This paper explores how the principles of Cosmopolitan Localism, specifically the Small, Local, Open, and Connected (SLOC) framework, can be operationalised within sustainability-focused fashion design education. Drawing on a practice-based, qualitative research study conducted within an undergraduate fashion design programme at a South African university, the paper analyses a pedagogical intervention aligned with the global Fashion Revolution movement. The intervention included a three-week experiential learning module, the Fashion Revolution Designathon, and a campus-wide clothing swap event to embed ethical awareness, material circularity, and critical design thinking into the student learning experience. Rooted in the theoretical frameworks of transition design and post-growth sustainability discourse, Cosmopolitan Localism offers an alternative to globalised, extractive fashion systems by promoting small-scale, community-rooted innovation that remains open to global knowledge and networks. Through the SLOC lens, this project facilitated human-scaled, collaborative learning (Small), localised material engagement and cultural referencing (Local), open process documentation and public storytelling (Open), and alignment with international sustainability movements such as Fashion Revolution (Connected). The study draws from various qualitative data sources, including student reflections, visual artefacts, process journals, and lecturer observations. Findings indicate that students developed technical and conceptual competencies in sustainable design and demonstrated increased critical consciousness regarding fashion’s socio-environmental impacts. By engaging in hands-on upcycling, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and public-facing presentation, students could situate their design practice within broader systemic conversations around justice, responsibility, and the future of fashion. This paper contributes to the field of design education by providing a replicable model for integrating SLOC principles into the curriculum through real-world, socially engaged projects. It also responds to the “Design of Social Change” conference theme by demonstrating how fashion education can be a powerful site for activism, ethical transformation, and community resilience. Ultimately, the research argues that embedding Cosmopolitan Localism into fashion pedagogy offers a meaningful pathway for cultivating the next generation of socially conscious, locally grounded, and globally connected designers.
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