a 'bio-hybrid machine for living... more Abstract: We imagine the built environment of the future as a 'bio-hybrid machine for living in' that will sense and react to activities within the space in order to provide experiences and services that will elevate quality of life while coexisting seamlessly with humans and the natural environment. The study of Hierarchical design in biological materials has the potential to alter the way designers/ engineers/ craftsmen of the future engage with materials in order to realise such visions. We are exploring this design approach using digital manufacturing technologies such as jacquard weaving and 3D printing.
Biomimetics is the transfer of technology from biology into the man-made world; this chapter focu... more Biomimetics is the transfer of technology from biology into the man-made world; this chapter focuses on applications specific to outdoor clothing. An introduction to the discipline along with some key developments is followed by an outline of the requirements of clothing performance specifically designed for protection in cold outdoor conditions and examples of biomimetic technology that offers such functionality.
The importance of biomimetics has been known for years and designers have often looked to nature ... more The importance of biomimetics has been known for years and designers have often looked to nature for formal solutions. The natural world contains infinite examples of how to achieve complex behaviours and applications by using simple materials in a clever way, as all organisms make use of limited raw materials to survive. In the popular imagination, the best-known example is the microscopic ‘hook’ on burrs that led to the development of Velcro, but there are many more applications, from kingfisher beaks inspiring the shape of bullet trains to shark skin being used as a model for advanced swimsuits. This book presents many examples, showing each natural phenomenon alongside its application, with an accessible explanation of the biology and the story of the design. While most are concrete examples that have already been developed, others point the way to what might be possible for an enterprising designer, providing a starting point for creativity.
We propose that a new design paradigm of interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to address the... more We propose that a new design paradigm of interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to address the challenges of 21 st century society. As a society we need designers whose understanding of significant developments from within the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) community is of a level that they can understand and exploit a novel or emerging material, be able to absorb this knowledge into their design ‘toolbox’ and have the agility to identify, manage and contextualise innovation opportunities emerging from STEM developments. D:STEM, an acronym for Design: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, is the nomenclature we have given to a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to addressing 21 st century needs through materials interrogation and redefines studio culture for the 21 st century. At the core of D:STEM is one or more of the following: Designing with Advanced materials, designing advanced materials Design prototyping using Advanced fabrication Designin...
Some key problems facing the clothing sector are explored in terms of the possibilities emerging ... more Some key problems facing the clothing sector are explored in terms of the possibilities emerging from the principles of biomimetics. An overview is presented of the clothing sector including design process and product requirements and a brief description of biomimetic design and development methods is given. Opportunities, key issues and future trends for biomimetic innovation in the clothing industry are explored. Biomimetics can help improve the ecological footprint of the sector while inspiring innovative design through clever use of materials and structures.. The framework for biomimetic innovation is focused on the functional aspect of clothing and not on the aesthetic.
Biomimetics represents a novel platform for textile innovation; drawing on principles of structur... more Biomimetics represents a novel platform for textile innovation; drawing on principles of structural hierarchy in biomaterials, parallels are drawn between fibrous material systems in nature and textiles highlighting potential opportunities for biomimetic technology transfer within this hierarchical framework. This chapter explores superhydrophobic surface morphologies that are well known in nature, such as the self-cleaning lotus leaf, based on the principle of surface roughness on a microscale for the creation of low surface energies and high contact angles. This property, in particular, is very valuable to the textile industry and has been achieved using advanced wet-finishing processes. However, these industrial processes are characteristically energy/resource dependent and damage the environment. Biological examples, such as the lotus leaf, show how functional surfaces can be created through textural design at a microscale, but also illustrate the need to work out how to produce...
Fashion-tech is an interdisciplinary field that intersects design, natural sciences, engineering,... more Fashion-tech is an interdisciplinary field that intersects design, natural sciences, engineering, economics and management and defined as ‘technology that enables a fashion experience for the user ...
This project investigates the experience of physiological discomfort during travel through an urb... more This project investigates the experience of physiological discomfort during travel through an urban environment such as London or New York in winter. The over and underground networks that lace a current metropolis, form vital passages that lead the traveller though a multitude of spaces each defined by unique temperature, humidity and activity level. It is impossible to predict possible eventualities and consequently accommodate in a selection of clothing to ensure physiological comfort. Modular clothing assemblies are currently employed for the management of physiological comfort to adjust the insulation and ventilation properties of a clothing system and rely on combinations of behavioural methods and textile properties. This method is compromised by factors such as limited availability of space and wearer’s ability to detect and respond to the onset of discomfort sensations. Current smart systems rely on temperature as a stimulus for actuation. Experimental work suggests that hu...
