Worlds

The first stage of Fashion Fictions generates outlines of fictional fashion cultures and systems – Worlds – presented via 100-word sketches.

Each outline offers a brief sketch of an alternative fashion culture or system, including an explanation of the historical juncture – genuine or invented – which caused this parallel world to split off from our own.

You can get a sense of the variety of topics explored in the fictions via this visual map, which is based on analysis of the first 120 Worlds.

World 215

in which 1ft-tall humans use clothing materials appropriate to their size

World 214

in which people protect their privacy via anti-surveillance dress

World 213

in which brands and retailers make transparency and traceability the norm

World 212

in which choice is limited and natural year-round textiles thrive

World 211

in which a cotton-to-cloth system operates in every village

World 210

in which a farmer finds he can use natural resources in place of chemicals

World 209

in which a thriving art school has a community ethos dating back to 1845

World 208

in which bodies don’t exist; we are our thoughts, feelings and opinions

World 207

in which people wear textural sculptures made from textile waste

World 206

in which babies’ clothes are all secondhand gifts

World 205

in which all clothing belongs to the community, rather than individuals

World 204

in which people routinely compliment strangers on what they are wearing

World 203

in which everyone has a doll of themselves, complete with matching wardrobe

World 202

in which people navigate the world via sounds emitted by living organisms’ chakras

World 201

in which Syonan Island is influenced by Japanese culture

World 200

in which a five-piece mandatory wardrobe is issued by the government

World 199

in which China becomes the epicentre of the global fashion system

World 198

in which every household sustains one traditional artform

World 197

in which the Covid pandemic reshapes human-nature connections

World 196

in which social media is replaced by artificial intelligence

World 195

in which fashion revolves around Southeast Asia, rather than Europe

World 194

in which people live in a simulated world due to environmental devastation

World 193

in which customisable uniforms reflect the wearer’s profession

World 192

in which synthetic dyes were never discovered

World 191

in which clothes are built for functionality rather than aesthetics

World 190

in which the Earth Day movement gives rise to an eco-anarchist subculture

World 189

in which Malay culture undergoes an influential renaissance

World 188

in which pantheism is a popular religion and faith is expressed through dress

World 187

in which an annual fashion week celebrates South Asian textile heritage

World 186

in which individual capsule wardrobes are created with the help of AI

World 185

in which fashion manufacturers are forced to pay for their crimes

World 184

in which synthetic fibres are banned for clothing production

World 183

in which UK clothing cultures are strongly regional and slow to change

World 182

in which fashion focuses on the vicarious consumption of historical garments

World 181

in which clothes are treated as intimate friends and ageing is coveted

World 180

in which there is no concept of “more”

