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Professor Alison Gwilt

Professor Alison Gwilt

Professor

Ph.D. - School of Architecture and Design, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Thesis title: 'Integrating sustainable strategies in the fashion design process: A conceptual model of the fashion designer in haute couture.' 

BA (Hons) - Fashion & Textiles Design, Central St Martins College of Art & Design, London, UK

Arts,Design & Architecture
iCinema Centre for Interactive Cinema Research

Alison Gwilt, Ph.D, is a Professor of Design at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Her research investigates how positive/sustainable design interventions can be used to challenge the current clothing production and consumption paradigm. Currently she is examining how design can help keep textiles in use. Alison’s books include ‘Shaping Sustainable Fashion’ (with Timo Rissanen) Routledge, 2011; ‘Fashion Design for Living’ Routledge, 2015; ‘Global Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion’ (with Alice Payne and Evelise Anicet Ruthschilling) Bloomsbury, 2019; and ‘A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion’ Bloomsbury, 2020 (2nd edition).

Alison holds a PhD from RMIT University, Melbourne and a BA (Hons) Fashion & Textiles Design from Central St Martins College of Art in London, and she has worked in academia in the UK, New Zealand and Australia. Following her role as Reader in Fashion and Sustainability at Sheffield Hallam University, UK, Alison relocated back to Australia in 2017.
E-mail
a.gwilt@unsw.edu.au
Location
Cnr Oxford St & Greens Rd Paddington, NSW 2021 Australia
  • Books | 2020
    Gwilt A, 2020, A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion (Second Edition), Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, London, https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/a-practical-guide-to-sustainable-fashion-9781350067042/
    Books | 2012
    Gwilt A; Rissanen T, 2012, Shaping sustainable fashion: Changing the way we make and use clothes, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203126172
  • Book Chapters | 2020
    Barnard M, 2020, 'Fashion Theory', in Barnard M (ed.), , Routledge, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315099620
    Book Chapters | 2019
    Gwilt A; James A, 2019, 'Sustainability and Garment Longevity in the UK High Street', in Gwilt A; Payne A; Ruthschilling EA (ed.), Global Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion, Bloomsbury, London, pp. 87 - 96, http://dx.doi.org/10.5040/9781350058170
    Book Chapters | 2019
    Gwilt A; Payne A; Ruthschilling EA, 2019, 'GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON SUSTAINABLE FASHION CONCLUDING REMARKS', in Gwilt A; Payne A; Ruthschilling EA (ed.), GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON SUSTAINABLE FASHION, BLOOMSBURY PUBL INC, pp. 263 - 264
    Book Chapters | 2019
    Gwilt A; Payne A; Ruthschilling EA, 2019, 'GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON SUSTAINABLE FASHION INTRODUCTION', in Gwilt A; Payne A; Ruthschilling EA (ed.), GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON SUSTAINABLE FASHION, BLOOMSBURY PUBL INC, pp. XXIV - XXVIII
    Book Chapters | 2015
    Gwilt A, 2015, 'Exploring a Framework for fashion Design for Sustainability', in Handbook of Sustainable Apparel Production, CRC Press, pp. 439 - 452, http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/b18428-26
    Book Chapters | 2015
    2015, 'Eco-Design/Sustainable Design of Textile Products', in Handbook of Sustainable Apparel Production, Taylor & Francis, pp. 490 - 515, http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/b18428-26
    Book Chapters | 2014
    Gwilt A, 2014, 'Fashion and Sustainability: Repairing The Clothes We Wear', in Gwilt A (ed.), Fashion Design for Living, Taylor & Francis / Routledge, London, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315770758
    Book Chapters | 2011
    Gwilt A, 2011, 'Producing Sustainable Fashion: The Points for Positive Intervention by the Fashion Designer', in Gwilt A; Rissanen T (ed.), Shaping Sustainable Fashion: Changing the Way we Make and Use Clothes, Routledge, London, pp. 59 - 74, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203126172
  • Edited Books | 2019
    Gwilt A; Payne A; Ruthschilling EA, (eds.), 2019, Global Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion, Bloomsbury, London, http://www.bloomsburycollections.com/book/global-perspectives-on-sustainable-fashion/
    Edited Books | 2015
    Gwilt A, (ed.), 2015, Fashion Design for Living, Routledge, London, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9781315770758
    Edited Books | 2011
    Gwilt A; Rissanen T, (ed.), 2011, Shaping Sustainable Fashion: Changing the Way we Make and Use Clothes, Routledge, London, http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780203126172
