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Page 1: CLOTHES CL S OCLOTHES WELL LVED LIVED LIV LIVED€¦ · finite resources and increasing constraints. More specifically, the making of fashion depends on the cheap supply of two core

LIVED

WELL

OCLOTHES

WELLL

VED

LIV

CL S

LIVED

LIVED

CLOTHES

WELL

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1 2Centre for Sustainable Fashion is a University of the Arts London Research Centre, based at London College of Fashion. Established in 2008, CSF explores ecological and social sustainability as a lens for fashion’s artistic and business practices. As a diverse community of researchers, designers, and educators. CSF seeks ways to contribute to better lives within ecological boundaries by creating internationally acclaimed research, setting agendas in business, government and public arenas, and pioneering world relevant curriculum.

“Design is an attribute of being human, evident in how we think, make and do. Fashion is a vital realisation of design that can play a delightful and elemental role in our lives as social beings.

Those most interested and adept at conceiving and shaping ideas visually and in 3D can, at LCF, hone and refine their skills.

All that we are and have is of nature. To design and live well, we need to engage in a reciprocal process of giving as well as receiving from nature and each other.

At CSF, the line of balance that we have with nature and each other is our pattern marker and guide. It has served these students well as they serve our collective futures. We should expect no less of them, ourselves or each other than to use our creativity to make fashion a marker of sustainability.”

Professor Dilys WilliamsCentre for Sustainable Fashion Director

Centre for SustainableFashion

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Clothes Well Lived is a Centre for Sustainable Fashion project that sets out to challenge our perceptions of value. Together with London College of Fashion and H&M we ask – how can we kick-start a move from a throw-away fashion culture? This year Clothes Well Lived leads BA (Hons) Fashion Design & Technology through an exploration of fashion and sustainability by designing and producing a capsule collection from recycled garments provided through H&M’s garment collecting programme.

Throughout the summer term students worked collaboratively in groups to learn and experiment with design for sustainability, while reflecting on historic fashion moments to consider what we need from our future fashion visionaries. Each group set out on

their own journey of repurposing, recreating and remaking a collection, which challenges the current status quo and engages new possibilities for fashion and sustainability. At the end of the term students presented their work to a panel of industry experts Professor Dilys Williams (CSF), Catarina Midby (H&M), Orsola de Castro (Fashion Revolution), Shee Fun Chan (LCF) and 8 groups were selected to showcase their collections in four H&M stores during London Fashion Week, 16–22 Sept, 2016. This publication offers a précis of ideas explored and tested by 25 groups of LCF Womenswear students, along with excerpts from their portfolios highlighting elements of research, design development, illustrations and photographs of finished works.

Introduction

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Context

The fashion industry as it exists today, relies upon easy access to large quantities of the world’s most precious resources and yet as our population and consumption habits continue to grow we find ourselves living in a new and unsettling paradigm faced with finite resources and increasing constraints. More specifically, the making of fashion depends on the cheap supply of two core ingredients – water and oil. It takes 20, 000 litres of water to produce 1kg of conventional cotton, and up to 11, 000 litres to make one pair of jeans. Cotton represents almost half of the world’s fabric supply but it is out produced by polyester, which represents around 52%. Leaving aside the vast amounts of energy required at each stage of the fashion lifecycle, we consume 70 million barrels of oil just to produce our yearly quota of polyester. With 40% of the world already affected by water scarcity, and the imperatives of Climate

Change ratified by COP21 it is clear the industry faces some big changes ahead.

In an effort to grasp the real impact that fashion has on our environment and on resource scarcity a closer look at the interconnected geographical and social concerns is needed. While most consumption occurs far from places where fashion is manufactured, for those living or working where fashion is being made the experience of its impact is all too real.

Just one example is the Citarum River in Indonesia, now one of the most polluted in the world primarily due to the 200 textile factories which line the river bank. The dyes and chemicals (including arsenic and mercury) from these factories flow freely into the the river, which as it runs throughout the country supplies water access to over 30 million people.

The environmental impacts do not end once a finished garment hits the shop floor, another consequence from mass production and consumption is the growing problem of mass disposal. Globally, the industry produces approximately 150 billion garments every year, and in the UK alone we send over 350 000 tonnes of this to landfill – most of which will perhaps never biodegrade. The challenge for industry lies within this fundamental imbalance – finite resources cannot support continued growth in production and limited land space cannot support the continued growth in waste. So far, the business response to this has been a push towards a circular economy, a system where waste is saved and reused to form new products again and again, turning what is a predominately linear supply chain into a continuous loop. For businesses this essentially means capturing what was lost value (waste) whilst

also relying and spending less on virgin materials.

There are many circular economy examples popping up from fashion businesses small and large, but perhaps the most talked about has been the take-back scheme where retailers invite customers to return unwanted clothing to their stores usually in exchange for an in house voucher or discount. At present there are a number of challenges with take-back schemes, including the struggle to develop technology that can maintain fibre quality without downcycling the captured materials. Take-back schemes cannot make the improvements we need without a radical shift from the current model, however, they are a huge and necessary infrastructure for recycling and reuse, and for the purposes of this project the H&M garment collecting initiative provided students with necessary resources for carrying out the brief.

