If you have been following the Live Eco Remake Design Challenge you will know that our special prize went to emerging designer Hannah-Rose Smith for her innovative upcycling techniques as well as her exquisite avant garde dress, made using zero-waste design techniques, out of 6m of fabric.
So what is Zero-Waste Fashion Design?
Zero-waste design isn’t a new technology or material. Instead, it’s a new way of thinking—a philosophy that forces you to challenge existing techniques and become a smarter designer. Technique-wise, it involves fitting all the flat pieces of your clothing pattern like a jigsaw puzzle so no fabric is wasted. Considering that roughly 15 percent of the fabric is discarded when a typical garment is made, the cumulative effect of leaving behind no waste has far-reaching environmental consequences. More than that, however, zero waste is about working within those constraints to invent beautiful new forms of fashion.
It involves fitting all the flat pieces of your clothing pattern like a jigsaw puzzle so no fabric is wasted
Pattern-making has changed very little in the past hundred years. This lack of originality in fashion is actually poisoning the planet, and we urgently need to invent alternatives.
Zero-waste design challenges the basics of making clothes. It requires pattern-making know-how, a working understanding of sustainability principles, an inquisitive mind that is constantly learning and a great level of skill.
Zero-waste requires a smart, fearless designer who can see beyond drape and cut. Zero-waste design is definitely not easy, but it’s one of the more creative tools the fashion industry has to build a brighter future.
