Week 1 – Introduction To Sustainability

Sustainability refers to the practice of meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It involves balancing economic, social, and environmental factors to ensure long-term viability.

In the first week I learned many new machines. Among them, the juki machine can embroider horizontally and vertically. It can depict flower patterns and get a brand new piece of fabric by cutting it. The other machine can combine many thin fabrics. Like lace, wool felt, organza, etc., if you use wool felt, you can give the fabric a gradient effect.

The artist, Caroline Harrius, is a ceramic artist who seeks to highlight this cultural heritage and make it visible to a new audience, by combining floral decorative porcelain and embroidery, creating a completely new kind of artwork. Like Chinese cross-stitch, holes are punched in porcelain and the cross is used to embody the embroidery pattern.

I found some discarded paper plates and cups, and I was interested in traditional Chinese porcelain, and I did some extra fabric experiments using crochet.

In this era of rapid fashion change, which has led to pollution and waste in the industry, I feel that as a designer I need to connect with values such as sustainability, environmentalism and zero waste.

Week2-Emerging Technologies in Fashion

Emerging technologies in the fashion industry are revolutionizing the way garments are designed, produced, and consumed. Some notable examples include:

1. 3D Printing: This technology allows for the creation of intricate and customizable designs, reducing waste and enabling on-demand production.
2. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR): These technologies enhance the shopping experience by enabling virtual try-ons, virtual showrooms, and immersive brand experiences.
3. Sustainable Materials: Innovations in materials, such as bio-based textiles, recycled fabrics, and lab-grown leather, are offering more sustainable alternatives to traditional materials.

These emerging technologies are reshaping the fashion industry, promoting sustainability, enhancing customer experiences, and driving innovation.

TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) is a flexible and durable material commonly used in various industries, including 3D printing. While TPU can be used for creating intricate designs, it may not be specifically designed to imitate the pattern of embroidery. Embroidery typically involves stitching thread onto fabric, whereas TPU is a thermoplastic material that can be melted and molded.

Week3-Nature

Nature includes plants, animals, landscapes and natural phenomena. It covers the environment in which we live, including elements such as forests, oceans, mountains and ecosystems. Nature plays a vital role in sustaining life on Earth, providing resources, regulating the climate and providing beauty.

Using watercolor and markers to draw flowers is a great combination of mediums. Watercolor can create beautiful, translucent washes and delicate details, while markers can provide vibrant colors and precise lines. It’s a versatile approach that allows you to experiment with different techniques and styles.

Week4-Cultural Sustainability

To achieve cultural sustainability, various factors need to be considered, such as:

1. Cultural preservation: Efforts to protect and conserve cultural artifacts, sites, and intangible heritage, including traditional practices, rituals, languages, and knowledge systems.
2. Cultural revitalization: Initiatives to revive and promote cultural practices that may have declined or been marginalized, ensuring their continuity and relevance in contemporary society.
3. Sustainable tourism: Balancing the economic benefits of tourism with the preservation of cultural authenticity and integrity, ensuring that local communities are involved and benefit from tourism activities.

Cultural sustainability recognizes that cultural heritage and diversity are valuable assets that contribute to the overall well-being and resilience of societies. By preserving and promoting cultural traditions, communities can maintain their unique identities, strengthen social bonds, and contribute to a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Jewellery artist Heng Lee juxtaposes traditional craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology to explore the relationship between nature and online culture. By downloading images, laser cutting metal and hand embroidery, he creates visually stunning pieces that are both digital and tactile. In the age of social media, his work questions the gap between experience and technology and encourages the masses to be fully aware of the present.For the Floral Embroidery – Pixels series, Heng enlarges the embroidery pattern, which appears on dresses as costume embellishments in Photoshop. By zooming in on the image, the pixels of the pattern weaken and become similar to Mosaic images. As the image is enlarged and the borders become blurred, hand embroidery becomes the highlight of it all.

Week5-Empathy

Empathy fashion refers to a concept where fashion is used as a means to promote empathy and understanding among individuals. It involves using clothing and accessories to express emotions, experiences, or messages that foster empathy and connection with others. This can be achieved through various means, such as incorporating symbols, colors, or designs that evoke certain emotions or experiences. Empathy fashion aims to create a sense of shared understanding and compassion, allowing individuals to connect on a deeper level through their clothing choices.

The show was inspired by Michele’s mother Eralda as well as his mother’s twin sister Giuliana. “They are magical mirror images, one on top of the other, and that’s my world, a perfect double superposition.” Michele exclaims.It is from the double love of her mother and aunt that Michele has developed an eternal fascination with duality and an insatiable desire to explore things that seem to reflect her own equality.”It is precisely the impossibility of perfect equivalence that breeds the magic of twins,” Michele says. “A combination of genes wants them to be indistinguishable, but in fact there is an elusive mismatch and difference between them.”Twins, identical and contradictory, opposites and coexistence. The same clothes on the seemingly same body, but present and exude completely different temperament. Obsessing – the Chinese element