3. Circular Open Source Fashion¶
RESEARCH AND IDEATION¶
Circular Fashion¶
For years, the fashion industry has been a linear system where raw materials are extracted, processed to create textiles, then made into clothing, and finally sold to consumers who discard them when they are no longer used. The circular fashion proposes the opposite: a system where products are used more and are able to extend their useful life through upcycling, modular design, repair, among other methods.
For this project, I decided to take inspiration from the technique of Layering and the anatomy of the orchid, achieving symmetrical patterns with volume. With a single module that can be easily reproduced, I experimented with combining geometric and organic shapes that can be assembled and turned into any garment, in this case specifically a small bag that can be turned into a crop vest and vice versa.
Main challenges:
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To achieve a module that is easy to assemble.
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To make the most of the material intended for this project so that there is not so much fabric waste.
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To create a multipurpose garment.
REFERENCES AND INSPIRATION¶
To decide the path I would take in this project, I sought inspiration in the "Circular Fashion Catalogue"
Fabricademy student work¶
Inspiration¶
TOOLS¶
- [SmartCarve] (https://smartcarve.software.informer.com/)
DESIGN PROCESS¶
I began by learning a little more about the anatomy of orchids in order to create petal shapes and parts of this flower that would help me construct organic yet geometric figures. I experimented with symmetrical and asymmetrical silhouettes to see how they behaved when made into modules.
Paper test¶
In order to understand it better, I decided to try connecting a four-petal shape with holes that I thought would be functional at the time. However, when I connected them with paper, they did not hold together as they should have because the hole was not the same size as the side that was hooked and it looked strange. However, this test helped me understand about male and female pieces.
Material Testing¶
The materials used in laser cutting are very important to consider, as not all of them are suitable for cutting, especially fabrics. One fabric that is highly recommended for cutting is polyester, as it creates a seal when melted, which prevents the fabric from breaking or fraying. The fabrics I decided to use for testing were tergal and fleece, which are mainly composed of polyester, and for the final assembly I opted for recycled denim composed partly of polyester and cotton.
[ TERGAL Max. Power: 30 Min Power: 20 Work Speed mm/s: 60] |
[ FLEECE Max. Power: 40 Min Power: 30 Work Speed mm/s: 50] |
[ DENIM Max. Power: 40 Min Power: 30 Work Speed mm/s: 45 |
FIRST ATTEMPT¶
Once I understood the function of the holes for connecting the modules, I experimented with their position in the pieces to see what kind of assembly I could achieve. For the first attempt, I chose to use firm fabrics that would allow me to easily assemble the pieces. I decided to laser cut all the shapes to find a way to connect them in fleece and tergal. This step helped me a lot, as I was able to make several combinations of assemblies with different shapes.
Because I wanted a single modular piece, I had to combine two forms of interlocking so that the male and female parts were in a single piece, resulting in a functional module that met my objectives.
However, when I interlocked them, I realized that they were not very sturdy, so I decided to modify the module by enlarging the center, resulting in my final modules with the same interlocking system.
This is what they look like when assembled. 1
ASSEMBLY VIDEO¶
FINAL PIECE¶
*** Vest ***
*** Bag ***
