Cristina Dan
  • What is circular fashion design

△Good design is thorough down to the last detail△

18/2/2016

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 One thing is certain: nothing should be left to chance. When it comes to details, care and accuracy in the whole design process is a matter of respect towards the user.

There are a number of things that I believe are of equal importance when designing a garment. My usual work flow begins with these questions:
Where is the fabric coming from? Is it healthy to wear and sustainable?
How does the product work? What are its functions?
What happens with this garment at the end of it's life?

Is the construction of the product efficient and comfortable?
Have elements been added that do not add functional value to the product but adds design value?
What's the pilling tendency and dimensional change of the fabric?
What is the color fastness to washing and perspiration?

But today I am going to go into more detail with these ones...
It should all begin at an early stage, when deciding where you get your fabric from, how is it produced, in short: a healthy supply-chain. It is a good idea to follow the trace back to the fiber origin, see if it comes from a renewable resource or not, how does the process affect the environment, and what chemicals are used (they will further affect the user's skin). When it comes to the fabric that I am going to use I can tell you this: it is based on a sustainable and renewable resource, non-toxic organic solvents are used and the process of producing the fiber is a closed-loop one, that means that more than 99% of the solvent is recovered and reused. This means that it is extremely healthy to wear and very healthy for the environment as well (you can't get more sustainable than that :).

The next part is where you start making the designs. Here I think about comfort, usefulness, versatility and timeless styles. It is here that I also think about the product life-cycle of the garment, from start until the very end. Does it become waste or does it become nutrient for the soil? Design for disassembly is quite a new term in the industry but if you want to take care of everyone, not just the wearer, then you have to see the bigger picture and clean after yourself.

For me quality is divided into 4 categories: material quality; manufacturing and accessory quality,functional quality and value quality. I will always consider all of them in respect of the user, nature and my beliefs. After all, it's the details that matter. 
We are coming to an end with the design principles. Make sure to catch the last one next week as well, it is as valuable as the others. As always, Form Follows Feeling.
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△Good Design is Understandable△

11/2/2016

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It is not just about the look, it is what you make of it and what is promises. This post could not have come at a better time.

I would like to think that fashion has an added value to the world, something more than just aesthetics. Of course beauty is important but times change, and we have bigger possibilities now, there should be more that we can make from a piece of clothing and it's design needs to tell the story behind it.

Last week was Design Week all over Denmark and other countries. Be it Fashion, Interior Design, Architecture, creatives all over the world gathered to share ideas, discuss about innovation and start new collaborations that would bring fresh ideas to life. 
I was one of the fortunate ones, I had the opportunity to meet and discuss with some interesting people at the Copenhagen Fashion Week. Understanding each other's vision was what brought us together. This has helped me take another step forward, attracting like-minded people, gaining new knowledge and developing relationships. 

Clothes should communicate, clarify their structure. A good design is explicit about its DNA and the promise that it makes. Not overly complicated, a simple and to the point design, self-explanatory. 
The next design principle will be coming up next week, make sure to catch them all as they are all, of course, connected. Form Follows Feeling. 


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  • What is circular fashion design