As I started to work on this project this semester I got quite overwhelmed. Fashion is a gigantic and complex industry, and there is no way for me to become an “expert” enough in one semester on how to change this industry. However, as a designer, I can design an artefact and explore solutions, worries, goals etc. of the two main stakeholders: fashion designers and consumers. Therefore I decided to design a prototype earlier in the process than I would have normally wanted. Through this prototype I will explore what information consumers would wish to know about the clothes they buy and what information fashion designers need to design for sustainable, loved, keep-worthy pieces.
As I personally am both a consumer and (want to become) a creator of it I will use myself as a testperson in the beginning of this process. What are the pet-peeves I have as a consumer? Which choices do I (want to) make, what thought go through my head as I try something on? After last semesters research, which problems should designers avoid? Which decisions should they make?
When I am in the role of the consumer the issue is often that I don’t know which decisions have been made when a garment is designed and produced. For a designer who takes sustainability seriously, it can be frustrating that H&M calls something sustainable if they only used recycled polyester which doesn’t create a real impact. I will try to close this information gap with my prototype and see if this can create more trust and a better future for designers who really want to make an impact.
