Hester Vanacker
Affiliation: Arts et Métiers - École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers
My work focuses on the intersection of garment durability and a just transition. I explore how local upcycling hubs can offer solutions to the global textile waste crisis. Throughout the research process, I critically examine colonial legacies in the scientific field, prioritising action research methodologies appropriate to the local conditions in which the work is conducted. This work has taken me to Congo, Ghana, and Indonesia. In my first article, I identified the intrinsic and extrinsic dimensions of garment durability, which have been widely adopted in legislation at both French and European levels. Since then, I have been expanding on this work, mainly through action research.