This zero-waste collection draws attention to how we as designers and artists have the power to shape the world around us. Designers, Architects, Inventors, Producers, Builders, Creators. We are Makers, and we have the creative brain power to make this planet more sustainable and even more beautiful. Our greatest collaborator as Makers is the Earth itself. Since she is the sole provider of our materials, let’s strive to create with our beloved Mother Gaia, and not against her. I have recently been learning and experimenting with zero-waste garment design, and I have found the process to be like solving a puzzle. One could say that trying to solve this climate crisis is like trying to solve one giant puzzle, and I am in the process of fitting my piece in.
There is no “one way” to practice zero-waste design. The key is to use as much material as I can, if not every inch. I take a big piece of pattern paper, grab a basic pattern block like a sleeve for example, and trace it over and over. I then cut it out in muslin and start draping it on the dress form to see what I get. When using pattern blocks, I have to be strategic about where I place them on the fabric. This is because I will have to get creative in how I use the negative space pieces. I could also take a big piece of pattern paper and start drawing shapes. I could draw the same shape over and over, or just random shapes I find interesting--then cut it out in muslin and drape to see what silhouettes I get again. Another process is to take the fabric I want to use and start draping it on the dress form. I then make markings with a marker or chalk where I want seams, or where I could place a dart, or figure out the overall shape I like. Then I take the fabric off the dress form and transfer the markings onto the pattern paper.
Zero-waste design is needed now more than ever before. The possibilities are truly endless. I want to be the change I want to see in the world, and altering my mindset in the way I design is the first step. I hope my fellow Makers around the world will join me in solving the puzzle.
