RECONSTRUCTION - Redress Design Award

RECONSTRUCTIONSUSTAINABLE FASHION EDUCATOR PACKCREATED BY REDRESS

TOPIC 4

OVERVIEW - A note to educators - Learning outcomes - Why should students learn reconstruction design?

INTRODUCTION | 15 mins - What are the issues surrounding textile waste? - What is reconstruction design? - Learn more about reconstruction

CASE STUDIES | 6-8 mins each - Martin Margiela - Christopher Ræburn - Mikan by Clementine Sandner

EXERCISES | 20 mins each - Garment comparison - Analysing damage in garments

PROJECT BRIEFS | 1 day - 2 weeks timeframe - Creating a new look using secondhand garments - Reconstruction with unwanted jeans - Be inspired by Margiela - Analysing garment construction - Reconstructed uniform shirt project

RECONSTRUCTIONCONTENTS

CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT PLEASE THINK BEFORE YOU PRINT

On the cover: Outfit designed by Redress Design Award Alumni Amy Ward for the 2015/16 competition cycle.

SUSTAINABLE FASHION EDUCATOR PACKCOPYRIGHT © REDRESS 2018

REDRESSDESIGNAWARD.COM | 1

A NOTE TO EDUCATORSThis pack contains entry-level educational materials to enable educators in higher education to deliver an introduction to the topic of reconstruction design - a sustainable design technique and one of the overarching design principles of the Redress Design Award.

The pack provides tools and resources to introduce the topic to students, including ready-to-use slide shows provided with talking points and links to relevant videos, with an aim to minimise time spent on research and preparation.

Content within this pack provides a minimum of one-hour’s teaching materials. In addition, out-of-class project briefs of varying lengths are provided to supplement content.

LEARNING OUTCOMESStudents will: - Become familiar with the issues surrounding textile waste - Gain an understanding of the sustainable design technique, reconstruction, and its

commercial application to the wider industry - Understand how this technique can contribute towards the reduction of negative

environmental impacts from the fashion industry through the use of garment waste or surplus textiles

- Gain an understanding of the relationship between rising consumption in fashion and a corresponding increase in garment waste

- Become familiar with different approaches of how to source waste textiles.

WHY SHOULD STUDENTS LEARN RECONSTRUCTION DESIGN? - To try out a fun, experimental design technique - To understand the economic advantages in using unwanted garments in design

rather than purchase new materials - To discover how using clothing waste can trigger unexpected inspiration and lead to

unique outcomes - To appreciate that creative sourcing of textile waste can provide engaging story

telling opportunities for communication with customers.

RECONSTRUCTIONOVERVIEW



A NOTE TO EDUCATORS

You are strongly advised to present the issues of textile waste outlined below to students before introducing the sustainable design technique. This will help students to gain context and understanding on the wider challenges faced by the fashion industry and will provide deeper rationale for them to learn and utilise the techniques.

However, this section covering – ‘What are the issues surrounding textile waste?’ is replicated from ‘Topic 1: Garment’s Lifecycle.’ If you have already delivered the content from this topic to your students, please use the beginning of the lecture to remind them of the issues surrounding textile waste, and the missed potential in throwing textiles and their embedded resources away.

As with the main lecture content, you have been provided with a number of slides that support the introduction to the topic in talking points outlined below. You may also choose to use ‘Redress Design Award Reconstruction Tutorial’ video (linked in the lecture notes on p.9) as a visual support and to find more references using the links for further reading.

RECONSTRUCTIONINTRODUCTION



- Textile waste is increasingly a serious environmental threat. In recent years, the acceleration of the fashion supply chain and changing consumer attitudes towards fashion as a disposable commodity has contributed to the large levels of textile waste generated worldwide.

- In China, the total annual production of textile waste is estimated to be over 20 million tonnes.1

WHAT ARE THE ISSUES SURROUNDING TEXTILE WASTE?

Slideshow #T4RC-01-1

- In the European Union 9.4 billion tonnes of textiles are either landfilled or incinerated annually.3


- An estimated 1.13 million tonnes of end-of-life clothing are no longer wanted by UK consumers each year, and 350,000 tonnes of them goes to landfill, an estimated £140 million worth.2





TEXTILE WASTE is generally categorised as:

- PRE-CONSUMER WASTE This is made up of manufacturing waste that has not reached the consumer, including:

∙ Textile swatches - leftover textile samples from production ∙ Cut-and-sew textiles - textile scraps

generated during garment manufacturing ∙ End-of-rolls - factory surplus waste left over from garment manufacturing ∙ Sampling yardage - factory surplus waste leftover from textile sample

manufacturing ∙ Damaged textiles – unused textiles that have been damaged, for example with

colour or print defects ∙ Unsold clothing - clothing waste (finished or unfinished) that has not been sold ∙ Clothing samples - part-finished or finished clothing samples from the design

and production of clothing, which have not be worn by consumers.


