In World 260 there is now a deep mistrust of sentient clothing, due to the vast amount of data it collects. People are now shunning sentient, high performance sportswear, due to concerns about big data and the use of harmful, high technology materials, in favour of natural materials for sportswear that works in harmony with nature, promotes wellbeing and good mental health. This sportswear favours ancient natural materials, designed for breathability and sustainability. These fibres have been shown to be beneficial to health and the environment. Wellbeing is prized above data and encompasses a respect for the planet, circularity, sustainable practice and regenerated design principles.
What if …
… people began to reject high technology, high performance sportswear, in favour of natural materials, such as nettle fibre and wool? What if there was a movement towards wellbeing, good mental and physical health and enjoyment, rather than competitive tracking of data?
Issue targeted:
Performance sportswear relying on the use of heavily engineered synthetic fabrics. An over reliance on technology and electronics embedded in clothing. Fears that our clothing could know more about us than we ourselves know. More natural alternatives for sportwear should be considered.
Inspiration:
‘Creative Futures’ module at Derby University, on my MA course. My husband is an avid runner and has all the kit and technology. It worries me that performance sportswear relies totally on synthetic fabrics. I imagined a scenario in the future where our clothes gather data on us and the opportunities this could provide for surveillance. I feel the emphasis of sportswear and technology should be on wellbeing and good mental health.
This World was contributed by Sidony Swan (located in Derby, UK), using a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence which allows others to share and adapt the work in any medium and for any purpose, providing that they credit the author and share their material using the same Creative Commons licence.
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