World 179

in which a higher intelligence comes to Earth

World 178

in which footballers lead the transformation of consumer culture

World 177

in which an identical garment, worn by all, expresses creativity

World 176

in which an island has enjoyed a shared wardrobe for decades

World 175

in which peak oil leads to the cease of synthetic fibre production

World 174

in which wearable technology communicates antiracist messages

World 173

in which sewing clubs are more common than slimming clubs

World 172

in which radical anarchist sewists destroy capitalism

World 171

in which clothes become part of the extended household

World 170

in which stitched signatures represent complex identities

World 169

in which clothes are marketed using only personalised images

World 168

in which ironing becomes an unstoppable trend among young people

World 167

in which traditional handmade costumes are worn across the world

World 166

in which each year, a school alternates female- and male-gendered uniforms

World 165

in which a hopeful mindset emerges after a thirty-year pandemic

World 164

in which body modifications are a mandatory marker of identity

World 163

in which odour-colour synesthesia is triggered by natural dyes

World 162

in which pollution alters both human skin and notions of beauty

World 161

in which metaverse-dominated life prompts a return to cultural heritage

World 160

in which an international unified educational syllabus leads to gender equality

World 159

in which clothing designers and suppliers must be licenced

World 158

in which a multi-ministry taskforce promotes Singaporean style

World 157

in which obstructive censorship of sexual identity does not exist

World 156

in which individuals can possess only thirty heirloom garments at a time

World 155

in which a hybrid fashion language emerges in 19th century Singapore

World 154

in which rising sea levels drive humanity to live underwater

World 153

in which a pandemic causes everyone to see only in x-ray vision

World 152

in which clothes are perceived as mediums of spirituality

World 151

in which India is not colonised by the British, supporting craft cultures

World 150

in which a free and open-source fashion movement thrives

World 149

in which Rwanda creates a new nutrient-led fashion system

World 148

in which Dhaka garment workers travel worldwide to share their skills

World 147

in which a landfill waste quota leads to centralised garment recycling

World 146

in which insecticides are banned and clothes-eating bugs are valued

World 145

in which digital clothing must be worn in images posted on social media

World 144

in which refugee communities generate a revolutionary fashion system

World 143

in which global clothes swaps take place every six months

World 142

in which an incredible new material transforms the fashion system

World 141

in which countries issue mandated uniforms

World 140

in which non-recyclable clothes are banned

World 139

in which clothing options are limited as a strategy for world peace

World 138

in which a ban on cotton leads to domestic production of a hybrid fibre

World 137

in which bright young minds inspire the deconstruction of societal hierarchy

World 136

in which companies must produce their goods in the country of sale

World 135

in which people express their love for fashion through clothes swaps

World 134

in which textile materials are selected with great care and understanding

World 133

in which a woman president leads radical change in fashion culture

World 132

in which the making of clothes is a spiritual healing process

World 131

in which clothes are embellished with mantras, ideas, thoughts, and feelings

World 130

in which biopolymer-based textiles correspond with a culture of reuse

World 129

in which an inspirational book leads to an emphasis on quality over quantity

World 128

in which the ecological and social knowledge systems of shamanism shape fashion

World 127

in which climate change drives an inventive umbrella recycling culture

World 126

in which sentient bio-garments make decisions for themselves

World 125

in which everyone makes their clothing, just as they do their food

World 124

in which city-dwelling sheep provide an abundance of wool fibre

World 123

in which a focus on nature makes trend forecasting obsolete

World 122

in which a revolution has taken place regarding garment waste

World 121

in which a fashion-based curriculum is mandatory throughout school education

World 120

in which clothing libraries foster an appreciation of ‘wearing stories’

World 119

in which craft and design education, rather than rote learning, is highly valued

World 118

in which mutated jellyfish are used to create mesoglea fabric

World 117

in which distinctive local fashions enrich the wider cultural tapestry

World 116

in which unisex jumpsuits for all are made via a hi-tech production process

World 115

in which clothing is made of eco-friendly fabrics such as recycled materials

World 114

in which a society hides underground for 500 years to avoid colonisation

World 113

in which coloured clothing, changed every ten years, identifies the wearer’s age

World 112

in which Thailand’s self-sufficiency philosophies gain global influence

World 111

in which body imperfections and modifications are celebrated via clothing

World 110

in which new fabrics can no longer be produced

World 109

in which fashion designers become repair artisans in every area

World 108

in which clothes are made from scent-infused yarns, supporting well-being

World 107

in which garments are exchanged like money

World 106

in which each citizen receives 20kg of silk yarn as their birthright

World 105

in which a countercultural movement resists exploitative corporations

World 104

in which Singapore must maximise use of its local resources

World 103

in which Japanese, rather than Western, culture dominates Southeast Asia

World 102

in which a pandemic has caused everyone to see only in grayscale

World 101

in which garments are designed and produced in clear view of consumers

World 100

in which consumers are fully informed of the impacts of each purchase

World 99

in which ‘coolhunters’ are vilified and local notions of coolness flourish

World 98

in which a peaceful and prosperous Africa has never been colonised

World 97

in which wearing stained and soiled clothing signifies style and prosperity

World 96

in which for centuries textiles have been made only from plant-based food waste

World 95

in which Kim Kardashian and fellow influencers promote sustainable clothing use

World 94

in which globalised trade is no longer possible due to microbial transfer

World 93

in which intergenerational teaching and learning supports resourcefulness

World 92

in which mending skills abound on a land mass forgotten for 500 years

World 91

in which a Sewing, Theatre, Ecology, and Mindfulness curriculum guides learning

World 90

in which crinoline-like clothing forms are worn by all

World 89

in which ‘dandy grannies’ are key fashion influencers

World 88

in which genderless fashion dates back as far as the Spanish Armada

World 87

in which clothes start to tell their owners the stories of their own production

World 86

in which commercial space stations require a new approach to fashion

World 85

in which The Emperor’s New Clothes is interpreted as fact rather than fiction

World 84

in which sweatshop production is illegal, prompting a rise in making

World 83

in which sewing is a highly regarded core school subject

World 82

in which citizens must disassemble garments into their component materials

World 81

in which global supply chains are terminated and localised fashions emerge

World 80

in which wearing the same outfit for a month is considered normal

World 79

in which brands must manufacture all garments within their own postcode

World 78

in which oversupply of fabric waste leads to its use in the building trade

World 77

in which intimate knowledge of garments’ material inputs leads to a culture of gratitude

World 76

in which genderless school uniforms are made from locally grown undyed cotton

World 75

in which plant and flower pigments are injected to colour human skin

World 74

in which textiles are used to grow food from seed before being remade into clothing

World 73

in which diverse body types are glorified and clothes are unsized

World 72

in which wild one-night-only rented assemblages are worn at speakeasy clubs

World 71

in which water and power shortages lead to a shift in the nation’s laundry habits

