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3. Circular Open Source Fashion

˖᯽ ݁˖ References and inspiration ˖᯽ ݁˖

This topic excites me because the possibilities are endless. I appreciate that there are different ways to re-think within an industry and innovate to become something sustainable. That's why I believe it's essential to keep experimenting and discover new interpretations.

I took inspiration from a few images on Pinterest, both aesthetically and for interlocking modules.

week3 inspo

  1. Tacker New York Kenlee Leather Bucket Bag
  2. Paco Rabbane Disc Mini Crossbody Bag
  3. Sara Gay Art Origami Rubber Shapes, checkout their page

Since Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) was approaching in Mexico, I sought to incorporate that theme into a design. Every year, my family sets up an altar to remember those who are no longer with us. We usually place food, like fruit, as an 'ofrenda' (offering). Following that line of thought, I was ispired to icorporate 'papel picado' motifs (an element also traditionally used in the offering) onto my design.

  • Pictures taken by Héctor García, 1960

dia de m dia de m


Tools & Materials

Process and workflow ꩜

Paper structure ༘⋆

I started by sketching several silhouettes following a clear joining system: slots that would be connected with another material. Then, I traced my final silhouette in Onshape.

Exporting the drawing in DXF format is essential for laser cutting.

I printed my drawing on paper and carried out a joint test. After being satisfied with the result, I proceeded with the laser cutting.

Laser cutting -ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

I started by placing my leather on the laser cutter bed. I arranged it as efficiently as possible to minimize material waste, so I cut the pieces in sets of five, or even one by one when necessary.

In SmartCave, I imported my design and arranged it. I used the same cutting parameters throughout the entire project. I tested different speeds and power settings until I found the correct ones to cut my leather properly. These are:

  • Max power (%): 70.00
  • Min power (%): 60.00
  • Work speed (mm/s): 15.00

I removed my pieces from the laser cutter; there were 50 in total. When leather is laser cut, the edges burn and release a black powder that stains hands or any surface it comes into contact with, so it is necessary to wash it with water and dish soap (this also helps reduce the odor). After washing the leather, I let the pieces dry for one day on flat surfaces to prevent them from deforming.

𐙚⋆Final result 𐙚⋆

You can check out my project on the open source circular fashion page. ⋆˙⟡

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Fabrication files

  1. Paper motif ↩