Reinterpreting migration in undergraduate textile design at Loughborough University: Cultural memory and environmental responsibility in practice

<p dir="ltr">This paper investigates how emerging textile designers at the Loughborough University reinterpret images of tropical islands and migratory histories, and how these creative processes reveal the role of design education in fostering culturally and ecologically responsive practices. Drawing on a dataset of 1,745 final-year undergraduate projects from 1999 to 2025, the research employs a grounded theory approach supported by set theory-based thematic clustering. The analysis identifies three primary patterns: restless images, affective geographies, and ethics of representation. These findings show how tropical and diasporic motifs are materially and conceptually transformed in ways that blend personal memories, imagined geographies, and environmental concerns. The study positions textile design as a living archive—a medium that can record, reinterpret, and communicate cultural histories while encouraging sustainable practice. By integrating theoretical perspectives from visual culture, diaspora studies, and material anthropology, the paper offers a pedagogical framework for embedding critical reflection, provenance research, and ecological responsibility within textile design curricula. The work contributes to the Image on Move conference discourse by demonstrating how images, as mobile cultural agents, can be engaged critically to produce designs that are both innovative and accountable.</p>