Centre for Materials Innovation and Future Fashion (CMIFF)

CMIFF brings together senior researchers in material technology, design and enterprise research within the School of Fashion & Textiles.

This group research, develop and apply design and materials innovation to address real world problems of health, wellbeing, protection, performance, sustainability and cultural experience.

Research areas

Protection for Defence, Firefighting and Sports including Nano Technology

Research in this area creates two-dimensional electronic devices, micro and nano devices for resistive switching, sensors for human health and food safety, and gas sensors and membranes for greenhouse emission study.

Sports and Human Performance Technologies

Research in this area develops new nano and micro dimensional materials, which are incorporated into sensors, actuators, energy harvesting systems and solar cells.

Sensors and Wearable Technologies

Research in this area develops systems for microbial analysis, and systems based on liquid metals with incorporated nano particles.

Feature Projects

Advanced materials and technologies focuses on the application of new technologies in performance textiles as well as finding enhancements for traditional technologies.

Protecting our forces with better fabrics

New fabrics will better protect Defence personnel from Improvised explosive devices (IEDs), an extreme threat during any operation.

Research centre clusters

CMIFF operates through six connected clusters.

Producing fashion

Interrogates global fashion systems to propose distinctive and sustainable approaches to how fashion is designed, produced, consumed and communicated.

Smart materials

Intelligent textiles that can detect changes in their surroundings, react to external stimulus, and produce practical applied outcomes. The induced stimulus and the consequent response could be chemical, electric and thermal.

Advanced materials and technologies

Solutions for safer and healthier lives, and the environments we interact with through the design and development of advanced materials and performance textiles.

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Human ecology and functional apparel

Research and development on the physical, physiological and psychological interface between humans, textile materials and apparel systems when worn against the human body; and external environments.

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Materials interplay

The intersection of design, technology and craft: to explore materials as a site for cultural engagement, sustainable practice and innovation. Through practice-based research it seeks to imagine and activate future design practices to propose creative solutions across a spectrum of design contexts.

Fashion and textiles activator

A dynamic platform where the School of Fashion and Textiles, the RMIT community and industry empower people to create ideas, bring them to life and innovate existing start-ups through collaboration, advice and knowledge.