Fall 2013
M.A. Design for Sustainability Final Project Alexandra Rose
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“Conceiving and proposing products, services and lifestyles, designers play an important role and consequently have an equally important responsibility in generating social expectations in terms of wellbeing.� - Ezio Manzini
Alexandra Pappalardo Rose
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Table of Contents Introduction Opportunity Statement Secondary Research Case Studies Primary Research Survey Results Contextual Interviews Data Affinitization and Insights Prototyping Marketing Space Activities Website Future Implementation Recommendations Opportunities
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Introduction The sari of India The beaded garments of the Maasai The trench coat of England Aside from the need for food, water and shelter, the one thing everyone in the world has in common is that they wear clothing. They wear it for protection, warmth and utility but also for beauty, to mark a special moment in time and to signify their identity and place in the world. And today there are over 7 billion people engaging in the practice. Post Industrial Revolution, a fashion industry with access to technology and cheap labor has made it easy for people all over the world, but especially in the West, to move away from traditional, locally produced clothing and towards high volume, high turnover wardrobes. Yet, it seems that our knowledge of how to care for and produce garments are not keeping up with our ability to over stuff our closets. And As unable as many of us are to care for our belongings we are also unable to identify those making our clothing. The result is that we are often emotionally detached from our clothing items- we didn’t make them nor know the maker- and subsequently feel little impetus for hanging on to them once our favor has past.
So, the incredible amount of energy, water and labor spent to make a garment often ends up in the bottom of a trash can. According to a 2009 study by the EPA, the average American generates 82 pounds of textiles per year yet only about 15%, or 12 pounds, of that is recycled. The other 70 pounds ends up in a landfill. This is where I come in. This process book documents my attempt to design a solution that would accomplish four tasks: 1. Educate consumers about sustainability issues in the clothing industry. 2. Prolong the useful lives of clothing items. 3. Teach consumers basic sewing skills so they would feel confident mending and altering their existing clothing. 4. Create a positive space for creating new relationships between people and growing existing ones. It remains to be seen how successful my final design will become but it has certainly become a good first step for my exploration into design for sustainable fashion.
http://www.epa.gov/wastes/nonhaz/municipal/pubs/msw2009rpt.pdf
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http://www.thesartorialist.com/photos/on-the-street-rue-du-mont-thabor-paris-2/
http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2011/09/26/travel-photography-tips-photographing-strangers/; http://societeperrier.com/us/new-york/nightlife-photographer-Kenny-Rodriguez-getting-them-to-trust-you/#.Uogj9sTUmSo; http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2013/03/15/how-to-photograph-strangers/; http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/ photography/photo-of-the-day/hamar-portrait-ethiopia/; http://www.neatorama.com/2009/12/07/national-geographic-international-photography-contest-2009/
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Opportunity Statement Research by sociologist Derek Phillips published in the American Journal of Sociology revealed that individuals "self-reports of happiness were highly related to social participation; the greater the extent of participation, the greater the degree of happiness reported." Yet there is a dearth of opportunities for informal socializing for adults in industrialized countries. Concurrently, consumers of commercial fashion own clothing pieces that they do not wear nor get rid of for a variety of reasons. Considering the high embodied energy in these garments, it is environmentally advantageous to prolong the useful lives of these items.
Research Questions Are there universally common causes for the creation of consumer owned “dead stock�? Are there beginning sewing level repairs and/or alterations that could easily be taught in a group setting? How can repair and craft activities best be facilitated to encourage social connection and growth?
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Work Schedule
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Secondary Research
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Secondary Research Environmental Impacts of Textiles LCA of a Pair of Denim Trousers Spinning Mill Weaving
Cultivation of Cotton End of Life
Improvement
Use and Maintenance Climate Change Energy Consumption Ozone Layer Depletion Human Toxicity Aquatic Eco-Toxicity SUST | 748 | Fall 2013
Water Eutrophication Water Consumption Production of Household Waste
Manufacturing Trousers Treatment
Bio Intelligence Service for the French Environment and Energy Agency ADEME, 2006. Published in The Sustainable Fashion Handbook, Sandy Black;
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donate recycle
don’t throw away
The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) educating the public and profiting from an environmentally advantageous business model. The partial infographic shown here is one example of their educational infographics which inspired parts of my solution.
