Task 1 - Research and Idea Findings (Zero Waste Fashion)

 [DST64304]

Andi Syahnaz Asyira - 0350545

Bachelor in Fashion Design Technology (Hons)

Taylor's University 

Fashion Project 1 

Week 1 - 31 March 2022

Despite the fact that we have a practical session on Monday and a lecture and tutorial on Thursday, our first class for fashion project 1 begins on Thursday because our first session is dedicated to going to life line clothing. 

On our first real class, Ms. Maria gave us a lecture on zero waste fashion. 

She began her presentation by discussing the goals and innovation, as well as why we should do zero waste fashion, the environmental harm caused by the fashion industry, and the solutions. She also gave a brief history of zero waste fashion, which dates back to Ancient Greece. She also mentioned Japan and Indonesia, specifically Bali, as two countries that use zero waste fashion in their traditional clothing. She then showed designers like Holly McQuillan and Timo Rissanen, whose zero waste fashion design work articulates sustainable fashion systems and practises. 

Then we were divided into three groups and assigned to our first task, which was to conduct research on techniques and innovative ideas for zero-waste fashion, and then present our findings on Miro Board. On the Miro Board, all of the following elements must be present: technique, materials, pattern, artistic direction, application, and cultural/historical elements. 

Week 2 - 4 April and 7 April 2022

On the second week, Ms Maria gave us a lecture on zero waste fashion techniques. 

There are two approaches:

1. Garment Draping - The process of positioning and pinning fabric on a dress form to develop a garment's structure. This technique doesn't require any cutting or sewing.

2. Flat Pattern - The process of creating a pattern from measurements on a flat surface using rulers, curves, and straight edges. The pattern fit together like puzzle and requires a fixed design.

She also discussed zero waste implementation, including discussing how to implement zero waste fashion with our design team, always sampling the design before using the real fabric, leaving as little waste as possible, and how smaller to medium brands typically implement zero waste. She also mentioned some potential obstacles, such as how sizing and grading will be difficult, and how designing will require numerous changes, as well as how visualising 2D cut-outs into 3D structure will be difficult. 

The remainder of our time was spent researching materials for the presentation. To avoid repetition and ensure that we had everything we needed, we first gathered all of the information on a Google Doc before transferring it to the Miro Board.

Week 3 - 11 April 2022

On the third week, we gave our presentations, with group 1 (Feng Yie and Marcus) going first. It's fascinating how they described each designer's brand in detail, including their artistic direction, technique, and how they apply zero waste fashion to their brands. They also went over the various types of zero waste patterns in great detail. They also showed the countries that practise zero waste fashion, and I was surprised to learn that some of them used zero waste fashion in traditional clothing like the Indian saree.

Our group was the next to go, followed by group 3 (Julia and Sharon). I liked how they went into great detail about the different types of fabrics, both synthetic and natural, as well as the characteristics, drawbacks, applications, and examples. They also discussed historical and cultural topics such as the sarong, Andrea poncho, and modern Guatemalan huipils. They also discussed the artistic direction of the designers, their aesthetic, and the values that their brands represent. This section grabbed my attention because it included smaller brands that create unconventional, modern, and approachable designs. When you think of zero waste fashion, you probably think of simple, shapeless traditional designs, so it's exciting to see companies like Reshape 18 using technology to create embroidered dresses that produce less waste.

After our presentations, I'm definitely more informed about the different techniques and materials that will be very useful for our upcoming projects, not to mention we get to learn the history and cultural background. It was really fascinating finding out which country uses zero waste in their traditional clothing, as well as seeing something so intricate turn out to be zero waste.

Our Miro Board: Click here

Group 2: Andi Syahnaz Asyira, Dania Mefiana Putri Ong, Faith Aimee Choong Jia Yi