STEAM power on the runway – MIT News| MIT News
Science Surfaces is a capsule collection that includes body coverings and accessories. It serves as a canvas for digital prints of ideas inspired from award-winning biomedical imagery produced at MIT’s life science research labs.
The exhibition is now on display at the Koch Institute Public Galleries. It is the result the inaugural Peers + Pros Project. This creative learning initiative was initiated by the Boston Science Festival and sponsored by MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.
Fiona Shine Duncan, Emerald Garcia, Alison Benavides Lopez, and Jaileen Mercado are high school students in the Fashion + Tech program at Boston Arts Academy who were invited to be part of a team that included professionals at the Koch Institute, the Heide Maker Hub at the MIT Museum, Boston Public Library’s Teen Central, and School of Fashion Design, Boston.
“Science and technology are the new frontiers of fashion,” explains Jay Calderin, founder of Boston Fashion Week and lead mentor for the initiative. “This project has provided an invaluable opportunity for young fashion makers to collaborate with their peers and learn from industry professionals while exploring new ways of thinking about the design process.”
The collaboration began when the group visited the Koch Institute Public Galleries to see the 2022 Image Awards exhibit and learn more about the science behind it. The 10 images on display were chosen by a panel to be both scientifically sound and visually impactful. They provided inspiration for students from a broad range of subjects.
“I was challenged and forced to think differently about colors,” says Mercado. “I am one who typically works with darker colors and was pushed to try working with more lively colors, and ended up loving the results.”
After visiting the galleries, they formulated and refined their design concepts through research and development meetings about zero-waste design strategies in Teen Central at the Boston Public Library’s Copley Place branch.
“Zero-waste design thinking was an integral part of the creative process that helped to develop the collection of the Science Surfaces textiles,” explains Calderin. Each science-inspired graphic design was incorporated into a grid of interlocking pattern pieces that were then digitally printed onto the fabric in order to minimize waste.
“Once we learned that this project was focused on sustainability and creating zero-waste garments, it pushed us all to think outside of the box,” says Shine Duncan.
A series of hands-on 3D printing workshops at the MIT Museum’s Heide Maker Hub allowed them to expand their skill set and create accessories to accompany the textile design. The School of Fashion Design in Boston provided production support.
“Learning how to design something using the 3D printer was challenging, but worth the effort,” says Garcia. “I was very proud of myself for learning how to use the software.”
The experience culminated in a “Walk + Talk” runway presentation as part of the Cambridge Science Festival’s Fashion Day and opening day of the 28th annual Boston Fashion Week. The models were professional and brought the science-inspired designs alive. Audience members were treated with post-walk reflections from the teens and their collaborators as well as the scientists whose images inspired them.
“We were delighted to provide a literal stage for this powerful merging of art and science,” says Cambridge Science Festival Director Brooke Ciradelli. “Seeing people from all walks of life come together around the teens’ work really underscores our guiding principles — that science and technology are for everyone.”
“The experience of seeing my work on the runway made it all feel very real,” says Benavides Lopez. After the show, she met a MIT research group whose image was used to create one of her designs.
Former MIT professor Krystyn Van Vliet described how touching it was for PhD student Mingyu Yang and research scientist Anna Jagielska, “to meet the young artist Alison, who took their one confocal epifluorescent optical snapshot (representing literally years of scientific and technical troubleshooting with cells and materials and life) and turned into flowing beautiful walking artwork.”
Through April 30, the Koch Institute Public Galleries has the design and inspiration images on display. Visit Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to see the collection up close and learn more about the design process in the students’ own words.