The average U.S. citizen throws away lbs. of clothing each year
70 95
%
of textiles WORN OR TORN can be recycled
15%
85%
[70 lbs. per person] goes to our landfills
yet only gets donated or recycled That amount is equal to
21 BILLION LBS. or 260,000 truckloads
Alexandra Pappalardo Rose
http://www.smartasn.org/educators-kids/Infographic_Banners.pdf
SMART is an international trade association that, since 1932, “has been at the forefront of recycling. SMART members use and convert recycled and secondary materials from used clothing, commercial laundries and nonwoven, off spec material, new mill ends and paper from around the world. SMART member companies create thousands of jobs worldwide.” They are also a wealth of information regarding the effects of textile recycling,
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Well-Being Easterlin’s Paradox Richard Easterlin is a professor of economics at the University of Southern California and is most well-known for developing “Easterlin’s Paradox”. In his 2001research paper “Income and Happiness: Towards a Unified Theory “ he found that “as a general matter, subjective well-being varies directly with income and inversely with material aspirations... Income growth does not, however, cause well-being to rise, either for higher or lower income persons, because it generates equivalent growth in material aspirations, and the negative effect
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of the latter on subjective well-being undercuts the positive effect of the former. Even though rising income means that people can have more goods, the favorable effect of this on welfare is erased by the fact that people want more as they progress through the life cycle.” In other words, the more you have, the more you want. As an individual’s income grows over a lifetime so does his or her aspirations and expectations.
http://www.uvm.edu/~pdodds/files/papers/others/2001/easterlin2001a.pdf
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Seligman, M.E.P (1998). Learned optimism (2nd ed.). New York: Pocket Books.; Seligman, M.E.P (2012). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding. New York: Free Press
Positive Psychology So, if money doesn’t make us happy, what does? To help answer this, I turned to a branch of psychology called positive psychology. According to the leader in this study, Dr. Martin Seligman, it can be described as “primarily concerned with using the psychological theory, research and intervention techniques to understand the positive, adaptive, creative and emotionally fulfilling aspects of human behavior.” In Seligman’s latest book, Flourish, he summarizes well-being as “a construct; and well-being, not happiness, is the topic of positive psychology. Well-being has five measurable elements (PERMA)” which are listed on the right. “No one element defines well-being, but
each contributes to it.” In my final solution, I was targeting the last four of these five topics: Engagement- the detail work of sewing means that one must concentrate on the task. Relationships- bringing people together opens up the possibility for creating new connections and strengthening existing ones. Meaning- mending and exchanging clothes have real environmental impacts. Achievement- people derive satisfaction from finishing projects and being able to say, “I made that.”
Positive Emotion
(general feeling of happiness)
Engagement
( I enjoy learning new things)
Relationships
(there are people who care about me)
Meaning
(The things I do are valuable and worthwhile)
(to pursue accomplishment for its own sake)
Achievement
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Case Studies Junky Styling
According Sandy Black in her book The Sustainable Fashion Handbook, Junky Styling’s “signature look involves deconstructing and reworking classic men’s pinstripe suits, shirts and ties into surprisingly sexy and glamorous dresses, bustier tops, skirts and trousers...[They] also operate a ‘Wardrobe Surgery’ to which customers can bring fabrics or clothes that have
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been handed down or have fons memories attached, and have them remade into contemporary pieces.” The company is intrinsically environmentally-friendly but does not atempt to empower others by sharing their skills with the public.
http://www.ecouterre.com/nyc-event-wardrobe-surgery-with-junky-styling/
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According to their website, “A "Stitch 'n Bitch" is just a group of knitters and crocheters who get together on a regular basis to stitch and, well, you know. All Stitch 'n Bitch meetings are open to the public and are free of charge.” This type of free, informal gathering for learning new skills and socializing is the type of environment which informed my final solution.
http://www.luvfromamy.com/2012/07/stitch-n-bitch-church-retro-cafe-club.html; http://stitchnbitch.org/;http://stitchnbitch.org/
Stitch ‘n’ Bitch
Unfortunately, these gatherings have no dedicated, reserved space to meet and the meetings must be planned by a participant, not a dedicated organizer. Also, it is limited to knitters and doesn’t make use of existing materials.
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Case Study Swap-O-Rama-Rama
As stated on its website, “Swap-O-Rama-Rama is a clothing swap and series of do-it-yourself workshops in which a community explores creative reuse through the recycling of used clothing. Swap-O-Rama-Rama is a non-profit, Creative Commons event that takes place in over 100 cities throughout the world.” It was started by artist Wendy
Tremayne as a solution to her “lust for stuff ”. These events have positive environmental, social, and skill enhancing effects but lack an educational component regarding the larger life cycle impacts of our clothes.
http://www.swaporamarama.org/
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Case Study
http://www.sweatshopparis.com/ENG/index.php?/events/; http://blog.vogueliving.com.au/tag/vogue-living-mayjune-2011/
The Sweat Shop
As stated on their now defunct website, the Sweat Shop is a "cafe couture", a new creative concept situated near hotspot canal St Martin in Paris. Imagine 10 work stations equipped with 10 SINGER sewing machines and one central communal table. Join one of the 5 courses that are being offered every week and perfect your knitting and sewing skills or meet one of our guest designers in town for an encounter. Not unlike a cyber cafe,
you come whenever you please, rent a state of the art sewing machine by the hour and start sewing. This concept has the added benefits of offering light snacks and beverages, perhaps increasing social interaction. It also offers a permanent space where customers can access sewing machines obviating the need to purchase personal machines. But, like the other case studies, it fails to make the positive environmental effects explicit.
