I am a fashion and textiles design researcher exploring ethical and environmentally conscious fashion, as part of a circular ecosystem. Utilising my design background, my research places a particular emphasis on creative methods the fashion industry could use to incorporate alternative materials and circular life cycles. I have a practice-based PhD developing decorative alternatives to fur and exotic animal materials.
The Fashion Research Studio develops environmental and ethical design processes, in collaboration with designers, academics, and the non-profit sector.
Design Ecosystem Fellowship, Future Observatory funded (AHRC) Project title: Designing the Green Transition: How can policy change enable implementation of a circular fashion ecosystem, specifically in the upstream supply chain?
Undertaking research and co-authoring 'A Just Transition Beyond Leather' report and an upcoming report on the use of feathers in the fashion industry (to be published Autumn 2023).
1st Supervisor for a Professional Doctorate student undertaking practice research into conceptual fashion design in China. In receipt of PhD supervision training.
Board member for an academic conference organized by CFC International Research Center, University of Bologna, Italy.
2023 • Historical Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion, Amy Twigger Holroyd, Jennifer Farley Gordon & Colleen Hill 2022 • Manifesto per un Vestire Gentile. English Edition: ‘Wearing Kindness: Fashion and Animal Liberation’, Simona Segre-Reinach
Researcher on The Circular Fashion Ecosystem (CFE) project Research and report writing: • Conducting initial CFE Phase 2 Research: Developing the Roadmap for Change (2022): Engagement with 9 stakeholder groups to gauge the challenges and opportunities to adopt recommendations to reach a circular fashion ecosystem. Lead on the final report ‘The Circular Fashion Ecosystem Project: Phase 2 - Developing the Roadmap for Change: Progress Report.' • Supporting CFE Phase 1 Research: A Blueprint for the Future (2021): Reviewing literature, stakeholder interviews, qualitative data gathering (of interviews), case studies of best practice, and contributing written material to the final report ‘The Circular Fashion Ecosystem: A Blueprint for the Future’ launched at London Fashion Week. CFE Demonstrator projects: • Researcher on 'Empowering Citizens to Enable Garment Longevity' (2022), partnering with GreenWith Studio, supported by Vanish. • Supporting The CFE at City Level, partnering with Circle Economy. Research proposals and funding: • Developing research project proposals for IPF commercial partner funding: Idea generation, development of research idea to timeline, budget and partner scoping. Creating project proposal presentation decks. Our team has received funding from DHL and Vanish. Other activities: • Presenting the CFE project at various events and external meetings. • Speaking on a panel at COP26 on behalf of the IPF: ‘Green is the New Black; outfitting the fashion industry for a more sustainable future.’ 11,000 live views. • Co-selecting and managing SME innovators for the IPF ‘Innovators Showcase’, presented at the IPF Forum 2021 and ‘Great’ Exhibition at COP26. Show less
• Working with a palaeontologist / geologist from the university to co-create new textile artwork to represent changing atmospheric CO2 concentrations through time.
• Private tutor covering: Portfolio presentation, portfolio assessment, guidance on design projects, identifying areas for improvement, as well as writing a personal statement or research proposal. • In addition, designing digital teaching and learning material to develop and facilitate specific fashion design projects and project materials tailored to the student’s interests.
• Developing ‘ReNew’ a circular system of renewing classic items of clothing using enzyme technology together with traditional sewing and pattern cutting techniques to make discarded clothing look and feel new again. The project involved working with textile chemists at the university.
(Acquired 2019) • The Textile Museum of Sweden, Boras, Sweden
2021 • Multispecies Visionary Institute, Berwick Visual Arts, UK 2020-2021 • Fashioned from Nature, Design Society, Shenzhen, China 2020 • Slow Fashion, Nordstan, Gothenburg, Sweden • Textile Challenge 5, Lund, Sweden • Various company events in Textile Fashion Centre, University of Borås, Sweden • Installation in DoTank, Textile Fashion Centre, University of Borås, Sweden • Future of Fashion, Swedish Embassy, Berlin, Germany • Textile Challenge 4, Stockholm Fashion District, Sweden 2019-2020 • Transfashional, Museo Della Citta, Rimini, Italy 2019 • Smart Textiles, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Stockholm, Sweden • TEX4IM, The Swedish History Museum, Stockholm, Sweden • Exposé - Textile & Fashion 2030, Science Park Borås, Sweden • Design Research for Change, The London Design Festival, Truman Brewery, London, UK • Fashioned from Nature, The Natural History Museum, Copenhagen, Denmark 2018-2019 • Fashioned from Nature, Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK 2018 • The Presence of Boundless Potentiality, Onca Gallery, Brighton, UK Show less
• Residency with Labverde in the Amazon rainforest, funded by the University of the Arts London AER (Art for the Environment Residency) Award, to explore alternative ways of recording exotic and newly discovered animal life in the forest using fashion embellishment as a medium.
