UCRF Knowledge Circle
This initiative is part of UCRF’s third Action Season, and reflects our ongoing commitment to foster critical dialogue and build an activist knowledge ecology. Knowledge Circles were launched by UCRF board members Hakan and Vinit, with the support of the wider board, as a space for members to share, explore, and reflect on research grounded in the UCRF manifesto.
These one-hour, bimonthly sessions create space for deep, focused discussion around individual research papers or projects. Each session begins with a short presentation, followed by an open conversation that invites diverse perspectives and questions. The aim is not just to present work—but to collectively consider its implications for systemic change in fashion and beyond.
Season 1
Session 1: Jean-Sébastien Matte
In our inaugural session, UCRF member Jean-Sébastien Matte shared insights from his recent research on how to reduce the environmental impact of fashion retail assortments while still balancing profitability.
This system-oriented study incorporates: Consumer preferences and willingness to pay (measured through an experiment), Retailer costs and pricing structures, and Interventions aimed at improving environmental performance.
One of the key features of the research is a behavioral experiment that tests whether a short educational video can shift consumer choices, introducing awareness as a potential counterbalance to unsustainable preferences.
By exploring how assortment design, pricing, and policy might interact, the study reveals complex dynamics between consumers, retailers, and regulatory interventions. The session sparked valuable conversation on the practicalities of such trade-offs and the ethical role of awareness-based nudges in retail.
Watch the full session:
Session 2: Dr. Alexandra Palmer
Our second session welcomed Dr. Alexandra Palmer, who presented her pioneering Art History seminar at the University of Toronto: Considering Sustainable Textiles and Fashions in the Age of Climate Crisis.
Her work challenges the dominance of technical and scientific approaches in climate education by foregrounding cultural narratives and historical perspectives. The seminar encourages students to engage with sustainability in fashion through a creative, humanistic lens—redefining how knowledge is framed and absorbed.
Dr. Palmer’s approach demonstrates how storytelling, art, and critical theory can shift perceptions and empower learners to imagine sustainable futures beyond technocratic solutions. The discussion that followed opened up broader questions around pedagogy, optimism, and the kinds of knowledge that drive systemic change.
Watch the full session:
What’s Next?
The UCRF Knowledge Circle is a space to test ideas, share works-in-progress, and deepen our shared understanding of fashion’s role in systemic change. It will continue to offer UCRF members an opportunity to present research and projects, spark dialogue, and build connections across our diverse community.
As we move forward, we’re also exploring ways to expand the format—inviting area experts and, potentially, opening the sessions to wider audiences. These shifts could enrich our conversations and increase the visibility of UCRF’s work.
Future sessions may gradually lean toward a more solutions-focused lens, exploring both immediate and strategic pathways for change. Topics could include the roles of industry, consumers, and policymakers across areas such as waste, water, materials, ethics, business model and systemic design.
This direction is still taking shape, and your contributions—whether as presenter, participant, or co-creator—will guide where it goes next.
Stay tuned for upcoming sessions. If you’d like to propose something, we’d love to hear from you. We look forward to learning together in the sessions ahead.
Guided by our Manifesto, UCRF is committed to amplifying diverse voices and perspectives. Our goal is to foster an activist knowledge ecology and lead critical debates on fashion's systemic challenges. While we do not endorse a single viewpoint, we seek to offer a platform for varied ideas that inspire further dialogue and inquiry.