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Primary Research
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Primary Research Online Survey Using the on-line tool, Survey Monkey, I created a ten question survey to ascertain clothing consumption habits, existing sewing skills, and interest in learning new skills of respondents. I solicited responses by
posting the link on several SCAD facebook groups and handing out QR code links at the local mall. 54 people completed the survey with the results shown on the following pages.
No NUDISTS Please
No NUDISTS Please
Do you like to breathe clean air and wear clothes on a daily basis? Then fill out this quick 10 question survey. Your input will help design a more sustainable clothing and fashion system. Thanks!
Do you like to breathe clean air and wear clothes on a daily basis? Then fill out this quick 10 question survey. Your input will help design a more sustainable clothing and fashion system. Thanks!
Scan QR code or visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/K2X9Q9V
No NUDISTS Please
No NUDISTS Please
Do you like to breathe clean air and wear clothes on a daily basis? Then fill out this quick 10 question survey. Your input will help design a more sustainable clothing and fashion system. Thanks!
Do you like to breathe clean air and wear clothes on a daily basis? Then fill out this quick 10 question survey. Your input will help design a more sustainable clothing and fashion system. Thanks!
Scan QR code or visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/K2X9Q9V
Scan QR code or visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/K2X9Q9V
No NUDISTS Please
No NUDISTS Please
Do you like to breathe clean air and wear clothes on a daily basis? Then fill out this quick 10 question survey. Your input will help design a more sustainable clothing and fashion system. Thanks!
Do you like to breathe clean air and wear clothes on a daily basis? Then fill out this quick 10 question survey. Your input will help design a more sustainable clothing and fashion system. Thanks!
Scan QR code or visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/K2X9Q9V
Scan QR code or visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/K2X9Q9V
No NUDISTS Please
No NUDISTS Please
Do you like to breathe clean air and wear clothes on a daily basis? Then fill out this quick 10 question survey. Your input will help design a more sustainable clothing and fashion system. Thanks!
Do you like to breathe clean air and wear clothes on a daily basis? Then fill out this quick 10 question survey. Your input will help design a more sustainable clothing and fashion system. Thanks!
Scan QR code or visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/K2X9Q9V
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Scan QR code or visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/K2X9Q9V
Scan QR code or visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/K2X9Q9V
50-59 2%
60 or Older 5%
Age Age
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17 orYounger 2% 18-20 4%
40-49 2%
Age 30-39 39%
Age 21-29 46%
Gender Gender
Male 23%
Female 77%
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What is your major or profession?
Describe your personal style in three words.
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Whatoftypes of the following activities would you What types the following activities would you participate in if they were available a group (pick that apply)? participate in ifinthey weresetting available in aallgroup
40.82%
52%
30.61% 22.45%
16.33%
confident performing?
55.10%
51.02% 30.61%
Which of the following activities would you currently feel Which of the following activities would you currently feel confident performing?? 94%
setting (pick all that apply)?
22.45%
34%
22.45%
32%
28%
8.16%
20%
14%
Sewing on Hand Hand Machine Machine Dyeing an a button sewing to sewing a sewing to sewing a existing repair a rip pant hem repair a rip pant hem garment or tear in a or tear in a piece of piece of clothing clothing
If you have clothing in your closet that you do If younot havecurrently clothing inwear, your closet that you do is it because it:not 59.62%
currently wear, is it because it:
53.85% 46.12%
14%
Hand or Hand or machine machine sewing a sewing an new existing garment garment to better suit your needs
What motivated you, in the last 3 months, to shop for clothes? What motivated you, in the last 3 months, to shop for clothes? 68.63%
26.92%
52.94% 25%
25%
21.57%
Is Ill-fitting
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No longer fits Is no longer Was a gift but Needs to be your personal is not repaired style something you want to wear
Is stained or bleached
Needed a specific Wanted To alleviate item something new boredom or stress but nothing specific
15.69%
An impulse
7.84% To socialize
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Contextual Interviews I conducted ten contextual interviews with my primary target group, college students, to gain insights about attitudes concerning their clothing. I wanted to know
how many people were already altering their clothing to make it work better and what they were doing with the clothes they no longer wanted. Bhavika Early twenties Design Management graduate student No sewing skills
Dee Late twenties Service Design graduate student Intermediate sewing skills
“Once I decide that I don’t like something, I won’t wear it. But the effort to return it is too much”
“I have my scrubby clothes for when I don’t want to play nice with the world.”
Bingjie Mid twenties Industrial Design graduate student No sewing skills
“I have way too many clothes, right?”
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Eric Early thirties Service Design graduate student No sewing skills
“I’m not particularly fashionable but I have my go-to clothes.”
Rebecca Early twenties Fine Art graduate student No sewing skills
“Typically, if I don’t wear something it’s because it fits weird.”
Leah Early twenties Theater graduate student Intermediate sewing skills
“I can’t really wear what I want to wear right now because I am trying to lose weight.”
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Zach Late twenties Design for Sustainability graduate student Basic sewing skills
“You never know when you’re going to have to wear something weird.” Aastha Early twenties Design Management graduate student No sewing skills
“I wear these pants at least twice a week because they fit well and are new.”
