School of Textiles and Design: Graduate Showcase 2023 – Louise Bloor

With the alumni fair launching next week, we caught up with some of the graduating students to find out more about their final year projects. This student spotlight showcases BA (Hons) Interior Design student Louise Bloor and her project, an immersive retail and exhibition space that addresses fast fashion and the death of the High Street.

The harmful effects of fast fashion are the focus of my final project. The fashion industry has been ranked as the second most polluting industry in the world, after oil. Consumers’ constant desire for new clothes is an important factor in environmental impact. This results in a business approach that is undoubtedly wasteful, especially when combined with the deliberate consumption of fashion companies, which ensures that products wear out quickly due to substandard production quality.

With shops closed on high streets, once the heart of cities and towns, personal shopping may become less enticing. It is essential to create stores that are not only for shopping but also spaces for learning, interaction and mingling if we are to rejuvenate the high streets.

The project aims to directly address the underlying causes of the unsustainable nature of the fashion industry, including low use of clothing and ephemeral products and low rates of post-use recycling. Along with retail space for small and sustainable brands, the area will host workshops, exhibitions, fashion shows and a rental shop, all of which will help promote greener public street shopping.

The design speaks to the desire to move away from disposable products and towards items with a lower environmental impact. Pre-owned purchases are much more ethical than new purchases, especially in today’s world of mass consumption. This idea can also be applied to interior design. Timeless patterns with a lively quality are the hallmark of the Vintage Revival theme. This concept plays with vintage elements exuding personality and heritage aspects that are vibrant and attractive. It’s a sister style to mid-century modern decor. In addition to preventing waste, this enables re-imagining in line with project goals. The structure’s original materials as well as Edinburgh’s well-preserved heritage served as inspiration for the design.

You can see more of Louise’s work and follow her post-graduation journey on Instagram @louisebloor.id