The textile designer skills to face the emerging challenges of textile industry and the role of academia

This study aims to reflect on the role of different actors - industry, academia, designer, user - in the adoption of more sustainable production and consumption practices of textile products. Problems become more and more complex, due to the convergences of knowledge, and this affects the way textile designers work and consequently how textile design education should adapt. It is essential to prepare textile designers to face these new challenges that demand new ways of working. The methodology was carried out through literature review and data collection, to analyze the fundamental concepts and develop awareness strategies about sustainability and circular economy allowing to understand their importance between the different actors. The article concludes that there are fundamental skills for the textile designer to be able to respond to these challenges and that a transdisciplinary approach can be a way forward in a closer dialogue between industry and academia.