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Contextual Interviews
Carol Early thirties Design Management graduate student Basic sewing skills
“My grandpa’s neighbor mends my clothes because it’s simple to bring them to her and it’s free.” Virginia Early thirties Service Design graduate student Basic sewing skills
“It was magical when I found my favorite pair of jeans. They hadn’t fit anyone else but they fit me perfectly.”
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Closet Dead Stock
These pictures show the unwearable clothes the participants were piling away.
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Reasons for Dead Stock
These pictures represent the most common reasons for the existence of dead stock.
Stains
Ill-Fitting
Rips and Tears
Gifts
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Data Affinitization I used Vijay Kumar’s 101 Design Methods as a guide to sort through and find patterns among the interviews. Kumar writes that this method is to “systematically think through all these observations and extract valuable insights. An insight, according to common definition, is the act of “seeing into” a situation or understanding the “inner nature” of what we observe. It is our learning from a observation through our interpretation by asking the question why. It encapsulates a point of view, a generally acceptable interpretation that we can somewhat objectively rationalize.”
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Insights Why would I use a tailor when I have my mom?
My favorite clothes make me feel like a better version of myself.
I will fix things that I love if it makes them wearable again. My everyday clothes are I won’t lose the weight if I get rid of not worth going out of my skinny clothes. my way to care for. I’m delighted when I find something unique that I like.
A small portion of my wardrobe does all the heavy lifting. My heavy lifters feel like they were made for my body and style. SUST | 748 | Fall 2013
It’s hard to find clothes that suit me so when I do, I buy two. Finding certain pieces felt destined, magical and transformative.
It felt sexy in the dressing room but now it feels slutty.
I’ll definitely fix that...later. Who knows...I might need that awkward piece of clothing in the future.
I feel obligated to keep unfortunate gifts of clothing.
I feel guilty about the large amount of clothing I own. My garment and I have been through a lot together and it deserves respect.
My unwanted clothes are a burden.
Getting rid of clothes I don’t want is not a top priority. Some of my clothing pieces represent a part of me and are subsequently irreplaceable.
I feel like I should keep everything until the point that it falls off of my body.
I keep my unwanted clothes together in a dark corner. I keep some clothes because they remind me of successful times in my life.
My clothes tell the world about who I am and what care about.
Sometimes I just want something new.
Having my loved ones clothing makes me feel closer to them.
What other people think influences what I wear.
I don’t know how to take care of my clothes. I will definitely fix that as soon as I get the right tools. I can’t remember what clothes I own.
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I don’t know how to wear some of my clothes.
I own sewing supplies but I rarely use them.
I can’t wear it and I can’t get rid of it so now what?
I have too much stuff and it stresses me out. I aspire to buying quality items that age well but it doesn’t always happen. I hoard stuff to make stuff.
That piece of clothing is a stand-in for someone I love. If I forget I have it, I won’t have to deal with it. Alexandra Pappalardo Rose
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Protyping the Solution
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Prototyping Marketing
A few days before the event, I set placed a mannequin in a high-traffic spot wearing a used t-shirt on which I had stenciled the question, “How can this t-shirt be used as a raw material?� I provided blank sticky notes and a pen. My purpose was two-fold: to get other students and professors, composed of industrial and furniture designers, design managers and service designers, thinking about used clothing in a new way and also as a seed for more explicit future marketing. To further promote the MESH, I created a Facebook event and shared it with several SCAD facebook groups as well as hanging physical copies of the flyer in five different buildings around Savannah.
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Tuesday & Wednesday
Thursday
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M•E•S•H
It’s a clothing swap & more!
Mend • Exchange • Socialize • Hack
The MESH Sat. Nov. 9
12pm-4pm (open house)
Saturday
Transform old threads into new products Find free, new-to-you treasures Room 139A, The “Fishbowl” SCAD Gulfstream Building 3116 Montgomery
Bring in pieces to mend Meet new friends
Win a Lil’ Sewing Machine!
Earn a raffle ticket to win this machine for every piece of clothing you donate on Friday!
DROP OFF (optional): Fri. Nov. 8 10am-6pm Clean out your closets, ya’ll! Drop Off old, torn, ugly, past trend, wrong size, wrong style, bad gift clothing.
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Space To hold my swap, which I branded as a MESH (mend, exchange, socialize and hack) I procured the “fishbowl” classroom at the school of design Gulfstream building. It’s main advantage and the reason for my choice is that it has two 9’ wide doors that open onto the main lobby of the building. Since everyone who enters the building must walk by the classroom, I guessed that I could engage some participants I wasn’t able to reach through my marketing.
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Materials I supplied the following materials for the MESH: At least two different colors of yarn for the slipper tutorial Card stock for tracing At least one or two skilled sewists, depending upon group size, to help the others A variety of colored embroidery thread Several needles with large eyes Several pairs of scissors An iron Measuring Tape Thread in a variety of colors Hand sewing needles Extension cords for machines Stencils Fabric markers
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Activities
M•E•S•H
Mend • Exchange • Socialize • Hack
Exchange Find something you like? Take it home! Find something you almost like? Hack it into something new!
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M•E•S•H
Mend • Exchange • Socialize • Hack
Hack & Mend Pick up a needle and get to it.
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Alexandra Pappalardo Rose
Take it home!
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Find something you almost like? Hack it into something new!
Name tags encourage skill sharing. Hello my name is
Hello my name is
M•E•S•H
and I HAVE sewing skills Hello my name is
and I HAVE sewing skills Hello my name is
and I HAVE sewing skills Hello my name is
and I HAVE sewing skills Hello my name is
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and I WANT sewing skills Hello my name is
and I WANT sewing skills Hello my name is
and I WANT sewing skills Hello my name is
and I WANT sewing skills Hello my name is
Mend • Exchange • Socialize • Hack
Hack & Mend Pick up a needle and get to it.
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Education Ecouterre.com describes itself as a “website devoted to the future of sustainable fashion design. We’re dedicated to showcasing and supporting designers who not only contemplate cut, form, and drape, but also a garment’s social and environmental impact, from the cultivation of its fibers to its use and disposal. Our ethos: To follow the evolution of the apparel industry toward a more environmentally sound future, as well as facilitate a conversation about why sustainable fashion matters.” I chose to use their DIY tutorials not only because they provided the most fashionable projects but because I want to introduce others to their mission.
Ecouterre.com Tutorials
M•E•S•H
Mend • Exchange • Socialize • Hack
Sweater Slipper Socks
T-Skirt
MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES • An old sweater • Scissors • Sewing pins • Scrap yarn • Large darning needle • Paper or card stock for tracing • Non-slip grip pads (optional) • Fabric paint (optional)
MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES • An old T-shirt • Measuring tape • Ruler • Disappearing-ink pen • A pair of scissors • Sewing machine or needle and thread
STEP ONE
STEP ONE
STEP TWO
STEP TWO
STEP THREE
STEP THREE
Make a rough outline of your foot on a piece of paper or card stock. Leave about ½ inch of extra space around the edge for comfy slippers and easy sewing. Cut out your shape, then repeat for the other foot.
Place your T-shirt on a flat surface. With your pen, mark off the desired length of your skirt from the shirt’s hem.
Place each cutout on the body of the sweater and cut around them to create two sole pieces. Tip: Use double-sided tape to keep the paper from slipping around while you’re cutting.
Chop off the top of the T-shirt (including sleeves) with scissors so that you’re left with a rectangular tube of fabric.
Stick your foot into the sleeve of the sweater through the opening at the wrist. Pull the fabric around your leg to the desired boot length.
At the end of the tube that is not hemmed, grasp one layer of the fabric and cut a small slit about 5 inches down one side of the fabric. In other words, you are not cutting both layers. You should only cut the layer that is closest to you and leave the layer that will become the back of the skirt intact.
STEP FOUR
STEP FOUR
STEP FIVE
STEP FIVE
Very carefully, cut the fabric of the sleeve away from the sole of your foot. You’re trying to make it so that just the bottom of your foot is exposed. Now you have your leg piece!
Notice that you now have two flaps of cloth that can be grasped and tied together. Tie them as tightly or as loosely as you like until you get the perfect fit.
Attach the sole to the leg piece with sewing pins. Start with one pin at the toe of your bootie and one pin at the heel. Then stretch the fabric as necessary to line the two pieces up and pin them together.
Either by hand or machine—my sewing machine broke while I was making this, so I just pinned it together for you—sew from the top down to the slit.
www.ecouterre.com/recycle-an-old-t-shirt-into-john-patrick-organics-diy-skirt/
STEP SIX
With the pins in place, blanket-stitch the sole and the leg piece together. To do a blanket stitch, 1. push your needle through both layers of fabric from the top, 2. pull the yarn through until only a small loop remains, 3. bring your needle back down through the loop, 4. pull the yarn tight. You can also add a blanket stitch around the opening of your boot to make it look extra-polished. Tip: For extra traction, glue on non-slip grip pads or decorate the bottom of the soles with raised lines of fabric paint.
www.ecouterre.com/recycle-an-old-sweater-into-a-pair-of-cozy-slipper-socks-diy-tutorial/diy-sweater-slipper-socks-2/?extend=1
2013 | Alexandra Pappalardo Rose | www.wemeshwelltogether.com
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Ecouterre.com Tutorials
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M•E•S•H
Mend • Exchange • Socialize • Hack
Produce Bag
Fabric Necklace
MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES • An old t-shirt • Scissors • Sewing pins • Needle and thread or sewing machine • Pen • Ruler
MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES • Fabric strip (about 4 x 40 inches, depending on size of marbles and desired length) • Embroidery floss • Glass marbles or smooth stones • Scissors • Sewing needle (with wide eye to fit embroidery floss)
STEP ONE
STEP ONE
STEP TWO
STEP TWO
STEP THREE
STEP THREE
Take an old T-shirt and turn it inside out. Draw a bag shape you like. (You can make it as small or large as you want.)
Decide how long you want the necklace to be and cut fabric about 10 inches longer than you desire the necklace to be. (For instance, we cut a 40-inch strip of fabric for a necklace that measures 30 inches.) The strip should be about 4 inches wide depending on the size of your marbles or stones—be sure to leave a ½-inch seam allowance.
Cut through both layers so you have two identical pieces. You can leave the shirt’s hem intact or snip it off.
These posters show, step-by-step, how to perform simple transformations to existing clothing. I encouraged participants to “shop” for torn or past trend items in the donated clothes pile to use as materials for the tutorials.
Fold the fabric in half with the wrong side facing out. Sew the two loose edges together down the length of the strip, leaving a ¼-inch seam allowance. Turn the sewn strip inside out so that the right side of the fabric is showing.
Stitch the two pieces together all the way around, leaving the bag’s opening untouched.
Tie a knot about 5 inches from the end of the fabric.
STEP FOUR
STEP FOUR
STEP FIVE
STEP FIVE
STEP SIX
STEP SIX
STEP SEVEN
STEP SEVEN
To prevent fraying, either serge or apply a narrow zigzag stitch to the edge.
Thread the needle with your selected color of embroidery floss and guide it through the initial knot, leaving a small tail above the knot. Secure it to the edge of the knot by making a stitch and guiding your needle back through the loop. Repeat several times.
Use a ruler and ballpoint pen to draw dashes across the fabric. Important: Leave room four inches from the top for your handle.
Insert your first marble or rock and tightly twist the fabric underneath.
Using scissors or a rotary cutter, snip along the lines, making sure to stagger your cuts. Cut a longer slit two inches from the top— this will be your handle—and shape the sides if you wish.
Using the floss that is now secured to the knot, wind it tightly around the twisted fabric, and create a knot with the last loop. Insert the next marble or rock and repeat around the remainder of the necklace. You can vary the pattern by adding more than one marble before twisting or leaving the fabric looser in parts. Be sure to leave about 6 to 7 inches of fabric for the final end.
Then streeeeeetch the bag.
http://www.ecouterre.com/recycle-an-old-t-shirt-into-a-produce-grocery-bag-diy-tutorial/
When you have about 6 to 7 inches of fabric remaining, wind the floss around the final twist and then stitch and loop, as in the beginning, to knot it securely. Leave the remaining floss for now and create a final knot with the fabric. Cut the floss as close as possible to the final fabric knot to complete the necklace. Tip: You can add additional details by wrapping a second color of floss or yarn around the necklace, embroider along the fabric, add beads, or finish the ends of the necklace with ribbon. http://www.ecouterre.com/make-an-upcycled-fabric-necklace-as-a-last-minute-gift-diy-tutorial/2/
2013 | Alexandra Pappalardo Rose | www.wemeshwelltogether.com
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The basics of sewing poster shows sewing newbies the most basic sewing techniques. Simply having the poster visible acts as an invitation to those who may not feel they are skillful enough to participate. The poster on the right shows the heights at which professional fashion “upcyclers” can achieve designing with post- and pre- consumer recycled textiles. It serves to inspire the participants as well as to legitimize the practice of hacking.
The Basics of Sewing Tying a Knot TO START THE STITCH
M•E•S•H
Mend • Exchange • Socialize • Hack
M•E•S•H
Did You Know...
Mend • Exchange • Socialize • Hack
That all of the pieces shown below were made with post and pre-consumer* textiles?
Tying Off TO END THE STITCH
*Post-consumer textiles are those which have been worn and discarded by the consumer. *Pre-consumer textiles are off cuts and unused material from the manufacturing process.
Mayer Peace
Antiform Industries www.antiformonline.co.uk
Sylwia Rochala
www.mayer-berlin.com
www.sylwiarochala.com
Blanket Stitch FOR FINISHING EDGES
Junky Styling
Saisei
www.junkystyling.co.uk
www.saisei.eu
Lu Flux
www.luflux.com
Whip Stitch FOR MENDING HOLES & PATCHWORK
Karina Michel karina-michel.com
Good one
www.goodone.co.uk
Schmidt Takahashi www.schmidttakahashi.de
Milch
www.milch.tm
Juana Diaz
www.juanadiaz.cl
For more inspiration, check out Refashioned: Cutting Edge Clothing from Upcycled Materials by Sass Brown (2013) 2013 | Alexandra Pappalardo Rose | www.wemeshwelltogether.com
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2013 | Alexandra Pappalardo Rose | www.wemeshwelltogether.com
The poster on the left educates participants about the environmental impacts of a pair of jeans at each stage of the life cycle, including the highest impact areas. Since one of the goals of a MESH is to educate participants about the environmental impacts of their clothing choices, the poster on the right helps to illuminate the “after life” of discarded garments. Both offer sustainability education in friendly and easily digestible tidbits.
