Criterion A: Sustainable Design | Sewciety

Name: Sanika Class: 7-10

Image: FashionRevolution.org

Key Concept: Systems

Related Concepts: Sustainability, Resources
Global Context: Globalization and Sustainability

Statement of Inquiry

“Designers have a responsibility to seek sustainable solutions.”

Inquiry Questions
Factual: What is fast fashion? What is planned obsolescence?
Conceptual: What does sustainability really mean? What is the circular economy?
Debatable: How close are we to a sustainable society?
Debatable: Who is responsible for sustainability?

Design situation
Millions of tons of textiles end up in landfills and incinerators around the world every year. This is a problem as the textile industry uses huge amounts of
raw materials, water, energy and chemicals for the production of their products. It is often claimed that this industry is a prime example of an industry
that is not sustainable. As designers (and world-citizens), we have a responsibility to design and create with sustainability in mind. Governments, industry
and consumers ask us to come up with better solutions to the life-cycle of textiles.

Your challenge is to recycle a fabric or textile garment into another product that will be
useful for your intended client. This upcycled product will effectively help to extend the
life of your garment.
Task A1 | The Problem
🔎 What? Why?
Explain and justify the need for a solution to a problem. You need to fully understand the ‘problem’ and identify where you can
make a meaningful contribution towards solving this.

⚙ How?
Design situation
● Explain what you are challenged with to create in this unit and why it is important in your own words.

In this unit, we are going to create a new product from reusable clothes. Fast fashion is very trendy but a horrible
way for the fashion industry to strive. The industry is producing more clothes than it can manufacture, causing
the factories to have expeditious production with deficient material. Reusing old clothes instead of throwing
them out can help reduce waste and cause less pollution by saving space in my closet and not giving the
industry's more profit.
● Identify the fabric your project will focus on and which garment(s) you will retrieve this from. You should have a collage (and possible gif
of you wearing the garment) with an explanation of the material properties. Example HERE. Insert the annotated collage below.

Analysis of chosen garment

Project justification
● Explain what fast fashion is and why it is problematic.
● Present photographic evidence of different aspects of the problem. Caption the photos explaining what the image is showing.
● You must use in-text citation OR footnotes to indicate what source you have used!

Fast fashion is cheap garments that are hastily priced to copy the latest catwalk trends. The demand just gets
higher and higher, which is causing the manufacturers to have rapid production but low quality clothes . The
factories are very strategically placed in third world countries that are mainly corrupt, so that the owners of the
factory can hire cheap and affordable labour, who barely make a dollar a day. “It’s a relatively recent
phenomenon, but its rapid expansion over a short time” (Fast fashion quick ) So far fast fashion has increased by
9.7% i n a span of 5 years.”Globally, we now consume about 80 billion new pieces of clothing every year—400%
more than we were consuming just two decades ago” (Fast fashion quick ). We usually throw out 85% of textiles we
buy ! The faster clothes are being made, the less biodegradable they are, emitting loads of greenhouse gases. “The
synthetic fibres often favoured by fast fashion brands, such as polyester, nylon and acrylic, are basically a kind of
plastic made from petroleum, which means they could take up to a thousand years to biodegrade.” ( Fast fashion
quick ).

This photo shows a model posing near thrown out garments

This photo shows 3 workers sleeping on thrown out or random strips of clothing

This photo shows factory workers stitching up pieces of clothing

Works cited (in MLA format using NoodleTools)

List any sources of information used in this section. That includes sources of photos used in the project justification.

Works Cited
Drachev, Viktor. Ahead of the G7 meeting, 32 major fashion players from Burberry to Chanel have signed a pact promising.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andriacheng/2019/08/23/major-fashion-companies-sign-pact-vowing-to-reduce-industrys-

environmental-impact/#6197b3b34db1, 23 Aug. 2019, www.google.com/search?

q=fast+fashion&tbm=isch&safe=strict&chips=q:fast+fashion,g_1:environmental+impact:GHi194JMOfQ

%3D&safe=strict&hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwiO0oKmqsnnAhXXkksFHQ9RDHUQ4lYoAHoECAEQFQ&biw=1309&bih=717#imgrc

=gxmTfSl0G4kjmM. Accessed 13 Feb. 2020.