- POST-CONSUMER WASTE This is waste collected after the consumer has disposed of it, including:

∙ Secondhand clothing – any clothing or fashion accessories that have been owned and then discarded by consumers (both used and unused)

∙ Secondhand textiles – any finished non-clothing textiles (such as curtains, bedding etc) that have been owned and then discarded by consumers (both used and unused).






- Millions of tonnes of pre-consumer textiles are wasted every year before clothing has even reached the consumer. If we look at the lifecycle of a garment at the production stage, there are many processes where waste is created.

∙ Prior to production, within the industry it is common practice to order an extra 10-20% of

fabric than needed to ensure a sufficient amount for production, allowing for any fabric discrepancies such as fabric defects or differences in quantities delivered. This is because the exact calculation of fabric yields – the material needed for a single garment, is usually done after fabric orders have been placed.4

∙ A large amount of textile waste is generated during the manufacturing stage, averaging at 25% of the fabrics and fibres used in production, but this figure can reach as high as 47%.5 Taking into consideration global clothing production waste, this means a huge amount of textiles intended for clothes instead becomes cut-and-sew waste through pattern cutting, or as end-of-roll textile waste.





- Focusing in on post-consumer waste, the average consumer now buys 60% more clothing items a year and keeps them for about half as long as 15 years ago.6 As fashion consumption rises, so does waste. However, many of the clothes entering our landfills are of good quality or still in good condition and represent a loss of valuable materials.


∙ After the manufacturing of garments, overorders of fabrics are sometimes sold to third parties, put into storage, discarded or even destroyed.

- Textile waste, whether pre-consumer or post-consumer, is considered to be almost 100% reusable or recyclable,7 but textile recovery rates remain relatively low. There is a growing focus on reducing textile waste around the world as waste management systems and limited landfill space become a global environmental concern.

- In recent years, a move towards circular models in manufacturing proves that it makes poor business sense to dispose of waste textiles. By incorporating waste back into the supply chain as ‘raw materials’, the circular model helps companies reduce waste, reuse valuable resources, and save costs on virgin materials at the same time.






- There is no limit to this design technique. Deconstructed garments can be reused in a variety of ways to maximise use of textiles - even misshapen or damaged garments can be transformed by pushing the boundaries of creativity. After deconstruction, fabrics can be draped, cut using pattern blocks; or completely new fabrics can be created through ripping

and shredding. However, a good quality, well constructed finish is key to the final reconstructed piece, as no one wants their ‘new’ garment to look like a hand-me-down!

- In recent years, the rate of clothing consumption has increased drastically, driven by a fast turnover of trends and by lower costs - over the last 20 years in the UK, the cost of clothing has halved.8 As fashion consumption rises, so does waste, but many of the clothes entering our landfills are still in good condition, and represent a loss of valuable materials. After use, less than 1% of material used to produce clothing is recycled into new clothing. This take-make-dispose model leads to an economic value loss of over $500 billion per year.9 Just imagine the global economic savings of recovering used clothes from landfill for reuse in the supply chain.

Slideshow #T4RC-02

WHAT IS RECONSTRUCTION DESIGN?

RECONSTRUCTION is a form of up-cycling and is the process of making new clothes from waste formed of previously worn garments or preformed finished clothing products. This process involves first deconstructing garments and then reconstructing the waste materials into new designs.




- Before reconstruction, the first consideration should always be reuse - reusing clothes as they are, is the most environmentally friendly option. According to Kate Fletcher, Professor of Sustainability, Design, Fashion at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion, University of the Arts London, “the energy used to collect, sort and resell secondhand garments is between 10-20 times less than that needed to make a new item.” 10

- If there is limited potential for reuse, for example with clothes that are out of fashion, damaged garments or clothing samples, then reconstruction brings a lot of benefits. This technique can prolong the textile’s lifecycle, reduce unnecessary new textile production, thereby reducing the demand on natural resources and pressure on landfills by creating a demand for secondhand garments.

- Extending the life of clothing by an extra nine months of active use would reduce carbon, waste and water footprints by around 4-10% each.11

- By creatively using reconstruction design to bring products to market, we can provide consumers with alternatives to the more unsustainable cycle of fashion production and consumption. It is essential for consumers to also be part of the change of the current unsustainable patterns of the fashion industry. More choice allows consumers to make more responsible decisions, and because secondhand clothing may not appeal to all consumer groups, reconstruction has the potential to appeal to much wider audiences as garments constructed in this way are more often viewed as new than secondhand. With reconstruction there is also more possibility for scalability through the use of common garments in design.




LEARN MORE ABOUT RECONSTRUCTIONThese additional resources can used by educators and students alike, to enrich knowledge and understanding of the reconstruction design technique.

Redress Design Award Reconstruction Tutorial | youtu.be/YDkO52LG-U8 - This 4.5 minute video gives an introduction to different approaches to reconstruction

design, and includes interviews with designers who use the technique.

