PROJECT 1: RESEARCH & IDEA FINDINGS (ZERO WASTE FASHION)
Week 1 (31/03/2022) - Week 3 (14/03/2022)
Faith Aimee Choong Jia Yi / 0345509
Fashion Project 1 [DST64304]
Task 01: Research & Idea Findings (Zero Waste Fashion)
LECTURE [31/03]
In today's lecture, Ms Maria gave a short introduction to what Zero Waste Fashion is about. The aim of Zero Waste Fashion is to reduce fabric waste production and produce an effective pattern piece that achieves at least 99%-100% efficacy of materials used. There are two types of Zero Waste Fashion, either fashion is made out of recycled waste or the fabric piece achieves at least 99% of the materials used.
Fashion is the 2nd largest waste producer after oil in the world. This causes major pollution which is why designers find ways to solve this problem in order to minimize any wastage.
Zero Waste Fashion originally came from Ancient Greek Fashion where clothing was mostly wrapped around the bodies of men and women. Other countries that share this origin are Japan, kimonos, and Bali, Indonesia.
MENTORSHIP: NAJAH ONN [01/04]
In Najah Onn's talk about sustainability, she talked about how the Earth is facing problems such as pollution, landfill waste, and climate change. In general, fashion is one of the major contributors to waste. People realize the problems but they don't act upon them because these problems are part of our lifestyle and without them, we can't live.
When it comes to Zero Waste Fashion the challenge is time because of the sophisticated design and it takes time to create a pattern out of it. Designers realize the waste pollution fashion is causing but they are unable to change their ways because the demands of their customers are high so they need a way to produce garments fast and Zero Waste takes time.
She mentioned the Rana Plaza, in Bangladesh that collapsed in 2013. A total of 1,138 people were killed (mostly women who were garment factory workers). There is a documentary called 'True Cost' that explains the situation and what were the effects after the incident.
After the incident, many people sympathize and were opinionated about the supply chain in fashion factories. Researchers came up with new inventions like Gwynnie Bee which is a service that provides unlimited styles for women (you would never have to wear the same outfit twice and have fun with fashion).
Consumers often keep a heavy amount of clothes because there are always new trends yearly and the clothes that are outdated are either thrown away or left in the closet. Today many researchers and designers are finding solutions how to solve this waste problem. How can we make the Earth a better place to live in?
LECTURE [04/04]
In today's lecture, we were given further knowledge on Zero Waste Fashion and how it is carried out.
There are two Zero Waste approach:
1. Draping [3D]: Rectangular pieces of fabrics [volume and layering]
2. Flat Pattern [2D]: shapes, puzzles, fixed design [minimize time consumption to cut the fabric]
The draping technique involves no cutting or sewing involved but it gives a silhouette volume and it has layers. Whilst a flat pattern is like a puzzle where you fit the parts together. This minimizes time consumption in the cutting process.
Implementation:
Before transferring the pattern to the main fabric, always make a sample to trial and error if you're design is up to your standards. Zero Waste is rarely imposed on large companies because the objective of those larger firms needs to find a solution to produce garments.
Brands that produce Zero Waste Fashion are usually small to medium-sized brands or firms. The most important goal for Zero Waste is to leave the least amount of scraps of textiles.
Challenges:
1. Grading and sizing
2. Additional costs imposed on larger firms = to buy fabrics with multiple widths to cater to the technical needs.
3. Time-consuming = designing, altering, and visualizing cut-outs.
To begin the project Ms Maria advises us to have an open mind and explore as well as experiment with different patterns and silhouettes.
Questions:
1. What does Zero Waste Fashion mean to you?
When I was introduced to Zero Waste Fashion the keywords were Zero Waste which meant no leftovers. After hearing in-depth about what Zero Waste Fashion is I started to realize and be open-minded about the problem that is happening on the Earth, like landfills, pollution and the climate. I do agree that fashion is one of the factors that contribute to pollution and we do have to find a solution for this so that fashion is seen as eco-friendly or sustainable.
2. Which Zero Waste Fashion Approach are you more interested in?
I'm interested in the draping technique because I've never learned or experienced how to drape fabrics onto a mannequin. Instead of making a flat pattern draft, I would love to experiment with the form or silhouette, or garment design. If I were to make a two-piece garment I would probably include the flat drawing approach as well as the draping technique for either the top or bottom.
3. How would you like to innovate your design through zero-waste fashion?
I'm looking forward to experimenting with different silhouettes and creating forms in my garment. I would also love to play with patterns and colors that fit my aesthetic or style. I think through my garment design I would like to show that utilizing the Zero Waste concept in fashion is a better and friendlier solution in which you can also include your creativity. Although the design process takes time, the creation will be splendid as to the amount of time spend on altering and designing the pattern piece.
4. Where do you plan to find your resources/materials?
I plan to find my resources either outside at textiles shops in KL or in Mayamode studio (if there are any fabric rolls). However, I will have to see what color or pattern would fit my design.
5. What are the common challenges you see?
I think the main challenge is time because Zero Waste Fashion takes up an amount of time to design, and alter the pattern (if needed). Other challenges would lean towards sizing and layering because draping involves a lot of layering and size is important if it were to fit the model or mannequin.
ASSIGNMENT 01
We are required to present our research findings through the MIRO board in groups of 2-3 students. Each group is to conduct research on the technique and innovative ideas to achieve Zero Waste Fashion.
PROCESS
Group Members:
- Dania
- Syahnaz
- Aimee
Before we present our findings on the MIRO board we created a google document to save keep all of our information about Zero Waste Fashion. We listed a few topics to research based on the given concept or theme.
GOOGLE DOCS
After listing down the information from the document we transfer the data into the MIRO board organizing it into a mindmap form. In the assignment brief, it mentions which topics to research about:
-Technique
-Materials
-Pattern
-Artistic Direction
-Application
-Culture / Historical elements
Our group was confused about the difference between technique and application as well as what does the brief meant by artistic direction. Ms Maria did a one-to-one consultation and explained each of our questions. She also gave us feedback on our research so far.
FEEDBACK
By: Ms Maria
"So far the research process looks good but try not to repeat your research questions as it will only slow you down."
On Monday 11th April, we had to present our research and findings to Ms Maria and our fellow friends.
MIRO BOARD
The night before our presentation, we pasted the key information into the MIRO board and added pictures so that it won't be boring to look at.
After presenting, Ms Maria commented on our research assignment. She said that we had a vast knowledge of the historical/cultural relation to Zero Waste. From our research, she could see the brands we research mostly use recycled materials rather than utilize the Zero Waste pattern cutting method.
Throughout this whole research assignment, it gave me a clearer idea of the style and aesthetic I would like to include for the Zero Waste Fashion project. I was assigned to research mostly the designers, brands, and campaigns that relate to Zero Waste, especially the art direction. I've done a wide search and was fascinated and interested in the many techniques that designers use to minimize textile/fabric waste.
Designers I felt interested in were Zero Waste Daniel, Daniel Fletcher and Stella McCartney. I like the idea of putting wasted textiles together to form an artwork. Personally, I think that fabric wastage is a huge concern to our environment and economy. We should conserve more than consume.
 |
| Zero Waste Daniel |
After witnessing Zero Waste Daniel's technique I felt inspired to try an experiment on how to implement the wasted fabrics onto the garment to address the concern.
 |
| Stella McCartney |
Stella McCartney's 4 pillars encouraged me to utilise Zero Waste into fashion.
 |
| Daniel w Fletcher |
As for Daniel Fletcher inspired me as an individual and to many that we should start the sustainability movement and conserve more despite not being a pioneer or philosopher in Zero Waste.
Comments
Post a Comment