  • Journal articles | 2023
    Retamal M; Brydges T; Sharpe S; Ferrero-Regis T; Fisher D; Gwilt A; Lake L; Holgar M; Khan R; Nay Z; Payne A; Roberts K, 2023, 'State of play in Australian sustainable fashion research: Current and future directions', International Journal of Fashion Studies, 10, pp. 19 - 49, http://dx.doi.org/10.1386/infs_00083_1
    Journal articles | 2021
    Gwilt A, 2021, 'Caring for clothes: how and why people maintain garments in regular use', Continuum, 35, pp. 870 - 882, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10304312.2021.1993572
    Journal articles | 2020
    Niinimäki K; Peters G; Dahlbo H; Perry P; Rissanen T; Gwilt A, 2020, 'The environmental price of fast fashion', Nature Reviews Earth and Environment, 1, pp. 189 - 200, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43017-020-0039-9
    Journal articles | 2014
    Gwilt A, 2014, 'The Sustainable Fashion Handbook', FASHION PRACTICE-THE JOURNAL OF DESIGN CREATIVE PROCESS & THE FASHION INDUSTRY, 6, pp. 141 - 144, http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/175693814X13916967095154
    Journal articles | 2014
    Gwilt A, 2014, 'What Prevents People Repairing Clothes? An Investigation into Community-based Approaches to Sustainable Product Service Systems for Clothing Repair', Making Futures Journal, 3, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uSN81PEUEBiEAXWk4d9UBqdGUXinAIy4/view
    Journal articles | 2013
    Gwilt A, 2013, 'Valuing the Role of the Wearer in the Creation of Sustainable Fashion', Research Journal of Textile and Apparel, 17, pp. 78 - 86, http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/RJTA-17-01-2013-B008
    Journal articles | 2006
    Gwilt A, 2006, 'Exhibition review: The Cutting Edge: Fashion from Japan', Visual Communication, 5, pp. 367 - 372, http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1470357206068465
  • Other | 2020
    Moline K; Gwilt A, 2020, Grant: Katherine Moline and Alison Gwilt, Alastair Swayn Foundation, 2020-2021,
    Reports | 2017
    Carlsson J; Gwilt A; Larsson J; Mattila H; Pal RP; Torstensson H, 2017, Re:Textiles - Feasibility of Conditional Design: Organizing a circular textile value chain by design principles, University of Boras, Sweden, http://media.retextile.se/2018/01/Re-conddesign_FINAL.pdf
    Conference Papers | 2017
    Gwilt A; Pal R, 2017, 'Conditional garment design for longevity', in Bakker C; Mugge R (ed.), PRODUCT LIFETIMES AND THE ENVIRONMENT (PLATE), IOS PRESS, NETHERLANDS, Delft Univ Technol, Fac Ind Design Engn, Delft, pp. 149 - 153, presented at 2nd Conference on Product Lifetimes and the Environment (PLATE), NETHERLANDS, Delft Univ Technol, Fac Ind Design Engn, Delft, 08 November 2017 - 10 November 2017, http://dx.doi.org/10.3233/978-1-61499-820-4-149
    Conference Papers | 2016
    Gwilt A; O'Mahony M, 2016, 'Where Does Wearable Technology Fit in the Circular Economy?', in Earley R; Goldsworthy K (ed.), Circular Transitions Proceedings, MISTRA Future Fashion & Chelsea College of Art and Design, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, pp. 303 - 315, presented at Circular Transitions, Chelsea College of Art and Design, London, 23 November 2016 - 24 November 2016, http://circulartransitions.org/media/downloads/Circular-Transitions-Proceedings.pdf
    Conference Papers | 2015
    Gwilt A; Childs C; Sherriff G; Homer C, 2015, 'Community Voices in Design Practice: A Case Study of Understanding Older Adults' Clothing Needs for Keeping Warm at Home', in Britt H; Morgan L; Walton K (eds.), Futurescan 3: Intersecting Identities, Loughborough University, Glasgow School of Art, Scotland, presented at Futurescan 3: Intersecting Identities, Glasgow School of Art, Scotland, 11 November 2015 - 12 November 2015, http://ftc-online.org.uk/publications/conference
    Conference Papers | 2015
    Gwilt A; Childs C; Sherriff G; Homer C, 2015, 'Old and Cold: Challenges in the Design of Personalised Thermal Comfort at Home', in Christer K (ed.), Design4Health Conference Proceedings, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield Hallam University, UK, presented at Design4Health European conference, Sheffield Hallam University, UK, 13 July 2015 - 16 July 2015, http://research.shu.ac.uk/design4health/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/D4H_Childs_et_al.pdf
    Conference Papers | 2015
    Gwilt A; Leaver J; Young G; Fisher M, 2015, 'Understanding the Caring Practices of Users', in Cooper T; Braithwaite N; Moreno M; Salvia G (eds.), Product Lifetimes and the Environment, EPrints Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham Trent University, presented at Product Lifetimes and the Environment, Nottingham Trent University, 17 June 2015 - 19 June 2015, http://plateconference.org/understanding-caring-practices-users/