Reconstruction Design Technique Guide | www.redressdesignaward.com/learn - This PDF guide gives an introduction to different approaches to reconstruction design

and includes brands, designers and project examples and designer case studies.

A Designer’s Guide to Reconstruction with Wan & Wong Fashionwww.redressdesignaward.com/learn

- This guide features a step-by-step making process of a reconstructed design by Wan & Wong Fashion’s Kelvin Wan and Joyce Wong through a series of images.

Reading Referenceswww.redressdesignaward.com/learn/additional-resources/

- This website provides additional resources.




A NOTE TO EDUCATORS

You can choose to present any, or all, of the following three case studies as examples of approaches to reconstruction design. You have been provided with slides and talking points to support each case study.

After presenting a case study, you are encouraged to discuss with students the successes of the brand or designer as well as the potential limitations of their particular approach to reconstruction design. These questions will help guide your discussions:

- How is reconstruction design different to conventional fashion design, for example, at design, mock-up, cutting and making stages?

- How does the designer’s particular approach to reconstruction determine the style of their designs?

- Do you think the source of textile waste the designer uses influences their design concept? If so, how?

- How do you think the designer deconstructed the original pieces? For example, by undoing the seams? Shredding? Or perhaps cutting from garment blocks? How does the method of deconstruction affect the final look? How might it the deconstruction process affect production if made in larger scale?

RECONSTRUCTIONCASE STUDIES



- Are the pieces that the designer creates only suitable as one-off, bespoke designs, or is there a possibility to reproduce?

- What would be the main differences in overall production between creating one-off or bespoke designs and reproducible designs when using the reconstruction technique?

- How does reconstruction affect the brand image, creativity and sales?

- Would communicating reconstruction as part of a sustainable fashion story help to make the brand or designer stand out from the crowd?

RECONSTRUCTIONCASE STUDIES



RECONSTRUCTIONCASE STUDY 1 | MARTIN MARGIELA

“Margiela proved that you could make things out of nothing, and that’s a very comforting idea for the world.”

- Olivier Saillard, Fashion Historian

CASE STUDY 1 | MARTIN MARGIELA

Slideshow #T4RC-03-1Image credit: Maison Margiela



Martin Margiela is a Belgian fashion designer who graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in 1979.

He worked for Jean Paul Gaultier and Hermès before he founded his fashion house, Maison Martin Margiela, in 1988 (now known as Maison Margiela). He left the label in 2009 and John

Galliano is the current Creative Director.

His design approach is often considered as controversial. Belgium Fashion entrepreneur Geert Bruloot said, “Fashion then [in the ’80s] was bold colours, wide shoulders; everything was extravagant. Martin came along with ripped sleeves, frayed hems, clumpy shoes — we were still talking about stilettos!” 12

His love of extravagant proportions, visible garment construction detailing and raw finishes showed through consistently in his fashion career.

Equally, his approach to the presentation of his work, such as his shows, often challenged the norms that editors and buyers of the time were used to. He often presented his collections with models’ faces covered in order that his clothes spoke for themselves. Despite the flamboyancy in his work, he himself is low-key, and is sometimes described as ‘fashion’s invisible designer’. He has never appeared in his shows, is rarely photographed, nor does he give interviews.

His trademark of deconstructing vintage clothing and accessories for use in his designs first placed reconstruction in the professional and commercial fashion scene.





Margiela is also renowned for reconstructing unconventional materials, from car seatbelts, to vintage leather gloves and old shoes into his work.

For example, for his SS2007 collection, he used pairs of vintage basketball shoes to create an artisanal waistcoat. He opened up the shoes, removing the soles and laying the pieces flat on

a dummy to assemble the garment. He retained the original features of the sneakers, such as the metal eyelets and shoelaces, as features of his design. When reconstructing, Margiela often does this, keeping the original details of the garments or objects visible in his work.



His sock sweater, originally created in 1991, was made up of several pairs of surplus vintage military socks that were turned into this perfectly tailored garment. Some considered his use of recovered materials, such as this design, as an ‘anti-fashion’ statement. The sock sweater became one of his most iconic designs and was later ‘replicated’ in a mass when the fashion house collaborated with

H&M in 2012. Although this collection was not manufactured using waste textiles, the replication of this idea demonstrates the appreciation and commercial value of the aesthetic as well as the authenticity of reconstruction design.




A DIY version of the sock sweater was also published in A Magazine curated by Maison Martin Margiela in June 2004.




ADDITIONAL RESOURCESMaison Martin Margiela (2009), Maison Martin MargielaA Magazine curated by Maison Martin Margiela (2004) | amagazinecuratedby.comYOOX Group (2015), The Artist Is Absent: A Short Film On Martin Margiela

youtu.be/ulRtoMwxbHM




“I was always interested in reusing items and rethinking problems; the result has been a different approach to fashion and, more specif-ically, clothing manufacture.”

