Fashion Design Technology
When technology intersects with fashion and textiles, we see cutting-edge results in science, sports, architecture, and aerospace.

Fashion Design Technology investigates the multitude of ways that technology intersects with fashion and textiles. This exciting field merges digital and physical methodologies for application in science, sports, architecture, aerospace, and other areas.
The Fashion Design Technology research group explores the practices, skills, and materials associated with clothing the body. The context for our research incorporates social, industrial, and technological innovations.
Current focuses include: generative and computational approaches to textile design; animated performance and the challenge of preserving authenticity in the virtual space; and designing with digital fabrication technologies such as laser cutting, 3D printing, CNC weaving, and 3D knitting.
Researchers draw on backgrounds as diverse as anthropology, material science, data visualisation, history, and biology.
Research topics
Research topic | Staff who can supervise research in this area | |
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Generative textile design | Hannah Goldblatt, Bobby Luke | |
Virtual fashion design / | Hannah Goldblatt, Bobby Luke | |
Wearable technology | Anne Niemetz, Hannah Goldblatt | |
Character design and digital costumes | Heli Salomaa | |
Cloth simulation and digital textiles | Heli Salomaa | |
Fashion Product Service-Systems | Jennifer Whitty | |
Sustainable consumption, wardrobe studies, craft of use, emotionally durable design, cultivating "fashion-abilities" amongst wearers/users. | Jennifer Whitty | |
Indigenous led fashion/textile systems | Jennifer Whitty, Bobby Luke | |
Sustainable Fashion Design | Jennifer Whitty | |
Fashion Design Activism | Jennifer Whitty | |
Waste-led Fashion Design, regenerative design, circular design | Jennifer Whitty | |
Co-design, open-source products, and new models of distributed manufacturing, repair and remanufacturing | Jennifer Whitty | |
Radical transparency by Design | Jennifer Whitty | |
Fashion for transitions - fashion for degrowth, regenerative systems | Jennifer Whitty | |
Designing Green Business Model for sustainable transformation | Jennifer Whitty | |
Fashion Design for Social Justice & Entrepreneurship | Jennifer Whitty | |
Ethics, Values, Sustainable Systems and the Politics of Making | Jennifer Whitty | |
Fashion futuring - speculative design, forecasting | Jennifer Whitty |
Academic staff
Name | Research interests | |
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Heli Salomaa |
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Jennifer Whitty |
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Study options
The following postgraduate programmes allow you to pursue research in the area of fashion design technology:
Master of Design (MDes)
The MDes allows you to further develop your critical thinking and discussion skills, increase your understanding of design, and learn to express your own ideas and conclusions within a theoretical framework.
Find out more about the Master of Design (MDes).
Master of Design Innovation (MDI)
The MDI delves deep into the process of innovation, from conception to design to construction. Through independent research, you'll gain the specialist skills and knowledge you need to be a successful professional in the design industry.
Find out more about the Master of Design Innovation (MDI).