It is the careful use of these resources, which form the basis for exploring sustainability ideas in this project – it is an attempt to redefine our notions of value and consider the best use of the resources inherent in fashion. The magnitude of change that is required for sustainability cannot be achieved by small improvements or incremental change, rather it requires a different starting point from which designers can create new visions that fulfill our basic human needs. This means challenging the intention and practice of conventional design processes and fostering a learning environment which encourages questioning, reflection and collaboration. The purpose of this project is to build knowledge and confidence so that design students at the beginning of their journey may work with sustainability ideas and continue to develop them as they progress through their studies and professional practice.

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Globally, the industry produces approximately 150 billion garments every year, and in the UK alone we send over 350,000 tonnes of this to landfill.”

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Participants were asked to work in teams to design and produce a capsule collection with a coherent aesthetic, each member contributing a minimum of two pieces. This requires establishing a collaborative approach to design development and manufacturing decisions, including shape,

silhouette, fabrications, colour, construction, details, and finishings whilst drawing upon the different strengths of individuals through an exchange of ideas and skills. Participants were asked to consider how they communicate together and how to negotiate decision making processes.

The challenge: with access to H&M’s garment recycling collection, repurpose discarded garments and consider how to reuse and recreate these to develop new fashion forms. Realise the collection by res-earching and bringing together the following three elements:

1) A visionary: select someone outside the sphere of fashion who has or had radical ideas thatchallenge the status quo - thiscould be economically, philos-ophically, politically or artistically. Examine the approach and process of your visionary and reflect upon this from your own point of view.

2) A pivotal historic fashion moment: research a specific moment in history to draw upon for context and fashion reference. As a contemporary designer it is important to understand history and the context of a pivotal fashion moment including what its influences, challenges and circumstances are.

3) 80% of the environmental impact in products is determined at the design stage. Design for sustainability means understand-ing the environmental, social, economic and personal values behind your work. Consider the sustainability and themes associated with your research and fashion design practice.

7 8An excerpt from the brief

VISIONARY

Methodology Reflection of values

INTERCONNECTED PROJECT COMPONENTS

Creative and critical thinkingInformed decision making

SUSTAINABILITY

Participation and mutual learning. Negotiation and sharing skills & knowledge

COLLABORATION

Fashion and garmentreference Context

PIVOTAL FASHIONMOMENT

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Fashion Moments

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A movement led by flappers, who wore loose clothing and pioneered an androgynous style, challenging conventional notions of femininity and beauty. Contrary to popular misconception this iconic look was not the prevailing fashion of the period.

1920Liberation

1940World War II

1990Deconstruction

1980Power dressing

A time of austerity, limiting what people could buy lead to a period of resourcefulness such as the ‘Make do and mend’ initiative, encouraging people to creatively adapt garments and other materials. Fashion was also influenced adapting to a new way of life that was brought on by war.

1980Wabi Sabi Minimalism

1960Youthquake

Powered by the momentum in both youth culture and women’s independence, this movement responded to environmental and social reforms of this time. This saw a move away from the influence of Parisian couture houses and the notion of fashion for the privileged few.

In an era of visible capitalism and consumerism power dressing was influenced by a dominant market and the rise of women in the workforce. Iconic representations of the power suit can be seen by figures such as Margaret Thatcher.

In reaction to the excess of the 1980s, a new wave of Japanese designers emerged whose work was characterised by an appreciation for the unfinished, exposed and beauty of chance. They aimed for a universal expression of design by erasing elements that assigned specific socioeconomic and gender roles.

In a challenge to traditional perceptions of design, deconst-ruction in fashion sought to break down established forms through questioning the body, the finish of garments and even the industry itself. Processes of fashion design and garment construction are exposed, undone and revealed and then reconstructed to question accepted conventions.

Pivotal and Historical

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1211 The following section reflects upon the design journeys taken by students in response to the challenging brief before them. Broadly separated into the three phases of work: repurpose, recreate, remake, we visit the design process, specific challenges and overall outcomes of the project. Such insights have been gained through observation and interaction along with documentation by the designers themselves. As an overview, diagram 2 outlines the phases of work overlayed by a more archetypal framework for design (ideate, define concept, design development, form refi-nement and final prototypes), along with specific examples of activities that occurred at each stage.

IDEATE

Group discussions – values, ideasGarments selection (from H&M collection–1st Stage)Individual visual/written researchGarment deconstruction/materials analysisStoryboarding

REPURPOSE

Group discussions – research synthesisDefine group design rulesGarment selection, analysis and deconstructionInitial ideas experimentation –2D & 3DDefine Concept

RECREATE

Garment selection (2nd stage)Garment deconstructionGroup discussion: consideration,reflection and decision making.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Toiling with garmentsPattern cutting with garmentsTextile manipulations/innovationSamples

REMAKE

Garment selection (last stage)Problem solvingReconstructionDetails and finishesForm refinement

FINAL PROTOTYPES

Patterns/Remake instructionsTechnical drawingsIllustrationsPhotographs/film

An overview of the design process

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Re purpose

13

Starting with an enormous pile of used garments in front of you is quite different to the conventional beginnings of a design project, and I know the participants would describe it as daunting to say the least. When an experience such as this is so confronting it can become a critical part of forming any sort of design (and even sustainability) approach. For the designers in this project, their approach began with a process of questioning their own assumptions and enhancing their awareness of the fashion system. This was followed by a careful assessment of the situation, (big piles of discarded clothing), and it was here where the first few key observations were made:

• The life of each garment ranges from completely worn out to new with tags, with an overwhelming majority still in a newish state and very wearable condition.