M•E•S•H
Did You Know...
Mend • Exchange • Socialize • Hack
That the greatest environmental impact of most clothing is in the laundering and use phase? Life Cycle Assessment of a pair of denim trousers with polyester lining, 6 rivets and 4 buttons
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M•E•S•H
Did You Know...
Mend • Exchange • Socialize • Hack
That 95-99% of textiles are recyclable yet only about 15% are recycled?
LCA graphic simplified and visually modified from the original which can be found at http://www.biois.com/en/non-class-en/lca-pair-of-jeans.html. Printed in The Sustainable Fashion Handbook, Sandy Black (2013)
Reusing a garment in its original state uses 95% less energy than making a new garment.
#3 Impact At this stage of the process, some yarns are washed, dyed in indigo, then sized (starch aplication) to make yarns more resistant for weaving. This stage requires the consumption of chemical substances, starch and energy.
Weaving Cotton spinning consists of producing a yarn using masses of disorganized fibers. This stage of the process uses electricity.
Spinning
Improvement
What Will be the Fate of Your Unwanted Garment?
The improvement of cotton gathers diverse stages of finishing to obtain the denim fabric. This operation notably consumes energy and generates water effluents (liquid waste discharged into a river or the sea).
You’re going to send it to ...
Charity Shop
#2 Impact The traditional cultivation of cotton requires great consumption of water, along with the utilization of fertilizers, pesticides, and defoliants. Additionally, the machines used in cotton cultivation burn diesel. The cotton considered here is representative of cultivation practices in the U.S.
Cotton Cultivation
Manufacturing
This stage includes the manufacturing of the lining, double yarn, rivets and of the four buttons, as well as tailoring and final manufacturing.
Roughly 1 in 5 garments are clean enough and in good enough condition to put out to sell
Is the garment clean, pressed and undamaged?
After the trousers have been worn for four years, it’s assumed that one out of two consumers will dispose of them via household waste. The will then e incinerated or put into a landfill. The other consumer gives or sells the trousers to a second user who will keep them for another four years.
Treatment
A Friend or Relative
Use and Maintenance
Jeans undergo diverse treatments in order to make them look washed out and used. To that end, chemical substances such as chlorine are used.
Reusing this item in its original state uses 95% less energy than making a new garment.
There is a roughly 20% chance that your garment will be resold by the charity
Bummer! Landfill
Yes
Roughly 95% of all textiles are recyclable!
Your town is probably too far from a textile recycling facility to be worth transporting
No
#1 Impact
There is roughly 80% chance your garment will be sold by the non-profit to a “rag dealer”, a for-profit textile recycling company
This stage consumes large amounts of electricity and water. Combined with potentially toxic detergents, this makes the use and maintenance phase the largest environmental threat.
But, washing in cold water, air drying, and forgoing the iron can reduce the total embodied energy of the garment by 50%!
Is it moldy, wet or stained with bodily fluids?
Is your garment vintage or brand-name like Gap, Ralph Lauren or H&M?
Your garment will most likely be broken down chemically for use in items such as packaging and other plastic products
Hooray! Your piece will be reused.
Yes
Do you live in a rural area?
There is a decent chance that the clothing will be sold for reuse in a country such as Zambia or Uganda
Ebay, Craigslist, Etsy or for-profit resale store
No
End of Life
The Trash
One of those clothing collection bins
No
Your garment will most likely be recycled for use in items like stuffing, insulation and packaging or mixed with virgin fibers and spun into new yarn for use in items like carpet underlay, towels and upholstery
Yes
Your garment will most likely end up as a cleaning wiper for industry Yes
Yes
Roughly 48% of clothing will be sold for reuse
Is it vintage and from a brand name? Is it made from a luxury fiber like cashmere or camel?
Yes
Is your garment made from a material that attracts oil like polyethylene or attracts water like cotton?
No
No
Is it made from mostly plant or animal fibers?
No No
No
Yes
These highly desirable items make up about 2% of all donated clothing
Is your garment a warm weather item? No
Should have kept it! Your clothing will most likely be sold to a wealthy collector or dealer This type of item accounts for the largest profit sector of many rag dealers
Yes
Is it a men’s or children’s item? Yes
There is a decent chance that your garment will be sold for reuse in an Eastern European country
There is a good chance that your garment will be sold for reuse in a country such as India
References
Botticello, Julie "Between Classification, Objectification, and Perception: Processing Secondhand Clothing for Recycling and Reuse." Textile: The Journal of Cloth & Culture Volume 10, Issue 2 (2012): 164-183 Fletcher, Kate. Sustainable Fashion & Textiles: Design Journeys. London: Earthscan, 2008. Hawley, Jana M. "Textile Recycling as a System: A Micro/ Macro Analysis" Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Volume92, Issue 4 (2000): 40-43 Hawley, Jana M. "Digging for Diamonds: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Reclaimed Textile Products" Clothing and Textiles Research Journal Volume 24, Issue 3 (2006): 262-275 Steinbring, Yvonne and Rucker, Margaret "Utilization of Post-Consumer Textiles and Clothing" Journal of Family and Consumer Sciences Volume 95, Issue 2 (2003): 33-37
2013 | Alexandra Pappalardo Rose | www.wemeshwelltogether.com 2013 | Alexandra Pappalardo Rose | www.wemeshwelltogether.com
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Website- www.wemeshwelltogether.com Blog- www.alexandrarose608.wordpress.com
The following screenshots were taken from the MESH website I created to make the information necessary to recreate this event available to the public. All posters, name tag templates, and signage documents can be downloaded directly from the site free of charge.
