Tejaswini Sood: AI, sustainable fashion and talking jackets
- Written byNatalie Oldham
- Published date 08 February 2024
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A background in science at high school and a career in fashion merchandising helped spark Tejaswini’s choice to study MA Fashion Futures at London College of Fashion. She made the move from India to London and her passion for sustainable fashion has continued to evolve. With a new interest in artificial intelligence, she’s pushing the boundaries of fashion.
What would you do if your jacket started talking? Would it like how you treated it? Tejaswini explores this very idea.
If clothes could talk
She created Judgy_Jacket_Jack – a jacket equipped with sensors that gather real-time data from its surroundings such as temperature and movement. The sensors are connected to a voice that starts conversations through ChatGPT. Tejaswini not only made the jacket, but also coded the jacket’s ‘personality.’
“Jack has a sarcastic and cynical personality.” As Tejaswini wears him, the jacket says humorous things like, ‘Alas, I am but a humble jacket. My tales are less of dragons and more of dry cleaners.’
Tejaswini designed her jacket to provoke thoughts on how our relationship with clothing could evolve if garments had opinions, reactions and the ability to express themselves. Would we treat the pieces in our wardrobe differently and allow them a longer lifespan if we formed meaningful connections with them?
“Given the project's heavy reliance on electronics and coding, areas outside my initial expertise, the challenges were substantial but exhilarating. Each day spent working on the project was a journey of discovery, fueling my interest in artificial intelligence and inspiring more work. The result of these efforts was a showcase at the Design Museum in London during a private view.”
Life at UAL
Tejaswini fully embraces student life, taking part in a variety of events and workshops across UAL to expand her skills and contribute to her practice-based research.
As she approaches her final project and dissertation, a lot of her time is spent in the studio and digital learning lab. Here she crafts her pieces and fine-tunes her work. The library is another space she uses to work on documenting her research.
Advice for new students
We love that our students use their talents to act in areas they feel passionate about such as sustainability and artificial intelligence. Tejaswini shows us how postgraduate study can develop the knowledge, skills and experience to realise your personal ambitions and find your own unique style.
She shares some valuable advice to anyone else thinking about joining a postgraduate course at UAL.
“One of my top tips for someone thinking about postgraduate study at UAL is to remain open to every opportunity that comes your way. While the classroom is a crucial space for learning, a large portion of it unfolds beyond those walls. Actively seek collaborations, offer your skills wherever possible, and embrace the power of saying "yes" to even seemingly small opportunities.
It's in these moments that real learning and invaluable experiences often happen, and they can make a substantial difference to your academic and personal journey. So, stay open, be proactive, and let the richness of your postgraduate experience extend far beyond the confines of your education.”
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Tejaswini features in the latest edition of the UAL Postgraduate Guide. If you’re in the UK, order your copy to read more student stories and see the full range of UAL postgraduate taught courses by subject area.
Discover more about postgraduate study at UAL including how to apply, funding and our Post-Grad Community.