Five Minutes with a Friend - Kiren Passi: From Academia to Industry Innovation
Kiren Passi has developed a 3D sculptural textile process that represents a new approach to fabric manipulation. Living between London and Hong Kong, this London College of Fashion alumna and Senior Lecturer has spent five years developing what is now a formally patented technique. With ten years of experience in the fashion industry, Passi has worked across all levels from suppliers to luxury brands before returning to academia.
Example garments from Kiren Passi's RCA Graduate show.
Passi's work combines traditional craftsmanship and contemporary technology. Drawing inspiration from Japanese vernacular architecture and time-honoured textile traditions, she combines these influences with contemporary innovations including silicone bonding, 3D printing, and acrylic moulding. Her work incorporates both digital and manual techniques alongside natural materials such as silk and cotton. This cross-disciplinary approach stems from her experimentation during her time at the Royal College of Art, where she began embedding materials typically used in sculpture workshops into textile applications.
Example garments from Kiren Passi's RCA Graduate show.
What distinguishes Passi's innovation is her silicone process that creates detailed sculptural forms directly onto garments without the mess and unpredictability that has characterised previous attempts. "My unique process does not involve stitching, weaving, knitting, or printing," she notes.
Initially developed for luxury fashion — with experience spanning from supplier level to houses like Dior — Passi's textile innovation has found additional applications. She's now exploring its potential in protective sportswear for e-scooter users and collaborating with UAL's Creative Computing Institute on soft robotics and sensor-embedded wearables.
Silicone textile detail from Kiren Passi's RCA Graduate show.
Passi continues to develop her couture-ready samples while representing textile innovators working across creativity, technology, and enterprise. Her current role as Senior Lecturer and Course Leader across London College of Fashion and Chelsea College of Arts allows her to integrate her material research directly into student projects, fostering the next generation of textile innovation.
We spoke with Kiren in our '5 minutes with a friend' interview series.
Portrait of Kiren Passi.
Kiren, what is your first memory of a textile?
Both of my parents are from India so my early childhood memories of textiles are visiting the northern part of country (in the foothills of the Himalaya’s) and seeing all of the beautiful colours, fabrics and embroideries in the local markets.
Can you put into words what you love about textiles?
Storytelling: an opportunity to research a topic that I feel is important and build a narrative around it, learning and expanding through the process.
Evolution: the development of stitching within society is an area which I am fascinated by-a simple stitch can hugely impact lifestyles.
Tradition: vs modern practices
Craft: I love, respect and value craft and am deeply grateful for the opportunities that it has given me.
Where is your most inspiring space or place to create?
I am fortunate to have access to a beautiful studio on the Thames in London, with views of the river; a light space filled with books and found objects holding memories of many years of working abroad.
I also enjoy working in textile workshops especially print and sculpture studios, the idea of playing and experimenting is integral to the work that I create therefore having the opportunity to create textile samples is key to my practice.
What has inspired you recently?
As the Course Leader for Graduate Diploma in Textile Design at UAL, I work (part-time) from an office, and from the dedicated course design studio at Chelsea College of Arts, Millbank, next to the Tate Britain. I frequently visit the section there called Reality and Dreams 1920-1940, as I am consistently inspired by the spirit of the interwar period in particular - women’s independence from traditional gendered roles and the documentation of the diversity of London (i.e through jazz music during this period).
I also recently saw the Edward Burra exhibition at the Tate. He is an artist of the 20th century who creates vibrant, bold scenes. I was particularly drawn to his studies of individuals clothing and mannerisms capturing the 1920’s/1930’s vibe.
What is your most cherished textile, and why?
An antique cloud collar which I have framed and hung on the wall in my home. I first started to find cloud collars in antique shops when I lived in Hong Kong, and I was drawn to the colours, the silhouettes of the layered designs, and the delicate embroidery - they are often kept in immaculate condition even after a century or so. I was inspired to learn more about the history and context of the specific pieces. In another life, I would collect cloud collars and exhibit them around the world.
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With thanks to Kiren Passi for generously sharing her insights on textiles with us at Selvedge.
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Further Information:
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Image Credits:
Lead Image: Example garments from Kiren Passi's RCA Graduate show.
All images courtesy of the artist.