• The overall quality of fabrics was low, even in garments that look relatively new.

• There seems to be a great variation in the care given to garments prior to donation, ranging from purposefully washed, pressed and folded down through to dirty, dusty and crumpled.

• Fabric composition from garment to garment doesn’t appear to differ much, the most common materials found consisting of polyester, cotton or poly-cotton blends.Perhaps the most interesting observation was that there doesn’t seem to be as much diversity in fashion as most designers might think. Digging through the piles of leftover garments discarded from the everyday life, it all just seems to look the same.

The concept of repurposing doesn’t just mean recycling; it asks the designer to rethink how they regard material objects. Fashion is a large part of our everyday material culture so the question becomes how can the designer inform a better material culture? Consideration must

be given to the provenance of materials, where and how the garment is made, the lifetime of that garment and the related social and environmental issues. The designer is asked to reflect upon the original design, how it is valued and to think about what knowledge might affect the experience of it. Repurposing materials for the outcomes of this project required an ability to make better and more informed decisions, however, one of the biggest challenges working with recycled materials can be accessing information – there is surprisingly little detail available on many garment labels. In this situation research and analysis play an important role, and here designers explored various methods and tools of analysis. For example:

• Deconstruction (or teardowns as they are sometimes referred to): is the careful disassembly of the garment followed by identifying each component piece,

and mapping out the material sources and processes of making. Estimations are made in some cases and consideration is given to whether the garment has fulfilled its purpose or whether it has been overdesigned or is wasteful with materials. Further investigation of the components and careful assessment of design provides unseen opportunities for reuse as well as a greater understanding of the fashion system.

• The Making App: a design tool developed by Nike in colla-boration with CSF and LCF, based on the Nike Materials Sustainability index which enables designers to explore creativity through informed decision making. The app assesses and ranks materials based on four environmental impact areas (water, chemistry, energy/GHG and waste), allowing the user to analyse the environmental impact of a garment and consider improvements. It also quantifies the benefit associated with using organic or recycled materials.

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Recreate

15

Paul Jacques Grillo once referred to young designers as those who are “entrusted to design the environment of mankind” and some would argue this notion remains true. In this project designers were asked to research a visionary so that they may learn how to envision their own design ideas and perhaps imagine something that does not yet exist. The world needs visionaries from its designers but that does not mean that the imagination should not be guided or even directed at times. At the heart of this project’s design brief was the challenge to repurpose objects which already exist, to recycle materials and avoid the use of new resources –this is a clear and well-formed design constraint. Understood as imparting restrictions or limitations, constraints have been argued to have detrimental effects

on creativity because they inhibit the designer’s intrinsic motivation to create. However, there is limited evidence of this in practice, and yet there is evidence that suggests constraints can in fact enhance the creative process and the final outcomes. I would argue that the results of this project certainly support this theory.

In this project the constraint of repurposing materials offered a clear starting point for the consideration of sustainability ideas throughout the recreate phase. With the pressure of rethinking the design process and generating ideas to address something as huge and unwieldy as sustainability, having a few parameters in place provided a helpful path for exploration. When working collaboratively as a team it can be extremely useful

to have at least one element which does not need to be negotiated, allowing the extra time and space for concept development. Bringing together research and ideas based on the three elements of the brief (visionary, fashion moment and sustainability) provided a seemingly restrictive but encouraging framework for developing new notions of design and understanding of aesthetics. Whilst the brief was quite structured in many ways, designers were not limited by commercial imperatives and this opened up a new landscape of opportunity. The space to not be commercially successful allowed designers to reassess preconceptions about fashion and demonstrate that new forms are possible. Whilst methods of production needed to be carefully considered and developed, designing for artistic

speculation played an important part in the outcomes, especially given the experimental nature of the project.

A few key challenges design teams faced in the recreate phase include:

• Communication, negotiating and bringing individual values, views, aesthetic and design ideas together as a collective.

• Facing a lack of quantity in the same or similar materials provided difficulty in the effort to achieve a cohesive collection.

• Difficulty in working with raw materials that were of low quality and at times damaged.

• Navigating the large quantity of discarded garments which were

children’s or baby clothes, which meant finding ways to work with small fabric pieces.

Combined with the added difficulty of not knowing what would be in each delivery batch, responding to these challenges required a certain amount of improvisation – a valuable design skill that sounds easier than it is to practice. Some teams worked with this, taking a Rai Kawakubu inspired approach and shaping bodies without knowing in advance what they would be, whilst other teams looked to other sustainability practices such as natural dyeing and zero waste pattern cutting techniques to achieve their vision. Whichever the path, each team worked hard to break their existing idea of fashion and rebuild it for the purposes of this project.

