A. Title of the project: Zero-fabric-waste design for apparel B. Faculty mentors name: Melanie Carrico C.

Students name: Victoria Kim

D. This statement certifies that both the student, Victoria Kim, and the faculty member, Melanie
Carrico, were involved in the development of this IdURA proposal.

Project Description

A. Project Goals: The goal of this project is to develop designs for apparel that utilize 100% of the
length of fabric, or are considered zero-fabric-waste. The zero-waste approach is being practiced in many manufacturing areas; Subaru, Proctor & Gamble, and Caterpillar are just a few of the companies that boast about their zero-waste-to-landfill plants. In their article Design Through the 12 Principles of Green Engineering, Anastas and Zimmerman (2003) list as their second principle: It is better to prevent waste than to treat or clean up waste after it is formed (p.96A). Zero-waste apparel design is a sustainability concept that strives to eliminate any wasted fabric from the production of clothing. In cut-and-sew garment production, the most common method for manufacturing apparel, the average waste of fabric from the cutting process is 15%. The reason for the waste is that pattern pieces for most apparel items have irregular shapes that do not perfectly join together like puzzle pieces (see Figure 1). The fashion industry does employ different methods for minimizing that waste, such as using software to plan the placement of pattern pieces for cutting (which is much like solving a jigsaw puzzle on the computer) or cutting multiple sizes and styles together, providing increased chances for pattern pieces to interlock efficiently. Those methods, though, do not eliminate the waste of fabric that ends up on the cutting-room floor.

Figure 1: Pattern layout for one pair of trousers. Gray areas indicate fabric waste. Illustration by Melanie Carrico Indigenous clothing has for centuries employed the zero-waste concept in its design. One example that often comes to mind is the Indian sari, a length of cloth that is draped and wrapped around the body without being cut or stitched. The Japanese kimono is also a zero-waste garment but it is made of cut and sewn pieces of fabric. These two examples, and other similar garments, do not suit the everyday apparel needs of western consumers. Both styles have considerable fabric fullness, and neither style provides the tailored fit found in western apparel styles like blazers and trousers. Thus the challenge for sustainably-minded designers is to create styles with the potential for western fashion adoption within the parameters of zero-fabric-waste. Reducing the waste generated is important because, as Ericson (2010) estimates, the garment industry is responsible for 7 percent of world carbon emissions (p. 62). If some of those emissions are created transporting scrap unnecessarily to landfills, we should work to reduce the scrap. The zero-waste approach has been the subject of recent museum exhibitions including Zero Waste: Fashion Re-Patterned in Chicago, YIELD: Making fashion without making waste in New Zealand, and Fashioning Now in Sydney. The shows include works from renowned designers Zandra Rhodes and Yeohlee Teng as well as new designers leading the current zero-waste movement Holly McQuillan and Timo Risannen. Figure 2 shows one example from a recent exhibition.

Figure 2: Zero-waste jacket (left) and its pattern diagram (right) by Timo Risannen (2009)

B. Methods the student will utilize to achieve goals: The student will work with Professor Carrico throughout Fall 2011 and Spring 2012 semesters to develop zero-fabric-waste garments for exhibition. A total of four garments will result from the project, two being the students creation and two being Professor Carricos creation. The work will begin with a review of literature to include current design exhibitions about zero-fabric-waste design. At the same time, Professor Carrico and the student (heretofore referred to as the design team) will select two existing zero-waste patterns for the student to construct in half scale, informing the student in the fine arts tradition of imitating the masters. Reduced scale modeling is a common practice for designers of many forms including architecture, automobiles, and fashion. Madeleine Vionnet is the most widely recognized 20th century fashion designer who designed through draping on half scale models. The benefits to working in half scale include the ability to see the entire garment more easily and an obvious reduction in materials used. Reduced scale paper pattern pieces are easier to handle, allowing for more rapid and fluid pattern manipulations in the designing stages. The design team will meet weekly to discuss readings and review the progress of half-scale models. Following the completion of first two models, the design team will commence work creating half-scale models of their own designs. Thus begins the truly exciting part of apparel design, mixing creativity with technical knowledge; as Rissanen states (2008), fashion design and patternmaking are not hierarchically or otherwise distinct activities; patternmaking is part of the design process (p. 185). By draping fabric and experimenting with existing pattern shapes, the student will realize four half-scale models of her zero-fabric-waste designs. This approach is quite different from the traditional design workflow where ideas are communicated in sketch form and then a pattern is made to match the sketch. Designing through draping and pattern manipulation eliminates sketching and calls on the designer to think and work three-dimensionally as, perhaps, a potter models clay on a wheel. The final phase of the project will be each team member constructing two of the half-scale models in fashion fabric and fullscale. The design team will document the entire process from research to designing to construction in a journal using notes, photographs, and sketches. C. Role of the faculty mentor: Professor Carrico will direct the student throughout all phases of the
project and teach by example the process of finding solutions to design challenges. The mentor will guide the student as she reviews the literature. Weekly meetings will include time for the design team to discuss and work collaboratively on designs as well as time for the student to observe the mentors creative process. During the final production of garments, the mentor will