- Christopher Ræburn

Slideshow #T4RC-04-1Image credit: Christopher Ræburn

CASE STUDY 2 | CHRISTOPHER RÆBURN

RECONSTRUCTIONCASE STUDY 2 | CHRISTOPHER RÆBURN



Christopher Ræburn is a British designer. He graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2006.

He showcased his first collection of his namesake brand at London Fashion Week in 2008 using British Army parachutes as his main source of textile, to create both womenswear and menswear.

He is famous for his reconstruction of military surplus, such as parachutes, military parkas and jackets - a process which he calls re-appropriation.

Functionality and sustainability are the DNA of his brand. In addition to the reuse of surplus and waste textiles, Ræburn also makes his products in the UK to support local manufacturing. Every reconstructed piece produced under his label, carries a label that says ‘Remade in England’ and are limited edition, constructed in-house in the brand’s studio in London.


He says, “My stuff is about good design, produced in England. It’s a very happy accident that it’s also ethical. I didn’t set out with that as the primary goal; it came out of my creative work, and of wanting to use this particular fabric. But the clothes are well made and will last, so as well as the recycled aspect, there’s something inherently ethical about them. I definitely have

a different outlook from those people working to develop new organic cotton or hemp material. For me it’s about re-appropriation.” 13





One especially interesting reconstructed collection was his AW2010 collection. Inspired by British battle dress jackets, Cold War camouflage ponchos, Swedish snow cotton, and battered Italian leather military jackets, the resulting collection is a range of innovative and contemporary outerwear reconstructed from de-commissioned military parachutes which

have since became his brand signature.

Under the same collection, the women’s ‘Inuit Coat’ was featured in US Vogue, photographed by Mario Testino, further propelling the brand onto the global fashion scene.


His design approach is often led by the garment research and by the process of deconstruction itself, even the shape and the silhouette of his designs are developed depending on the original source of textile, rather than being cut and molded to the design. Original details are also integrated into new garments to give uniqueness and originality.


Several salvaged Royal Navy life rafts formed the story of his more recent collection - AW2015. Ræburn saw huge potential in these rafts and deconstructed them for use in a range of men’s parkas, bombers and accessories. Of the potential of the fabrics, Ræburn said “they [the rafts] are unused but past their sell-by date, and they are amazing things.” 14




ADDITIONAL RESOURCESChristopher Ræburn | www.christopherraeburn.co.ukLondon Fashion Review, Christopher Ræburn - A British Fashion Label

www.fashionreview.co.uk/christopher-raeburn-fashion

Making use of the upper section of the rafts in a playful way (a stark contrast to the original somber utility of bright colours for visibility in rough seas), Ræburn created paneled parkas and bomber jackets mixing the luminous bright yellows and oranges for a range of men’s parkas, bombers and accessories such as the shark clutch and bag.

A video of the AW2015 catwalk show is available here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPrif2Cr-o0

He has been widely recognised by the industry for his innovative designs. In 2012, Christopher Ræburn was the first designer to be awarded NEWGEN sponsorship for both menswear and womenswear, and in 2011, he won the British Fashion Award for Emerging Talent, Menswear.

He has also collaborated with a number of other brands on the reconstruction theme, for example, in 2013 he teamed up with Rapha, the British performance cycle wear brand, to create a capsule collection using deconstructed parachutes. In 2014, he worked together with Porter, the Japanese rucksack company, to create a ‘Remade in Japan’ limited collection combining de-commissioned military uniforms with Porter’s vintage fabrics.




“Don’t throw away what once was beautiful, make it born again.”

CASE STUDY 3 |

Slideshow #T4RC-05-1Image credit: Clémentine Sandner

MIKAN BY CLEMENTINE SANDNER

RECONSTRUCTIONCASE STUDY 3 | MIKAN BY CLEMENTINE SANDNER



Clémentine Sandner is a Japan based French designer. She is also an alumni of the Redress Design Award.

She started her sustainable fashion brand Mikan by Clementine Sandner in 2014 after finishing her Masters study in the A.M.I. (Accessing Mode Identity) programme at ESMOD Tokyo.

The brand focuses on the reconstruction of vintage silk kimonos, sourced from flea markets around Japan, mixed with modern, high-performance sports fabrics to create unisex garments and accessories.

The brand is positioned as “Athleisure Apparels. Unisex. Unique.”

With a strong ethical ethos, the brand keeps production local and has a strong connection with all the products made by small artisans in Japan. Due to the nature of the vintage materials used, the products are often one-off pieces or limited edition runs.

Mikan by Clementine Sandner has stockists in Kyoto, Paris and Hong Kong. Pop-up shows are also held regularly so that the designer can directly connect with customers, which she sees as an important channel to communicate her brand message. The brand operates in this way, with small scale production and personal connection to customers, enabling a unique business model.





The designer is deeply inspired by the traditional prints and colours on vintage kimonos, in particular prints relating to nature, which she incorporates into her designs. She also specifically sources vintage obi (the belt used with kimono) if she wants to use thicker and more sturdy fabrics, for example, for use in her backpacks.