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Remake Remake

Remake

RemakeRemake

Remake

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The act of making is an integral part of design. By engaging in the physical activity it makes it more than just a theoretical idea and by way of this advances thinking in sustainable design practices. Sustainability themes can seem quite abstract when not put into practice and design ideas can only really develop if there is a physical exploration and contemplation of the making process. The conventional ways of making fashion didn’t really apply in the circumstances of this project, and so discovering what a sustainable approach might look like was a journey that each group took from ideation to finished product. Sometimes the making process can seem detached from design but in this case making was a fundamental component and a crucial learning activity which acted as a trigger for creativity and imagination. The making (or

remaking) phase in this project had a strong emphasis of problem solving, it meant designers working through complicated ideas with their hands – in a sense they were learning through doing.

Remaking inevitably differs from the process of conventional making. For starters, the sourcing of materials is quite different and there is no long roll of fabric to freely drape or cut pattern pieces from. Then there is the preparation of materials – washing, pressing and of course any necessary ‘unmaking’ or deconstruction of parts. Other key challenges that were uncovered during this phase include:

• Working with garments that cannot be sourced again means sometimes taking apart toiles and samples to reuse the same pieces. Without toiles to rely upon,

the process needs be carefully documented through photographs and extensive notes.

• Colour consistency is hard to achieve across a collection, especially with the use of less common colours (ie black, white, grey, navy). This requires careful planning and consideration for how limited fabric will be used across a number of garments.

• There is difficulty in reproducing elements when garments are each different from one another and there are few garments big enough to cut larger pattern pieces from.

Approaches to making were both philosophically and practically different across the design teams. There were some groups that concentrated on finding new ways of patch working or

weaving, whilst others looked to preserving and enhancing specific elements of the original garments. Then there were those who experimented with textile techniques in the hopes of innovating a completely new fabric from which they could cut and make from. For each of these methods, recording the making process became an essential task not only for communicating the idea but also understanding how it might be reapplied or developed further. In the final section of this publication, amongst a myriad of portfolio pages from 25 groups, we hear from the designers themselves. Representing each of the 8 groups chosen to showcase during London Fashion Week, the designers offer their personal perspectives and a reflection on their experience designing with sustainability.

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8 groups of students were selected to have their work showcased

in H&M stores

Student Interviews

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DISSIMULATION&

EXPOSURE

Can you describe what it felt like as a designer to experience first-hand the clothes that are being discarded at theend of the fashion cycle? I felt through the recycling process, I was given the chance to give new life to the fabrics. From something old and drab that no one would ever want or touch, to something desirable and new. It was strange not having to go to a market and purchasing new material but instead relying on what we already have - something that I was not accustom too. I was shocked at how many recycled clothes I was given access to and was re-evaluating some of my life principles on how to buy and source my clothes and cherish the

Working with recycled garments the two most common textiles we came across were denim and jersey – we used this as the starting point for our collection, applying patchwork, weaving and other textile techniques, to develop these materials into modern garments that are both structured and delicate.

Interview with Siar Hawzhen

amount and all and foremost not to waste anything.

Did you find yourself designing in any way differently to past projects? How so? Personally I always find a different path of how to undergo a project. Particularly for this project I had to think outside the norm and put materials first. I always had to consider if I could achieve the desired outcome with what I had. But this should not stop anyone from trying to do the impossible. I learned that some ideas did not work with the clothes and some did. It really is a journey of experimentation with your creativity.

What were the biggest design challenges you faced during this project?

Honestly, the only challenge I experienced was how to create something cohesive with style and on trend with this current growing market of constant changing fashion. It is always a goal for myself to produce something people haven't seen before and can get intrigued by. There was also the slight risk due to the nature of having a vast amount of clothes to work from of having to have to create a lot of patchwork. But through clever thinking I was able to create a method that does not look homemade. You just have to use everything strategically.

Having completed the project, do you feel you know more about fashion and sustainability? How do you think this might influence your future design work? I definitely appreciate sustainability to a higher level than before. Having seen how our clothing industry globally affects everyone, I am paying attention to how to source materials that are environmentally friendlier. I am more open to using things from the past to retain its value and give every inch a chance to sparkle in my garments. I would definitely recommended thinking outside the box wherever possible, because any material can be changed to a desired effect with enough imagination and determination.

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C4 1980

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MASS

HY T RIA

HY TERIHYS RIA

YSTER A

Can you describe what it felt like as a designer to experience first-hand the clothes that are being discarded at the end of the fashion cycle? Truly shocking. We were told we were only exposed to a fraction of the clothing brought in during the collection time period, and it had already been sorted for us, reducing the bulk of clothing we received even further. Some of the clothing was unused, the tags were still attached. As a designer, it is important to me that my clothing is worn, and enjoyed; that’s hard to imagine when it hasn’t even been worn.

Did you find yourself designing in any way differently to past projects? How so?

Absolutely. Especially while

Interview with Amon Kale

designing within the strictures of a team environment, you want a certain level of cohesiveness between the collection, and a potent way to do so is through fabric selection. But when dealing with fabric choices that are by-and-large out of your direct control, it adds another dimension to an already complicated group dynamic.