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Future Implementation
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Implementation User Types
The Mender/ Hemmer
The Shopper
This participant doesn’t need or want any more clothing but has items in the back of her closet which she has been meaning to alter or fix for months.
This participant came for the free stuff! As a student, she has little extra money to buy new clothes and enjoys the hunt for the gems in the clothing piles.
She doesn’t own her own sewing machine so is happy for the opportunity to complete these nagging projects.
She’s too busy to participate in the sewing activities but enjoys seeing what the MESH goers come up with.
“I’ve been meaning to hem these jeans forever so this was a great opportunity. -Hemmer
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“You mean these clothes are just...free!? That’s so awesome!” -Shopper
The Sewing Newbie
The Able Sewist
This participant has never had the occasion to pick up a needle and is a little intimidated to get started but would love to pick up a new hobby
This participant has a good handle on sewing basics and may even make some of her own clothes.
She benefits most from having an able sewist by her side for some one-on-one tutelage.
“I can’t believe I actually made this! I’m having so much fun!”
-Sewing Newbie
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With or without the DIY tutorials, she feels confident letting her creativity run wild with the wealth of free materials available to her.
“This is by far the coolest thing I’ve ever done in the Gulfstream Building” -Able Sewist
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Recommendations for Future Implementation People to Invite
A manicurist and/ or makeup artist for a more women-centric event A band or D.J. for larger events More fashion student Local knitting groups Market in Connect Savannah
Refreshments
Easy and clean snacks such as nuts and hard candy Coffee and tea Beer and wine for those over twenty-one
Hello my name is
& I like to: Hello my name is
& my hobby is SUST | 748 | Fall 2013
Hello my name is
Hello my name is
& I’ve never: Hello my name is
& I study: Hello my name is
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Other
http://theartofsimple.net/diy-clothing-rack/
Make it more explicit that donations can be received at the event Instead of raffling off a sewing machine, to entice donations, let those who donate early get early entrance to find the best picks Incorporate a fashion show or “fashion photographer” so participants can show off their creations Provide a MESH stamp with fabric appropriate ink so participants can “rebrand” their transformed items Add name tags for shopper user types, those who do not want to sew Arrange clothing by type, for example work clothes, party clothes, etc. Hang clothing on garment racks to make it easier for participants to sift through the clothing Partner with companies such as sewing shops. This would provide help for the MESH planners and be free advertising for the partners.
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Opportunities for Future Implementation For Colleges
A college wide MESH per quarter or semester or A residence hall MESH per quarter or semester When:
MESH
Start of Term
Term Finals
Where: A centrally located building with ample space for tables and chairs, and electrical outlets for sewing machines. Alternatively, MESH events could be held in Residence hall common areas, taking advantage of the proximity to participants closets Who: Create a college wide invitation including employees or a residence hall specific invitation This is an excellent time for non-school related conversations between people of all ages and occupations. Recruit fashion students to take shifts to aid sewing newbies through the DIY tutorials and help them envision unique transformations for clothing items.
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When:
This would be a year round space open whenever volunteers are available. Where: A centrally located building with ample space for tables and chairs, and electrical outlets for sewing machines.
MESH Mid-Terms
As a Non-Profit Maker Space
Who: Market the space to current fashion students as well as graduated students who no longer have access to school sewing machines. Other likely user types include: Interior Designers Artists People already involved with local knitting groups and book clubs Those involved with sustainability issues Low income individuals
As a For Profit Maker Space When:
This would be a year round space open during typical retail types but perhaps with a later closing time for 9-5 clients. Where: A centrally located building with ample space for tables and chairs, and electrical outlets for sewing machines. Who: Market the space to current fashion students as well as graduated students who no longer have access to school sewing machines. Other likely user types include: Interior Designers Artists People already involved with local knitting groups and book clubs Those involved with sustainability issues Low income individuals
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As a Community Event
When: These could be events held 2-4 times per year. Early December may be a good time to market the DIY component for creating Christmas gifts. Early Spring or early Fall may also be successful times as these are when people most often clean out ttansition their wardrobes and purge belongings. Where: A city or region-wide event could be held at a large convention space such as Savannah’s Civic Center. Who: Anyone and everyone.
What: In addition to the regular MESH activities, other higher profit margin items should be sold such as snacks, coffee, beer and wine. The space should be marketed as a rental for special events like birthday parties and baby showers. Sewing machines could be rented hourly or access could be through monthly membership fees.
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