Garment one:
Garment two:
Conclusion & Reflection
At the beginning of my semester one project, I set out to create sustainable home-wear for creatives. This led me to come across the work of Kate Fletcher. Her research gave me a new perspective on sustainability in fashion and what designers can contribute rather than relying on textile solutions. The research from the semester was the starting point of this project as I was now trying to translate it into a collection or product range. This was a very vague starting point as I had no idea what I would be making with no visual research but only a strategy on sustainability. The first few weeks of this project was therefore quite challenging for me as I was trying to pinpoint what this collection was going to be and look like. I think that A breakthrough was when I found Celia Pym’s work as I was fascinated by the beauty and story within her work. From there I was able to focus in on a jumper product range which gave me a clearer vision for my research. Throughout the rest of the project, I still had a lot of ups and downs of feeling confident in a new idea and then changing directions again when new thoughts and research emerged. This made it quite a stressful process as I was never quite sure of what the outcome was going to be. When I added in my personal story of my grandmother and her work everything finally came together. I finally found an application for all the textile experimentation I had done. The rest of the project was simply about carrying out the work on the two second-hand garments and slowly watching them transform and making some decisions on colour and materials along the way.
Overall, I am happy with the outcome of this project because I was able to capture my brief and create something meaningful to me that challenges the way we use clothing. The time-consuming nature of each piece and the fact there can never be another piece exactly like it means it is not very commercial. However, this very individual and personal feel is part of their beauty. Fashion nowadays is so fast-moving that the amount of time that went into each piece is a wonderful contrast. This longevity and slow-paced feel is something that I think people will be drawn to especially in times of great change and uncertainty. Therefore, the ideal outcome of this project would be not to produce and sell these pieces but rather educate consumers to create their own and give their old garments a new life. During my process, I was intentionally using techniques that are low-tech and can be done with very little equipment and space. This was demonstrated by the fact that most of my collection was created from inside my bedroom. This also ties back nicely to the work-from-home-wear theme I had in mind for this project.
Moving forward I want to continue with this type of work because I think I have found an area that works well for me and that I want to explore further. I would like to find a way to turn this into a brand that doesn’t promote consumption but focuses on extensive and elongated use. As suggested during my presentation this may be done through educational content or workshops for customers, making the craft and skills the focus rather than trying to simply sell a final product.
This year has transformed my perspective on fashion and the role of a designer and led me to find my place in the industry. I’m glad that I was able to turn this pandemic into an opportunity for change and innovation.