Zero Waste Daniel
CASE STUDY
Created by Redress, 2013
ZERO WASTE DANIEL
Daniel Silverstein co-launched his first zero-waste collection, called 100% NY, in 2010, soon after graduating from NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). There he was introduced to the concept of zero-waste design. Since then, he has founded his own brand, Zero Waste Daniel, which focuses on using pre-consumer waste sourced from New York City’s garment industry as well as other hard-to-recycle materials, creating a line of genderless clothing and accessories that send nothing to landfills. Daniel saw that by incorporating zero-waste design into his collections, he could create fashion-forward clothes without wasting fabric. Underlying this is his vision of challenging an industry paradigm shift from reckless waste to one of considerate design.
In this case study, Daniel Silverstein shares his approach to zero-waste as he started his career in the fashion industry.
IN CONVERSATION WITH DANIEL SILVERSTEIN
Why is sustainable design important to you? How did you get into it?
Someone once asked me why I decided to start a sustainable collection rather than taking a more traditional design path. The question puzzled me, as I thought it should be why wouldn’t I start a sustainable collection! The fashion industry’s negative environmental impact is well documented and the industry’s longstanding practices need to change. As a new designer, I feel compelled to make responsible decisions. I became interested in zero-waste design whilst studying at FIT. One of our assignments, which was given by The Clinton Global Initiative, was to design a pair of eco-friendly jeans. Instead of starting the project by focusing on the jeans’ material, I decided to consider the jeans’ pattern first. I had seen piles of fabric waste on factory floors and was excited by the possibility that with a fresh approach to patternmaking, I could change this practice. Once I saw that this was possible through zero-waste design, I was hooked.
What does zero-waste mean to you?
My goal in zero-waste is to keep fabric waste as close to zero as possible. When our patterns do create scraps, they typically don’t exceed two percent of the total fabric used in the design. (Compare this to the industry average of 15–20 percent.) Often, I use these small scraps as design elements to give designs a unique and show-stopping look.
How do you apply the zero-waste design technique in your collections?
Zero-waste is the end goal for each design. So for each collection and garment, I think of different ways to use all of the fabric. I use applique details, geometric shapes, and continuous materials, like braids, to create a design.
Image credit: Daniel Silverstein
What do you find most challenging about zero-waste design?
It can be a challenge to bring a zero-waste concept to life because traditional methods of design usually aren’t applicable.
What do you find most rewarding about zero-waste design?
Having seen firsthand the piles of wasted fabric on factory floors, it is gratifying to see only minimal scraps in our studio at the end of a production run. Plus, knowing that I’ve delivered fashion-forward designs without burdening landfills is definitely rewarding.
What is your best resource?
My best resource is my team. Without the support of people who believe in both the zero-waste mission and me, this journey would be so much more difficult.
What is your top tip for the zero-waste design technique?
Work backwards… the end result needs to be a rectangle!
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