The Higher Seminars consist of lectures around the field of design. Some of the lectures are given by researchers and designers close to home. Others are external to present different methods, know-how, and insight into discussions across a wide range of issues facing the industry, from sustainable design and supply chains to opportunities and developments in technology.

The Higher Seminars primarily target The Swedish School of Textiles' PhD, MA and BA students of fashion and textile design. However, the seminars are also open and available to all, meaning that anyone can come and listen. 

Moderator and organiser: Saina Koohnavard, fashion design lecturer at the Department of Design, The Swedish School of Textiles.

Below is the schedule for upcoming seminars.

Welcome!

Location and time

When: Tuesdays, even weeks at 13:00-14:30
Where: Zoom/Campus 

 

SPRING 2024

The seminars of the spring semester take place on Zoom or on campus. More information can be found under each seminar. 

 

9 January - Gabriella Wulff

Lecture title: Towards Mass Personalisation of Products and Services in Fashion Retailing

Recent studies in retail have identified how mass personalisation constitutes part of a fourth industrial revolution, which has major implications for the future of retail and consumption. On the one hand, personalisation is seen as a solution to overproduction, with a shift towards made-to-order production. On the other hand, personalisation comes with an exception to increase sales and conversion rates online through customized solutions in designing products and websites. At the same time, environmental scientists show how we exceed the planetary boundaries and, therefore, need to consider sustainability aspects when designing solutions for future businesses.

One of the industries that has been criticised for its unsustainable production and consumption patterns is the textile and fashion industry, which was also an early adapter of personalisation as part of the solution. While the dominant expectation of mass personalisation is that it leads to more sustainability by reducing excessive volumes and more accurately meeting the demands of the customers, few studies have looked at the actual implications of mass personalisation in practice. 

At the seminar, Gabriella Wulff will present her two ongoing research projects on mass personalisation in the textile and fashion industry. The first project, financed by the Hakon Swenson Fund and placed at the University of Borås, focuses on the implications of a shift towards mass personalisation. The second project, financed by the Broman Fund for Research and Entrepreneurship and placed at Gothenburg Research Institute, focuses on innovative business models working in practice with the personalisation of products and services.  

Location: Vestindien B
Time: 13:00 - 14:30

 

23 January - Merima Bruncevic

Lecture title: AI: Creator or Created?

In this seminar, we will explore the protection of creative works generated either in part or entirely by artificial intelligence. Our discussion will revolve around copyright law and recent global court cases, delving into fundamental legal and philosophical inquiries. A pivotal question we will address is the delineation between the subject and the object of law. Clarifying this distinction is essential, as it directly determines who possesses rights over these works, what falls into the public domain, and what can be utilised in machine learning and training processes.
 
Dr. Merima Bruncevic is a writer, researcher and associate professor of Art Law and Legal Philosophy at the University of Gothenburg. Her publications include the works "Regulating Transnational Heritage: Memory, Identity and Diversity" (Routledge, 2022) and "Law, Art and the Commons" (Routledge, 2018). Additionally, she is the course director for the master's course “AI and the Law” at the School of Business, Economics, and Law, University of Gothenburg. Dr. Bruncevic's current research focuses on the regulation of digital twins for cultural preservation.

Location: Zoom
Time: 13:00 - 14:30

 

6 February - No Higher Seminar on this date

Higher Seminar is cancelled due to students participating at Stockholm Furniture Fair.

 

20 February - Hanna Wittrock

Welcome to this Higher Seminar with lecturer Hanna Wittrock who will talk about a newly released book called Modeminne (English translation: Fashion Memory).

It is common knowledge that objects such as clothes can reinforce memories of past relationships and events. A memory of a particular occasion in the past can be directly associated with how the light fell in the room, how a bracelet rattled or how a shirt felt against the body just as the decisive event took place.

In Modeminne, Philip Warkander and Hanna Wittrock investigate fashion as stimuli for memory: how a garment's design and tactile properties can evoke memories in both the wearer and the viewer. And how an event or era can be symbolized by a certain garment or fashion.

The book is based on interviews and conversations with well-known individuals who are in the “public eye” in Sweden and in some cases also internationally. Through their thoughts and stories, fashion and memory are interlinked with theories on fashion and memory-making.

Hanna Wittrock is a lecturer in textile management at the Swedish School of Textiles. Her background is in social anthropology and fashion studies.

Location: Vestindien A
Time: 13:00 - 14:30

 

 

5 March - Edda Gimnes

Edda graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2015 and has since worked with her own brand. Her work focuses on combining fashion and art in new and unexpected ways where she mainly focuses on playful and naïve expressions, cuts, and graphics.

Edda has been nominated for the LVMH Prize and was selected by Fashion Scout London as the ‘Ones to Watch’. She has also won The Designer for Tomorrow Award in Berlin and the Merit Award with Fashion Scout, as well as the Norwegian Designer of the Year Costume Award.

Her talk will focus on her design journey, her approach and perspectives on her design practice.

Location: Zoom
Time: 13:00 - 14:30

 

19 March - Tronhjem Rømer

Tronhjem Rømer is a duo of two textile designers and craftswomen, Trine Tronhjem and Liv Marie Rømer. Their creative practice is grounded in the craft of textile printing. Through the interplay between color, materials, and light, they aim to create atmospheric and sensory experiences. In Trine and Liv's talk, we will get to know their design journey and practice as well as their drivers within a textile design process. In their works, they seek to highlight the value of textiles as sensuous materials, using textiles and pattern compositions to balance spaces and create a coherent whole.

This lecture will only take place on campus. 

