Out of the lab and onto the catwalk (From Daily Echo)
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Out of the lab and onto the catwalk
10:38am Tuesday 19th March 2013 in News
By Melanie Adams, Health Reporter
Out of the lab and onto the catwalk
NEUROSCIENTISTS from Southampton swapped their laboratories for the catwalk for a unique project aimed at breaking down stigmas attached to mental illness.
Second-year fashion design and knitwear students from the University of Southampton’s Winchester School of Art have been taking part in the Changing Minds project.
They were challenged to create garments inspired by research into conditions such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia, with help from the university’s neuroscientists.
The culmination of that work was showcased on the catwalk this week.
The dress on a theme of schizophrenia was designed by Nikki Day who researched the morphology of different classes of brain cells and then embroidered images to convey the emerging idea that this is a disease of abnormal connectivity.
She said: “The dress is tight and slightly restricts movement to reflect the effect these brain cell malfunctions can have in limiting people with the disease in everyday life.”