Sandner unpicks kimonos, then washes and sometimes dyes them using a traditional indigo dye house or in-house natural dyeing methods, which she finds particularly useful to rescue more of the original garments if they are old and stained. She also sometimes plays with modern print techniques, such as retroreflective prints, to modernise the original kimono print designs. These beautiful fabrics are then incorporated alongside sustainable textiles to create modern pieces.


The brand designs contemporary, sporty and functional collections to appeal to young people, aiming to bring the traditional kimono into everyday modern lives. It describes its collections as “street yet sophisticated designs that are a perfect blend of yesterday and tomorrow.” 15

Clémentine Sandner has showed collections at Tokyo and Hong Kong Fashion Weeks.


ADDITIONAL RESOURCESMikan by Clementine Sandner | clementinesandner.comRedress Design Award Alumni | www.redressdesignaward.com/alumni/




A NOTE TO EDUCATORS

For each exercise, you are provided with guidelines including its goals, length and instructions to execute. You are advised to complete the exercises with students in class. You can complete exercises after the main lecture content, or you may choose to do them at the start of the session before you introduce the technique and case studies to allow initial engagement with the subject through practical exploration.

Where applicable, exercises are supplemented with exercise sheets and slides to help with delivery. Each exercise is complemented with questions to guide the debrief with your students.

RECONSTRUCTIONEXERCISES



TOPICGARMENT COMPARISON

TIME 20 mins (allow extra time for debriefing)

DISCIPLINEAll fashion related courses

TOOLS - A4 printout of the comparison table

of two garments (see Exercise Sheet #T4RC-06-2)

- 1 men’s shirt - 1 dress

GOALTo gain an understanding on how certain aspects of clothing such as quality, style, construction, influence the reusability and up-scalability for reconstruction

INSTRUCTIONS FOR EDUCATORS1. Get students to break out into groups of four. 2. Provide the printout of the comparison table to each group (see Exercise Sheet

#T4RC-06-2)3. Task them to discuss potential usability of each garment for reconstruction into new

designs by comparing the strengths and limitations of each garment based on the following factors: ∙ Fibre type ∙ Fabric quality ∙ Garment construction ∙ Ease of deconstruction ∙ Ability to source the garments in large quantities

4. Allow 15 minutes for the group discussion.

DEBRIEFING NOTES - Fibre type:

∙ How does the fibre type affect the recyclability? For example, there is not yet a technology to effectively separate blended fibre garments for recycling. Currently, only 100% cotton, polyester and wool are the most widely recycled fibres, however, there is only a small proportion of this fibre being used commercially, mainly due to cost and technology constraints.

RECONSTRUCTIONEXERCISE 1



- Fabric quality: ∙ How might the fabric qualities affect and potentially determine the style of the

newly constructed piece? For example, would delicate or old and deteriorating fabrics be suitable to be reconstructed? How do the fabrics drape and hang on these garments? Would it help to study this when thinking of their potential to be new reconstructed designs?

- Garment construction: ∙ Will the original garment construction dictate the style of a new reconstructed

piece? Why and why not? For example, a tailored jacket can be deconstructed and used with elements of the original jacket shown in the new piece, but at the same time the jacket also has the potential to be completely transformed by it being shredded and reconstructed into a new piece of fabric.

- Ease of deconstruction: ∙ Will the ease of deconstruction affect the cost or time needed to make the new

reconstructed piece, and what might be the difference if manufacturing is taken to a large scale?

- Ability to source the garments in large quantities: ∙ How do the two garments compare in terms of ease of sourcing as secondhand

garments, unsold stock or samples and how this might also affect production in mass scale?

- Finally, ask students how they think this exercise might have helped them to understand what to look for when creating reconstruction designs.




Ideally, educators should source two used or secondhand garments similar to the ones suggested to show in class so that students feel the fabrics of the garments and look at the construction. This should be one everyday, easy-to-source clothing item which is made of a single fibre, such as a 100% cotton men’s shirt; and another clothing item with a more complicated construction that contains lining, a mix of fibres and with multiple trims, such as a party dress.

As an alternative you can show the items by using the slide provided (See slide #T4RC-06-1).

REFERENCES

Slideshow #T4RC-06-1Reconstruction Exercise 1: Garment Comparison

Exercise Sheet #T4RC-06-2Reconstruction Exercise 1: Garment Comparison




TOPICANALYSING DAMAGE IN GARMENTS

TIME 20 mins (allow extra time for debriefing)

DISCIPLINEAll fashion related courses

TOOLS - Damaged garments - A4 printout of questions

(see Exercise Sheet #T4RC-07)

GOALTo understand how wear and tear impacts clothing throughout the consumer use phase, and how designer and brand initiatives can help reduce unnecessary additional environmental impacts through the early disposal of garments.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR EDUCATORS1. In preparation for the exercise, ask students in advance to each bring in a damaged

item of clothing from their own wardrobe. The item could, for example, be a cardigan that has a hole, a knitted top with a pulled thread or perhaps a shirt with a stain.