International Journal of Sustainable Fashion & Textiles
Writing in 2022 we are at a global crisis point, as our use of the planet’s finite resources outs... more Writing in 2022 we are at a global crisis point, as our use of the planet’s finite resources outstrips supply. Our current lifestyles continue to perpetuate this problem by encouraging excessive and wasteful models of consumption. One of the most detrimental industries for this is the clothing industry. Our fashion cycle is now programmed to be ‘ultra-fast’, encouraging excessive consumption of garments causing myriad environmental issues. This article argues that there are developing models of both manufacture and consumption, which can satiate this need for ‘fast’ fashion whilst being part of the wider sustainable fashion conversation. Rather than understanding the short-term life cycle of clothing as inherently unsustainable, this can be reframed as matching a garment’s use phase to the longevity of the material it is made from. This article uses a material culture approach to explore original 1960s paper garments, alongside a critical analysis of the sustainability of their manu...
Proceedings of DRS
Models such as the circular economy, offer guidance to actors from the fashion and textile indust... more Models such as the circular economy, offer guidance to actors from the fashion and textile industry on how to navigate the negative environmental, ethical, and social impacts of the sector's current and historic practices. The principles underpinning these models originate from the intersection of biology and general systems theory and have provided us with valuable alternative paradigms via a topdown lens. This paper seeks to explore the potential for additional insight into sustainable textile design practice from biology by reviewing sustainable design principles emerging from top-down (ecology + systems view) within the context of a bottom-up (biology + engineering) approach for opportunities to mitigate the environmental impact of design decisions informing the physical products we consume. The results suggest a novel practice-based conceptual framework that could enable textile designers to better understand the impacts of resource efficiency, longevity and recovery of their design practice by shifting from a substance and energy approach to designing with structure and information.
The Design Journal
All things bio: a conceptual domain-based approach to mapping practice within the landscape of bi... more All things bio: a conceptual domain-based approach to mapping practice within the landscape of biologically informed disciplines The research presented in this paper tackles the problem of terminological disharmony within biologically informed disciplines (BID). Lexical semantic theories and methods are applied to corpus-based investigations to assess the scope of BID terminology. The results are analysed using statistical and qualitative methods and mapped against known academic domains. The resulting map is evaluated via the analysis and consequent positioning of biologically informed textile research. The findings suggest that the experimental framework embodies an alternative approach to mapping practice within BID landscape that overrides the need for broad, generic terms. Instead presents the work within an established network of theories and concepts with transparent interdisciplinary connections.
An active fibre comprising material activated by an external stimulus, wherein the fibre has a fi... more An active fibre comprising material activated by an external stimulus, wherein the fibre has a first configuration in an unactivated state, and in response to activation by the external stimulus the fibre adopts a second, increased twist, configuration, relative to the first configuration, and wherein the fibre can reversibly move between the active state and the unactivated state
Sustainability
We are currently experiencing a global environmental crisis. Our waste culture is leading to huge... more We are currently experiencing a global environmental crisis. Our waste culture is leading to huge irreversible damage to our planet and ecosystems. This is particularly evident in both the textile and food sectors, with a system-wide restructuring as to how we consume and source materials becoming ever more urgent. By considering our waste as resource, we can access a vast source of raw materials that is now being recognised as such. Viable materials in the form of waste have the potential for conversion into textiles. However, this proposed solution to our contemporary crisis is not new technology. Throughout the 20th century, science and industry have researched and developed materials from food waste to meet global demand for textiles in times of need, with a major development during the world wars being the invention of regenerated protein fibres (RPFs). For various reasons, this research was abandoned, but much of the development work remains valid. This research critically ana...
Proceedings of DRS
The research presented in this paper tackles the problem of terminological disharmony, specifical... more The research presented in this paper tackles the problem of terminological disharmony, specifically within the process of contextualising creative design practice informed by biological science and/or its applications. The study is implemented in three stages; corpus-based investigations of historical and current databases of text are used to assess the scope of biologically informed disciplines (BID) terminology. The results are analysed using statistical and qualitative methods and mapped against known academic domains. The resulting map is evaluated via the analysis and consequent positioning of practice-based biologically informed textile research. The findings suggest that the new approach mitigates the impact of terminological misappropriation in the design sector, by anchoring biologically informed design practice within an established academic disciplinary framework.