While undertaking my PhD I worked part-time assisting with the development of various research projects, short courses and events based around Design Thinking, involving policy innovators, councils and academics.
2021 • Co-Creator: Restore Workshop for Industry, private workshop for fashion industry professionals, online, co-hosted by The University of Borås 2017 • Creator and Facilitator: Future Embellishment Workshop, MA Fashion Futures, London College of Fashion, UK 2016 • Creator and Facilitator: The Appeal of Fur and Exotic Animal Materials, private workshop for fashion industry professionals, Clothworkers Centre, Victoria & Albert Museum, UK
2021 • Guest Lecturer, BA Fashion Design Womenswear, Central Saint Martins • Speaker: Art for the Environment Conversations Series, University of the Arts, online 2020 • Panellist: The intersection of craftsmanship and sustainability, how to reinvent product design? Hong Kong Fashion Summit 2020, digital conference • Panellist: From Vision to Physical Product, Sustainable Consumption of the Future, University of Borås, online 2019 • Keynote: How can we design alternatives to animal materials? The Conscious Festival, Singapore • Puma Sustainability Series: Naomi Bailey-Cooper, Puma HQ, Herzogenaurach, Germany • Art for the Environment: Creative Practice in the Amazon, Research Fortnight, University of the Arts, UK 2018 • How can the design of embellishment deliver an alternative to the decorative notion of fur and exotic animal materials? Better Lives: Past, Present and Future, 10 Years of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, London College of Fashion, UK 2017 • Labverde Artists Talk and Seminar, Musa do Largo, Manaus, Brazil 2015 • Guest Lecturer, MA Fashion programmes, London College of Fashion Show less
Contract which involved researching the three key fibre categories used by Burberry; various types, quality issues, supply chain and potential alternatives, the findings of which I presented to the Burberry Raw Fibres Council and were disseminated to various in-house teams.
Project exploring counterfeit design issues and approaches to deter counterfeit through smart textiles and crowdsourcing data. Working with the Design Against Crime Research Centre (UAL), and Mishcon de Reya.
2020 • Fur: A Sensitive History, Professor Jonathan Faiers, Yale University Press • Naomi Bailey-Cooper: Championing fashion that does no harm, Team Zerrin, Zerrin Magazine • Designing alternatives to animal materials with Naomi Bailey-Cooper, Spirit of Design podcast 2019 • Transfashional-Post/Inter/Disciplinary Lexicon, Dobrila Denegri, di: Angewandte • Naomi Bailey-Cooper - Pionniere de la Mode Durable, Victoire Dauxerre, Nouvelle Veg • Bayong Beads, Banana Palm and Glass Yarn, Catch Up - Puma's Employee Magazine • TALKS: What We Learnt About Fashion at The Conscious Festival, Olivia Wycech, Green is the New Black • London College of Fashion renew methods, Textile & Fashion 2030, Science Park Boras • Big Do 2019 - Design hackathon, Textile & Fashion 2030, Science Park Boras 2018 • Fashioned from Nature, Abigail Jones, Bare Minimum Magazine • 10 Hot Stories: Fashioned from Nature, Grazia UK • Fashioned from Nature Exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Imogen Lamport, Inside Out Style • Fashioned from Nature, Ella Britton, JWT Intelligence • Culture Review, P. Gargiulo and C.Courtois, Télématin, France2 2017 • Labverde: Art Immersion Program in the Amazon, Labverde • Naomi Bailey-Cooper reports back on her AER Residency at LABVERDE in the Amazon Rain Forest Brazil, UAL Postgraduate Community Blog • Naomi Bailey-Cooper is selected for AER 2017 Residency with LABVERDE in the Amazon Rainforest Brazil, UAL Postgraduate Community Blog • V&A / LCF Research awardee Naomi Bailey-Cooper discusses snakeskin and sustainability, Rosie Higham-Stainton, LCF Stories 2014 • A Practical Guide to Sustainable Fashion, Alison Gwilt, Fairchild Books (Bloomsbury) 2012 • Designer of the Month: Naomi Bailey-Cooper, Fashion & A Cup of Tea • Lollipops and Politics, VV Brown, Capitol Records 2011 • Unfinished Symmetry, Volt Magazine Show less