Material Inventories and Garment Ontologies: Advancing Upcycling Methods in Fashion Practice

Ricarda Bigolin, Erika Blomgren, Anna Lidström, Stefanie Malmgren de Oliveira and Clemens Thornquist
Additional contact information
Ricarda Bigolin: School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
Erika Blomgren: The Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås, 503 32 Borås, Sweden
Anna Lidström: The Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås, 503 32 Borås, Sweden
Stefanie Malmgren de Oliveira: The Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås, 503 32 Borås, Sweden
Clemens Thornquist: The Swedish School of Textiles, University of Borås, 503 32 Borås, Sweden

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 5, 1-22

Abstract: This study seeks to advance upcycling methods in fashion practice with the specificity of design methods that centre on revaluation and resignification of waste materials. The development of three key approaches to upcycling were tested for future application as design briefs and pedagogies in practice and education. These were developed through the acquisition, sorting and selection of a large sample of secondhand, consumer waste materials across fashion and textiles sectors. Practice-based experiments and the use of different forms of photo documentation examined and explored distinct ways to creatively understand waste material properties, conditions and potential. Fashion and material studies frameworks of object biographies, wardrobe studies, waste, secondhand material economies and art practice approaches of reclaimed materials expanded and refined the approaches. “Material Inventories” is proposed as a creative and analytical method to identify, sort and annotate pre- and post-consumer waste materials. “Garment ontologies” delineates how traditionally “design” in fashion practice is separate from materials and production. These methods enable a deeper investigation into material qualities, conditions, and reuse potential for extended life cycles. This experimental study presents novel and relevant findings with a compelling material sample and practice-based methods adjacent to scholarship in this area that are predominately theoretical- or case study-based.

Keywords: upcycling methods; fashion practice; design methods; Material Inventories; upcycling practices; post-consumer waste; garment biographies; fashion design pedagogies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/5/2906/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/5/2906/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:5:p:2906-:d:762481

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().