ICERI2018 Proceedings, 2018
Satiation, Satiety and the Control of Food Intake, 2013
This short film, broadcasted 28th of May 2013, gives an overview of the research activities of th... more This short film, broadcasted 28th of May 2013, gives an overview of the research activities of the Bioexplore theme at the P3i Studio/lab
Abstract: We imagine the built environment of the future as a 'bio-hybrid machine for living... more Abstract: We imagine the built environment of the future as a 'bio-hybrid machine for living in' that will sense and react to activities within the space in order to provide experiences and services that will elevate quality of life while coexisting seamlessly with humans and the natural environment. The study of Hierarchical design in biological materials has the potential to alter the way designers/ engineers/ craftsmen of the future engage with materials in order to realise such visions. We are exploring this design approach using digital manufacturing technologies such as jacquard weaving and 3D printing.
Biomimetics is the transfer of technology from biology into the man-made world; this chapter focu... more Biomimetics is the transfer of technology from biology into the man-made world; this chapter focuses on applications specific to outdoor clothing. An introduction to the discipline along with some key developments is followed by an outline of the requirements of clothing performance specifically designed for protection in cold outdoor conditions and examples of biomimetic technology that offers such functionality.
The importance of biomimetics has been known for years and designers have often looked to nature ... more The importance of biomimetics has been known for years and designers have often looked to nature for formal solutions. The natural world contains infinite examples of how to achieve complex behaviours and applications by using simple materials in a clever way, as all organisms make use of limited raw materials to survive. In the popular imagination, the best-known example is the microscopic ‘hook’ on burrs that led to the development of Velcro, but there are many more applications, from kingfisher beaks inspiring the shape of bullet trains to shark skin being used as a model for advanced swimsuits. This book presents many examples, showing each natural phenomenon alongside its application, with an accessible explanation of the biology and the story of the design. While most are concrete examples that have already been developed, others point the way to what might be possible for an enterprising designer, providing a starting point for creativity.
We propose that a new design paradigm of interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to address the... more We propose that a new design paradigm of interdisciplinary collaboration is needed to address the challenges of 21 st century society. As a society we need designers whose understanding of significant developments from within the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) community is of a level that they can understand and exploit a novel or emerging material, be able to absorb this knowledge into their design ‘toolbox’ and have the agility to identify, manage and contextualise innovation opportunities emerging from STEM developments. D:STEM, an acronym for Design: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, is the nomenclature we have given to a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to addressing 21 st century needs through materials interrogation and redefines studio culture for the 21 st century. At the core of D:STEM is one or more of the following: Designing with Advanced materials, designing advanced materials Design prototyping using Advanced fabrication Designin...
Some key problems facing the clothing sector are explored in terms of the possibilities emerging ... more Some key problems facing the clothing sector are explored in terms of the possibilities emerging from the principles of biomimetics. An overview is presented of the clothing sector including design process and product requirements and a brief description of biomimetic design and development methods is given. Opportunities, key issues and future trends for biomimetic innovation in the clothing industry are explored. Biomimetics can help improve the ecological footprint of the sector while inspiring innovative design through clever use of materials and structures.. The framework for biomimetic innovation is focused on the functional aspect of clothing and not on the aesthetic.
Biomimetics represents a novel platform for textile innovation; drawing on principles of structur... more Biomimetics represents a novel platform for textile innovation; drawing on principles of structural hierarchy in biomaterials, parallels are drawn between fibrous material systems in nature and textiles highlighting potential opportunities for biomimetic technology transfer within this hierarchical framework. This chapter explores superhydrophobic surface morphologies that are well known in nature, such as the self-cleaning lotus leaf, based on the principle of surface roughness on a microscale for the creation of low surface energies and high contact angles. This property, in particular, is very valuable to the textile industry and has been achieved using advanced wet-finishing processes. However, these industrial processes are characteristically energy/resource dependent and damage the environment. Biological examples, such as the lotus leaf, show how functional surfaces can be created through textural design at a microscale, but also illustrate the need to work out how to produce...
Fashion-tech is an interdisciplinary field that intersects design, natural sciences, engineering,... more Fashion-tech is an interdisciplinary field that intersects design, natural sciences, engineering, economics and management and defined as ‘technology that enables a fashion experience for the user ...
This project investigates the experience of physiological discomfort during travel through an urb... more This project investigates the experience of physiological discomfort during travel through an urban environment such as London or New York in winter. The over and underground networks that lace a current metropolis, form vital passages that lead the traveller though a multitude of spaces each defined by unique temperature, humidity and activity level. It is impossible to predict possible eventualities and consequently accommodate in a selection of clothing to ensure physiological comfort. Modular clothing assemblies are currently employed for the management of physiological comfort to adjust the insulation and ventilation properties of a clothing system and rely on combinations of behavioural methods and textile properties. This method is compromised by factors such as limited availability of space and wearer’s ability to detect and respond to the onset of discomfort sensations. Current smart systems rely on temperature as a stimulus for actuation. Experimental work suggests that hu...