My Research Supervision

Emma Peters, PhD candidate: Designing new circular pathways for post-consumer textile waste in the bedlinen industries.

Alia Parker, Scientia PhD candidate: Critical bio-textiles: Reconceptualising human-centred design through collaboration with Mycelium.

Nicole Crouch, PhD candidate: A cultural ethical design framework for commercial textile print designers

Monica Cvitanovic, PhD candidate: Crafting time to care: Sloppy stitching as a method of reclamation of the embodied history of women’s craft-based knowledge within a regenerative textile practice

Joanna Fowles, MFA candidate: Plant Chroma Codes: A changemaker approach to colour sourced from urban foraged materials and waste.

 

* Alison received the 2022 Arc PGC Research Supervisor Award for the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture.

 

External Examiner

PhD examiner (in the UK, Australia, Finland, New Zealand) for 6 candidates

 

My Teaching

I am a convenor for Textiles courses at UNSW Art & Design.

2021-2022        UNSW ADA Research Fellowship scheme award.

2016-2018        ‘Re:Textile – new business models and design solutions that support a circular economy’ University of Boras / Swedish School of Textiles & Marketplace Boras Funder: Västra Gotaland Regional Government. Role: Reference Group Member and Co-Investigator (Design for Longevity).

2016                 Rhode Island School of Design and the Transdisciplinary Aesthetics Foundation (USA). Visiting Researcher.

2015                 Brazilian Association of Studies and Research in Fashion (ABEPEM) 11th Coloquio de moda conference. Visiting Fellow.

2014                 Research Design Service, South Yorkshire and Humber Public Involvement grant. ‘Body First, Body Warm’ preparatory study. Role: Co-I.

2013-14            ‘Make, Do and Mend’. EPSRC IMAGINE program (Sheffield Hallam University, UK). Role: CI.

2012-13            ‘Textile Toolbox’ MISTRA (Sweden) / Chelsea College of Art and Design (Holder). Role: Phase 1 Associate Researcher.

2009-11            ‘Fashioning Now: changing the way we make and use clothes’ NSW Environmental Trust, Environmental Education Program. Role: CI.

2009                 UTS DEST Research Infrastructure Block Grant for new textiles resources in Design. Role: Co-I

2009                 Japanese Ministry of Textiles: Organization of Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation. Shinmai Creators Project / Japan Fashion Week. Visiting Fellow.

2005-08            ‘Lancôme Colour Design Awards’. Three year project contract. Role: UTS Design project lead.

2004                 ‘Seafolly swimwear’ UTS Student Scholarship (full fees and costs). Supported by Jumbunna House of Learning. Role: Design project lead.