1. Sustainable systems -
field action:
Zero-waste
fashion
The future of
design
Done by: Sarah Lee Shan Yun

2. Content
 Statement of intent
 Sustainability in fashion
 What is zero-waste fashion
 Pre-consumer zero-waste fashion
 Post-consumer zero-waste fashion
 Designer and company profiles
 Incorporation of sustainability in business
 Production
 Place
 Price
 Promotion
 Field action

3. Statement of intent
 What topics in sustainable systems have
interested me in this course, in my other
courses, or outside of class?
Since I am hoping to enter the fashion
industry, I am interested in the way
sustainability plays a part in the production
processes of clothing manufacturing. In
particular, I am interested in the closed and
open systems of fashion, how materials are
being used and disposed whilst constructing
garments and how what kinds of materials
are being utilized.

4. Statement of intent
 What type of impact do I want to have on the
sustainability (social/environmental responsibility)
of my field?
I am currently in the BBA program, hoping to one
day be a part of the management of fashion
businesses in the industry. I feel that, in my position,
there is so much opportunity to make changes to
the way processes are being handled and carried
out. I feel that I would be able to see the bigger
picture, to communicate the problems that one
department faces to another, and vice versa, and
to come up with the most efficient and effective
model.

5. Statement of intent
 What type of action can I actually take? How
can my classmates and I collaborate
together on this issue?
Right now, there isn’t much of a drastic
change I can ensue on the current industry
because I am still a student. However, big
change can start from small steps, thus I am
hoping to start some research and
proliferation projects on sustainable fashion
practices, to help educate not just my peers,
but also myself as well.

6. Sustainability in fashion
 Sustainable fashion
includes many
different practices of
the industry, where
individuals and
organizations have
noticed the demand
for change and the
need for more
creative ideas to
support ethical
objectives. London fashion week SS11, Center for sustainable fashion
http://www.sustainable-fashion.com/projects/i-sustain/

7. Sustainability in fashion
 Sustainable materials
include:
 Natural non-petroleum-
based fibers (cellulose /
plant fibers, protein /
animal fibers)
 Organic cotton, hemp,
bamboo, soy and corn
 Humane animal fabrics
(wool, silk, cashmere,
mohair)
 Man-made materials
(Lyocell, polylactic acid
corn polymer) Organic cotton used by H&M
http://www.ecouterre.com/hm-other-brands-guilty-of-
organic-cotton-fraud/

8. Sustainability in fashion
 Other ways of introducing
sustainability to the fashion
industry include:
 Sustainable and ethical
working conditions (especially
of outsourced labor)
 Airdye technology
 Energy-efficient importing
and exporting of materials
and goods
 Introducing indexes (The Higg
Index 2012) and organizing
global discussions (The
Copenhagen Fashion
Summit) to spread awareness
The Copenhagen Fashion Summit
http://youthfashionsummit.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/pr
esentation-5.jpg

9. What is zero-waste fashion
 Pre-consumer zero-
waste fashion involves
the elimination of
waste during the
manufacturing process
of fashion.
 This involves the idea of
zero-waste pattern
cutting, direct-pattern-
on-loom (DPL) patent
and whole garment
knitting
“Zero-waste” pattern by Zhen Cui Lan
http://elenaworkshop.blogspot.com/2012/05/zero-
wasteproject-zheng-cui-lansirina.html

10. What is zero-waste fashion
 Post-consumer zero-
waste fashion
involves the use of
remnant or recycled
materials from
previously processed
or cut products for
the construction of
other products or
goods
Estethica by Mark Liu from Central Saint Martins for London
Fashion Week using reclaimed materials from old
garments
http://inhabitat.com/estethica-2008-showing-at-london-
fashion-week/markliu_zerowaste_4jpg/

11. Designer profiles
 Name: Holly
Mcquillan
 Country of origin:
New Zealand
 Eco-idea: Zero-
waste patterns for
cropped Ts,
trousers and
dresses

12. Designer profiles
 Name: Siddhartha
Upadhyaya
 Country of origin:
India
 Eco-idea: patented
a DPL process which
utilizes a loom,
attached to a
computer, that
weaves made-to-fit
garment sections

13. Company profile
 Company names:
Shima Seiki, Stoll
 Countries of origin:
Japanese, German
 Eco-idea:
Complete garment
knitting machines,
3D full-garment
knits

14. Designer / company profile
 Designer /
company name:
Issey Miyake
 Country of origin:
Japan
 Eco-idea: use of
recycled polyester
and thermal fleece
fabrics Issey Miyake Fall 2013 Menswear collection
http://magnifeco.com/issey-miyake-reveals-
a-lightweight-heat-retaining-wardrobe/

15. Designer / company profile
 Designer / company
name: Martin
Margiela
 Country of origin:
Belgium
 Eco-idea:
Reclamation of old
garments creating
artisinal dysfunctional
patchwork garments
for exhibition
Martin Margiela’s Artisinal line
http://inhabitat.com/martin-margiela-artisanal-reclaiming-
clothing-design/martin-margiela-artisanal-recycled-
fashion-design-eco-sustainable-style-2/

16. Company profile
 Company name: H&M
(Hennes & Mauritz)
 Country of origin:
Swedish multi-national
 Eco-idea: Collection of
3.2 million garments for
recycled
manufacturing, 450
million liters of water
saved during denim
production, use of
organic cotton,
education and training
of outsourced workers

17. Incorporation of sustainability
in business

18. Incorporation of sustainability
in business
 Product
 Use of sustainable materials in
manufacturing
 Incorporating water and energy saving
techniques in production
 Investing in complete garment knitting
machines
 Hiring zero-waste pattern designers
 Working with creative individuals such as
Siddhartha Upadhyaya (use of DPL)

19. Incorporation of sustainability
in business
 Price
 Long-term investment in fixed costs such as
machinery
 Long-term investment in setting up sustainable and
safe working conditions in factories (local and
overseas)
 Using marginal-cost pricing by factoring in the use
of organic fabrics and other materials that incur
variable costs
 Pricing to target market: mass-market consumer
(e.g., H&M), environmentally conscious individuals
willing to spend slightly more for the satisfaction of
good quality and ethical responsibility

20. Incorporation of sustainability
in business
 Place
 Sales of products in-store
 Sales of products online
 Expanding garment collection plans locally or
overseas
 Relocation of factories or design studios to
places with the required technology, machinery
or labor
 Relocation of factories nearer to the consumer
or to raw materials to reduce shipping,
importing or exporting costs (carbon footprint)

21. Incorporation of sustainability
in business
 Promotion
Raising awareness of sustainability in fashion through
 Creation of sustainable clothing lines
 Creative campaigns and advertisements
 In-store point-of-sale displays
 Online access to information on company’s
sustainability efforts
 Holding conferences, events (e.g., fashion shows)
or public discussions on sustainable fashion
 Interviews and profiling of young creative talent
looking into zero-waste pattern design or other
sustainable technological practices

22. Field action
 In terms of communicating with the public
and people around me with this project, I
have decided to raise awareness of
sustainable practices in fashion by
educating my peers and fellow students
in Parsons the New School for Design
through an online informational website:
http://sustainablefashi0n.wordpress.com

24. Samples of student comments
 On the online
website, students
are able to learn
about sustainability
in fashion, as well
as to contribute
their own ideas
and opinions on
the project

25. The end
I hope you enjoyed the presentation, stay green!