Course Overview

This course offers an innovative way to create your own fashion items from zero waste and different textile treatment techniques, blended in with your own cultures. You will engage in hands-on experiences, learning from the well-known fashion designer Tom Trandt from Vietnam (https://moidien.com) to create your DIY fashion items from the left-over fabric, with a touch of your own culture. The course emphasizes sustainable practices, exploring the endless potential of left-over materials into fashion circulation. You will also examine current trends and future possibilities in sustainable design, understanding the role of design thinking in the broader context of sustainable fashion, led by Ms. Lam Hong Lan, PhD candidate and lecturer, with a focus on sustainable fashion practices in Vietnam and Southeast Asia.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:
• CLO1: Understand and apply the techniques involved in the processing of left-over fabric and different textile treatment techniques for textile creation.
• CLO2: Experiment with innovative methods of design thinking, including cultural reflection.
• CLO3: Critically analyze and reflect on the role of left-over materials and different textile treatment techniques in sustainable textile design and its potential impact on future material innovations.

Course Content

Topics Covered:
1. Introduction to zero waste and local culture perspective in fashion design thinking:
o Understanding the zero-waste perspective and its role in fashion circulation.
o Introduction of Tom Trandt’s work and his journey on finding his own brand in Vietnam that reflects his Vietnamese culture in a modern approach.
o This introduction can be done in a form of pop-up exhibition and panel talk. The exhibition can last for the whole two weeks.

2. General Overview on Textile/ Embroidery Market & Supply Chain in Vietnam:
o Understanding Vietnam as an emerging market for fashion business.
o Understanding the local context that leads to the fashion design thinking.
o Reflection on students’ own cultural background as direction for their creation later.

3. Creating commercial fashion garment from unused clothes/ deadstock fabric:
o Step-by-step guidance on the process of creating commercial fashion garment from unused clothes/ deadstock fabric.
o Methods of how to reflect your own culture into your design.

4. Introduction to Vietnamese tradition and modern embroidery and create your own embroidery for your clothes:
o Step-by-step guidance on the process of creating your own embroidery for your clothes.
o Experimentation with different techniques to achieve your unique design.

5. Modern textile treatment (shadow folds/ origami) and create your own origami T-shirt:
o Step-by-step guidance on the process of creating your own origami T-shirt.
o Experimentation with different techniques to achieve your unique design.

6. Completing your creation and presentation:
o Presentation of your creation.
o Feedback from the lecturer and fashion designer.
o A brief introduction to create your own production in Vietnam (price/quantity,logistics, working process) and why Vietnam is a potential market for new fashion label.

7. Sustainable Design Thinking:
o Exploring the use of zero waste and cultural perspectives in design thinking in various contexts.

8. Reflection and Future Perspectives:
o Discussion on future trends, opportunities, and challenges of zero waste in fashion circulation.
o How it will be related to Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Instructional Method

Your learning will be facilitated through a combination of in-class workshops, digital resources, and collaborative projects. Activities will focus on practical skills in creating your own design from left-over materials and different textile treatment techniques for textile creation, as well as theoretical understanding of fashion circulation, fostering a comprehensive understanding of sustainability.

Required Course Materials

• Students will be asked to bring their own unused clothes/ deadstock fabric and T-shirts to create their own unique design.

• Other materials will be supplied.

Assessment

You will be assessed on your ability to meet the course learning outcomes.

• Assessment Task 1: Innovative Methods of Design Thinking (50%) - CLOs: 1 & 2
• Assessment Task 2: Zero Waste Design Project (50%) - CLOs: 1, 2 & 3