Abstract
Fashion is a non-sustainable industry. One of the largest industries globally, fashion is considered one of the greatest polluters in the world – it contributes 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, it generates nearly 20% of global water waste, and it produces yearly massive quantities of textile waste. Despite the efforts of researchers or pioneers at various levels of the industry, changes seem to take place slowly and isolated. Assuming that a real change in the industry must happen from the very initial stage of creation – the way we think and conceive fashion, this paper takes a closer look at the fashion design process. As studio-oriented research, the paper focuses on the designer's work and highlights the designer's responsibility during the multiple phases of creation. From concept development to materials sourcing, from recycling/re-using/repairing strategies to the new technologies of production, from slow fashion movement to multifunctional garments design – sustainable oriented actions must occur simultaneously at each stage of the design process. The conventional phases of fashion thinking are re-evaluated, embedding sustainable concerns into the studio standard processes. Relevant solutions and examples of best practices are further illustrated and analyzed. Emphasizing the importance of seeing sustainability as an integrated part of the design process, the paper aims to adjust the fashion designer’s mindset to function as a catalyst for the industry’s transformation. Keywords: sustainability, fashion design process, sustainable solutions, studio practice DOI: 10.7176/ADS/81-03 Publication date: March 31 st 2020
Highlights
Fashion is one of the largest industries globally – the global fashion industry values 3,000 billion dollars and 2 percent of the world’s GDP (Fashion United)
This paper aims to outline the fashion designer’s input in the movement for a more sustainable industry – it focuses on the fashion design creative process
The terminology proposed here covers the cornerstones of any fashion design process: the theme and inspiration, the concept development, the materials, the techniques and technologies involved, 3D exercises and prototyping, finishing, product further developments, and presentation
Summary
Fashion is one of the largest industries globally – the global fashion industry values 3,000 billion dollars and 2 percent of the world’s GDP (Fashion United). A fashion thinking that integrates sustainable concerns requires designer's involvement in sourcing, in selecting fabrics and finishing techniques, in garments construction and manufacturing processes, in collaborating www.iiste.org with patternmakers, technicians, product developers, etc. It requires an increased focus on customer habits and needs: how their customers purchase, how they wear the pieces, how they care and maintain them, how they discard them, etc. The terminology proposed here covers the cornerstones of any fashion design process: the theme and inspiration, the concept development, the materials, the techniques and technologies involved, 3D exercises and prototyping, finishing, product further developments, and presentation These phases initiated in the designer’s studio and carried on further to the production stage (when industrial production applies), will be labeled here as:. Taylor Stitch initiated the “Restitch" program, which collects the worn out pieces, to clean them, repair and eventually turn them into new-designs to be re-sold
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