How can fashion designers create clothes for people with diverse sensory needs?
Meet Maureen Laverty, who researches how clothing can contribute to good sensory experiences for people with heightened senses. About 1% of the population is on the autism spectrum, many of whom can have issues with the tactile, sound and movement properties of clothing. In their daily lives they may experience that the clothes they wear limit their activities at home and at work. It could be that they are distracted by the label on the back of the neck, or because their trousers feel like armor.It may be that the sound of rain falling on their raincoat sounds like small explosions and takes them out of the moment, and many other small sensations that others don’t consider.
In this session Maureen presents her research project, as well as sharing the stories of some of her research participants who feel that clothes are often not made for them. She will also introduce her plans to translate the research findings into practical solutions in the local clothing industry, funded by NTNU Discovery.
Please note that photos will be taken during the festival on the 22nd and 23rd of September. The images will only be used for communication and information related to the festival going forward
