Garment Design and Production
Topic: Zero-Waste — in collaboration with Kennedy Smith
Chapter three discusses garment design and its wear. The designer also learns to adopt a design-led approach. The important factor in making design decisions is understanding the relationship between the wearer and garment. The success of a design-led approach relies upon your wearer engaging with the garment during the use phase, whether this involves participating with all of the features offered by a multifunctional garment or placing the garment in an appropriate recycling system (Gwilt, 2014). Alison Gwilt states that while there are many ways to approach designing for empathy, it is necessary for a designer to understand the emotional signs that a garment can provide the wearer and bring that insight to the design process. A connection can be established where there is a direct relationship between designer and wearer; a co-designed approach being used to deliver the wearer’s needs into a highly personalized garment. The creation of a collection begins with the fabric and textile techniques. There is more to it other than its appearance. The fabric choice, techniques, and coating all contribute to the impact of a garment. The chapter is concluded by explaining how using mono-materials leads to successful engagement in recycling.
Chapter four goes into depth about the production process, patternmaking and toiling, and garment construction. The design and production process for a garment involves a generic sequence of activities. A garment is sketched, a paper pattern is drafted, a toile (garment made testing the pattern) is produced, a marker is made, the full sample range is cut and made, and then selected garments are manufactured for retail. During all these phases, it is important for the designer to look for opportunities for materials and resources to be used wisely and efficiently. They will need to identify all types of waste that are created during the production phase and look further down the pipeline to see what other impacts may arise because of the decisions made at this point. One of the biggest issues associated with the production phase is the creation of unnecessary textile waste (Gwilt, 2014). While creating a paper pattern, one must understand the body and how the garment moves to fit to differential sizing. Textile waste is created but the designer adopts zero-waste techniques through trial and error. The chapter is concluded by once the final sample garment has been developed and approved for manufacture, the design is ready to go into production. Using the appropriate materials and construction techniques makes an important contribution enhancing durability through use.
I think it is important knowing the wearer’s needs in a garment and forming a relationship between the garment and the one wearing it. As a future designer, I want my products to be what people want to keep buying due to its personalization, fit, and comfortability. I also want my products to be worn more than once and last a while. As far as production, I think learning techniques to reduce the amount of fabric waste is what I hope to learn in the future to increase my knowledge and my design process.
This video “Zero Waste Daniel Turns Clothing Scraps Into Fashion” explains how a designer started a company that strictly uses recycled fabric and scraps to make garments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qqiKNzwHMg
Dr Mark Liu
An acknowledged designer in the area of Zero-Waste Fashion design in the sustainable fashion movement in London. Dr Mark Liu is a fashion and textile designer focused on advancing fashion design with scientific principles to traditional techniques. While developing zero-waste design he discovered that there were serious limitations in the accuracy of conventional patternmaking (2016). Techniques that used linear measurements to create patterns around the body were limited in accuracy and constantly required the intervention of a skilled patternmaker.
His design philosophy is based on Non-Euclidean patternmaking. Liu is making a difference because he is implementing a technique that other designers struggled to find to prevent waste. As related in the text and patternmaking, this philosophy introduced a unique aesthetic for zero-waste garments and explored many new zero-waste patternmaking techniques. It required the fashion designer to simultaneously visualize the garment in 3D and as a flat pattern. Using a repetitive process, the designer could create a garment that was aesthetically pleasing in 3D while also fitting the flat pattern pieces fitted together like a jigsaw (2016). Liu says A Non-Euclidean patternmaking system which has greater accuracy can improve the efficiency of fashion production and technology.
Dr Mark Liu is an inspiration, he designs using zero-waste techniques. I think that takes time to achieve by figuring out and learning how to do so. These chapters relate to patternmaking by using different techniques to reduce waste but also to create garments that can be worn in many ways. I can apply new ideas and research how I can slowly transition my techniques into new beneficial ones during my college career. I will also ask more questions for assistance on how I can make my patterns differently, drape differently to reduce waste.
I think it is amazing what Dr Mark Liu has been able to do. His design philosophy is unique, and it shows how invested he is in his work. I have learned that he took time to figure out an advanced way of patternmaking by looking at it in a three-dimensional standpoint. As referred in the text, Liu used laser-cut decorative edge finishes that interlock before the garment pieces are cut out of the fabric. His techniques are making a huge impact in the environment and other designers.
Website: http://www.drmarkliu.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmarkliu/
Blog: http://www.drmarkliu.com/journal-1
References
About. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.drmarkliu.com/about
Gwilt, A. (2014). Practical Guide To Sustainable Fashion (1st ed.). doi: 10.5040/9781474218559
Non-Euclidean. (2016). Retrieved from http://www.drmarkliu.com/noneuclidean
NowThis News. (2017. August 12). Zero Waste Daniel Turns Clothing Scraps Into Fashion | NowThis. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qqiKNzwHMg
Photo References
Fallon, Nick. (2009). Unicorn. Retrieved from http://www.drmarkliu.com/unicorn
Hawes, Ela. (2008). On The Cutting Edge. Retrieved from http://www.drmarkliu.com/on-the-cutting-edge
Hawes, Ela. (2007). Zero-Waste Design. Retrieved from http://www.drmarkliu.com/zerowaste-design-1
Liu, Mark. (2016). Non-Euclidean. Retrieved from http://www.drmarkliu.com/noneuclidean