Sustainable in-Style

Amelia Langton

“Sustainable in-Style”

What I wear has always been a large part of my lifestyle and my personality, when I look good, I feel good. Ever since I was young I have always been very adamant about what I wore, what I didn’t wear, and how I wore it. I use fashion as a tool to express myself and feel confident. It’s always been a dream of mine to work in the fashion industry, all I ever wanted to do was put my vision out there and be recognized as a creative and inspire others. During a pre-college course I took in the spring, I researched the impacts the fashion industry was inflicting on our environment, and it turned my world upside down. The current business model for the majority of fashion companies is to mass-produce disposable clothing to sell at extremely low prices. Despite some attempts by some companies to become “sustainable”, their efforts are short-term, unrealistic, and used as marketing tactics to promote sales. The world’s obsession with fast fashion and micro-trends, which has skyrocketed since the 1990s, contributes 92 million tons to global waste per year. Fast-fashion and micro-trends don’t only cause devastating environmental effects, but have resulted in the death of individuality in fashion. I believe clothing should be about visually displaying your unique personality, not adhering to how society wants you to dress. 

       How difficult is it to make a piece of 100% sustainable clothing? Can sustainable fashion be easy and accessible? What processes must I take on as a creative? For my senior project, “Sustainable in-Style” I will be challenging concepts of design and my notions about fashion. I will be designing and constructing a %100 sustainably made capsule clothing line, with an emphasis on unique, durable, trans-seasonal designs. Through my designs, I will create clothing that speaks to my personality and creative vision, and hopefully, inspire others to consider wearing sustainably made clothing as well. In addition, I will convey complete transparency through a zine/catalog showing how my clothing was made – highlighting the absence of environmental footprints such as Co2 emissions, textile waste, and the usage of sustainable materials. Lastly, I will be including a journalist aspect, where I will photograph and interview a series of stylish people in New York.

       Through my experience volunteering at FabScrap, I will gain an understanding of the world of fibers and textiles and have access to recycled fabrics that I will use in my line. Similarly, through my job at Cure Thrift, I’ll have first-hand insight into what customers look for in the retail world, so I can design clothing that I and other people will enjoy. I will also have exposure to a library of curated clothing, which can serve as inspiration for my own designs.

       This project will build on the prior knowledge I have of sewing and garment construction and challenge me with developing new skills. In particular, I will learn how to cut patterns that leave minimal textile waste, embroider, experiment with drapery, design durable clothing that can be worn trans-seasonally, and research textiles and fibers. I want to ensure that when the life of my clothing is over, they can be easily recycled, and make a positive impact on, and off the runway.

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