CASE STUDY

Case study one: STEM

CONTEXT

The traditional garment production process with classic cut and sew assembly wastes up to 25% of materials. Moreover, the problem of overproduction, causes the leftover of many unsold or unused fabrics.

DESCRIPTION

Stem is an industry changing approach to how clothing is made, which pairs a novel zero-waste digital weaving technique with sustainable garment production and retail approach aiming to radically change the fashion industry.

Starting from the problem of waste production in the fashion industry, designer Sarah Brunnhuber has developed a minimal waste garment production technique by thinking directly upstream of the problem, i.e. the way fabrics are developed.

The designer has developed a system that allows her to weave the shape of paper pattern of the garment directly, thus eliminating cutting waste. Each of these pieces, instead of being sewn, is then knotted together to create the final dress, and in doing so eliminates sewing waste.  Fabrics are only produced once the garment has been designed and ordered, so there is an actual use for the fabric, of which nothing will be thrown away.

For the designer, the painstaking work of knotting represents the time and craftsmanship that is lacking in the production of most of our industrially made garments. Rather than making the seams invisible, signs that remind us of the production process, STEM wants to emphasise them and make them protagonists, to make the consumer aware of how a garment is made and understand its value.

Began as a craft project on hand looms, it was then developed on an industrial scale, collaborating with external manufacturers.

LESSON LEARNT

If we can find a large-scale way to produce only what is really needed, we can cut waste and the use of new resources considerably. Sharing information about how products are made in a transparent and visually intriguing way helps create a system where customers make informed decisions about what they buy and take care of it.

Source: https://www.stem.page

Case study two: ID:EIGHT

CONTEXT:

In recent years, the amount of agri-food waste used to make sustainable products has increased from 0 to more than 30 tons per month.

More than 7 million tons of pomace are discarded by the wine industry each year.

The pineapple industry produces about 40,000 tons of leaves each year, which are usually left to rot or burned, being considered a waste material.

DESCRIPTION:

ID.EIGHT is an innovative start-up that produces eco-sustainable sneakers made from food industry waste and recycled materials.

Every component of the shoe is made from materials with a low environmental impact, starting from the upper, sole, laces, lining and label, to the box that holds the sneakers and the envelope that is used for packaging.

The sneakers are made mainly from 4 types of materials derived from by-products of agricultural or industrial activities:

• AppleSkin: a made-in-Italy material derived from the bio-polymerization of apple peels and cores,
• Vegea: made from the bio-polymerization of grape marc in Italy,
• Piñatex: made in Spain using pineapple leaves from the Philippines,
• Recycled Lycra, mesh and polyester from Spain and Italy.

All materials come from Italian suppliers, except Piñatex, made in the Philippines and finished in Italy.

ID.EIGHT sneakers are assembled in a small family business in the Marche region (Italy) and the production process, while semi-industrial, requires a lot of manual labour and years of experience.

LESSON LEARNT:

Waste materials from other sectors, like food, can become resources for the fashion industry, creating further value.

Quality design, combined with the study of production processes, in-depth research into materials, and the choice of manufacturers who work responsibly makes it possible to create beautiful, environmentally friendly products that do not require the use of new resources.

Source: https://www.id-eight.com