Circular Open Source Fashion is an innovative approach to the fashion industry that combines the principles of circular economy with the collaborative spirit of open source. This concept aims to create a sustainable and inclusive fashion ecosystem by promoting the reuse, recycling, and upcycling of materials, while also encouraging transparency and shared knowledge.
In a circular fashion model, products are designed with their entire lifecycle in mind, ensuring that they can be easily disassembled and repurposed at the end of their use. This reduces waste and minimizes the environmental impact of fashion production. Open source fashion takes this a step further by making design patterns, techniques, and materials openly accessible to everyone. This democratizes fashion design, allowing anyone to contribute to and benefit from sustainable practices.
weekly assignment
Include some inspiration: research on artists or projects that work with modules and zero waste systems
Document, Design and prototype with paper and scissors modular configurations and interlocking connections
Document, Design and prototype digitally your modular configurations and interlocking connections in 2D
Document the process of testing and laser cutting your designs, including the machine settings, material type and thickness
Laser cut the modules. Create a modular or seamless garment, showing that the connection is * well-designed and holds the pull/stretch. Document the assembly process and tests
Upload the fabrication PDF file at oscircularfashion.com, in 1:1 scale accompanied by 1-5 pictures (preferably in white background)
Submit some of the modules to the analog or digital material library of the lab. (Recommended size 20cm x 20cm) (extra credit)
One of the main inspirations for this task is Iris Van Harpen, whom I have been following for a long time. The combination of cuts and their assembly in dresses is extraordinary. I would like to experiment with some of her designs and try to combine them with something iconic. In this sense, I have chosen the Chanel camellia, which has been a symbol of the house for years.
The second path I want to explore is a kind of fabric interwoven with laser-cut pieces. I was impressed by the work done by Laura Sanchez Menthol from Fabricademy 2023 and the outstanding work of Lili Alcaraz and Léa Berlier.
Taking into consideration the work of Van Herpen, Lili Alcaraz, and Léa Berlier, I started by making several sketches mainly of what I imagine as skin scales similar to medieval armor that could be used as cuffs on the forearms of a dress.
I also made sketches of my interpretation of Iris Van Harpen's work together with the Chanel camellia, which could be an embellishment as part of a garment.
The laser cut nesting was hand made since my design was very easy to nest.
First, I decided to make some prototypes with my scale design. I decided to use the waste that accumulates in the laboratory's sewing workshop.
In that laboratory, there is a container for putting all the waste from the students' work. From these scraps, I chose several colored strips that I cut to make the first prototype of the scales.
From this prototype, I was able to improve the design since the cuts at the edge of the fabric did not hold the material, which gave me the opportunity to redesign the pieces so that they would hold themselves.
Before making the embellishment for a garment, I wanted to create a cut that could support itself through the connection between two pieces. First, I created a design where I tried to use an account to hold the center of the design.
The first design failed miserably, the rounded bead I cut on the laser didn't fit with the first design. However, part of the design proved to have potential for use. so I suggest continuing to experiment in that direction.
My background is primarily in industrial engineering, and I want to focus my fabricademy on things that can be scalable to create a business. I'm not sure that creating modular elements and connecting them to change their form can become a sustainable activity over time.
I think the lesson should be more focused on the concept of adjacent possible in the industry and waste. Building modular things with waste might be a hint of what is possible, if we somehow could add freedom to students to explore other things.
The adjacent possible is a theory that describes the set of possible next steps or innovations that are available at a given time. It's a concept that helps explain how new possibilities emerge and how they can be developed
It's a way to understand how innovation occurs by looking at the "spare parts" that are available to be recombined in a profitable way. Maybe jumping from A to D.
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