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Wear-Abouts / Illustrious North

Interactive learning materials at the intersection of illustration, education, fashion and tourism

What if illustrations could step out of books, into textiles or other cultural learning materials? What would they say about the intriguing stories that inspired their creation and how would they speak to their users? Through WEAR-ABOUTS - WILDFOODS theme we aim to explore this possibility by creating interactive solutions with ‘a deeper meaning’ that speak to young people, educators and families.

Overview

Information on this page is provided by the innovator and has not been evaluated by HundrED.

Web presence

2019

Established

120

Children

8

Countries
Target group
Students basic
Updated
February 2024
It draws inspiration from the Nordic healthy diet and innovations in this sector as well as the culture of picking wild foods in the Nordic/Baltic countries, to help children and adults around them reconsider the content of their plates, origin, virtues of the products consumed, manufacturing/distribution chains and the usefulness of the direct link between the consumer and the source of products.

About the innovation

Why did you create this innovation?

More than a shift within the fashion sector, the meaning/attention we give to garments could be radically transformed, giving more value to it and enhancing its educational abilities. Working in the fields of innovation and sustainable development, we believe it is essential to consider societal changes in a holistic way, notably through intersectoral approaches and interdisciplinary learning.

What does your innovation look like in practice?

Wear-Abouts explores how high quality garments, adjustable, can propose an additional content to the clothes through the fabric’s patterns, which can be updated regularly. (See Implementation steps below).

The first Wear-Abouts x Baltic Sea prototype is addressing the WILDFOODS theme (nature and nurture).
It draws inspiration from the Nordic healthy diet and innovations in this sector as well as the widely spread culture of picking wild foods in the Nordic and Baltic countries (wild berries, innovative use of oat, clean air, pure water, hygiene, traceability, environmental issues and animal welfare). This theme has been chosen in order to help children and adults around them reconsider the content of their plates, the origin and virtues of the products consumed, the manufacturing and distribution chains for products as well as the usefulness of the direct link between the consumer and the source of the products, such as picking, cultivation or local supply.

How has it been spreading?

The initial project has been supported by the EU COSME WORTH program and benefited from creative sessions with young people, educators and families during the Helsinki Children's Design Week and with a kindergarten and primary school in Helsinki. The project enabled the creation of operational prototypes and was presented during the Milan and Dutch design weeks.
The research project continues and addresses evolving forms of the initial prototypes, but also explores other approaches, in particular leading a reflection on virtual clothing but also the use of technologies such as virtual reality and haptic design.
The project is also connected with the international research network IN2FROCC and Designing for Children's Rights D4CR association, of which Laetitia Barbu is an active member.

If I want to try it, what should I do?

There are several forms of collaboration:
- Use of the prototype as it was developed
- Adaptation of the prototype for a specific framework/context
- Collaboration around the development of the prototype, in particular tests with a specific audience or framework

Spread of the innovation

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