When looking for new ideas from talented young minds, The Royal College of Art exhibition at London Design Festival is always a good start. This year, Tender Revolution showed what RCA design graduates from various disciplines imagined to resist rigid systems. Part of the curated strand A Softer World by Alex Tieghi-Walker, where designers explore empathy, tactility and connection, the exhibition had a strong focus on wearable designs.
RCA Tender Revolution. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Modular snow shoe
Z-TREK, by Zhibo Yang is a terrain-responsive snow-hiker footwear system. Rather than offering one shoe, it is a modular system that lets the user adapt their footwear to different conditions.
Z-TREK by Zhibo Yang. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Z_TREK by Zhibo Yang. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Made for terrains from ice to snow melt, the design is inspired by how animal feet are structurally adapted to winter grounds. It uses principles of surface expansion, grip control and drainage in the natural world to inform parametric modeling and structural design decisions.
Z-TREK by Zhibo Yang. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Z-TREK by Zhibo Yang. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Z-TREK by Zhibo Yang. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Cashmere, merino and linen
With her project Modern Nomads: Heritage in Motion, Lydia Lin visualises the idea of modern nomads through the persona of female aviators. Made for a competition with Loro Piana, the design is made of cashmere, merino and linen, using software that enables the designer to program the knit for a specific shape without cutting the fabric.
Modern Nomads: Heritage in Motion by Lydia Lin. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Modern Nomads: Heritage in Motion by Lydia Lin. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Adaptive fashion
Huili Jin, a fashion designer and creative pattern maker is inspired by the belief that fashion should be accessible to everyone. Her project What Do I Want To Wear? addresses the common challenge of independently putting on pants faced by wheelchair users. The pants can be put on from the top while seated, improving independence and comfort through careful fabric, seam, and pattern choices.
What Do I Want To Wear? by Huili Jin.. Photo by Anki Delfmann
What Do I Want To Wear? by Huili Jin.. Photo by Anki Delfmann
What Do I Want To Wear? by Huili Jin. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Pockets
The Pocketed Body by Audra Grays is a series of garments that reclaim pockets as both function and feminist statement and put them at the center of the design. Made from post-industrial textile waste, the project examines how pockets shape gender roles, while serving the needs of urban commuters.
Photo by Anki Delfmann
The Pocketed Body by Audra Grays. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Banana-waste textile
MUSATEX by Carmen Danae Azor is turning banana and plantain waste into zero-synthetic textiles. Sourced from organic farms and processed by women’s cooperatives, the fibres cut carbon emissions by 94 percent compared to cotton, needing no chemicals or extra irrigation. Using low-impact methods like felting and hand weaving, the project preserves material integrity while opening new design possibilities.
MUSATEX by Carmen Danae Azor. Photo by Anki Delfmann
MUSATEX by Carmen Danae Azor. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Dresses to colour in
Shino Hitosugi softens the border between designer and consumer with her project Brand New Flower by inviting them in to participate in the creation of the garment. Made from paper and featuring black and white patterns, her dress lets visitors leave their mark via coloured pens.
Brand New Flower by Shino Hitosugi. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Brand New Flower by Shino Hitosugi. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Brand New Flower by Shino Hitosugi. Photo by Anki Delfmann
Garments you can smell
Ruwanthi Gajadeera immerses visitors in the underwater world with A Scented Reflection on Ocean Pollution, where pollution is felt through touch and scent rather than statistics. Yarn and textiles evoke coral bleaching and ocean currents, while a crafted fragrance contrasts pure waters with chemical traces of human impact.
A Scented Reflection on Ocean Pollution by Ruwanthi Gajadeera. Photo by Anki Delfmann
A Scented Reflection on Ocean Pollution by Ruwanthi Gajadeera. Photo by Anki Delfmann
See a video of the visit
Watch the RCA Tender Revolution Design Postcard to get a more immersive feeling for the exhibit: