Monday, March 29, 2010
I found some very interesting and relevant information for my project on Kate Fletcher's website. She has worked on some amazing projects and the life times project is one of them.
The lifetimes project is a collaborative research project between Mathilda Tam and Kate Fletcher, exploring fast and slow clothes and fast and slow rhythms of use. Lifetimes explores about the creative connections between fashion clothes, time and sustainability.
"This project is about trying to match fast and slow garments with fast and slow rhythms of use to save resources while simultaneously providing for people's symbolic AND material needs. We think that rhythms are really important in furthering our ecological understanding of our clothes. There are many factors which influence a garment's 'speed'; we looked at garment types, fashion levels and most importantly how real people use clothes. This section details these rhythms and sets the scene for the generation of a whole new approach to clothes designed around sensitivity to their actual lifetimes and patterns of use. "
Motr information about this project Here
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Survey results.
There has been an amazing response to my survey, and i must say i'm surprised! I did not expect so many people to be willing to take out the time for this even though it takes only a minute or 2.
I sent out the survey to about 80 girls between the ages of 20 and 30, because I felt narrowing down my target group before hand would make things a little easier at the moment considering the limited amount of time that I have.
A lot of the results only confirmed what I thought, but i'ts interesting to see the results either ways. And it definitely gives me a lot of direction for my project.
I sent out the survey to about 80 girls between the ages of 20 and 30, because I felt narrowing down my target group before hand would make things a little easier at the moment considering the limited amount of time that I have.
A lot of the results only confirmed what I thought, but i'ts interesting to see the results either ways. And it definitely gives me a lot of direction for my project.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Survey consumption trends
I have created a little survey that i would like you to help me out with
Unfortunately i have been restricted to 10 questions since I don't have a paid account.
But I hope this will give me a clearer idea of what's going on (in addition to speaking to people)
Click here to take survey
Unfortunately i have been restricted to 10 questions since I don't have a paid account.
But I hope this will give me a clearer idea of what's going on (in addition to speaking to people)
Click here to take survey
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
I just felt the need to inform who ever is reading this.
That I am part of this whole consumerist thing too..i try to be conscious but I do admit to my wants coming in the way very often.
I have realised how ever that over time my look towards clothing is changing. I much rather spend a bit more on a piece of clothing that looks interesting (and is of good quality) knowing that ill wear it over a longer period of time than a whole lot of average looking clothing that tends to tear or change shape after the first few washes.
The last piece of clothing i bought was this wonderful reconstructed top from hidden harmony. LOVE it! and I know it will be an active part of my wardrobe for many years to come. I am slowly but surely discovering that my grandma was right in every sense of the word when she said "goedkoop is duurkoop" ( i guess it kind of translates to Cheap buys are expensive buys)
Ive consciously tried to reuse, give away or use my old clothes for projects that i do in college. But as i said i'm very much part of our whole consumerist society. And I do admit to going shopping to make me feel better.
So yes i love fashion, and I do want to look interesting...but its never too late to make a change right? There are so many ways to look much more interesting (with out having to buy a piece of clothing according to the latest trends every time) if we were just a little more creative (which i'm supposed to be considering i'm in a design institute). It's funny how lazy we tend to get at times.So from now on I'm going to be more conscious about what I buy+ be more creative and do things myself.-And actually practice what I preach.
That I am part of this whole consumerist thing too..i try to be conscious but I do admit to my wants coming in the way very often.
I have realised how ever that over time my look towards clothing is changing. I much rather spend a bit more on a piece of clothing that looks interesting (and is of good quality) knowing that ill wear it over a longer period of time than a whole lot of average looking clothing that tends to tear or change shape after the first few washes.
The last piece of clothing i bought was this wonderful reconstructed top from hidden harmony. LOVE it! and I know it will be an active part of my wardrobe for many years to come. I am slowly but surely discovering that my grandma was right in every sense of the word when she said "goedkoop is duurkoop" ( i guess it kind of translates to Cheap buys are expensive buys)
Ive consciously tried to reuse, give away or use my old clothes for projects that i do in college. But as i said i'm very much part of our whole consumerist society. And I do admit to going shopping to make me feel better.
So yes i love fashion, and I do want to look interesting...but its never too late to make a change right? There are so many ways to look much more interesting (with out having to buy a piece of clothing according to the latest trends every time) if we were just a little more creative (which i'm supposed to be considering i'm in a design institute). It's funny how lazy we tend to get at times.So from now on I'm going to be more conscious about what I buy+ be more creative and do things myself.-And actually practice what I preach.
Monday, March 22, 2010
My fashion footprint: Is your wardrobe bad for the planet?
A new website helps you measure the environmental impact of your clothes, from the factory to the tumble dryer. Matilda Lee takes the test
Phil Patterson is not your average wardrobe consultant. For a start, he's clueless about designer labels, trends and fashion in general. He refers to "textiles" rather than clothes. His advice will, at best, raise eyebrows and, at worst, induce cardiac arrest among the fashion conscious and can be summed up as follows: wear antimicrobial socks because they needn't be washed after use and the perfect wardrobe staple is anything made from Eucalyptus trees. Perhaps the only area with which he wouldn't come to blows with a fashionista is a mutual disregard for Lycra.
Thank goodness, then, that Phil's visit to my house isn't an attempt to fashion me forward. Instead, after rummaging through my closet, Phil will rate my clothes using his "textile ecometric". I'll then be the very first person to have a number of Environmental Damage Units, or EDUs, attached to my wardrobe.
Read more Here
Sunday, March 21, 2010
What is it that i'm looking at?
After doing quite a bit of reading i'm ready to write a little post on what it is that i'm looking at exactly.
I started off with ethical and sustainable design, with no real ideas as such.
I've been interested in this field of design for the longest time and i feel very strongly about it. After looking at various options of green design and recycling, i've realise that my real interest lies in shifting peoples behaviours and perceptions towards fashion.
Our consumption patterns are not sustainable. We meet our desire for pleasure, new experiences, status and identity through buying goods - many of them clothes.We shop for clothes addictively with the thought that the garments or products we acquire is going to make a difference in our lives. When we realise that everything is still the same and that we are still unfulfilled we hit the shops once more and the cycle begins again.
When i look at the people around me I see a lot of them have a tendency to purchase large amounts of extremely cheap clothing that they can wear only a few times before they tear. After that they get rid of the clothing and head back to the cotton expos to renew their wardrobe. None of them seem to think about what happens with the waste or where the product came from in the first place.They are all students on a relatively small budget, they like to have variety in their wardrobes, this way their wardrobe is ever changing. The rest doesn't really seem to matter.
While mass production and cheap high street stores have provided us with more products to choose from, these choices are actually more restricted. Fashion nowadays is standardised, most of the high street fashion looks similar.Similar things, colours and designs are sold everywhere. Even though the trends change every season we are still pushed into a certain look. We have become very passive towards fashion, and follow trends prescribed by the industry without really putting a second thought into it. The system and the clothes that represent it, appears to undermine our self esteem and yet we lack the knowledge make, adapt and personalize fashion pieces ourselves. From this position of passivity the only choice available to us seems to be to consume.
Debord (1967) describes this cycle more eloquently:
“The image of blissful social unification through consumption merely postpones the consumer’s awareness of the actual divisions until his next disillusionment with some particular commodity…. But the object that was prestigious in the spectacle becomes mundane as soon as it is taken home by its consumer… Meanwhile, some other object is already replacing it as representative of the system and demanding its own moment of acclaim”
I'm nowhere close to finding the solution or even reasons as to why we have become like this. But I'm looking into the throwaway culture and how people value their clothing. According to me people don't really value their belongings anymore and I'm trying to understand why. It's easy to jump to the step of recycling our fabric waste but wouldn't it be better to reduce our consumption in the first place? I think understanding the consumer and what makes them value their clothing more (or less) would be a step towards finding a way to make a change.
I think its about time that we as consumers take a step towards making a change, we cant push everything towards the manufacturers/designers anymore. We play a crucial role in forming the fashion industry and unless we are willing to make a change responsible products will fail.
“The customer is King. The customer is the one who sets the rules. The customer is the one who can have an impact on any company.” (Designer Peter Ingwersen, Noir)
To do this the consumer needs to be better informed and educated but how do we do this in such a way that it becomes a part of life, unconscious behaviour? because how much do we actually think before buying that one dress? We can go on and on telling people whats wrong and whats right, and how they need to change their consumption patterns etc but I feel that change needs to come from the heart of the individual, what is important for them? What is going to make their life more meaningful and more enriched? Rather than, what am I told is important to me? What new product must I buy to make my life better?
I started off with ethical and sustainable design, with no real ideas as such.
I've been interested in this field of design for the longest time and i feel very strongly about it. After looking at various options of green design and recycling, i've realise that my real interest lies in shifting peoples behaviours and perceptions towards fashion.
Our consumption patterns are not sustainable. We meet our desire for pleasure, new experiences, status and identity through buying goods - many of them clothes.We shop for clothes addictively with the thought that the garments or products we acquire is going to make a difference in our lives. When we realise that everything is still the same and that we are still unfulfilled we hit the shops once more and the cycle begins again.
When i look at the people around me I see a lot of them have a tendency to purchase large amounts of extremely cheap clothing that they can wear only a few times before they tear. After that they get rid of the clothing and head back to the cotton expos to renew their wardrobe. None of them seem to think about what happens with the waste or where the product came from in the first place.They are all students on a relatively small budget, they like to have variety in their wardrobes, this way their wardrobe is ever changing. The rest doesn't really seem to matter.
While mass production and cheap high street stores have provided us with more products to choose from, these choices are actually more restricted. Fashion nowadays is standardised, most of the high street fashion looks similar.Similar things, colours and designs are sold everywhere. Even though the trends change every season we are still pushed into a certain look. We have become very passive towards fashion, and follow trends prescribed by the industry without really putting a second thought into it. The system and the clothes that represent it, appears to undermine our self esteem and yet we lack the knowledge make, adapt and personalize fashion pieces ourselves. From this position of passivity the only choice available to us seems to be to consume.
Debord (1967) describes this cycle more eloquently:
“The image of blissful social unification through consumption merely postpones the consumer’s awareness of the actual divisions until his next disillusionment with some particular commodity…. But the object that was prestigious in the spectacle becomes mundane as soon as it is taken home by its consumer… Meanwhile, some other object is already replacing it as representative of the system and demanding its own moment of acclaim”
I'm nowhere close to finding the solution or even reasons as to why we have become like this. But I'm looking into the throwaway culture and how people value their clothing. According to me people don't really value their belongings anymore and I'm trying to understand why. It's easy to jump to the step of recycling our fabric waste but wouldn't it be better to reduce our consumption in the first place? I think understanding the consumer and what makes them value their clothing more (or less) would be a step towards finding a way to make a change.
I think its about time that we as consumers take a step towards making a change, we cant push everything towards the manufacturers/designers anymore. We play a crucial role in forming the fashion industry and unless we are willing to make a change responsible products will fail.
“The customer is King. The customer is the one who sets the rules. The customer is the one who can have an impact on any company.” (Designer Peter Ingwersen, Noir)
To do this the consumer needs to be better informed and educated but how do we do this in such a way that it becomes a part of life, unconscious behaviour? because how much do we actually think before buying that one dress? We can go on and on telling people whats wrong and whats right, and how they need to change their consumption patterns etc but I feel that change needs to come from the heart of the individual, what is important for them? What is going to make their life more meaningful and more enriched? Rather than, what am I told is important to me? What new product must I buy to make my life better?
Zero Waste Fashion
Timo Rissanen has a Blog on which he documents the progress of his PHD . He is investigating the creation of fashion with out creating waste. His blog has some really interesting and eye opening articles.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Platform 21's Repair Manifesto
Platform21 is a design platform aiming to positively influence the relationship between user and product.
Through their projects they question today’s society, connect amateur and professional creativity, reveal the making process, and stimulate dialogue and the sharing of creative knowledge.
They believe that showing and sharing the process of creation is a powerful way to engage a broad audience in divers aspects of design. It opens up the assumption that design is a professionals’ creative discipline only.
Unfortunately platform 21 has had to close due to financial difficulties but some of their projects still live on.
Platform 21's Repair Manifesto opposes throwaway culture and celebrates repair as the new recycling.
Through their projects they question today’s society, connect amateur and professional creativity, reveal the making process, and stimulate dialogue and the sharing of creative knowledge.
They believe that showing and sharing the process of creation is a powerful way to engage a broad audience in divers aspects of design. It opens up the assumption that design is a professionals’ creative discipline only.
Unfortunately platform 21 has had to close due to financial difficulties but some of their projects still live on.
Platform 21's Repair Manifesto opposes throwaway culture and celebrates repair as the new recycling.
Viviene Westwood Active Resistance
Image via active resistance
Vivienne Westwood has been an advocate of action against climate change and has written a Manifesto, which promotes an active resistance to propaganda. Urging the younger generation to become freedom fighters for her plight and to engage in art and culture.
A website has been launched which hosts the manifesto, photographs, past and present events, mini documentaries and VW's news blog and discussion forum.
The website is a very interesting resource!The website is a very interesting resource!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A'wear'ness
I have been doing a lot of reading and research and i'm finding some sort of direction in the way I want to take this project.
Ive been reading the book Sustainable Fashion and Textiles by Kate Fletcher particularly focussing on the chapters about Reuse, Recycling and Zero Waste and articles about participatory design.
I am convinced that people in India, or more directly my surroundings are not aware of what they wear. We live in a throwaway culture and I want to look at ways to adress this behaviour and make people see the consequences of what it is they are doing. It is an extremely serious topic, but in my project I want to find ways to convey this idea in such away that it doesnt feel as heavy. I want to create a'wear'ness!
Ive been reading the book Sustainable Fashion and Textiles by Kate Fletcher particularly focussing on the chapters about Reuse, Recycling and Zero Waste and articles about participatory design.
I am convinced that people in India, or more directly my surroundings are not aware of what they wear. We live in a throwaway culture and I want to look at ways to adress this behaviour and make people see the consequences of what it is they are doing. It is an extremely serious topic, but in my project I want to find ways to convey this idea in such away that it doesnt feel as heavy. I want to create a'wear'ness!
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Project time..=)
So its been a while since i posted something, and now its time to get a bit more direction in things.
I'm a final year textile design student at the Srishti school of Art and Design in Bangalore (India) and the time to start on my graduation project is coming scarily close. At the moment we are starting on a "mock" diploma project to get into the grind of things..from now on im going to be posting things about this project, my own findings, ideas and iterations but also interesting articles and designers that inspire me.
As of now i'm still ideating and thinking of possible projects but since sustainability, ethical design, re- and upcycling has always been my area of interest im going to start from there.
Lets see where things go :)
"There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness"
-Mahatma Gandhi
I'm a final year textile design student at the Srishti school of Art and Design in Bangalore (India) and the time to start on my graduation project is coming scarily close. At the moment we are starting on a "mock" diploma project to get into the grind of things..from now on im going to be posting things about this project, my own findings, ideas and iterations but also interesting articles and designers that inspire me.
As of now i'm still ideating and thinking of possible projects but since sustainability, ethical design, re- and upcycling has always been my area of interest im going to start from there.
Lets see where things go :)
"There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness"
-Mahatma Gandhi
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