London College of Fashion professor designs dress to spark climate change discussion

Climate change has been a highly debated topic for a long time now, but although many feel as if the world needs a change, there are also those who have ceased to care. Helen Storey, who currently works as an artist and lecturs at the London College of Fashion (LCF), has come up with a new way to raise awareness for climate change. With support from parties such as digital agency Holition, London´s Met Office and LCF, the former fashion designer has created the Dress for Our Time: a dress which will digitally display data on climate change.

The dress itself is made from a tent that was donated to Storey by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The technological side of the initiative was carried out by the digital agency Holition. The Dress for Our Time is set to show what the planet will look like if current lifestyles are not changed, according to data from a major global study that was conducted by Dr Lila Warszawksi from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. The study relied on climate models which were developed in a number of countries, although Storey does not disclose any information on specific countries that were involved.

“It is said that fashion is the third largest polluting industry in the world behind oil and agriculture,” said Fashion Design Management student Erica Siegel on LCF´s website. “Unfortunately we live in a time where consumers want fast and cheap fashion, no matter what the consequences may be. The fashion industry indirectly impacts climate change because we, as a whole, are not implementing real, viable sustainable solutions.” Siegel therefore hopes Storey´s dress will have an impact on people´s perceptions on climate change.

The Dress for Our Time will be presented at the international train station St Pancras in London from today until November 29. The reason for selecting this location is that the station is a direct gateway to Paris, where COP 21 (2015 Paris Climate Conference) will be held from November 30 to December 11. Storey hopes the installation will bring about a discussion on climate change, and she will display the Dress for Our Time again in March 2016 at a location and time that is to be announced in January 2016.

Image credit: London College of Fashion