What were the biggest design challenges you faced during this project? Finding a common voice with my co-collaborationists. Coming from different cultures, gender identities, backgrounds and age groups, our partner-ship brought together some of the brightest emerging talent in London. There was no shortage of ideas—the

synthesis of our respective design-languages took some serious work. Having completed the project, do you feel you know more about fashion and sustainability? How do you think this might influence your future design work?

I have experimented with sustainable design in the past, working with organic-synthetic fibers, found materials, and bacterially derived cellulose, but there is so much I still need to learn about sustainable practices in fashion. I strongly believe all fashion students need to go through something similar. When confronted head-on with the waste that you contribute to, in one way or another, it undeniably permeates your design process. I hope I will be able to carry that energy going forward.

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C3 1960

Our collection draws upon the 1960s environmental movement and the spirit demonstrated by the youth of that time. Redefining a modern approach to 60s patchwork we worked with recycled garments to create a collection that brings femininity and masculinity together.

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SOMETHINGNEW

Can you describe what it felt like as a designer to experience first-hand the clothes that are being discarded at the end of the fashion cycle?

It was exactly as named, disastr-ous. I want to use the word “Irres-ponsibility” to describe what I felt. It is no wonder that the old and tattered garments that went out-of-style are thrown out. However, it seems to be true that people are least concerned about where the thrown-out clothes go or how they are handled after use. When I saw the condition of the garments it was impossible to find the original – colourful and splendid – shapes that they once were, and it made me felt a bit sad and bitter.Did you find yourself designing in any

Interview with Jaehwa Rhee

way differently to past projects? How so? Yes, I did. I thought it was refreshing and a totally new experience for me. In previous projects I have tried various approaches to designing such as modification of the patterns and details of the given concepts based on personal market research, and technical study. However, for this project, I was assigned to work on the concept of sustainability and fashion – which is both familiar and strange at the same time – and it made me think about the matter of designing from different directions. With this concept, I focused on “Rebirth” and “Reprocess” of the used garments, not creating an entirely new one. I

worked in an attempt to transform not only the pattern or function of the given garments but also the characteristics of the fabric.

What were the biggest design challenges you faced during this project?

The biggest design challenge for me was how to approach the concept of sustainable fashion differently. There are somewhat uniformed or often used methods, like patchwork or reusing pieces of fabric and subsidiary materials of the waste garments. My final goal with this project using these basic techniques, but trying something new or unfamiliar. When I was investigating ways of upcycling, I came up with an idea of using

the Alginate Foil. Alginate foil is a water soluble material (commonly called water soluble film). I have personally been using the foil in my works when I studied Fiber Art in Korea, so I was sure that I could create a new fabric that had different texture/look/characteristic from the original one. I believe that it was an important part for this project which differentiated our group’s work from the others.

Having completed the project, do you feel you know more about fashion and sustainability? How do you think this might influence your future design work?

The answer is, undoubtedly, YES! First, this project helped me to

understand the overall cycle of fashion design and consumption more and better: from the creation of raw materials/fabrics to production, distribution, and disposal of clothes. It also helped me to think about the potential environmental hazards caused by the waste of discarded clothing. With this project, I felt that fashion design also needs an approach to protecting our environment. It is not easy to understand and care for all of the processes involved in the fashion industry, but I thought that this environmental issue is an aspect that I should consider as a fashion design student.

Secondly, unlike this project made me delve into what I can

get from the waste garments and what I can do to reuse the given materials. With the decomposition and recombination processes, I was able to understand cloth-making once again. Moreover, modifying the waste garments into something new was definitely a new and valuable experience for me. This project helped me broaden my horizons, and it made me think about my future career as a fashion designer: who can show the world that fashion is not just something fancy or luxurious but a functional and pragmatic (whilst still attractive) product.

23 24B2 WWII Working with recycled garments pushed us to develop a zero-waste textile technique where we collected scraps of unwanted garments to create a completely new fabric to work with. With its distinct aesthetic, this re-formed fabric became the starting point for designing and making our collection.

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THE RETURN

OF YOUTH

Can you describe what it felt like as a designer to experience first-hand the clothes that are being discarded at the end of the fashion cycle? It was very harrowing being faced with mountains of discarded clothes; there were brand new garments which still had tags on and just ludicrous amounts of barely worn items. I think I found it particularly perturbing because it forced me to confront the consumer waste which accompanies the fashion industry.

Did you find yourself designing in any way differently to past projects? How so? Yes, it was extremely challenging at first because the process of using fully formed garments, as opposed to raw fabric, is entirely different. It could be compared to working in reverse in that you need to think of ways to deconstruct the clothing, in order to create something new, thus the garments we collected strongly

Interview with Flora Butler

dictated the design process.

What were the biggest design challenges you faced during this project?

