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Abstract
There is startling evidence that we now have a waste problem - too much waste, limited resources and the over-consumption of products- in particular, fashion and clothing that is discarded and thrown into the landfill. We are using technology to create faster, bigger, more, cheaper, disposable products. Technological innovation has accelerated the process of designing and selling clothes so that clothes now lack value, creativity, craftsmanship and are designed for obsolescence. Current industry practices have placed pressure on fashion designers to create for price and profit rather than quality, craft or innovation. In an increasingly mobile society and workforce, individuals lack a sense of belonging and attachment to place, things, or culture. People have little connection to the clothing worn and removed from the manufacture of the products they purchase.
This research dissertation critically examines the fashion cycle and supply chain to highlight its inefficiencies and waste, fashion practices and the role of technology in developing fashion and clothing. The research addresses alternative working models and creative strategies that could augur the way toward a more democratic, participatory, and socially conscious industry and enable contemporary fashion designers the relevant skills to become sustainable practitioners in the design and production of fashion clothing.
Through practice-based research, it has investigated a range of materials, fabrications, and processes such as handcraft techniques, along with digital technologies including 3D prototyping and printing. Experimental and exploratory research methods have been used to create a series of artefacts that minimize resources, consider product lifecycle, to create value in clothes that encourage consumers to keep, use less, repair and then recycle their garments.