Accumulated Narratives
Design for
Fashion durability, Fashion industry
Year
2019-2020
Fashion is one of the industries that has contributed negatively to the environment, especially fast fashion which has shaped the disposable nature of the industry. This leads to a large majority of garments being discarded because of the failure of maintaining emotional relationships with the products rather than physical damage. Consumers now buy 60% more clothes than in 2000, but each garment is kept for half as long as before (Fashion and Waste: An Uneasy Relationship, 2018). Meanwhile, research shows that the rate of clothes bought each year that individuals end up stocking at home keeps increasing due to the obsolescence in both physical and psychological aspects (Textile Outlook International, 2009).
Under this context, this project aims to use design actions to encourage individuals to invest time and emotion to foster deeper attachment with their garments in order to slow down the lifecycle speed. The main research question is: “How can we make use of emotional factors to alter individuals’ clothing use patterns?
INSIGHT
What were the key methods that you used for this work?
Participatory design and action research were two key methods in this project. An empirical workshop was selected as a way to realise the participatory design component. In the meantime, action research was employed as the central research method which aims to benefit both participants and the designer by creating change (to the participants) and foster understanding (for the designer) at the same time. The process of applying the action allowed me to observe and reflect to generate new knowledge and move forward to the subsequent steps.
Do you think that this project can be scaled up?
Yes, I think it is feasible to run workshops in a larger community after the influence of this project is expanded through the online platform.
