Keynote: Fashion for Weightlessness: Rethinking design for the commercial space age

Those who have experienced weightlessness describe an extraordinary ‘post-gravity’ understanding of the world around them, in which they understand that the history of human experience, as determined and bound by Earth gravity, is unique in the universe. Creative practice, including design, takes for granted that manmade artefacts will be produced and used in Earth gravity. As we enter the commercial space age, designers need to revisit some of their approach to design, to allow for the possibility that their designed objects will be used in microgravity. For fashion, this means designing a garment to be viewed at uncommon angles, and discarding the view that fashions are defined by silhouette. As drape is a product of gravity, the connection between weight and drape must be reimagined. In short, fashion designers must rethink some of the fundamental principles of fashion design for the weightless environment.