2. Get students to break out into groups of four to five. 3. Ask them to discuss the questions below and complete their answers in the printout

provided: ∙ Are there any common problems identified from the group’s damaged garments? ∙ What were the possible causes of the damage from each garment? ∙ How could the damage have been avoided? ∙ Is there anything that could have been done at the design stage to minimise

damage, or could a solution for consumers to rework damage as it occurs have been provided? If so, what are possible options?

4. Allow 15 minutes for the discussion.




DEBRIEFING NOTES - Are there any common problems with the group’s damaged garments?

∙ What were the possible causes of the damage? ∙ Why it is important to understand garment damage and how does the analysis

of damage help designers, product developers and brands to develop new, better products?

- How could the damage have been avoided? ∙ Do the quality of garments play a big part in the damage? ∙ Can designers or brands play a role in educating their customers on how to better

care and maintain their garments. ∙ Could increasing emotional attachment between consumer and their clothes be a

solution?

- Is there anything that could have been done at the design stage to minimise damage or provide a solution for consumers to rework damage as it occurs? If so, what are possible options? ∙ Lead students to think about the design stage, for example, strengthening areas

in the garment that are prone to damage, sourcing better materials, creating detachable pieces to allow replacement of active use parts.

∙ In addition, what are ways to ensure that consumers take better care and maintain their garments? For example, brands can offer tips for care or instructions for simple alterations and repair, or the brand provides the service themselves.

- You can also share the following findings with the students to aid discussions: A 2012 report by WRAP in the UK found that almost half [of the respondents] own at least one item of clothing which they have not worn because of wear and tear (46%).16




∙ This includes items which have worn out (16%), those that need repairing (also 16%) and those where some other aspect has failed, such as the zip or elastic (14%).

∙ Nearly one third said they would bring more unused clothing back into use if they had the necessary skills or time to repair or alter clothes.

∙ Nearly one in five people could use over half of their unworn clothes if they were repaired (19%), this equates to around 166 million clothing items.

REFERENCE

Exercise Sheet #T4RC-07Reconstruction Exercise 2: Analysing Damage in Garments




A NOTE TO EDUCATORS

You can choose any of the following five projects to help ensure a deeper understanding of the topic with students. We are thrilled to include a project contributed by Jay Quek, Senior Lecturer of Fashion Design, Raffles Design Institute, Singapore, who is part of our global network of educators and experts championing the move towards sustainable fashion. The inclusion of their important work further supports our learning platform and encourages the sharing of best practices across the world. We hope you will draw inspiration from their contribution to your teaching!

For each project brief, you are provided with guidelines which include the brief itself, the goal of the project and the deliverables. The layout of the brief is in a ready-to-print format, which you may choose to print directly and share with your students. Or, you may prefer to adapt the content -changing the length and adjusting the deliverables of the project to fit in to your own syllabus. You can also add assessment criteria depending on your course requirements. We advise that you ask students to do a presentation at the end of the project to allow them to reflect and review on their learnings and share with one another.

RECONSTRUCTIONPROJECT BRIEFS



TOPICCREATING A NEW LOOK USING SECONDHAND GARMENTS

TIME 1 week

DISCIPLINEDesign, Styling, Communications

GOALTo understand the value of used, out-dated clothing for reuse in a contemporary setting, and to broaden experience in different types of textile sourcing

BRIEFSource secondhand garments that are no longer in style and use them to create one look either for yourself or for a friend based on a current fashion trend, for example, taking inspiration from colour, silhouette, mood and/or print. You can source your clothes from secondhand shops, vintage stores, your own wardrobe, or ask friends and family for their unwanted clothes.

Use the skills of styling and minimum alternations (rather than redesign), to transform your original garments. For example, you might cut off sleeves, shorten the length or perhaps add darts to create a modern look.

DELIVERABLES - A sketchbook documenting the research of your selected trend and the development

of the ideas for the new look - A photo series recording the original garments and the process of change including

any alterations made - A final photo of the look

RECONSTRUCTIONPROJECT BRIEF 1



REFERENCE



Redress, The 365 Challengeredress.com.hk/the-365-challenge/

- The 365 Challenge is a one-year secondhand clothing challenge seeing Redress’ Founder, Christina Dean, wearing 100% dumped and discarded secondhand clothes to promote the “Redress it, don’t bin it” concept.

- Each month, Christina chose a different theme, working with a fashion KOL who styled her from the ‘bins’. For the month of May with the theme ‘On Trend’, ELLE Hong Kong fashion editor, Vivian Lau, was challenged to create looks inspired by the latest trends on the runway.




TOPICRECONSTRUCTION WITH UNWANTED JEANS

TIME 2 weeks

DISCIPLINEDesign

GOALTo understand the value of reusing unwanted garments as a fabric source for new designs to alleviate the dependence on virgin materials, in particular garment types that cause a large proportion of negative environmental impacts during the manufacturing process.

