WoW Woman in Fashion Tech I Laura Civetti, Fashion Tech Designer

Laura Civetti, is a fashion tech designer focused on Computational design and Material innovation for Circular design in the fashion industry. Through her design and research, she aims to push the boundaries of fashion products and production by adopting data-driven design and state-of-the-art materials in a seamless workflow to develop a better design.

Mattertex is a material research studio founded on the principles of a circular economy. Mattertex proposes a circular economy business plan where organic wastes are transformed and designed into raw bio composition to generate new materials and products.

Laura, tell us a bit about your background and your projects so far.

My journey began in 2014 when the fashion industry became a playground for innovations and research from external fields like material engineering, architecture, or gaming. The artistic aspect of creating clothing and the reasonably small scale, have allowed the experimentation of materials, electronics, and software using the human body’s need as design-driven, and inevitably the cross-pollination among fields and the creation of a new aesthetic. 

This transformation attracted me, leading me to focus my attention on this innovative intersection. The body becomes for me a new surface to study and work on, assisting a new era in fashion where clothing is not merely an artistic gesture or a means of covering the body but also an active object capable of interacting with us and playing a dynamic role in our lives.

Therefore both, my studies and professional work have been oriented on merging fashion with design technologies. 

After my Bachelor’s degree in Interior Design at IED (Istituto Europeo di Design), with thesis research on Eco-Yacht design, I soon shifted my curiosity to this new scenario of the fashion and textile industry,  starting as an intern at the Iris Van Herpen Atelier in Amsterdam.

With the desire to learn more about textile technology,  I attended the Fabricademy Barcelona (A course by MIT’s Center For Bits and Atoms), a transdisciplinary course on new technologies applied in the textile industry, which led me to work at Noumena Group, where I was exploring research projects oriented in material development and additive manufacturing for the garment.

Later on, with the desire to see those technologies applied to the market level I joined Materfad, Centre of Materials Barcelona, as a Project manager supporting companies in the development of new materials with sustainable purposes for new products. 

Recently, I have concluded a Master of Science in Computational and Advanced Design at DesignMorphine and opened my studio MATTERTEX based in Italy where we research bio composition and data drive design for material development.

How did you get into this industry? Has it been an easy industry to get into or have you
I caught a wave and kept surfing! I can't say if it has been difficult or not, as this transdisciplinary industry I'm currently working in didn't exist before. I was in a moment of change, it just felt right to follow it and become part of it. Driven by an inspiration to see the garment as an intelligent object capable of meeting our needs, I started connecting with people, courses, and companies who shared my vision. 

Of course, exploring this new industry has been a path of discovery, adaptation, and constant learning, from material engineering to additive manufacturing. However, finding the obstacles has been the fuel that drives me to innovate and push the boundaries.

What was the biggest obstacle?
My main obstacle has been setting up my design workflow to create a methodology that links the three design aspects: material properties, function, and decay.

In an interview at BBVA, Manuel Maqueda, an innovator committed to restoring the balance of living systems, emphasizes the crucial role of designers in creating functional and responsible products. However, he highlights a significant issue: we live in a world that offers great freedom to design without sufficient control, often neglecting precautionary principles.

Intending to create responsible products and a more aware design approach, I wanted to create a design process that took into account precautionary principles,  embracing a holistic vision starting with material properties, progressing through data-driven design, and culminating in controlled manufacturing. 

Each of these three technologies is complex and presents unique challenges and my daily goal has been to work simultaneously with all three, setting a continuous workflow where the output of one process becomes the input for the next.

What are the challenges of being in the industry you are in? 

The biggest challenge I've noticed is integrating new design processes or production into pre-existing industrial systems. These entrenched systems may resist the change, making it difficult to implement novel approaches effectively. Moreover, the adoption of new technologies or methodologies necessitates substantial investments of both time and resources, encompassing not only financial capital but also extensive planning, training, and reconfiguration of existing systems. Consequently, many companies tend to approach innovation with caution, perceiving it as a risky endeavor that may disrupt their established operations. As a result, innovation often becomes relegated to a secondary consideration, overshadowed by more immediate priorities, and viewed as a peripheral aspect of their business strategy rather than a central driver of growth and competitiveness.

However, thanks to my experience at Materfad, where we support companies in implementing new sustainable materials, it is evident that medium and large companies are interested to make this shift and find a balance between new technology and market demands. This gives me confidence that we are heading in the right direction.  

What are your biggest achievements to date?

This year, together with Juanda Cabrera, co-founder of Mattertex, we designed and developed the first 3D-printed dress, called Trinity.  Designed and created according to the three main verticals technologies —data, design, and materials—the Trinity Dress represents the proof of concept to scale up a controlled design methodology in the fashion industry, and therefore know in advance the environmental impact, product performances and end of life product.

