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
Generative textile design	Bobby Luke
Virtual fashion design / Digital and physical fashion design workflows	Bobby Luke
Wearable technology	Anne Niemetz
Character design and digital costumes	Heli Salomaa
Cloth simulation and digital textiles	Heli Salomaa
Indigenous led fashion/textile systems	Bobby Luke

Academic staff

Name	Research interests
Bobby Luke	Procedural and generative approaches to textile design using digital and physical methodologies Digital pattern making and 3D simulation design tools for fashion design
Anne Niemetz	The use of technology in garments and accessories.
Heli Salomaa	Parallels of digital and physical workflows in digital productions Fashion, costume, and character in Virtual/ Augmented/ Extended Reality Player's relationship to game characters' costume through dress-up mechanics and somatic displacement in the video game context in comparison to film and stage arts.

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).