To experiment with the reconstruction technique using multiple pairs of unwanted jeans.

BRIEFJeans were originally designed as work wear in the late 19th century but have now become prolific in our wardrobes - an everyday item for all. The full lifecycle of a pair of jeans creates a significant detrimental impact on our environment. According to Levi’s, a pair of their 501® jeans uses 3,781 litres of water in its full lifecycle.17

Reconstructing unwanted jeans is an environmentally sound option because it reduces the need to grow cotton for raw material – a water intensive process - and diverts waste from landfill. Although styles of our jeans may change, the fabrics are completely reusable as they do not change dramatically with shifting trends.

Your brief is to design a new garment using up to five pairs of unwanted jeans. You can source the jeans from charity shops, your own wardrobe, from friends, family or fellow students. Alternatively, contact a jeans supplier or brand for their unwanted samples or unsold stock.




When sourcing and designing, pay attention to the features of the original garments, such as colour, fabric, waistband, zips, pockets and seams, as well as other details which may have contributed to their disposal, such as stains, rips and damages, and consider whether you want to discard them or incorporate them back in as design features. You might want to source some extra pairs for trials.

DELIVERABLES - A sketchbook documenting the design development including details of the original

garments, research of concept, illustrations and production drawings - One mood board of your design concept - One presentation board of the lineup drawings of the design - One final mocked-up garment

REFERENCESLeif Erikkson | www.leiferikkson.co.uk

Slideshow #T4RC-09

- Leif Erikkson is a UK sustainable fashion brand founded by Catherine Hudson, an alumni of the Redress Design Award. The brand focuses on timeless and handcrafted men’s coats and jackets made in the UK using surplus textiles sourced from Europe. For her AW16 collection, Catherine experimented with surplus denim garments to create looks based on the theme “Architexture, with influences of Brutalism”.

River Blue | www.riverbluethemovie.com - River Blue is a documentary looking at pollution caused from the fashion industry,

particularly the denim industry, and its impact on the world’s rivers.




TOPICBE INSPIRED BY MARGIELA

TIME 1 day (preferably in a studio)

DISCIPLINEDesign

GOALTo explore how an everyday, relatively low value item, can be used to create a new design based on Margiela’s sock sweater created in 1991

BRIEFMartin Margiela is considered as a master in reconstruction. His sock sweater, originally created in 1991, was made up of several pairs of surplus vintage military socks that were turned into this perfectly tailored garment. Some considered his use of recovered materials, such as this design, as an ‘anti-fashion’ statement. The sock sweater became one of his most iconic designs and was later ‘replicated’ in a mass scale when the fashion house collaborated with H&M in 2012. Although this collection was not manufactured using waste textiles, the replication of this idea demonstrates the appreciation and commercial value of the aesthetic as well as the authenticity of reconstruction design. A DIY version of the sock sweater was also published in A Magazine curated by Maison Martin Margiela in June 2004 (see Slideshow #T4RC-03-4 - #T4RC-03-6 of the original garment and the DIY version to understand the construction).

Study the sock sweater, paying attention to the design, cutting and use of colour to find inspiration for your own design.

Your brief is to create a new design made from several pieces of the same everyday and relatively low value textile item, such as socks, headbands, vests, woolly hats or gloves. The items should be waste, either pre-used items or samples sourced by contacting a supplier. Your finished design can be a complete garment or a section of a garment that could be incorporated into a future project, for example, a neckline, shoulder area, cuff or sleeve.




You might begin by sourcing your textiles before developing your ideas, as your source of textile waste will likely inspire your final design outcome. - You are expected to prepare your idea and materials in advance and then create and

complete the final piece in one day in studio.

DELIVERABLES - A sketchbook of the development of your ideas and relevant research - A finished mocked-up garment or a part of a garment

REFERENCESDavid Flamée (2011), Maison Martin Margiela Do-it-yourself Sock Sweater

blog.momu.be/2011/exhibition/margiela-knitting-instructions/ A Magazine curated by Maison Martin Margiela (2004)

Slideshow #T4RC-03-4 - #T4RC-03-6Original Garment and the DIY Version




TOPICANALYSING GARMENT CONSTRUCTION

TIME 1 week

DISCIPLINEDesign, Branding, Marketing and Communication, Buying

GOALTo investigate how the changes in clothing production and consumption in recent years have influenced quality, construction and design of clothing and how these changes might affect your decision to use garments for reconstruction design

BRIEFFast fashion is a term that refers to low-cost, low-quality clothing that is rapidly produced to replicate catwalk trends within a few weeks of shows. It has become a phenomenon in the last couple of decades and has had a significant influence on how clothes are now designed and produced, and a major impact on how consumers now buy, wear and dispose of their clothes.

