Transdisciplinary methodologies for cultural sustainability in Fashion Design

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5965.25944630932025e7510%20

Keywords:

fashion design, transdisciplinary, teaching methodologies, cultural sustainability, textile crafts

Abstract

This article offers a theoretical-methodological reflection on the role of transdisciplinarity in fashion design education, with a focus on valuing artisanal practices, the relationships between designers and artisans, and cultural sustainability in fashion design through the development of culturally sensitive educational practices—that is, practices that recognise, respect, and incorporate the sociocultural contexts of the individuals involved. Drawing on the distinction between multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches, the study adopts a qualitative and critical methodology to analyse four teaching methodologies: participatory design, cultural storytelling, project-based learning, and systemic learning, organised around three structuring axes: methodological, strategic, and validation. The systematisation of these approaches, presented via an analytical framework comprising design tools, modes of practical application, and expected outcomes, facilitates the integration of theory, practice, and craft. This articulation contributes to the education of socially engaged designers committed to fostering cultural sustainability as a response to the complexities faced by the fashion sector. It is concluded that transdisciplinary approaches, by repositioning fashion design education, promote processes of social innovation and cultural sustainability, providing foundations for a transformative design education rooted in ethical and identity-based cultural practices.

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Author Biographies

Fernanda Enéia Schulz, University of Minho

PhD student in Fashion Design at the University of Minho–UBI, funded by FCT (2023.04439.BD), and researcher at the Textile Science and Technology Centre (2C2T), University of Minho. Previously held a research fellowship in the Be@t Project (2023) and was invited as a Designer Trainer in the Creative Workshop Project (2022). She holds an MA in Communication Design for Fashion (Minho, 2021), a BA in Fashion and Style (UCS, 2009), and a postgraduate qualification in Strategic Design (Unisinos, 2011). With professional experience since 2010, she also lectured and coordinated design programmes in Brazil (2012–2017).

Joana Cunha, University of Minho

Associate Professor at the University of Minho, teaching in Textile and Fashion Design. PhD in Textile Engineering – Design and Marketing. Began her teaching career in 1992 and is an integrated researcher at the Centre for Textile Science and Technology – University of Minho, where develops research in Textile & Fashion Design, particularly in: Sustainable Surface Design, Design Methods, Interfaces between Design, Art and Technology, and Design Education. Participates in several funded research projects, is President of the Scientific Committee of the International Congress on Fashion and Design (CIMODE), and author/co-author of several publications in scientific journals, peer-reviewed conference proceedings and book chapters.

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Published

2025-10-01

How to Cite

SCHULZ, Fernanda Enéia; CUNHA, Joana. Transdisciplinary methodologies for cultural sustainability in Fashion Design. Revista de Ensino em Artes, Moda e Design, Florianópolis, v. 9, n. 3, p. 1–22, 2025. DOI: 10.5965.25944630932025e7510 . Disponível em: https://www.revistas.udesc.br/index.php/ensinarmode/article/view/27510. Acesso em: 3 oct. 2025.

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 3 (2025): Dossiê 19: Metodologia em Design, Engenharia, Design de Produto, Materiais têxteis e Educação

Section

Dossiê

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Copyright (c) 2025 Fernanda Enéia Schulz, Joana Cunha

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