TECHNICAL FLATS Melissa Armistead
“Fashion is disposable, but it also repeats itself, so just don’t throw anything away,”—Tom Ford
We’re in the midst of renewed interest in “zero-waste” design, wherein patterns are meticulously crafted so that not a single scrap of fabric will be cut away and left behind. The term “zero-waste” emerged during the mid-1970s, and was masterfully practiced by Issey Miyake in his 80’s line, APOC. But zero waste has been the rule, rather than the exception, for most of human history. Clothing was first made from the skin and fur of prey, while weapons and tools were sculpted from the horns. When resources were scarce and the process of making goods by hand was slow, it’s absurd to imagine viewing anything useful as trash. But, with mass industrialization came surplus, and ultimately, waste. On average, 15 to 20 percent of the pre-consumer fabric used in the production of clothing contributes to our nation’s landfills. In the last 20 years alone, there has been a 53 percent increase in textile waste within the U.S., amounting to nearly 34.5 billion pounds.
It will take consumer awareness and the innovation of independent designers and larger companies to reverse this trend. Fortunately, this challenge is embraced by many, including Marist College Fashion student, Melissa Armistead. Fashion is driven by change, but sometimes, in order to make something “new,” we must reach back to the past. Her senior collection consists of highly engineered patterns that employ unique shapes, new silhouettes, and interactivity, using a fabric’s entire length and width, when possible. Because the goal of the “zero-waste” movement is to create a more sustainable fashion industry, work like Armistead’s must be widely shared, adapted, and reproduced. On the following pages are instructions for creating her one-size, “zero-waste,” Grounded Dress, which uses drawstrings throughout to control its length and shape.
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