World 70

in which we wear bio-monitoring spacesuits, cleaned by electricity

World 69

in which textile production has been discontinued and fashion has fractured

World 68

in which people wear only black and white, with no colour permitted

World 67

in which a clothing tax leads to nudity becoming common in everyday life

World 66

in which clothes are better adapted to our bodies and are mended many times

World 65

in which consumers must spend time working in agricultural fibre production

World 64

in which uniform garments are issued; surface accessories express the self

World 63

in which lockdown seeds new human-nonhuman communities

World 62

in which clothes are sold via Teletext, increasing garment literacy

World 61

in which increased hemp cultivation unexpectedly leads to gender-free fashion

World 60

in which fashion focuses on zero waste lifestyles, Maker skills and upcycling

World 59

in which a local focus on textile waste transforms clothing practices

World 58

in which hyperlocal production is coupled with a culture of virtual worlds

World 57

in which a tailor-made clothing movement has spread from town to town

World 56

in which citizen oversight of scientific research leads to responsible polyester use

World 55

in which cities have shared community wardrobes and fashion is a party

World 54

in which adults can own only 10 items of clothing at any time

World 53

in which biological garments are grown at home or in local material-makeries

World 52

in which a global digital network connects custom-makers and clients

World 51

in which the Covid pandemic prompts the emergence of a new system of consuming

World 50

in which people connect via unique signatures sewn into each others’ clothing

World 49

in which waged labour is abolished, creating a convivial, ludic society

World 48

in which talent competitions and Nobel Prizes reward textile resourcefulness

World 47

in which radical fashion students transform the industry and design training

World 46

in which a city is famous for its network of municipal clothes libraries

World 45

in which all textiles are used initially as curtains before being remade into clothes

World 44

in which members of a niche movement personify a book for a year via their clothes

World 43

in which blue clothes, which cannot be sold, are traded at community hubs

World 42

in which mass production is rejected in favour of locally derived ‘base-lines’

World 41

in which usable elements of damaged garments are traded as spare parts

World 40

in which fabric making is located on and integrated with the body

World 39

in which a child-led uprising transforms industry and consumer practices

World 38

in which prehistoric humans used plants, rather than skins, to clothe the body

World 37

in which everyone on the planet is restricted to a capsule wardrobe

World 36

in which professional menders, like tattoo artists, help to tell stories

World 35

in which digital fashion marketplaces limit the need for physical clothing

World 34

in which the film and TV industry recirculates the clothes used in production

World 33

in which celebrities must wear secondhand clothes, influencing others

World 32

in which the centre of fashion ends and the periphery thrives

World 31

in which disposal of clothes is illegal and makers have ongoing responsibility

World 30

in which sewing becomes an unstoppable trend among young people

World 29

in which a textile-inclusive STTEM curriculum leads to a skill-share community

World 28

in which wartime ‘digging for victory’ leads to widespread natural dyeing practices

World 27

in which Cuba leads a post-capitalist heirloom-chain economy

World 26

in which school uniform libraries transform attitudes to pre-worn clothing

World 25

in which a popular uprising leads to worldwide policies for clothing durability

World 24

in which secondhand-only editorial styling turns fashion upside down

World 23

in which post-Brexit Britain seeks to become a world leader in crafts

World 22

in which radical influencers exclusively dress from their parents’ wardrobes

World 21

in which the textile industry learns from the paper industry to minimise waste

World 20

in which tanneries become museums to discover the mistakes of the past

World 19

in which the purpose of the fashion ‘season’ is turned on its head

World 18

in which people rush back to the villages in search of greenery, food and clothing

World 17

in which young men become obsessed with sewing

World 16

in which a commission on fashion’s role in ecocide is underway

World 15

in which people wear a single outfit for the rest of their lives

World 14

in which subsidised clothing factories are accessible to local people

World 13

in which a radical global environmental strategy has led to nomadic lifestyles

World 12

in which every high street has a repair salon, each with its own unique style

World 11

in which commercial clothes production has ceased and people dress ‘by chance’

World 10

in which making by hand is a quasi-devotional act and path to ‘enlightenment’

World 9

in which learning to sew is a teenage rite of passage, like learning to drive

World 8

in which clothing is deeply embedded in enduring subcultural communities

World 7

in which the WWII Utility Clothing Scheme continues to the present day

World 6

in which local councils run free libraries of occasional and formal wear

World 5

in which clothes rationing has led to local distinctiveness

World 4

in which eye-catching fashion statements are constructed from foliage

World 3

in which community laundries are thriving social hubs

World 2

in which chemical dyes have been banned worldwide

World 1

in which the buying and selling of clothing has long been illegal