Radical Imagination Turns the Lecture Theatre into a Dancefloor

As part of the Imagining Possibilities Festival unfolding across four days in April, the salon-style gathering featured thought-provoking performances, provocations, and dialogues by Bayo Akomolafe, Colectivo Malvestidas, Tori Tsui, Akeim Toussaint Buck and UAL President and Vice Chancellor James Purnell.

LCF Newsroom Content Creator, Una Lote Andzane attended the festival and takes us on a journey of seeing, knowing, and savouring fashion from a more-than-human worldview, involving multiple senses.

As I make my way to the lecture theatre ahead of the event, I realise our journey will begin in the mezzanine. As guests start to fill the mezzanine floor, chatter grows louder. Colleagues and friends greet each other, and curious students peek over the edge of the staircase, intrigued by the activity after a long day of studying. The soft mingling chatter gradually gives way to a meditative, hum-like music, initially serving as ideal background noise. Interdisciplinary performer and maker Akeim Toussaint Buck passes me with a cheeky smile on his face. Seconds later, he crumbles to the floor and begins his performance.

Guests savour each of his movements, unaffected by occasional notification sound effects. Akeim's unparalleled commitment to intentional and thought-provoking choreography remains unwavering. His movements appear borderless and effortless as he locks eyes with each spectator, ensuring their presence in the moment. With a slight nod, he invites everyone to follow his footsteps into the lecture theatre.

As we find ourselves in the midst of the frenzy to secure a seat, an energetic beatbox rhythm erupts, and I find myself wishing the seat-finding process could last just a bit longer. Akeim declares that fashion school stands for being 'invigorated for life,' and immediately, we all become part of an impromptu song and dance spectacle.

With the night's theme being Radical Imagination, Akeim prompts the audience to name five words that come to mind regarding the theme. Encouraging the crowd with his beaming smile, the answers quickly come in: creativity, compassion, roots, regeneration, and community. We assign a choreographic move to each word and bust our moves as Toussaint Buck performs an improvised song over a custom-made beat. Amid our dancing, he reminds us of something truly important: never feel the need to shrink yourself.

After the unexpected dance session, the lights dim, and a commanding voice fills the room, enveloping us as if emanating from a distant cyborg. We are prompted to close our eyes and truly listen, a simple act that I realize I haven't done in a long time. Climate justice activist Tori Tsui begins her monologue by urging us to envision the world we want to inhabit. She declares that revolution isn't a predetermined series of events but a transformative process that should fundamentally alter who we are. Perhaps, she suggests, being radical today entails addressing issues at their root rather than succumbing to capitalist realism and climate fatalism. Tsui emphasizes that the end never justifies the means, because the means determine the end, urging guests to remain open to the possibility of something better and to sustain this belief.

The next part of the night is a performance by Colectivo Malvestidas, which slowly unfolds with a monologue emphasizing the power of words and language. The speaker highlights the absence of a term to describe decolonization in regions most affected by colonization, suggesting that this absence signifies a trauma that isn't easily addressed.

They begin to unveil embroidered flags  one by one, adorned with words like "excluding," "uprooting," "whitewashing," and more. Then, the austere and uncomfortable pieces of cloth are turned inside out, transforming into colourful, joyful celebrations of the people whose names are embroidered on each of them. In this way, Malvestidas honours the individuals who have inspired their work: Maricas Bolivia, Jorge Díaz, Elvira Espejo, Yuderkys Espinosa, Silvia Rivera Cusicanqui, Mari Galindo, Javiera Nuñez, and Gloria Anzaldua. This duality acknowledges the unequal relationships present within the fashion ecosystem.

Then, the audience is invited to write down the name of a person or an idea that has profoundly impacted their lives. Within minutes, a bibliography of people and concepts that have touched others in a meaningful way emerges right before our eyes.

