The Living Wardrobe is the outcome of my doctoral research project, in which I investigated how the fashion design process might be redirected for sustainability through an expanded design process that considers the capacity of the garment to enable responsible clothing practices of use and re-use. How this might be implemented in a contemporary ready-to-wear fashion context is suggested in the practice outcomes: a series of everyday garments accompanied by this website of resources.
The catalyst for the study was a dress that I own, The Bird Dress. A vintage dress that I had worn for many years, it hinted at how fashion garments might be designed for extended use. The cut of the dress might be described as ‘classic’ and maintains contemporary appeal. The reason I can wear it more than 15 years later is perhaps due to a number of decisions made at the time of its design and manufacture that have resulted in a robust but adaptable garment that has kept pace with the fashions changing around it. The pleated bodice, wide armholes, elasticated waistline and generous skirt are design features of the style but have also comfortably accommodated small changes in my body shape over time. Its methods of construction and the durable, easy care fabric from which it has been made have enabled me to alter it in small ways. Simple alterations have kept the garment in good condition and ensured it has remained a comfortable fit. The style of the garment remains unchanged. I have not shortened its knee length skirt or chopped off its already short sleeves.
The Bird Dress story suggests that a combination of the decisions made at the time of its design (and the skill-set of the wearer) is essential for any potential strategy for improved longevity. The actions I have taken to keep this dress alive form the basis of my research practice and have helped structure the design of my study for The Living Wardrobe as a different way of approaching and building sustainable practice in fashion and design.
The thesis is available for download from the RMIT Library Research Repository.
About Me
I am an Australian fashion practitioner, researcher and educator living and working in Oslo, Norway. I am interested in how fashion clothing can be better designed for extended use and support reuse within the circular economy. I have discussed this as “use forecasting”- not to predict or dicate use, but to design for diverse use and resue scenarios for long-lived garments.
My current research focuses on the potential of designing for the likely use of garments, to produce clothing with the capacity to be “re-designed” by future wearers. The capacity of garments to keep pace with changing fashions is critical to extending the use phase of fashion garments within a circular economic industry model. Long lasting fashion presents as a contradiction in terms, but need not be if garments are designed with reuse in mind.