Fashioning Resiliency: the Art & Science of Sustainable Fashion

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How do design, innovation, and activism intersect to create fashion that invites us to imagine a more sustainable future? Join us for a panel discussion surrounding sustainability in the fashion industry. We’ll hear from the scientists and artist behind a contemporary piece of swimwear inspired by Doris Duke and currently on view in the Doris Duke Fashion Gallery.

Includes the opportunity to visit Fashioning Resiliency: Doris Duke’s Legacy of Conservation before the discussion.

Meet the panelists:

Lina Gonzalez, CEO and Founder of SpadXTech. Dr. González’s academic and professional journey spans the sciences (physics, chemistry, and biology) and applied disciplines such as mechanical and biological engineering. She has conducted extensive research on genetically engineering various microbes, including soil bacteria, and has hands-on expertise in automation and custom instrumentation development. Before launching SpadXTech, she was an educator who integrated real-world engineering and entrepreneurial experiences into her teaching.Under Dr. González’s leadership, SpadXTech has been part of influential programs such as the ACCEL inaugural program at Greentown Labs, the 2023 DOE IMPEL cohort, Venture For ClimateTech, and the Founders School. The company was an Eddies finalist in the Cleantech category through the Massachusetts Innovation Network, a participant in the TIE ScaleUp accelerator, and a top-five finalist in the MFN Sustainability Challenge. She also was awarded the MFN Sustainability Challenge.

Max Rutman, a Boston-based polymer chemist and visual artist. His scientific and creative practices are unified by resourceful use of materials and sustainability by design. At Return to Vendor, Max is working to supersede the blended constructions that make most textiles unrecyclable. As a senior scientist at RTV, he invents technologies that modify reclaimed nylon plastic to create mono-material products for fashion, furniture, and aerospace applications, realizing circular design with fully-recyclable items made from already-recycled materials. Return to Vendor is pleased to offer materials and inspiration to fashion designer Jill Palese; influenced by by Doris Duke’s philanthropic interest in marine ecology and sustainable fashion, Jill’s work exemplifies RTV’s vision of circular, functional fashion design.

Jill Palese, fashion designer and founder of Call To Action® Clothing. Jill is a 25-year veteran of the fashion industry, having served as head swimwear designer for leading national and international brands. After decades inside the apparel industry, she witnessed firsthand the environmental costs of fast fashion and resolved to redirect her career toward sustainable innovation. She uses a unique blend of eco-smart design, invention, and cross-disciplinary collaboration with scientists and artists who share a commitment to addressing climate change Call To Action has been featured at Miami Swim Week and in science-driven collaborations, including garments made from bioengineered leather with SpadXtech Labs, exhibitions at Greentown Labs, and Climatech Summits. Some of her current work transforms reclaimed and bioengineered materials into performance and gallery pieces. Recent projects include Seeing the Plastic Ocean, presented during Boston’s Climate Week 2024, where she designed six marine-inspired costumes from discarded plastics; Falling Leaves, a ballet with costumes made of bioengineered leather; and a custom sustainable jacket for artist Yu-Wen Wu, worn during her residency at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Her work has also been presented through lectures and panels, including MIT’s Cambridge Science Festival. Jill believes that fashion is a medium for storytelling, a means of creating positive change.

About Fashioning Resiliency: Featuring Jill Palese, contemporary fashion designer, this exhibition looks at the materials, textiles, and designers in Doris Duke’s wardrobe alongside contemporary interpretations of more eco-friendly fashion. From pollution to plastics to creative and innovative ways to improve clothing, Fashioning Sustainability: Doris Duke’s Legacy of Conservation places fashion front-and-center in the conversation about climate change, sustainability, and how we can move forward towards a more resilient future.

This event is part of our year-long celebration of the 10th anniversary of Keeping History Above Water, which advocates for resiliency in the wake of climate change. Learn more here.

Featuring the work of