Laetitia Forst is a textile design researcher at the University of the Arts London. She works at the Centre for Circular Design on the HEREWEAR project to explore design guidelines for the development and use of novel biobased materials in circular and locally responsive systems.

The PhD research, “Textiles for Disassembly” (2020) aimed to explore design driven solutions for incorporating ease of recyclability into blends. Using the tools of design for disassembly applied to materials, this research looked at how the current barriers to recycling mixed materials can be removed so as to design waste out of the systems from the very first stages of materials production. This research was funded by the University of the Arts London with additional support from the Cotton Textiles Research Trust.

BIO-CIRCULAR-LOCAL Make and Remake

These three decorative textile pieces show how textile design for disassembly techniques can bring together scraps of waste textiles for new uses. Including biobased materials for an ephemeral assembly, modular pieces for extended circular use, or print for locally relevant surfaces, the hangings show the versatility of working with end-of-use textiles in a circular system.