Could reignited crystals craft a more brilliant future for fashion design?
Can responsible bling be fashion’s new best friend? A partnership with Swarovski shows how to shine sustainably
They say diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but can there be glittering alternatives that are equally kind to fashion and the environment?
Diamonds aside, the fashion industry is increasingly using crystals to create sparkling pieces, adorning garments, bags, shoes, and jewellery. Even in this glitzy market, the principles of waste reduction are crucial.
Since 1895, Swarovski has mastered crystal cutting and design innovation, earning recognition for its unique, collectable, limited-release items created in collaboration with esteemed fashion houses worldwide. But what if we gave design students unlimited access to Swarovski’s reignited crystals for their projects? Could this boost creativity while promoting conscious design?
Cape by Xinyi Xu, MA Fashion Design
In an effort to promote fashion responsibility, students from Istituto Marangoni London’s MA Fashion Design, MA Luxury Accessories Design, and MA Jewellery Design courses participated in a collaborative project with Swarovski this year.
Cape by Xinyi Xu, MA Fashion Design
Swarovski’s commitment to sustainability includes every field, from material sourcing to manufacturing and circular business models. The company is placing growing importance on its reignited crystals programme, which aims to repurpose and revitalise unused crystals without compromising quality.
Bag by Giovanni Petrucci, MA Luxury Accessory Design
Throughout this academic year, Swarovski donated a variety of their reignited crystals to students, who incorporated them into diverse textile and accessory designs.
“These crystals are a precious resource that we don’t want to go to waste,” said a representative from Swarovski. “That’s why we hold on to any unused crystals for as long as possible and are committed to reigniting them in their intended state, without compromising on quality. Our reignited crystals programme gives these precious crystals another chance to be adored.”
Coat LHS by Sanika Ramchandra Dhuri, BA Fashion Design; Top RHS by Charlene Osmond, BA Fashion Design Skirt; Skirt RHS by Anousha Srivastava, BA Fashion Design
Top by Keren Stephanie Ferreira, BA Fashion Design; Trouser by Katarina Putsch, BA Fashion Design
Students learned to merge creativity with conscious design, focusing on inclusive strategies and upcycling processes. Noorin Khamisani, Programme Leader of Postgraduate Fashion courses at Istituto Marangoni London, highlighted the collaboration’s impact: “This collaborative industry project allowed our students to use their design skills to address the issue of waste in fashion. We combined reignited crystals with upcycling processes, leading to innovative and creative garments and accessories. The fashion industry must tackle its waste problem, and it is essential to train the next generation of designers to work on these urgent issues.”
Bag by Chun Yun Pang, MA Luxury Accessories Design; Garments by Ningwei Zhou, MA Fashion Design
Top by Mia Paris Ciauri, BA Fashion Design; Bracelet by Rita Chenaf, MA Jewellery Design
MA Jewellery Design students also made the most of Swarovski’s reignited crystals and pearls to create a commercially viable diffusion line of jewellery. They meticulously considered cost, pricing, current market trends, and the market position of their collection. Their final collection, ‘Auphic,’ features five designs, each crafted by one of the students, demonstrating the potential of reignited crystals to contribute to a more sustainable and brilliant future in fashion design.
Top by Johan Alexander Johansen, BA Fashion Design; Skirt by Charlene Osmond, BA Fashion Design
Jacket by Ying Han Lee, MA Fashion Design; Ring by Risa Ishiguro, MA Jewellery Design
Silvia De Vecchi
University Librarian, London
Photoshoot Credits
Photographer Mattia Maestri @mattiamaestriphoto
Lighting assistant Camila Tavoletti @camiiiitavo
Hair and Makeup Artist Shari Rendle @sharimakeup
Programme Leader Noorin Khamisani @noorinkhamisani
Styling Anna Wernerr @anna.wernerr & Candela Dinenzon @candedinenzon
Models Holly Farmer @holly_sofia_ & Natalia Rodriguez @lana_rogq