Responsive design: methods for remanufacturing and reuse of fashion and clothing in volatile material flows

Purpose and goal

The purpose of the study is to investigate the conditions for developing design processes with a particular focus on re-manufacturing and re-use as an alternative to recycling at fiber level. The study examines in particular aesthetic, functional and expressive challenges in being able to re-manufacture and re-use products and product modules for new qualitative clothing, new fashion, and secondly, technical challenges linked to the design challenges. The study has succeeded in identifying three distinct design areas within clothing with particularly great challenges.

Expected results and effects

Based on analysis of material aspects in construction methods for re-use and re-fabrication as well as material-based design methods in textile and clothing, both in theory and practice, and in related areas such as textile technology and textile based fine-art, two particularly interesting textile techniques have been identified. The preliminary study shows that these techniques can be expected to have significant potential to contribute to the development of central parts in new responsive design processes.

Planned approach and implementation

The preliminary study has been carried out by (1) analyzing of state of the art in design methods for re-use and remanufacturing, (2) analysis of material aspects and design methods re-use and re-production, and (3) development of the consortium and project plan for further research. Initially, the study aimed to carry out a relatively large number of experimental tests on formal and material conditions. However, this part was given less space for the benefit of a larger initial analysis and definition of research problems than expected.