“Be Bright, Be Safe.” A campaign to encourage road safety among young people. Through the initiative of Zavod Vozim, Zavarovalnica Triglav, and the Yootree Creative agency, fashion design students from the Chair of Textile and Fashion Design at the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering have created an innovative collection of reflective clothing and visible accessories. This collection was recently showcased at Ljubljana Fashion Week. Young people are some of the most frequent users of urban mobility devices in Slovenia, but they are also often involved in road accidents.
A survey conducted by Zavarovalnica Triglav among 800 users of e-scooters and e-bikes showed that only around half of them feel safe when riding an e-scooter, and a third of e-scooter users have been involved in an accident. Young people also tend to avoid essential safety measures such as helmets, reflective clothing, and accessories during their urban travels, resulting in many accidents and injuries. In response, the socially responsible initiative “Don’t Space Out, Stand Out”, organised by Zavod Vozim, Zavarovalnica Triglav, and Yootree Creative, took a creative approach. They handed the scissors and fabric to young people, empowering them to design safety-conscious yet stylish attire.
Old problem, new solution
“Traffic visibility aids have existed for decades, but they are rarely embraced by young people. When choosing between visibility and style, the latter often takes precedence. However, the fact that most e-scooter and e-bike riders fear not being noticed by drivers and hit by cars indicates that visibility is important to them. That’s why we’ve given young people the chance to find their own way to stay safe, in their own style. Today, we are addressing the long-standing issue of traffic visibility with fresh approaches and innovative solutions, and we rightly expect different results,” said Ana Cergolj Kebler, head of safe mobility programmes at Zavarovalnica Triglav.
Engaging with the younger generation is central to the work of Zavod Vozim, which raises awareness about the safe use of micromobility devices through workshops and public events. Its goal is to encourage users to adjust their speed, keep their helmets on, and their phones in their pockets while riding e-scooters or other forms of urban transport.
“Young people are important agents of social change, as we’ve often witnessed through our work. That’s why, in the second season of the “Don’t Space Out, Stand Out” initiative, young people are once again co-creating for their peers. We are placing young fashion designers at the forefront of promoting coexistence in traffic, at the core of creative designs, and at the heart of raising awareness about the importance of being seen and visible in traffic. Through their clothing collections, they send a creative message: “Be Bright, Be Safe.” Zavod Vozim will carry this message to even more young people through a social media campaign and over 300 workshops across the country. This campaign provides a great platform for conversations about safety, visibility, coexistence, and the importance of being visible,” emphasised David Razboršek, Director of Zavod Vozim.
An innovative collection created by young people for young people
Fashion design students from the Chair of Textile and Fashion Design at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering took on the challenge of raising awareness among their peers and other young urban mobility users in a unique way. The result is an innovative collection of reflective clothing and visible accessories, which has become a point of pride for the Faculty, known for its collaborative projects with various partners.
"We approached the collection as a design team. Each student explored how to make protective clothing and accessories modern, appealing, universal, functional, and attractive to young people and beyond. We reviewed all the ideas as a group, offering constructive criticism and solutions. This process led to five main design themes, each differing in inspiration and technical execution. The creations feature state-of-the-art reflective materials, such as reflective fabric, foil, printing paste, thread, and yarns, as well as reflective pendants. These reflective materials are cleverly and seamlessly integrated with classic clothing fabrics,” said Sara Valenci, assistant at the Chair of Textile and Fashion Design at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering (NTF), who, together with Prof. Nataša Peršuh and assistant Nastja Sagadin Grmek, mentored the project.
Ideas from the catwalk put into practice
A special highlight and recognition for the student team was the recent presentation of the collection at Ljubljana Fashion Week. With the impactful slogan “Be Bright, Be Safe”, the collection raises awareness among young and older users of urban (micro)mobility devices about the importance of being visible in traffic – a message that is becoming even more crucial with the coming autumn and winter months.
"The most exciting part of the project was the creative process, where each member of our team reflected on how they would personally incorporate reflective materials and elements into their everyday style and aesthetic. Our collections truly demonstrate that everyone, regardless of personal style, can make themselves more visible and safer on the road. I hope our designs inspire others to integrate reflective materials into their everyday fashion, using the ideas and techniques we’ve presented,” said Anže Orešnik, one of the creators of the Be Bright, Be Safe collection and a student at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering.
With the collection now moving into the public sphere, the initiative seeks to expand its reach through workshops and public events, aiming to engage young people in discussions about safe urban mobility. The ultimate goal is to see these reflective products become a practical part of young people’s lives, helping to enhance their safety on the roads.