Location: Vestindien B
Time: 13:00 - 14:30

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AUTUMN 2023

The seminars of the autumn semester take place on Zoom or campus. More information can be found under each seminar. 

 

3 October - Suzanne Oude Hengel

Designer and knit engineer Suzanne Oude Hengel specializes in Stoll flat knitting technology and strives to recontextualize knitting to propose design and manufacturing methods in relation to footwear. Her educational training is in Product Design at ArtEZ University of the Arts, Arnhem, from which she graduated in 2015. After graduating, Suzanne has sought various opportunities to develop her expertise and push boundaries, from working at the TextileLab to collaborations with Timbaland. Suzanne's Higher Seminar will cover her design journey and perspectives on her practice.

Location: Vestindien A
Time: 13:00 - 14:30

 

10 October - Martin Bergström

Martin Bergström is a multidisciplinary artist and designer who works across the fields of fashion, design, and art. His knowledge and work is applied within areas such as costume design, stage and performance wear, jewellery, and through collaborations with well-established fashion brands. His works can be found at prestigious institutions such as Nationalmuseum and Nordiska museet in Stockholm as well as the Röhsska museum in Gothenburg. Martin will also be one of the exhibiting artists within the Textile Museum in Borås' upcoming exhibition Mönstrade Positioner that opens on the 13th of October. His seminar will cover his artistic practice and his experiences within multidisciplinary artistic settings.

Location: Vestindien A
Time: 13:00 - 14:30

 

31 October - AI: Creator or Created? with Merima Bruncevic - CANCELLED

In this seminar, we will explore the protection of creative works generated either in part or entirely by artificial intelligence. Our discussion will revolve around copyright law and recent global court cases, delving into fundamental legal and philosophical inquiries. A pivotal question we will address is the delineation between the subject and the object of law. Clarifying this distinction is essential, as it directly determines who possesses rights over these works, what falls into the public domain, and what can be utilised in machine learning and training processes.
 
Dr. Merima Bruncevic is a writer, researcher and associate professor of Art Law and Legal Philosophy at the University of Gothenburg. Her publications include the works "Regulating Transnational Heritage: Memory, Identity and Diversity" (Routledge, 2022) and "Law, Art and the Commons" (Routledge, 2018). Additionally, she is the course director for the master's course “AI and the Law” at the School of Business, Economics, and Law, University of Gothenburg. Dr. Bruncevic's current research focuses on the regulation of digital twins for cultural preservation.

Location: Vestindien A
Time: 13:00 - 14:30

 

14 November - Ellen Hodakova Larsson & Sanjeev Bahl

Welcome to the Higher Seminar Sustainable Fashion and Textiles on the 14th of November at the Textile Museum. It is with great pleasure that we introduce two lecturers who will present their perspectives on sustainable design and manufacturing and who implement sustainable approaches within their practices.

13:00 - 14:00
Ellen Hodakova Larsson, HODAKOVA

With a high admiration for methods from the past, The House of HODAKOVA aims to create a utilitarian culture for the conventional. By converting old materials into luxurious goods, stories are told through portraits of time. Hodakova is based in Stockholm, Sweden and was founded in 2021 by Ellen Hodakova Larsson, BA Fashion Design Alumna 2019, The Swedish School of Textiles.

14:30 - 15:30
Sanjeev Bahl, Saitex

With over three decades of experience in the fashion and textile industry, Sanjeev Bahl has established himself as a pioneer in sustainable manufacturing. Under his guidance, Saitex has become a global leader in eco-friendly denim production. The company utilizes innovative techniques and cutting-edge technologies to minimize its environmental impact while maintaining the highest quality standards. Sanjeev's passion for sustainability goes beyond just business practices. He strongly believes in creating a positive social impact and ensuring fair working conditions for all employees.

Saitex is known for its ethical labour practices and commitment to empowering its workforce. Sanjeev also actively promotes transparency and accountability throughout the supply chain, making sure that every stakeholder is treated with respect and dignity. Denim is the baseline of apparel worn worldwide - it has entered every society; to create better practices here is mainstream that can influence more of the global population than any other apparel category. Sanjeev's visionary approach to business and unwavering commitment to sustainable practices set him apart as an ESG leader in the textile industry.

We are thrilled to hold a seminar parallel to the Borås Textile Days, and we welcome you all to join!

The seminar takes place on location only and will not be held in a hybrid format.

Location: Borås Textile Museum, 2nd floor, Textile Fashion Center
Seminar session time: 13:00 - 16:00

 

28 November - Maria Blaisse

Maria Blaisse's projects investigate the relationship of form, material, and the body and reside between the disciplines of art, design, textiles, and fashion with a practice that spans the fields of architecture, fashion, mathematics, engineering, sculpture, poetry, and dance. Her pieces have found homes in the theatre, on the fashion catwalk, and in the art gallery. In her seminar, Maria will invite us to her practice and her artistic journey.

Location: Garfveriet
Time: 13:00 - 14:30

 

19 December - Wang & Söderström

Wang & Söderström's work takes place in the so-called phygital - a hybrid practice that investigates and merges the relationship between digital and physical expressions. Often whimsical and sensuous, their design outcomes take many shapes and forms, from sculpture to interactive installations to visual media. Their works have been shown internationally in museums and art centers such as Ars Electronica in Linz, La Galleria Nazionale in Rome, The Design Museum in London, Copenhagen Contemporary in Copenhagen, MMCA in Seoul, ArkDes in Stockholm and Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York. In 2021, the duo received the prestigious three-year work grant from the Danish Arts Foundation and in 2023, they won the Lumen Art Prize and The Biennale Award.

In their lecture, they will showcase examples of their works and their design journey.

Location: Vestindien A
Time: 13:00 - 14:30