Design as a socio-material practice: reflections on the Emotional Fit collective fashion enquiry

This paper reflects on the Emotional Fit research group’s experiences of working together on an experimental, collective fashion enquiry through sharing individual and group knowledge, skills and ultimately facilitating conditions for creative socio-material encounters [1]. Underpinned by the methodological framework of participatory research, with its focus on action, reflection and collaboration, a group of fashion and textile research practitioners are undertaking a practice-led project with a local group of mature women [2]. The underlying aim of the research is to more fully understand the phenomenological experiences of older consumers by exploring new artistic possibilities [3] for them to express and realize some of their fashion needs and expectations. The paper, comprises a number of different voices of members of the collaborative team, who reflect on what happens when you put a group of older women interested in fashion together with a group of researchers in an academic creative environment.