check the students progress and provide necessary feedback and instruction, analogous to the process in her studio courses. Professor Carrico will advise the student as she prepares the work for dissemination. The student will share results of the project at UNCG's celebration of undergraduate research in 2012. In addition, the resulting garments will be submitted to juried design exhibitions, including the annual Design Scholarship Exhibition of the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) and the Apparel, Textiles & Design Community Juried Showcase and Exhibition of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Both exhibitions have categories for undergraduate, graduate, and faculty / professional work. Professor Carrico will also submit a proposal to the ITAA annual conference for a presentation about the overall process.

D. Role of the student: The student will function first and foremost as a designer (on a team). The
many tasks a designer performs include investigating, examining, analyzing, synthesizing, and creating. The student will also serve as inspiration; the mentor works best and is most creative when able to discuss ideas and share thoughts with like minds. The student will undoubtedly approach the design challenge in ways different from the mentor, and vice versa, thus providing opportunities for both parties to learn from each other.

E. Describe the relationship of the project to the faculty members body of scholarship/research:
Professor Carrico is the only member of the Department of Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies with workload dedicated completely to the Apparel Design concentration. She has an M.F.A. in fashion design and her scholarship is focused on creative work in the form of one-of-akind garments. Professor Carricos creative works have been shown in more than 25 national and international juried and invited exhibitions. She is a regular presenter at the annual conference of the International Textiles and Apparel Association, and currently serves as the associations chairperson of the Design Scholarship and Education committee. Professor Carricos current work investigates creative patternmaking solutions to design problems. For example, she works to streamline pattern shapes to make them more geometric thereby simplifying cutting and construction. Such changes to garment patterns tend to generate styles outside of the realm of current trends; consequently, the garment may be worn longer achieving status as more sustainable than trend-based fashion.

F.

Please tell us how the project will impact the students career goals: Patternmaking has not changed much in the past hundred years, but the zero-waste approach is not only innovative but also necessary to the future of the earth. 15% of the fabric is discarded during the production of clothing today and by developing zero-waste techniques, the long-term environmental waste reduction would be boundless. In order to meet the goal of no waste, a designer really has to utilize their patternmaking skills in a problem solving process where the shape of the pattern determines the look of the garment, and not the other way around. This would not only give the student tremendous experience in patternmaking, but also would pull different aspects from math and science. By working with Professor Melanie Carrico, who has had extensive patternmaking experience in both the apparel industry and as a professor, the student will be able to observe valuable techniques that could only be taught though hands-on experience. The student would assist in preforming research on existing zero-waste patternmaking methods, as well as drafting new patterns and sewing garment prototypes. The students goal is to become a designer in the fashion industry. Because of the competitive nature of the fashion industry, it is important that apparel design students have a unique skill set. Sustainability of clothing is a huge issue in the business today and the experience the student will gain through the research preformed will equip her for specialization in this area. North Carolina played a huge part in the history of the textile and apparel manufacturing industry, and in order to become competitive in this industry again, research of innovative methods and technology

is absolutely crucial. References cited: Anastas, P. & Zimmerman, J. (2003). Design through the 12 principles of green engineering [Electronic version]. Environmental Science and Technology, 37 (5), 94A-101A. Ericson, S. (2010). No waste allowed. Threads, 149, 60-63. Risannen, T. (2008). Creating fashion without the creation of fabric waste. In J. Hethorn and C. Ulasewicz (Eds.), Sustainable Fashion: Why Now? A conversation about issues, practices, and possibilities (pp. 184-206). New York, NY: Fairchild Books. Risannen, T. (2009, September 13). Photograph retrieved March 17, 2011 from http://zerofabricwastefashion.blogspot.com/2009/09/hoodie-attempt-to-explain.html