WHAT ARE THEY KNITTING AT MIT?

Rethinking how we produce and consume in fashion is key to finding ways to implement degrowth into the fashion supply chain. Melanie Mitchell is working directly with knitwear and innovative machinery and fabrications that have the potential to increase the effectiveness of textiles, and reduce waste in the process! 

I met Melanie while working at a sustainable fashion start-up during my Undergrad. We caught up to chat about her work as a design researcher at MIT’s self-assembly lab, where she’s diving deep into the world of experimental textiles and smart materials. The lab’s research is focused on materials that respond to their environments, finding ways to make garments that are not only more adaptive and functional but also more sustainable from the very start.

WITHOUT GIVING AWAY TOO MUCH, WHAT KIND OF INNOVATIONS ARE YOU WORKING ON AT MIT?

“One of the projects that they're working on is a smart material used in window coverings made from metal/paper that’s UV reactive. It’s still in development but considered a ‘programmable material’ that straightens and stiffens when exposed to UV light. ​​These coverings could be applied to windows so that natural light enters during the day, reducing the need for artificial lighting. But when hit with direct sunlight, the flaps straighten and ‘close’ to block the sun from heating the building.

This hasn’t been used yet, but it has the potential to reduce electricity demand for lighting and cooling, especially for windows that are high up or difficult to fit with standard curtains.It would also be interesting to think about how this could be used in factories if the technology becomes widely available! "

A FOCUS ON KNITWEAR

“One of the knitwear projects MIT worked on was a 4D knitted dress with a synthetic material that shrinks when heat is applied. The goal was to create a dress that could be tailored to fit anyone, reducing skews and waste by producing one universal garment made to order.”

“We’ve continued to explore this, both on the material and software side, which is exciting because it opens the door to using more natural materials. For example, someone could order a bra in a natural fiber and input their exact measurements instead of relying on a size chart. The program would then generate the exact dimensions for the knitting machine.”

Heat-activated yarns, computerized knitting, and six-axis robotic activation all combine to sculpt garments with a personalized fit.

WE’VE BEEN THINKING A LOT ABOUT  DEGROWTH AT SIMPLY, HOW IS DEGROWTH APPROACHED IN YOUR RESEARCH AT MIT?

“I’m really excited about the concept of degrowth. In grad school, we often discussed degrowth in the context of underconsumption and production volumes. In the MIT lab, we approach degrowth more through the lens of architecture, creating products that fit perfectly and last a long time so people can keep them forever.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY PERSONAL PROJECTS YOU CAN SHARE?

“Funny enough, this dress was hand-crocheted using scrap materials, offcuts from the edges of fabric rolls used to bundle garments at the sustainable fashion company where we met! People were throwing them away, and I thought it was the worst thing ever and not very sustainable. Most of these long fabric strips would’ve ended up in landfills, or worse, in the ocean, possibly harming sea turtles.I saved them during school and made this dress.”

Courtesy of Melanie Mitchell

“When we think about waste in the fashion industry, we often focus on consumption and finished products like finished t-shirts going to landfills. But we forget/miss the small pieces of production scraps that end up there too.”

HOW CAN THESE KNITTING MACHINES REDUCE WASTE IN FASHION?

“What’s exciting about knitting is that it can eliminate waste from traditional cut-and-sew methods. You’re not cutting shapes out of fabric, you’re building the piece directly to shape.

Courtesy of Melanie Mitchell

This sample shows a test I was working on with a phone charger, illustrating how you can build functional features like channels into the fabric. ⤷

I used a similar technique when knitting this chair cover. I used natural materials and different wool blends with different rates of tension in different directions rather than cutting and sewing pieces.”

Courtesy of Melanie Mitchell

HOW IS THIS TECHNOLOGY BEING APPLIED WITHIN THE FASHION INDUSTRY?

“When I was at Kent University, we had access to specialized knitting machinery. A lot of graduates ended up working for big companies like Nike, especially applying this to footwear. These companies often donated leftover yarn to the university, which was great for students and also kept those materials out of landfills or from being discarded.”

WHAT’S BEEN THE MOST SURPRISING PART OF YOUR KNITWEAR RESEARCH?

“The number of applications knitting has. I originally got into it from a fashion perspective, but I learned that knitting is also used in automotive interiors, architecture, medical tech, and more.

In my first year, I helped organize a knitting symposium with my advisor. One presenter was working in medicine, knitting with collagen to create rope-like structures, basically knitting at a micro-scale for things like stents and other medical purposes. It was wild.”

DO YOU BELIEVE THAT INNOVATION WITHIN KNITWEAR TECHNOLOGY PROMOTES DEGROWTH WITHIN FASHION? 

“Machine innovation allows for more precise fits, so you can produce less, but that’s an optimistic view. Even when you have one thing that fits you perfectly, it doesn't satisfy the need to consume more. 

I look at fashion as a means of self-expression rather than a system to modify. But I do wonder, if people could customize something, like a sweater with a personal image, would that satisfy them more deeply and reduce their desire to overconsume?”

DO YOU SEE THE MACHINES YOU’RE USING AT MIT BEING INTEGRATED INTO THE FASHION INDUSTRY AT A LARGER SCALE? 

“I’m optimistic that the machinery will be reshored to Canada. Some Canadian knitting companies are already researching this technology. It’s faster than traditional knitting, so it reduces manual labor and could replace tedious piece work. These machines could help produce seamless, customizable pieces on demand at a more accessible cost.”

DO YOU FEEL HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE OF FASHION? 

“Definitely! One of the main classes I took last semester focused on global fashion supply chains. It was both a very soul-crushing class, and also kind of uplifting in a glass half full way. I remember telling my professor that even having these conversations means people are paying attention. I think that’s true, consumers are starting to pay more attention and this can push the industry in the right direction too.

She responded, ‘Oh, you sweet Canadian.’ [laughs] But still, I think change is coming.”