Sustainable futures

An investigation into the role of emerging fashion designers in the 21st century

Abstract

The design theory of the 21st century has mostly contributed to highlighting the antagonistic co-existence of capitalism and socio-environmental emergencies. However, it has only marginally investigated the role that fashion designers can play in this context. This article aims to contribute to the theoretical debate on the sustainable future of fashion and design, discussing the implications that the three key concepts of strategic autonomy, developed by Hal Foster, co-design, theorised by Ezio Manzini, and future, defined by Tony Fry, can have on the ability of fashion designers to modify the system, trigger a change, direct or manage it.