Professor of Fashion and Science

Research Interests

• New technologies in the sciences and arts
• Emotional Literacy
• Cross-curricular tools for reaching new public audiences
• Human well-being
• Delivering new content to invigorate the National Curriculum
• New environmental solutions

Current Research

My work widely spans the arts, sciences and new technology fields. I produce projects which illuminate aspects of science and well being in ways that directly interact with the public, with the broad aim of helping individuals reach their full creative potential. More recently I have begun to focus my creative energy on working in collaboration with other Universities and industry to solve global problems through cross - disciplinary means.

My current project Catalytic Clothing seeks to explore how clothing and textiles can be used as a catalytic surface to purify air, employing existing technology in a new way. Working alongside chemist Prof Tony Ryan PVC Faculty of Science at Sheffield University, we are people from very different worlds but whose minds have come together over recent years in highly successful art/science collaborations which have led to real world applications. 

I am a member of the Centre for Sustainable Fashion here at London College of Fashion.

Getting to here...

Helen's story starts in 1983, read more here: http://www.helenstoreyfoundation.org/ab_get.htm

Image: Helen Storey, Catalytic Clothing - Field of Jeans event at Chelsea Parade Ground, Sept 2011

Recent Research

2008 – Present, Catalytic Clothing

Catalytic Clothing emerged during 'Wonderland', extending the collaborative model; I aim to use clothing technology to improve health, and to directly engage the public and industry in its delivery. A series of cultural and art interventions will bring this forthcoming technology into the public domain, seeking to engage you, in helping us shape our world for the better.

2005 – 2008, Wonderland
A dynamic collaboration that combines the worlds of art, fashion and chemistry to create solutions to global environmental dilemmas. The research and development was supported by an EPSRC grant.  A series of 27 dissolving dresses were created in the gallery at LCF during Feb 2008, to showcase this collaboration between Helen and Professor Tony Ryan ( University of Sheffield) and in association with Trish Belford and the Interface textile team at University of Ulster. For more information on the project please visit the SHOWstudio website, who tracked the project and created unique films for it. http://showstudio.com/project/wonderland

Book Contributions

• 2012 - The Sustainable Fashion Handbook, Sandy Black
• 2012 - Fashion Research, Robert Leach
• 2011 - Advanced Textiles: Design for Health and Wellness, Marie Mahoney
• 2011 - Design Futures, Bradley Quinn
• 2010 - Fabric for Fashion, Amanda Johnson and Clive Hallett

Conference Items

• 2011 - Primitive Streak: Couture by Chemistry, Couture by Chemistry, Centre for Life, Newcastle
• 2011 - Student Fashion Show: Inspired by Catalytic Clothing and Primitive Streak, Fashion Show: Science Learning Centre North East, Science Learning Centre North East
• 2011 - The Psychology and Neuroscience of Desire, The Psychology and Neuroscience of Desire, London College of Fashio
• 2008 - Nanotechnology conference; London College of Fashion with Professor Tony Ryan; Sheffield University chaired by Philip Dodd 

Lectures and Talks

• 2011 - Primitive Streak: Sheffield Science Week, The Human Lung, Sheffield Hallam University
• 2011 - Women on Fire event – Westminster Hall 23^rd of April 2011
• 2011 - Central School of Speech and Drama – Career to date
• 2011 - Beyond Green – ‘Material Mindset’ Amsterdam Holland
• 2011 - European Economic and Social Committee – Chemistry & Culture. Brussels
• 2011 - The House of Artists – Collaboration across the arts and sciences. Moscow
• 2011 - Primitive Streak: Café Scientifique, The lung – an inspiring organ‘ Café Scientifique, Sheffield
• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing, Catalytic Campus, Newcastle University Campus
• 2011 - Wonderland: Aware Exhibition Talks Series, Sustaining Fashion: A Question of Ethics, Royal Academy
• 2008 - Public Q&A with Tony Ryan, Helen Storey and Trish Belford" Ormeau Baths Gallery
• 2008 - "A celebration of Wonderland”, The Edge, University of Sheffield
• 2008 - Recyclable Fashion Not Disposable Fashion, Wonderland in association with TU at Sainsbury's, speaker at this event and debate, London College of Fashion
• 2008 - Teaching across the disciplines, Belfast
• 2007 - Royal Institution lecture with Professor Tony Ryan; Sheffield University
• 2007 - UK Polymer Showcase with Professor Tony Ryan; Sheffield University
• 2007 - University of Sheffield, Wonderland talk to business and education community
• 2006 – London College of Fashion Centenary conference, Wonderland with Professor Tony Ryan; Sheffield University

