The Newport Restoration Foundation will host a panel discussion on the art and science of sustainable fashion at Rough Point Museum on Tuesday, April 21, as part of its Earth Week programming.
The moderated conversation is scheduled from 6 to 7 p.m. and will explore the intersection of innovation, art and sustainable fashion. The panel brings together contemporary fashion designer Jill Palese and scientists Dr. Lina González and Max Rutman — the team behind a contemporary piece of swimwear inspired by Doris Duke that is currently on view in the Doris Duke Fashion Gallery at Rough Point.
Attendees will have the opportunity to visit the installation “Fashioning Resiliency: Doris Duke’s Legacy of Conservation” before the discussion. The program is presented as part of a year-long celebration of the 10th anniversary of Keeping History Above Water, NRF’s initiative advocating for resiliency in the face of climate change.
General admission is $20, with a discounted rate of $10 for Newport County residents. Tickets are available at newportrestoration.org/events.
The panelists
Palese, founder of Call To Action® clothing, is a 25-year veteran of the fashion industry who previously served as head swimwear designer for leading national and international brands. Her work blends eco-smart design with cross-disciplinary collaboration with scientists and artists.
“Fashion must be both beautiful and responsible,” Palese said in a statement. “I believe that fashion is a medium for storytelling, and a means of creating positive change. I’m looking forward to an engaging conversation about the ways in which we can move forward towards a more sustainable future.”
Call To Action has been featured at Miami Swim Week and in science-driven collaborations, including garments made from bioengineered leather with SpadXTech Labs and exhibitions at Greentown Labs and Climatech Summits. Recent projects include “Seeing the Plastic Ocean,” presented during Boston’s Climate Week 2024, and a custom sustainable jacket for artist Yu-Wen Wu worn during her residency at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
González is CEO and founder of SpadXTech. Her academic and professional background spans physics, chemistry and biology, along with mechanical and biological engineering. Under her leadership, SpadXTech has participated in the inaugural ACCEL program at Greentown Labs, the 2023 DOE IMPEL cohort, Venture For ClimateTech and the Founders School. The company was an Eddies finalist in the Cleantech category through the Massachusetts Innovation Network and a top-five finalist in the MFN Sustainability Challenge.
Rutman is a Boston-based polymer chemist and visual artist whose scientific and creative practices are unified by a focus on sustainability. As a senior scientist at Return to Vendor, he develops technologies that modify reclaimed nylon plastic to create mono-material products for fashion, furniture and aerospace applications. Return to Vendor is providing materials and inspiration to Palese for her work.
