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Undesigned: A Study in Sustainable Design of Apparel Using Post-Consumer Recycled Clothing

Cornell University, Department of Textiles and Apparel, 208 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-4401

Charlotte Jirousek

Cornell University, Department of Textiles and Apparel, 208 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-4401

Susan Ashdown

Cornell University, Department of Textiles and Apparel, 208 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-4401

This article provides a summary of a study exploring sustainable apparel design methods incorporating the use of post-consumer recycled clothing and materials in the design of new products. The name undesigned was assigned to the garment line that was developed for consumers defined as urban nomads. The key concept for this undertaking is described in the term undesigned and was intended to emphasize the quality of the garments as deconstructed and reconstructed or undesigned and redesigned objects with a prior history, as opposed to conventionally designed and produced clothing. Used clothing, available for purchase by the bale through rag dealers, is an abundant source of raw material. Recent trends show that there is a growing market for post-consumer recycled clothing. The collection designed in 1999 for this study focused on the clothing design needs of urban nomads, a demographic consisting of people living in urban areas who commute using ecologically sensitive public and human-powered modes of transportation. In this study designs that fill the functional clothing needs of this population were created based on sustainable processes. A general audience’s sensitivity to and acceptance of the ecological benefits of a clothing production system defined within sustainability parameters were evaluated in response to these designs.

Key Words: apparel design • sustainable design • recycling • post consumer

Clothing and Textiles Research Journal, Vol. 22, No. 1-2, 61-68 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/0887302X0402200108


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