Films

• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing Film, featuring Erin O’Connor and Radiohead
• 2011 - BREATHE collaboration with Adam Mufti
• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing Film shown at Eco Fashion Week, Miami USA
• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing Film shown at Solasuna Group – Washington Sept USA
• 2011 - Wonderland Film, MADEBY, London
• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing film and Wonderland shown in Moscow
• 2008 - Wonderland in Sheffield, a film by Ciaran Humphries shown at Ormeau Baths Gallery as part of Wonderland in Belfast 8 October - 8 November
• 2008 - Beyond Green II, A Fashion Odyssey, Amsterdam 12 November 
• 2008 - Wonderland by Nick Knight shown at: 100% Materials, 100%Design, Earls Court London, 18 -21 September
• 2008 - Ormeau Baths Gallery as part of Wonderland in Belfast, 8 October - 8 November
• 2008 - The Earth Awards, New York, 7 December
• 2008 - Wonderland: Helen and Tony in discussion by Ross Phillips, SHOWstudio  shown at Wonderland in Sheffield, 17 June - 13 July
• 2008 - Experiments/Works in Progress by Pinny Grylls/Invisible Films shown at Wonderland in London, 29 January - 29 February 

Exhibitions

• 2011 - Primitive Streak, Centre for Life Newcastle
• 2011 - Primitive Streak, Winter Gardens, Sheffield
• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing; Field of Jeans, potentially the worlds first air purifying jeans in Euston Square as part of London Science Festival with Royal Society of Chemistry
• 2011 - Herself shown at the “House of Artists”, cultural event, Moscow Talk by Helen Storey and Tony Ryan
• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing, ITMA Barcelona
• 2011 - Primitive Streak, Manchester Science Festival
• 2011/2012 - Wonderland, FuturoTextiles – tour of 6 European cities
• 2011 - Wellcome Trust – White Lung dress and film as part of 75^th celebrations
• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing; Field of Jeans; potentially the world’s first air purifying jeans  shown during London Fashion Week: external show at Chelsea College of Art and Design, London SW1
• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing; Field of Jeans shown in Sheffield across 3 sites: Peace Gardens, Winter Garden and Howard Street.
• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing; Herself; potentially the world’s first air purifying dress exhibited at Singapore Science Festival, Singapore.
• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing; Herself shown at Ulster Arts and Design Festival, Belfast
• 2011 - Catalytic Clothing; Herself and Field of Jeans,exhibited in Newcastle as part of the Newcastle Science Festival
• 2010/2011 - Wonderland: Say Goodbye, Royal Academy: Aware Exhibition, London, curated by Lucy Orta
• 2010/ 2011 - Primitive Streak, Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam
• 2010 - HERSELF; potentially the world’s first air purifying dress exhibited in Sheffield
• 2008 - The Earth Awards, 7 December, Wonderland installation, New York
• 2008 - Beyond Green, 12 November, Wonderland films and images, Amsterdam
• 2008 - Primitive Streak, 8 October - 8 November, University of Ulster, Belfast
• 2008 - Wonderland in Belfast, 8 October - 8 November, Ormeau Baths Gallery
• 2008 - Design Hero at 100% Materials, 100% Design 18 - 21 Sept, Earls Court, London
  Audience: 18,000
• 2008 - Wonderland at Sainsbury's, 4 - 8 August, Sainsbury's HQ, Holborn, London
  Audience: 2,400
• 2008 - Wonderland in Sheffield, 18 June - 13 July, Meadowhall Shopping Centre, Millennium Galleries The University of Sheffield, The Botanical Gardens, Audience: 1.9 million
• 2008 - Wonderland in London, 29 January - 29 February, Fashion Gallery Space and foyer, London College of Fashion, Audience: 700,000

Awards and Accolade

• 2011 - selected to the AHRC advisory group for Science and Culture
• 2010 - The Wellcome Trust (Extension grant for Primitive Streak)
• 2010 - EPSRC FA Grant for Catalytic Clothing
• 2009 - MBE for Services to the Arts

Supervision Expertise

I am happy to provide advice and meet students or staff who would value input in any of the following areas:

• Design Philosophy
• Specific projects or collection briefs
• Approaches to research
• Approaches to funding
• Personal development
• Designing and networking across disciplines
• Shared research practice with other fellows

Weblinks

More information on helen's major research projects
http://www.helenstoreyfoundation.org/
http://www.wonderland-sheffield.co.uk/
http://www.catalytic-clothing.com/
http://www.primitive-streak.org/
http://www.wearefreeradicals.co.uk/

Email

h.storey@fashion.arts.ac.uk