Source two items of clothing, one vintage (preferably pre-1980s that you can source from the wardrobe’s of older members of family or friends, or from a vintage shop) and a more recent and low-cost purchase i.e. less than 2 years old. Make your own comparison of the items based on the questions below and write an essay of your analysis. You should incorporate pictures of the two garments to support your comparisons. - How are the garments constructed?

∙ Stitching ∙ Fabric quality ∙ Cutting ∙ Finishing ∙ Seams and seam allowance




- How would the differences affect the possibilities of creating new reconstructed garments from these pieces?

- Do you think these garments will still be around in 50 years time? Please explain your answer.

DELIVERABLES - A 500-800 word essay with supporting images

REFERENCESElizabeth Cline (2012), Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion Gordon K. Farley, Jennifer Farley and Colleen Hill (2015), Sustainable Fashion –

Past, Present and Future




TOPICRECONSTRUCTED UNIFORM SHIRT PROJECT

TIME 3 days

DISCIPLINEDesign

GOALTo study garment constructions by exploring details of an everyday garment through reconstruction and how this technique enables the extension of a garment’s lifecycle.

BRIEFReconstruction is the process of making new clothes from previously worn garments and is considered to be a sustainable design method. During this workshop session, students will reconstruct discarded white uniform shirts into a new and innovative garment.

- Day 1 - Exploration & Experimentation Each student will be provided with two shirts to be draped directly onto the mannequin. (Alternatively, students can be asked to bring in two worn shirts.) Experiment with interesting shapes and volumes by folding, pinning, tucking and cutting the fabric. Explore using the original shirt details (such as the collar, cuffs, sleeves, pocket and plackets) in innovative and unexpected ways. Students are also encouraged to experiment with creating surface textures, prints and patterns that would make the final garment more unique. Create sketches and take photos of possible design directions.

- Day 2 - Realisation & Creation Decide on the design direction and reconstruct the two shirts to create a new garment.




- Day 3 - Presentation & Evaluation Present the final reconstructed garment on the mannequin with the developmental photographs and design sketches for a group critique in the final session.

DELIVERABLES - Final garment presented on a mannequin, neatly sewn, pressed and finished. - A3 sized design boards to showcase the design and development process. - 5 minute classroom presentation describing the creation of the reconstructed

garment.


This project brief was contributed by Jay Quek, Senior Lecturer of Fashion Design, Raffles Design Institute, Singapore



1 CBG (2016), 中国废旧纺织品回收利用情况分析 | free.chinabaogao.com/gonggongfuwu/201601/01142322032016.html2 WRAP (2012), Valuing Our Clothes | www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/VoC%20FINAL%20online%202012%2007%2011.pdf3 LIFE ECAP (2015), European Sustainable Clothing Action Plan

ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm?fuseaction=search.dspPage&n_proj_id=5307&docType=pdf4 Maker’s Row (2015), Manufacturing Your First Collection?

makersrow.com/blog/2015/03/manufacturing-your-first-collection-here-are-5-things-to-save-you-time-money/5 Reverse Resources The potential of remanufacturing | reverseresources.net/about/remanufacturing6 McKinsey & Company (2016), Style that’s sustainable: A new fast-fashion formula7 Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association, Media Kit

www.smartasn.org/SMARTASN/assets/File/resources/SMART_PressKitOnline.pdf8 McKinsey & Company (2016), Style that’s sustainable: A new fast-fashion formula

www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability-and-resource-productivity/our-insights/style-thats-sustainable-a-new-fast-fashion-formula?cid=sustainability-eml-alt-mip-mck-oth-1610

9 Business of Fashion (2017), The State of Fashion 201810 Kate Fletcher (2008), Sustainable Fashion & Textiles: Design Journey11 WRAP (2017), Valuing Our Clothes: the cost of UK Fashion

www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/valuing-our-clothes-the-cost-of-uk-fashion_WRAP.pdf12 Business of Fashion (2016), Remembered: The Game-Changing Martin Margiela Show of 1989

www.businessoffashion.com/articles/bof-exclusive/remembered-the-game-changing-martin-margiela-show-of-198913 The Guardian (2009), Christopher Ræburn: From parachute poncho to catwalk couture

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/apr/28/christopher-raeburn14 VOGUE (2015), FALL 2015 MENSWEAR Christopher Ræburn

www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2015-menswear/christopher-raeburn15 NOT JUST A LABEL, Clémentine Sandner | www.notjustalabel.com/designer/clementine-sandner16 WRAP (2012), Valuing Our Clothes: the evidence base | www.wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/10.7.12%20VOC-%20FINAL.pdf17 Levi Strauss & Co. (2015), The Life Cycle of a Jean

levistrauss.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Full-LCA-Results-Deck-FINAL.pdf

RECONSTRUCTIONFOOTNOTES

Date post:	26-Apr-2023
Category:	Documents
Upload:	khangminh22
View:	0 times
Download:	0 times

RECONSTRUCTION - Redress Design Award

Documents