Design
For the Rebel Tartan Project I want to expand on my first project which was about surgical cutting techniques. To develop this idea, I’m going to look into zero waste pattern cutting techniques as although my final piece was not zero waste the simple shape could be easily altered to reduce waste. I’m not completely convinced on zero waste as I think a garment can sometimes be made with less fabric but with some waste, I suppose it’s what you do with the waste that’s important. Could they be used as facings or made into another product/garment etc.
This is the short statement which explains what I intend to do;
I want to explore zero waste/low waste pattern cutting techniques, addressing the issue of waste within fashion. I'm interested in garment's such as the kimono which are made from simple shapes with minimal seams. Using surgical cutting techniques, folding and pleating to manipulate the fabric into a silhouette. The tartan pattern can also be altered by hiding certain sections (under pleats/folds etc) or cutting on the bias.
After the tutorial I wasn’t sure whether to change to something else which aligns with my main project more, but I think I want to explore these ideas further as I didn’t thoroughly explore sustainability when I did the surgical cutting project. As an outcome I could remake the original jacket in tartan, seeing how the pattern can be altered by the folds, as well as produce some mini toiles of other garments.
Research
This week we focused on sustainability and how there are two paths towards it. One being Technological progress and the other living with less. Whilst technological progress seems to be the easiest root I feel it only covers the problem rather than address it directly. But living with less isn’t as attractive because it means we all need to make difficult changes. Earth logics statement about a different system which puts the ‘health and survival of the planet given precedence over business interests’ is a good example of an alternative system for sustainability.
We looked at the statement ‘The most sustainable garment is the one already in your wardrobe’, which I both agree and disagree with. On one hand this statement reduces waste and pollution caused by the fashion industry. But on the other many people work in every stage of garment production and rely on consumerism for jobs. For example, the farmers, designers, factory workers, those who work in transport and shop workers.
Another thing we looked at was an article about Primark's sustainable collection. When high street brands such as Primark or H&M create ‘sustainable’ garments it's difficult to figure out of this is a good or bad. For a company to state something is sustainable it can refer to anything, whether that the fabric is simply organic for example or the whole process (design/production/end of life) is sustainable. As a customer we don’t have time or the effort to look deeply into this when buying a garment. We simply see that the label states its sustainable, so therefore must be good. But many brands use sustainability as more of a marketing tool, a trend or buzz word people look for when shopping. Collections like this one from Primark are used to increase sales which in itself makes the collection unsustainable. But the fact they are doing something to address it rather than not could be seen as a good thing. My project is focusing on sustainable ready-to-wear, one of the reasons I chose this market is because for an item to be truly sustainable in many aspects it increases the cost and reduces the quantity made. It seems an easier option to achieve what I want. But these garments aren't achievable for the average working-class customer. So, for brands like H&M or Primark it seems impossible to achieve the same level of sustainability without compromising on price/profit under the current consumerism model. A different model which prioritises sustaining jobs and the environment over making profit, could help the industry be more sustainable. But this takes a massive shift in the way things work, which isn't as easy as waiting for someone to invent a solution. I could investigate these ideas further as part of my research.