Aesthetics of Smocking Stitches in Zero-Waste Innovative Fashion Design

Abstract

Zero-waste fashion design offers ways to eliminate the textile waste that occurs in garment production. As a design method within a larger philosophy of zero-waste fashion, a fashion system that creates no waste, it provides new perspectives for fashion design practice in the context of sustainability. Zero-waste fashion design challenges traditional ways of designing while facilitating innovative ways to design and fresh aesthetics to emerge. The terms “zero-waste fashion design” or “fashion design without fabric waste” may seem to imply that fabric waste as a criterion is more significant than appearance, fit or cost. However, in designing and making a zero-waste garment, one needs to balance the concern about fabric wastage with concerns about garment appearance, fit and cost. Most of the challenges encountered in this research arose from trying to achieve this balance. During designing, the most challenging issue relating to fit arose from garments described as “square-cut”. So, smocking is used to control fullness of the fabric, such as around the yokes, sleeves and waists. Plus smoking can also be incorporated into the garment as an insert by creating gathers and enhances elasticity in garments. The present research aims to create fashion designs without fabric waste by using smocking stitches to enhance the appearance and achieve new aesthetic perspectives.