Ensuring sustainability was integral to the design process was challenging: it’s relatively simple to have a sustainable collection in terms of production, however, having a clear and articulate sustainability concept which informs the design process is a surprisingly hard challenge to overcome. This challenge really benefited from us working as a team, as we were able to utilise each other’s varied experiences within the field and, as passionate environmentalists, allowed for a broader discourse regarding sustainability. Fabric availability was the other main challenge; having been given some clothing from H&M’s garment recycling initiative, we began to realise how much fabric is used when designing a collection. For example, fabric is need for

initial samples, for draping, final samples, toiling and the finished garments. Consequently, we had to rethink our use of fabric and began making smaller samples, draped with clothes and then reused them; constantly considering how to reduce waste during the design process.

Having completed the project, do you feel you know more about fashion and sustainability? How do you think this might influence your future design work?

Overall, I think this project has helped me understand how to fully integrate sustainability into a collection, both in practice and concept. Furthermore, it has inspired me to continue to work with sustainability as a core principle for all my future work; it is paramount that a change is made in the industry to reduce its wasteful nature and changing the design process is a key part of that.

25 26B3 1960

The vision for our collection forms itself around the notion of burden – something which entwines us with the concept of sustainability. The layered shapes and silhouettes represent the burden we have put on this planet through overcon-sumption, and a burden we now carry to change the way we live.

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Can you describe what it felt like as a designer to experience first-hand the clothes that are being discarded at the end of the fashion cycle?

Each garment I make is very special to me so if one of my designs were to be discarded like this I would feel really sad. The process of making one garment requires a lot of fabrication and labour and if this is being disposed of so easily it makes me useless and meaningless as a designer - I believe clothing are given meaning by the people who wear them. Working with discarded denim I thought about the effort made by workers in different countries and the environments they are living in. I realised I have to think about how to prevent and recycle this energy in better ways, rather than design in a way that harms people

and our environment. Did you find yourself designing in any way differently to past projects? How so?

I was shocked when I saw the collected garments H&M provided to us, my first thought was how do I use these old clothes to create new designs? Making clothes from clothes is something I have never tried but I became excited when I selected garments and started to develop design ideas. Each garment part became an idea for shape, decoration, or function. We were interested in how Aiweiwei uses his art works to explore human right issues and we wanted to create clothes that also made a statement to our society. It was an interesting process, thinking about how to share issues through fashion. I included secret

statements on the inside of one of my dresses and I realised this is something I should keep testing in my work. I have always wanted to be a designer who shares ideas with people through clothes and this has been the first project where I have actually tried to do this.

What were the biggest design challenges you faced during this project?

This project required me to analyse and think differently, I thought about my ethics and it was a great experience to do this. It has been a challenge to use old garments but I was able to test many different textile techniques. Designing the textile and shape required a lot of energy and exploration, and I spent a lot of time on fabric development

and decoration. I thought about how I could fulfill my ethical and aesthetic goals and started by draping all the parts of the used garments to see what could be placed in a unique way. Making the collection look stylish was another challenge, although we were using recycled garments I didn’t want my designs to look like they were from an old wardrobe - I wanted them to look fresh, radical and wearable. It was difficult working with so many used garments and I suffered from the clothes dust, but it was a memorable experience and I utilised many different garments in my collection, including childrenswear, lingerie, sportswear and casualwear.

Having completed the project, do you feel you know more about fashion and

sustainability? How do you think this might influence your future design work?

From this project I gained so much knowledge about social issues related to the fashion industry. I was interested in sustainability but I was not sure how to start combining this with design. The project expanded my aesthetic and made me realise there are no limitations in fashion and how clothes can impact the environment. I was shocked that the industry impacts lives so badly. We have a culture of consumption that seems spoiled and this has influenced my sense of design. I have to be aware of societal issues as a designer - I don’t want to make clothes that damage people or the environment. I want to change how people see the fashion industry.

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Interview with Dayun Lee

27 D3 –1960

Searching for ways to re-use the abundance of recycled baby and children’s clothing, we focused on developing bright and colourful textile manipulations that utilise small fabric pieces. Wanting to raise awareness for environmental and social sustainability issues, our collection explores fashion activism with this playful aesthetic.

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Can you describe what it felt like as a designer to experience first-hand the clothes that are being discarded at the end of the fashion cycle? At first I was really surprised by the huge waste of garments, some of them still had their tags on. It was hard to think of them as an actual fabric since some were ruined and full of stitches. When I was unpicking the overlocking for example, I had to trim the cloth, which forced me to work with a small amount of fabric.

Did you find yourself designing in any way differently to past projects? How so?

Yes, I found a big difference compared to the approach that I have taken before. Usually I begin with the design stage, then I test some toiles, I develop different shapes and I extract the pattern. This time, due to the limits of fabric, I had to invert the process; I started draping the actual

garment on the mannequin and since our sustainability concept was based on the "use phase", I deconstructed every single piece of the garment, trying to find different uses for each part. For example, I was testing a pair of suit trousers on myself, trying to wear them as a jacket, or as a dress, and designing at the same time elements to make it wearable. I would say that I started developing my designs and my sketches just at the very end, instead I tested most of my process on the mannequin.

What were the biggest design challenges you faced during this project?

