Design Realisation in Fashion Education – Embedding Sustainable Approaches Through ‘Phygital’ Practices

This study set out challenges and opportunities affecting sustainable approaches in fashion higher education. A novel ‘phygital’ framework of hybrid practices is proposed, informed through reference to student work, staff and student experience and submission criteria. Reflections are informed by the shifting focus from onsite studio practices to online learning, home studio practices encompassing working in 3D at ½ scale, the new proposed process to take part in the creation of mannequins as a new design task, along with the nascent practice of avatar creation/customisation and hybrid 3D digital and physical sampling and prototyping. It is hoped this case study and framework will encourage those involved in these processes to find their own way of embedding sustainability; by presenting an example of tangible changes and quantifiable results to serve in raising consciousness, to challenge habitual ways of doing, and consider technologies integrated with physical craftsmanship. The significance of the emerging role of nascent practices of engagement with the body within fashion practice is illuminated by presenting the findings as a framework and contributes new dimensions in the discipline of design. Whilst this case study sits in the context of higher education, it has the potential to act as a compelling catalyst for future interpretation within business environments as a real-world example of how practical changes can have a positive impact

Body image after mastectomy: A thematic analysis of younger women’s written accounts

This study investigated younger women’s body image after mastectomy. In all, 49 women, aged 29–53 years (mean age: 39 years) who had had bilateral (n = 8) or unilateral (n = 41) mastectomy responded to open-ended questions online. Inductive thematic analysis revealed that aesthetics were less important than survival between diagnosis and mastectomy. Following mastectomy, women negotiated new body identities. Treatment effects such as weight gain were significant concerns. However, impacts on body confidence varied, and some participants rejected mainstream body shape ideals and reported feeling proud of their scars. Implications for supporting younger women post-mastectomy, including promotion of body acceptance, are discussed

I've got a very dichotomous difference in the way that I perceive myself”: Positive and negative constructions of body image following cancer treatment

This study investigated how women constructed body image following cancer. Four women, aged 32-67 years who had experienced breast or bowel cancer took part in a two-hour, in-depth focus group. Discourse analysis revealed that women orientated to positive aspects of the post-treatment body (silhouette, trust, acceptance) whilst acknowledging that their experiences were also traumatic (hair loss, scarring, sickness, swelling). Bodies and illness were concealed from public judgment, and women developed new trust in their bodies due to overcoming cancer; post-cancer bodies were accepted despite opportunities for normalisation. Implications for those wanting to support women during and after cancer are discussed