GARMENTITY (NOUN)

Garmentity is a conceptual jacket designed considering “zero waste”, size adjustability, and “design for disassembly” as key process drivers. The project takes into account the garment's end-of-life as both a constraint and inspiration for the design process. The jacket is produced using natural, biodegradable materials, and a singular metal zip, all of which can be easily separated and recycled. The garment is made taking advantage of the entire width of the fabric as the basis but using the otherwise unnecessary cut-offs in a functional or decorative way. The residency was developed over four months alternating remote work (project brief definition, preliminary research, and digital prototyping) and n studio activities (pattern-making, material sourcing, physical prototyping, jackets collection finalization). Key learning outcomes include increased awareness of constraints concerning developing a zero-waste pattern (difficulties of varying fabric widths and utilization of all the fabric); increased knowledge around sustainable textiles, natural and biodegradable fabrics, and their features; exploration and development of a system to make a “one size” zero waste pattern adaptable to varying bodies.