As I mention before the limited amount of fabric was a challenge; during the placement of the pattern or the toile I struggled fitting every piece on one single fabric, so I had to patchwork different pieces in different colours, and this forced me to

use stitches even if they weren't included in my designs. The fact that we weren't able to choose our own fabric was really restrictive; I had to deal with fabrics that wouldn't fit, drape or maintain the shape exactly in the way I designed them. Also our colour pallet was very specific since we wanted to express the 60's vibe through colour, and it was really difficult to find bright, vibrant and colorful fabrics that could illustrate our concept.

Having completed the project, do you feel you know more about fashion and sustainability? How do you think this might influence your future design work?

I definitely feel like I know more about fashion and sustainability. I never really paid attention to the huge impact that fashion has on the environment (fashion is the second most polluting industry after big oil) and the ecological impingement of the production

of clothing (natural resources like water and land) and the exploitation of manufacturing. I couldn't explore all of these aspects, so for this project I focused on the use phase of the garment life cycle and the various alternatives to making it sustainable. I was never forced to investigate these aspects, and as a fashion designer (working for a brand or yourself) there is never time to face all of these restrictions. Although, in this project I actually found these restrictions very helpful - I had the chance to develop my problem solving skills, and I was able to develop my designs. For the duration of the whole project I was forced to find new solutions to problems that occurred and this gave me the opportunity to investigate new shapes, trims and fabrics. Looking at the use phase I was encouraged to explore an approach that considered the wearer’s perspective.

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Interview with Nicole Carrasco

29 E3 1960 The starting point for our collection was the observation that a large number of recycled garments seem to have been relatively unused in their lifetime. Our collection aims to improve the duration of the use phase by allowing the wearer to adapt their garment – through adjusting shape, volume and length as desired.Contract & Release

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Can you describe what it felt like as a designer to experience first hand the clothes that are being discarded at the end of the fashion cycle?

There is such a discrepancy between hearing about clothing being discarded, and then witnessing it first-hand. Seeing the masses of clothing that were being thrown away almost seemed like an utter waste of someone's time and energy in regards to labour and production. So many clothes are being discarded with little concern also feeding on an environmental issue we can't seem to keep ourselves away from. It is astounding how disposable our

society has become. It’s almost like everything is designed for single-use these days. We as a society we are getting used to things being built to break through cheap mass-produced clothing markets. Because public consumers only "hear" about clothing being discarded, they don't really believe or feel the extravagance until they see it in person, as I have come to realise.

Did you find yourself designing in any way differently to past projects? How so?

Absolutely. When I deconstructed garments I was really inspired by the original pattern shapes. In

constructing my final jersey top, I used the same pattern pieces of two deconstructed sweatshirts to make one new garment. Almost all of the pieces I kept untouched such as hoods, I used to create volume and shape. Also, in regards to sustainability, using the same pattern pieces reduced waste maximising the discarded garments. Keeping these patterns inspired me to design garments I would never have thought of.

What were the biggest design challenges you faced during this project?

Initially it was a challenge trying to figure out how to use discarded

clothing in an efficient, resourceful way, whilst staying true to my personal design aesthetic and aspirations. I found it important to choose a sustainability goal before beginning design development. My group decided to focus on creating an emotional connection with the customer by enforcing the fact that someone’s trash can be another’s treasure. With that, we wanted to design clothes that did not hide its history. This influenced my design process immensely. I focused on using raw edges, original patterns, 3d shapes, and combinations of a variety of fabrics. From this I was able to design for myself and a

sustainable purpose successfully.

Having completed the project, do you feel you know more about fashion and sustainability? How do you think this might influence your future design work?

The whole process was a learning experience, but it especially taught me that even though input always exceeds output, sustainable clothing can be made from discarded clothing with the right design choices and craftsmanship and still be marketable and desirable. Every year huge quantities of clothes are being thrown away, no longer serving the purpose they once held. This

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Interview with Kayla Satzger

31 D5 Wabi Sabi

The pre-lived nature of recycled garments forms the foundation of our collection. Rather than disguising old as new, we carefully preserved elements of the recycled garments to engage the wearer in the origins of our design and an alternative perspective on fashion and beauty.

ongoing issue is beginning to be addressed as more people realise the potential these clothes still have. It is during this project that I realised the beauty that can come from waste, redefining its meaning altogether. With this I will continue to innovate and when appropriate, consider the use of discarded clothing in my design work.

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Can you describe what it felt like as a designer to experience first-hand the clothes that are being discarded at the end of the fashion cycle? Knowing how much time and hard work goes into the process of manufacturing these garments it is truly heartbreaking to see them thrown to waste. When you’re sat at your desk sketching away hundreds of designs, running from shop to shop to find fabrics and testing construction techniques you don't for one second think about the garment being thrown away and so I think this came to me as a huge awakening. There's a reason why people call it the fashion cycle - it’s a process which turns around ending up back on itself, and what people don't realise is that a lot of the newest trends have evolved from traditional ways of dress, sometimes re-invented and other times simply re-made. Still today you see people digging through thrift stores for those old fashioned treasures in which they rework and stylise to become current. This is the process I experienced during this collection, taking

something that was no longer classed as 'fashionable' and re-working it to become something in which the fashion industry would approve. Fashion is constantly evolving and it's an exhausting process to keep up with (and not to forget expensive process) so by simply thinking deeper about what's inside your wardrobe can actually result in a surprising outcome.