Next up is a speech by celebrated author, philosopher, thinker, and speaker, Bayo Akomolafe, who delights in exploring topics that are not always comfortable to delve into or seeing things that many prefer to leave unseen. He kicks off his riff titled "What Are You Wearing" by acknowledging the awkwardness of discussing fashion with a group of fashion industry professionals, especially since his own family may not necessarily describe him as fashionable. However, his thought process swiftly transcends the mundane and relatable aspects of fashion, delving into deeper matters.

He questions the very essence of what sustainability means, having witnessed millions of second-hand clothes being dumped in his native Nigeria’s neighbour Ghana, or growing up surrounded by stylised mountains made of plastic and other rubbish. In his view, the sustainability formula doesn't add up, as the Global South is often forced to accept discarded materials in the name of sustainability, resulting in invisibilised ecologies.

His enigmatic, calm, and mesmerizing manner of speaking eventually leads us to the post-humanist idea that bodies require other bodies to be embodied. We are entangled in a world that we thought we had moved beyond, he says, but we are still deeply involved in utilizing others for the advancement of our individual portrayal in and perception of the world. Akomolafe concludes his talk by aiming to leave attendees with a sense of discomfort, presenting them with the fact that there is no such thing as a good, conscientious fashion activist. It is about stepping outside our own bubbles and closed social circles, and beginning to disseminate our efforts to the wider public while also integrating the experiences and insights of those who may not be familiar with this sector.

After such an intense philosophical immersion, it's time for a debrief. Sustainable fashion designers, researchers, recent graduates, writers, and more all contribute to the discussion on how to address not just the sense of discomfort, but rather its source. Toussaint Buck returns to the core of what has gone wrong: people act as if they no longer need the earth, when in fact, it's the earth that doesn't need us. What's crucial to understand is recognising the best environment for you to be your best self.

The conversations persist in the mezzanine, accompanied by glasses of wine. Discussing sustainability in our new building feels significantly more impactful, knowing that the brilliant minds who will redefine our future are studying just a couple of floors above us.

A part of its fifteenth anniversary celebrations, Centre for Sustainable Fashion organised Radical Imagination to create a space to reflect on its achievements thus far and contemplate the future. “The Centre plays a crucial role within London College of Fashion because it is reciprocal — we learn from students, and the students learn from us,” explains Professor Dilys Williams, founder and Director of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion and Professor of Fashion Design for Sustainability.

The Centre collaborates with students across all levels of higher education, including BA, MA, and PhD, as well as directly with tutors. “This allows us to understand what students are thinking and what they need to know, creating a space for exploration and imagining possibilities, while also enabling us to comprehend how students entering the world can pursue autonomous livelihoods.”

The Centre’s approach prioritises the concept of capabilities, whilst a significant portion of assessments typically focuses on products. “It's about examining the mindsets, capabilities, predispositions, and cultural narratives that shape individuals, thereby providing a framework to consider the origins of fashion, rather than merely addressing the symptoms, such as waste,” explains Williams. Often, discussions of such lofty concepts within closed spaces contribute to gatekeeping. So, Radical Imagination opted out of featuring a formal presenter or a panel discussion, instead aiming to be an open and interactive happening.

For the Centre, adopting a holistic approach has been central to its operations for years, and it is an approach reflected in broader university management practices. "While the specifics of course curriculum are important, they cannot operate in isolation — they must be interconnected," adds Williams.

After the event, I sit down to talk with Deepa Patel, who's been working with the Centre as a freelancer for many years. "What the Centre has done is question the broader role of fashion," she says, emphasizing the significance of having a space to question one's methods. "You come to university to learn about communication, business, and design, but within that space, you need somewhere that's questioning the way you're doing things."

She emphasises the profound impact that the Centre has had on the perception of social design practices, fashion education, ecological practices, and the integration of sustainability within the industry. "The Centre has a ripple effect on the students that come to study here," she says, "and they have an incredible opportunity right on their doorstep to consider integrating sustainability into their practice."

To learn more about the work of the Centre, visit www.sustainable-fashion.com/projects to discover its latest research and industry projects. If you're interested in learning and collaborating with the Centre, explore its courses and sessions at www.sustainable-fashion.com/resources, which open to students from across LCF.