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  • ELISA PALOMINO​​​ HORIZON 2020 FISHSKIN CONSORTIUM

ELISA PALOMINO​​​ HORIZON 2020 FISHSKIN CONSORTIUM

The fashion industry needs to reflect on its overconsumption model and the waste it generates, while we designers need to commit to reverse the damage done to the planet by being more mindful of the impact of our decisions. We also need to promote the recovery, recycling and upcycling of products and materials integrating them in our collections by using a combination of traditional craftsmanship and higher technology techniques. This is important because craftsmanship and artisanal training programmes promote the use of handwork techniques, safeguarding the rich heritage of the luxury industry.​

My fish skin research draws on the design practice that was instigated whilst working as Head of the Design Studio at John Galliano, where we developed fish leather garments for John Galliano and Christian Dior collections in 2002. We were amongst the first brands to use fish leather and by doing so, we positioned this barely known sustainable material within the context of the luxury industry.

Currently, I am involved in an European-funded project called “FISHSKIN”, which emerged from a personal design interest in the potential use of fish leather as a new alternative raw material for the fashion industry.

I am also a PhD fellow at London College of Fashion, Centre for Sustainable Fashion since 2017. My doctoral research explores fish leather sustainability and craftsmanship from the perspective of the Northern indigenous communities using an interdisciplinary approach between anthropology, ethnography, and environmental protection to address current global issues of fashion sustainability.

In 2018, I collaborated with the tannery Atlantic Leather in the development of ‘Fishskinlab’ as part of the Worth Partnership Project funded by the European Commission, EASME, under COSME 2014-2020, to produce a collection of bags made of fish leather, developing new embellishments and eco-friendly digital printing.

https://viatalenta.com/interview-elisa-lisa-palomino/


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