Over the past two years, the ambition to setup and apply this methodology led us to take small steps, but this year We were finally able to expand the process on a body scale, producing a controlled garment: from the design process based on body data to the composition of the material generated by the design needs, up to the final manufacturing process via 3D bioprinter.

Trinity Dress still requires further research and development, but we are satisfied and excited to take it forward.

Is the #WomenInTech movement important to you and if yes, why? 

We can't deny that throughout history, women have been less involved in many intellectual and scientific fields due to social norms and the responsibilities of childcare.

On the other hand, we can observe that many roles in the workforce, from tailor to laborer, have frequently been exchanged between women and men due to wartime or societal needs, contrary to traditional expectations. For example, Luisa Spagnoli, an Italian entrepreneur, took command of the Perugina company in 1919. Assisted by the wives of workers who went to war, she kept the business active and led it to flourish. Similarly, the role of the tailor, which today is often associated with women, was predominantly a male profession until the 19th century.

Those examples highlight how historical events have shaped societal roles, leading us to today, where a "swap" of roles is once again necessary. In this new industry that combines fashion and science, women, historically more involved in the creative side of the fashion sector, are increasingly taking on technical roles to leverage opportunities for innovation. Unfortunately, with the rise of these new demands, we have recognized how limited women's involvement in technical roles has been. Therefore, the #WomenInTech movement assumes fundamental importance, representing a crucial opportunity for the inclusion and advancement of women in the technology sector.

What will be the key trends in your industry in the next five years and where do you see them heading?

Looking ahead five years, I anticipate several emerging trends that will shape the fashion industry. Firstly, at the academic level, fashion design curricula will incorporate scientific and technical coursework.
Secondly, there will be a shift towards more constrained design freedoms, in academics and within the industry. This change will be driven by considerations such as Manuel Maqueda's "precautionary principles," prompting designers to prioritize efficiency in product lifespan, thereby reducing environmental costs and addressing future environmental challenges.
Lastly, the fashion industry is expected to undergo a process of centralization, against the supply chains currently spread across multiple countries.
This shift will be driven by the increasing adoption of bio-materials, which will necessitate new pipeline production characterized by a focus on engineering products to grow rather than traditional cut-to-fit methods, as advocated by Neri Oxman.

What is the most important piece of advice you could give to anyone who wants to start a career in this industry?

My main advice is to develop a holistic vision of the design product in any field and level you want to operate. Avoid viewing processes in isolated compartments; each part is interconnected within a whole. It's essential to always understand how to improve and optimize, without assuming that current technologies and machines have reached their maximum potential. Remember that everything can change, and the ability to adapt and innovate is crucial for success in this dynamic industry.

Who are three inspirational women in your respective industry that you admire?

Throughout my journey in this transdisciplinary industry, I've had the privilege of sharing my passion and advancements with numerous women, several of whom I've had the pleasure of working and collaborating with.
On this occasion, I would like to highlight designers who have been disruptive and are continually contributing to pushing the boundaries between research and industry.

At the industry level, Patricia Ermecheo, CEO and Founder of Osomtex, is a Venezuelan entrepreneur who transitioned from being a graphic designer and photographer to an industrial pioneer in textile recycling. As one of the first to aim at recycling leftover textiles, she faced numerous struggles to build the pipeline. Today, her company is one of Nike's main providers of recycled fiber.

Another woman, who is proposing a new concept of textile is Zsofia Kollar, designer, researcher, published author, and founder of Human Material Loop, a material science company focusing on the utilization of human hair for various industries.  Her work in using Human Hair is dedicated to promoting more sustainable practices. She firmly believes that the future demands a fundamental shift in the way we approach materials, and her work at Human Material Loop exemplifies this commitment.

Finally,  more into the research is Giulia Tomasello, an Interaction designer and researcher specializing in women's health, combining biotechnology with interactive devices in clothing. Giulia uses materials research as a personal drive to question and communicate the boundaries between technology and human bodies and develops experimental work at the intersection of health sciences and science.

I am grateful for the encounters I've had with each of them, as they have played significant roles in shaping my experiences and guiding my growth.

Connect with Laura on LinkedIn.

Find out more about MATTERTEX on their website.

Follow MATTERTEX on LinkedIn.

Follow MATTERTEX on Instagram.

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This interview was conducted by Marija Butkovic, Digital Marketing and PR strategist, founder, and CEO of Women of Wearables. She regularly writes and speaks on topics of wearable tech, fashion tech, IoT, entrepreneurship, and diversity. Connect with Marija on LinkedIn.