Traditionally zero waste garments would have been the standard – the first items of clothing worn would have been an animal skin or a piece of woven material. Garments could be assembled and disassembled, and reused or mended (for example a kimono, a fisherman’s trouser). Resources were scarce and valuable. Very little would be thrown away.  
 
This sense of the value of materials continued into the mid 20th Century. Things changed dramatically after that, and the fashion industry currently produces staggering amounts of waste. This project aims to address some of these issues. 
 
You will research the concept of zero waste, considering sustainability, responsibility, ethics and the environment to formulate a body of research leading to practice-based explorations to test and consider the 2-D and 3-D options that these important issues offer fashion and textile designers. 
 
White Tyvek will be used to eliminate the distraction of colour or print; to enable you to explore your ambition and creativity through technique, cut and form. You will need to consider how to work with your design research as you begin to test and explore your ideas. Your final design must be zero-waste.

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