Modular Threads¶
Concept¶
Today’s fashion industry is built on a foundation of planned obsolescence, a model that treats garments as disposable commodities rather than durable goods. By prioritizing rapid trend cycles and cheap labor over longevity, the industry has normalized a linear lifecycle that is currently devastating the planet. This system relies on the constant production of low-quality items designed to fail, ensuring that we are trapped in a perpetual loop of purchasing and discarding. For the individual consumer, the scale of this crisis can feel insurmountable—rendering personal wardrobe choices seemingly insignificant against a global tide of textile waste.
Modular Threads introduces a vision for a sustainable fashion ecosystem, empowering individuals to modify both the fit and style of their garments through an adaptable framework of adjustable panels, snap-based seams, and interchangeable appliques. By revisiting pre-industrial models of clothing—where garments were customized to the individual rather than forcing the body to fit standardized sizing—this system aims to restore a deeply personal relationship between the wearer and their clothing. By inviting the wearer back into the manufacturing process as an active participant, this accessible design provides true agency over the creation and long-term evolution of a personal wardrobe, transforming it into a lifelong system of evolution and repair.
WHO:
I am Alison Heryer, a Portland-based designer, educator, and socially engaged artist. With two decades of experience as a costume designer in the entertainment industry instilled in me a profound respect for handcrafted garment construction. Through my work with Fabricademy, I am now merging that appreciation with digital fabrication to explore more sustainable methods for creating clothing.
WHAT:
For the final project I will create a garment prototype that can be reconfigured in multiple ways to adapt to the specific needs of the wearer. My research will focus on how modular design techniques can be sustainably incorporated into garment construction using 3D fabrication and biomaterials to create adaptive garment systems. By investigating historic garment silhouettes through modern tools like CLO3D and 3D body scanning, I aim to develop customizable, reconfigurable patterns that allow clothing to adjust to a wearer’s body as it changes over time, inherently resisting the obsolescence built into the modern fashion industry.
WHERE:
I will be working out of my personal studio where I have an Xtool M1 Ultra Crafting Machine and a Bambu Lab A1 3D printer.
WHEN:
Research and Development: During the first phase I will focus on expanding my knowledge of biomaterials, specifically exploring the possibilities of molding and 3D printing and researching historical zero-waste patterning methods that I can virtually prototype using CLO3D.
Prototyping: Using feedback on the artifacts generated during this phase, I will develop virtual prototypes of size-adjustable garments that can be adapted to fit two different bodies with interchangeable bioplastic appliques.
Documentation & Presentation: Video and photography are not a strong skill for me. I intentionally left time at the end of this project to be able to refine the imagery and storytelling for the final presentation and publication.
WHY:
The modern fashion industry is built on a foundation of planned obsolescence. It is a model that treats garments as disposable commodities rather than durable goods, prioritizing quick cycles and cheap labor over longevity. Conversations around sustainable fashion often center on waste and are usually accompanied by images of mountains of synthetic fabrics in impoverished regions where "donations" become a local environmental catastrophe. For the individual consumer, this problem can feel insurmountable. Seeking to transform our relationship with clothing, this proposal introduces a garment system designed for lifelong durability. By implementing modular techniques for adaptable fit and aesthetics, the project aims to proactively prevent apparel from entering landfills.
Materials & Processes¶
Zero-Waste Layout Patterns were developed using CLO3D software on custom digital avatars mapped to the exact measurements of the models, ensuring a perfect fit and drastically reducing the need for physical, wasteful prototyping cycles. Furthermore, the geometric pattern pieces are engineered to be nested tightly together on the fabric layout, eliminating cutting scraps while allowing the digital markers to adapt effortlessly to varying laser-cutter bed dimensions.
Adjustable Panels The design utilizes a system of efficient rectangular panels that entirely eliminate curved edge waste, featuring laser-cut holes engineered at precise 1-inch increments to serve as a modular matrix for assembly. To ensure longevity, weight fluctuations, and size inclusivity, the garment features built-in width adjustability along both the central panels and side seams, while length adjustability is seamlessly achieved by folding up the hem.
Repurposed Fabrics The physical prototype was built from repurposed natural textiles, the material choice actively supports a circular economy and reduces the demand for extracted resources. The cotton sateen bedding was selected for its ability to be laser-cut with minimal edge-fraying, ensuring clean finishes and durable structural integrity, while still offering the flexible option to be custom-dyed for aesthetic variation and personalization.
Biofabricated Applique Decorative variation is made possible through the integration of biofabricated appliqués. Using a simple, accessible blend of gelatin, glycerine, and natural food colorants, these embellishments can be easily made in a consumer’s kitchen, completely bypassing toxic chemical manufacturing. The liquid bioplastic mixture is poured into thin 1mm sheets that cure into a flexible, resilient, and fully compostable biomaterial that replicates vinyl. Once dried, these sheets are cut into precise, modular decorative components using a digital laser cutter.
Publication¶
Video¶
Presentation¶
Gallery¶
