Digital Zero-waste Challenge — Redress Design Award 2022
CASE STUDY
Created by Redress, 2022
Digital Zero-waste Challenge — Redress Design Award 2022
About the Video
Digital technology is on the rise, with 3D design and video conferences among the most promising trends not only because of the reduction of time and distance for a global industry, but also for the practical advantage of minimising sampling. Around 45% of fashion-industry CEOs expect their organisations to become part of the digital transformation, and 37% expect virtual prototyping to become common practice. [1]
An estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created annually from the fashion industry, either from overproducing, sampling, or cancelled orders. [2] There is a real opportunity for technology to recognize waste hotspots across the supply chain with collaboration between brands, designers, and manufacturers who can revalue materials and reduce waste.
During the Digital Zero-Waste Challenge, our Redress Design Award 2022 finalists designed and sampled garments digitally to demonstrate how zero-waste and upcycling skills can put untapped waste fabric to work. Explore more in the video and content below.
During the challenge
In partnership with TAL Apparel and Browzwear, the challenge was held over an intensive three days. Separated into groups, designers were tasked to create a zero-waste, upcycled garment in 3D, choosing from a selection of surplus fabric generated by cancelled orders that arose particularly during Covid. The brief was to create a timeless, everyday top for a price-conscious consumer with a growing interest in sustainability and awareness for niche brands with interesting design details. Designers were required to utilise surplus end-of-rolls with the Browzwear VStitcher software.
Designers could choose to use all or a selection of the fabrics, but had to utilise the entire end-of-roll(s) selected. Besides reducing waste by putting surplus fabric back into the production line, the finalists needed to pay attention to the time used for production measured by Standard Minute Value (SMV). The SMV is a key component used in the industry that directly impacts the production price of a garment. Teams had to deliver a minimum of one garment across a range of sizes (S, M, L) within an allotted SMV of 30 minutes, producing one digital sample rendered in 3D, worn by a digital avatar, for pitching to the judges.
For some of the finalists, it was their first time using 3D software. Over the 72 hours of the challenge, they collaborated with each other, supporting their peers’ unique perspectives and strengths, communicating proactively, and solving problems in an intensive, time-pressing environment – not unlike the kind of teamwork needed in a real-world design team.
It is important to understand how digital software can support zero-waste design at the pattern cutting stage, a drastic reduction from the 15%–25% of fabric typically wasted.[3] Redress Design Award alumna and seasoned zero-waste designer, Camilla Carrara, achieves zero-waste design in different sizes (Explore more through our Zero-waste Guide).
The winning design
The judges evaluated the digital outfits based on five criteria: creativity, commerciality (target client and consumer), zero-waste pattern technique proficiency, feasibility for manufacturing (production time, fabric utilisation, final production run calculations) and quality of the 3D digital sample.
The winning team consisted of three outstanding finalists: Drina Marco, Federico Badini Confalonieri and Nawoda Bandara. They presented a double-faced, oversized blouse with the idea of conceptual geometries, building their zero-waste pattern skills.
Image credit: Redress
By designing minimally and without buttons, the team could achieve a lower SMV and increase their productivity. To ensure a perfect fit, they also added some essential seams to outline the body. The 100% cotton end-of-roll paired with 100% cotton thread enhances recyclability and washability, while the use of double-fabric achieves a sleek look and provides feelings of comfort and luxury. Finally, to incorporate all three sizes, the open neck and the length of the sleeves are adjustable and unisex, appealing to a diverse group of consumers.
The judges appreciated being able to visualise the adjustable fit of the design and its minimal construction through 3D design, which traditional 2D pattern designing could not offer. With their digital design, the winning team clearly showcased all three garment sizes with attractive and timeless minimalism. While the double-fabric was not needed, overall their design best demonstrated the challenge requirements. With an SMV of 20.6 minutes, the team also demonstrated production efficiency. Beyond reducing the pre-consumer environmental impact by adopting zero-waste design and end-of-rolls, their consideration for post-consumer impact via aftercare, durability, and recyclability also received praise from the judges.
Through this challenge, the finalists gained valuable insight into the importance of digital design. From managing textile waste to bringing concepts to life with colour, trims, and fit, digitising this process end-to-end greatly prevents and revalues textile waste, boosting circularity in fashion.
Learn more about TAL
TAL Group offers quality garment manufacturing, innovative products, and services across stages of the apparel supply chain, including their manufacturing operations under TAL Apparel Limited with factories across Asia.
Learn more about Browzwear
Browzwear brings the power of 3D to fashion design, development, marketing, and collaboration with a comprehensive suite of easy-to-use solutions to get your creative designs to market faster than ever before.
FOOTNOTES
[1] Global Fashion Agenda (2020), CEO Agenda 2020 COVID-19 Edition
[2] Global Fashion Agenda and The Boston Consulting Group, Inc. (2017), Pulse of the Fashion Industry.
[3] McQuillan, H. (2019). Hybrid zero waste design practices. Zero waste pattern cutting for composite garment weaving and its implications. The Design Journal, 22(sup1), 803-819.