The effectiveness of design practice for achieving sustainability and diffusing sustainable fashion

ABSTRACT

The transition to sustainable fashion is becoming inevitable and appropriate design methods and approaches that are able to address sustainability issues effectively are needed. This paper presents the methods and results of a six-week long sustainable bag design pilot course designed for fashion students. The project sought to combine existing approaches and innovation in the design process, while simultaneously encouraging the use of multiple approaches to sustainability. Students were placed in a position to study and discuss general sustainability issues in specific local contexts, as well as in the process of design and prototyping. The results revealed that students had several opportunities for learning thanks to the special focus of the course on sustainability. By embedding sustainable design criteria into the design process, it did not only draw students’ attention to environmental and social issues but also provided sources of inspiration for the design process and enhanced the creativity of students.

KEYWORDS:

• Sustainable fashion
• design for sustainability
• fashion education
• design process

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was carried out in a scientific context to support a series of national and ministry-level projects, funded by VIED – Vietnam International Education Development (from 2015 to 2020) and MOET – Ministry of Education and Training (from 2022 to 2023), in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano, where research is conducted and monitored.