Did you find yourself designing in any way differently to past projects? How so? Designing previously in my work has been a much more relaxed and care free process. I never for one second considered the amount of materials that were going to waste when working towards my final outcome. So when working on a sustainable project I had to put all the wastage into consideration and completely change the way in which I usually work. I had to really think carefully about how each piece would be constructed before I designed it, this was done by considering how each part would be pattern cut to reduce

fabric and paper wastage. I had to think of what techniques such as draping and darting could be put into my work to reduce even cutting the materials. So yes I found myself designing in many more considerate and sustainable ways. What were the biggest design challenges you faced during this project?

The biggest design challenge for me in this project had to be working with the donated garments. Trying to create a collection that looked cohesive and coordinated with one another from garments that weren't all made from the same roll of fabric was a huge challenge. As a designer you imagine the silhouettes, volumes and shapes you want to achieve before creating the designs and this became really hard to do not knowing what foundations you were going to be given in order to build your idea. It's always useful as a creative to see your materials before you build the outcome and with this project I was left with no idea of what materials I was going

to be left with from one bag to the next. Whether It was a baby's bib or and old bra, I had to make it work to the best of my ability. Having completed the project, do you feel you know more about fashion and sustainability? How do you think this might influence your future design work?

Having completed the project, I have had a huge awakening to the harsh reality that is not displayed in the shop windows of the high street. Now previously knowing about the critical effects the fashion cycle has on the earth I have completely re-evaluated my design process and feel I have evolved from this to become a more 'eco-designer' if I'm allowed to call it that! I feel my work will place its after effects more into consideration having now taught myself that you can always make something from what seems like nothing.

Interview with George Boyle

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Our collection applies weaving and construction techniques found in traditional Japanese packaging to recycled garments in order to produce pieces with zero or minimal waste. By working with these techniques our designs have embraced the imperfection of used garments through celebrating flaws and asymmetry.

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Wabi Sabi

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Outcomes

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Images left to right

Something NewOxford Circus Lounge

Contract & ReleaseOxford Circus Lounge

Dissimulation & ExposureTottenham Court Road

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37 38

Images top to bottom

Contract & Release Oxford Circus Lounge

Imperfection is BeautifulOxford Street

Images top to bottom

The Strand

Dissimulation & ExposureTottenham Court Road

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Solweig AbergFlora ButlerHaoxin ChengSevil FekriThao HoangMonta KairenaMaksims AndrejevsNicole CarrascoEun Jee ChoWen FuChristopher HowartAmon KaleChristine Barrington SmithAmari CarterKristine ChoaLisa FulchignoniYoungju ImNicole KaminskaJuliette Berrod-JeannerotAdela Carvajal QuijanoJamie CurrierAmir GhaffariJennifer IssaAaminah KaraMarine BeybudyanSin Ying CheahAnna Louise DaltonSiar HawzhenWon JeonElizabet KaynAnushree BohraYuyi ChenAlexandra De Souza E SouzaLaura HayesSuhee JeongDawn KelsoGeorge BoyleShumin Chen

Kevin Dumont FernandezJunnan HeJieun JeoungHa Lim KimFraser BrownYuting ChenQiqing FangBo Kyoung HeoNada JunyaprasertJinju KimHyunhye KimJi Soo KimGaeun KimMiju KoSerim KoCamila FukumothiKris KurthJustine Ladaique-DzierwukXuan Nga Le PhamDa Yun LeeHyeon Ju LeeKyu Ho LeeYueqi LiXiao LiJihoon LimWei Qi LimDong Yun LimXuanyuan LiuYuntao MaJulia MaireBen MakMadison MarcantonatosJoaquin Marco OterosJessamy MattinsonKhosrov MelkonyanPaulina MuenzingGrace MummeryJeraldine Ng

Thuy Linh NguyenBasil David NormanJakub NowickiDeborah Nzebele MakobaYifeng PanMaisie PearsonJubin PeeClaire PengTianyue PiAlice PonsSamasti RaiJaehwa RheeCabrini RoyKayla SatzgerYongju SeoJihyun SeokSo Hui SeokRoman Serra CisnerosYihan ShaoRumkumari SherchanKyung Won ShinQuanrong SongYiyang SongBianca TegliaMiaochen TianLana ToskanHei Yu TsoiMia WallingtonPriscilla WanIsabella WinthropGexuan WuJialin WuJiajia XiaPei YangSunbin YangLudan ZhangStefan Zylko

39 Participants 40

Published September 2016-09-05 Centre for Sustainable Fashion

Project Lead: Renée Cuoco

Publication Editor: Renée Cuoco

Publication Design: Kind Studio

Course Leader: Shee Fun Chan

Tutors: Louise Gray, Kevin Geddes, Henderson McCue, Sally Pittman, Susie Sweeney, Philippa Hino, Marcus Constable, Terry Finnigan, Abigail Jones, Lizzie Harrison & Michelle Lowe-Holder, Anne McCloy

www.sustainable-fashion.com