Concept¶

My final project will be an investigation into ways modular design techniques can be sustainably incorporated into the unique workflows of the entertainment industry. I will use these techniques to investigate a historic garment silhouette that can be adapted to the needs of contemporary fashion.

The initial stage of the process will be an exploration of ways that 3D fabrication techniques, computational modeling, and biomaterials can be used to create fabrics, seaming, and closure systems that I could potentially employ in the project. I will then use 3D body scanning and CLO3D to develop a customizable, reconfigurable pattern that can be used to transform the silhouette and fit of a garment. Finally, I hope to develop interchangeable elements and decorative panels that can reiterate the garment for different contexts.

The intended outcome is a single garment that can be reconfigured in multiple ways to adapt to the specific needs of a performer or narrative context. In addition to these prototypes, I aim to develop a materials library and a publication detailing the workflows used for both the biomaterials and the fabrication files, which I can share with students in the courses I teach.

Motivations & Inquiries¶

How can modularity be used to aesthetically alter silhouette and fit?

Unlike ready-to-wear fashion, which relies on standardized sizing and mass production, costume design is fundamentally a uniquely body-specific and highly individualized practice. The disciplin offers a responsive approach to garment design, with the expectation that the clothes adjust to the body and drive the aesthetic decision-making. This project aims to develop design strategies for both the entertainment and apparel industry that allow for easy, functional fit adjustments that can accommodate a wearer’s body as it changes over time.

How can modularity create interchangeable garments that can be repurposed for different functions and contexts?

Prior to the industrial revolution, garments were often constructed with the assumption they would be altered to adapt to changing uses and styles. This concept of built-in adaptability is still employed in the entertainment industry, where costumes are constructed to be altered and refit to adjust to the needs of different bodies and productions. This project hopes to revisit this practice to offer new methodologies for clothing the body that support deconstruction and reconstruction as a fundamental part of the garment's life cycle, and inherently resists its obsolescence.

How can modularity be explored in more sustainable ways?

The current landscape of modular garment design is heavily dominated by examples that rely on non-biodegradable, often synthetic materials, or rigid, 3D-printed plastics. This prevalence presents a significant limitation in terms of material sustainability and the tactile experience of the garments. This project aims to explore and develop more sustainable and versatile approaches through practical experimentation with the bioplastic fabrication methods and the development of textile scaffold techniques introduced within the Fabricademy curriculum.

Timeline¶

Research & Development¶

In this experimental phase, I will focus on expanding my knowledge of biomaterials, specifically exploring the possibilities of molding and 3D printing. My goal is to produce and document a library of material samples for future reference. A key area of exploration during this phase will be parametric design, and since I lack expertise, I will need assistance navigating this process within Grasshopper and Blender.

Prototyping¶

Building off feedback I receive at the midterm presentation, I will develop a full scale prototype of the modular garment and the interchangeable elements. I start will start by refining patterns for the modular garment elements in CLO3D and testing closure systems created using biomaterials. I will expand on the parametric pattern sampling from the first phase to create more refined decorative panels that can be applied to the garment.

Presentation & Dissemination¶

I am an artist who naturally prioritizes process over the final product, which often leads me to avoid or outsource the essential work of presenting and promoting my projects. For this specific endeavor, I am committed to taking full ownership and agency over these components. I would like support with establishing efficient workflows for creating polished presentation materials suitable for various media platforms, and with identifying open-source applications that can streamline this process and minimize the time commitment.

Facilities & Bill of Materials¶

For the research and development phase, I will be primarily working in my home studio, which is equipped with sewing equipment, a Bambu A1 3D Printer, and a Xtool M1 Ultra Laser Cutter / Vinyl Cutter. I do not plan to build any specialized tools or equipment for this project. When possible, I will be working with existing or repurposed materials. Below I will be logging material purchases on a weekly basis.

Research¶

In my initial round of research, I found the following articles that investigate how digital fabrication is being used to explore the different techniques I hope to employ in my project.

Fanglan, Z., & Kaifa, D. (2021). Innovative application of 3D printing technology in Fashion design. Journal of Physics. Conference Series, 1790(1), 12030. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1790/1/012030
Porterfield, A., & Lamar, T. A. M. (2021). A framework for incorporating virtual fitting into the costume design and production process. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 14(1), 91–100. https://doi-org.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/10.1080/17543266.2020.1864484
Musto, Michela. (2025). Fashion’s future: the power of biomaterials and digital manufacturing for systemic sustainability. TECHNE - Journal of Technology for Architecture and Environment. 60-64. 10.36253/techne-16819.
Pasricha, A., Greeninger, R. Exploration of 3D printing to create zero-waste sustainable fashion notions and jewelry. Fash Text 5, 30 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40691-018-0152-2
Zhang, Xiaoqing & Normand, A & Yan, S & Wood, Jane & Henninger, Claudia E. (2024). What is modular fashion: Towards A Common Definition. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 204. 107495. 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107495.

References & Inspiration¶

Over the past twelve weeks, I have become particularly interested in using digital fabrication processes that allow for the incorporation of biomaterials into modular garment designs.

During the Open Source Circular Fashion Week, I was inspired by the modular strategies used by Maite Sosa Methol and Ana San Roman to engineer decorative joint connections and intricate surface texture. The idea of garments with interchangeable, adjustable parts is exciting and practical for the field of costume design, because of the way garments are frequently reworked for different bodies and narratives.

I was also very inspired by the process that Julia Kroener shared for creating the garments from her ARID collection during the Computational Couture.. I was specifically interested in the way she used CLO3D to sustainably prototype the modular patterns and the extensive research she did around embedding 3D printed closures into the fabrics to enable secure methods of attachment.

Another source of inspiration that week was Kadian Gosler’s work with recreating traditional lace patterns for lingerie using 3D printing. As a designer who works extensively from historical garment references, I am eager to find ways of integrating these strategies into my period costuming work using biodegradable materials.

This brings me to Week 7 where I was very inspired by Cecilia Raspanti’s presentation and the material properties that Barbara Rakovska was able to achieve with gelatin and algae based bioplastics. In my own experimentations following this lecture, I have explored creating textures by skimming bioplastics over etched surfaces and embedding them into fabric using 3D-printed molds.

Moodboard¶

I have been collecting inspiration images for this project at this link.

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