1.5oC - a project that draws attention to how close we are to global disaster, for a seemingly small number as 1.5 degrees Celsius, it could trigger significant and lasting changes for all life.

 

Coral Bleaching is an event that occurs due to global warming, and the effect of the rising ocean temperatures that destroys an entire global coral reef ecosystem. This slight change in ocean temperatures could lead to the disappearance of the coral reef and the many different species that live within them. When the ocean temperature spikes to 1 to 2 degrees Celsius above average, the corals start to expel the algae that live inside their tissue, this living organism that provides up to 90% of the coral's energy and its beautiful colour. Before bleaching, some coral will flash fluorescent under sunlight as a signal of help before the end. Finally, being starved from nourishments, the bleached coral remains a ghost of what it was white and still. 

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Taking these disastrous occurrences of 1.5oC have on our coral reefs and want to make a positive change, it was used as inspiration for the final year fashion and textiles collection. These crafted garments are based on the structure and texture of the coral and its many stages of death to skeleton structure. With white being the dominant colour scheme advanced textiles applications have been used to combine Solar/UV reactive pigments to depict the signal of help and call for change. This act of using biomimicry is one of the most powerful and vibrant warnings in nature, which is also considered as nature's most beautiful death. Taking this fluorescent process to develop interactive textiles, certain garments can transform their colours into intense blue, purple and yellow under natural sunlight or UV light.

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