Designs that are out of this world

The free showcase in the High Mill, open to the public for two days on Friday and Saturday, August 18 and 19, from 10am to 4pm, features projects from 40 students from countries including India, Sri Lanka, Scotland, Pakistan and Poland, while there will be a private showing on Thursday, August 17 for industry partners and friends and family.

Dr Lucy Robertson, assistant professor of design, said: “Our postgraduate students are only here for a year and the degree show is an important next step for them, whether they’re planning to enter industry or further study.

“It’s also really exciting and unique to have such a huge body of international students in Galashiels, learning about our culture and also sharing theirs. A lot of that comes through in the projects being showcased, as well as the students’ underlying design work.”

In her Galactic Fashion: Future in Mars project, MA Fashion and Textiles Design postgrad Sujata Nandi from Kolkata, has designed a future fashion collection for when humans are living on Mars.

She said: “Exploring galactic fashion through my collection allowed me to seamlessly weave my passion for design and science fiction with the boundless possibilities across the intergalactic universe. By blending Mars-inspired surface prints with futuristic costumes made of sustainable and recyclable textiles, my creations offer a captivating vision of harmonious coexistence between human ingenuity and the enigmatic Martian backdrop, where functionality meets artistic expression.”

MSc Fashion and Textile Management postgrad Gary Williams, who is from Paisley, was inspired by nature to explore whether protective clothing could be stronger, lighter or more flexible.

He said: “The overlapping of fish scales is a great example of an evolutionary natural defence system that is both strong and flexible. My project looks at how taking inspiration from biomimetic strategies like this – copying nature – can also help us design human garments.”

Other projects include Noodler, an app for vocal and music jamming and a marine conservation project that uses salvaged and reclaimed materials.