"Fast fashion quick to cause environmental havoc." Fast fashion quick to cause environmental havoc, The University of Queensland, 14

Nov. 2018, sustainability.uq.edu.au/projects/recycling-and-waste-minimisation/fast-fashion-quick-cause-environmental-

havoc. Accessed 13 Feb. 2020.

Kim, Tammy. Women in the sewing division of a Cambodian factory.

https://wellmadeclothes.com/articles/cat/news/post/FastFashionBrandsCanAffordToPayFairWagesTheyJustChooseNotTo/,

WellMade clothes, 13 Feb. 2019, www.google.com/search?

q=fast+fashion+workers&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwi1gYDDqsnnAhUWcisKHW1SCYUQ2-

cCegQIABAA&oq=fast+fashion+&gs_l=img.1.3.0i67l10.4693.4693..6291...0.0..0.46.46.1......0....1..gws-wiz-

img.wk7lpYIcGrw&ei=hYdCXvWqC5bkrQHtpKWoCA&bih=717&biw=1309&safe=strict&hl=en#imgrc=PWsWacU90MA__M.

Accessed 13 Feb. 2020.

Pictures, Jan. A new report outlines how fashion companies can help reduce modern slavery.

https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/46343/1/freedom-fund-report-fast-fashion-india-can-help-reduce-modern-

slavery, Dazed, 7 Oct. 2019, www.google.com/search?

q=fast+fashion+workers&tbm=isch&hl=en&safe=strict&chips=q:fast+fashion+workers,g_1:exploitation:AZNe3oMocYc

%3D&safe=strict&hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwi3qM_GqsnnAhWJBSsKHUrZByAQ4lYoAXoECAEQFw&biw=1309&bih=717#imgrc=

d90rtg026My4kM. Accessed 13 Feb. 2020.

Stanton, Audrey. "What Is Fast Fashion, Anyway?" What Is Fast Fashion, Anyway?, The good trade,

www.thegoodtrade.com/features/what-is-fast-fashion.

Assessment
Level Descriptor Typical features of student work

0 The student does not reach a standard described by any of the descriptors below.

1-2 The student states the ❏ You have copied and pasted the challenge from above. You should show your understanding of the
need for a solution to a challenge by explaining it and its importance in your own words.
problem. ❏ You did not provide multiple photos nor explain the properties of your fabric. An annotated collage
with this information was required. Reviewing the provided example would help you with this.
❏ You provided a limited justification of the problems with fast fashion with no photographic
evidence. More explanation with evidence is needed.
❏ You did not list your sources nor provide citations. Reviewing expectations for citations are needed.

3-4 The student outlines ❏ You have simply identified the challenge of the project. You should show your deeper understanding
the need for a solution of the challenge by also explaining its importance in your own words.
to a problem. ❏ A number of required elements of the collage were not included. An analysis of the material was
 needed. Reviewing the example would help you with this.
❏ You provided an adequate justification of the problems with fast fashion with no photographic
evidence. More explanation with evidence is needed.
❏ You list your sources but did not provide citations and did not use proper MLA format. Please use
Noodletools to ensure proper formatting.

5-6 The student explains ❏ You have paraphrased the challenge of the project. You should show your deeper understanding of
the need for a solution the challenge by also explaining its importance in your own words.
to a problem. ❏ A few of the required elements of your collage were not included. An analysis of the material was
needed. Reviewing the example would help you with this.
❏ You provided an adequate justification of the problems with fast fashion with photographic
evidence. You needed to provide a caption that explained the photo.
❏ You list your sources in MLA format but did not provide citations in your writing. Please use
Noodletools to ensure proper formatting.

7-8 The student explains ❏ You effectively showed your understanding of the challenge by also explaining its importance in
and justifies the need your own words.
for a solution to a ❏ You provide an annotated collage with all of the required elements including multiple labelled
problem. photos of your garment and explanation of the properties of your fabric.
❏ You provided a detailed justification of the problems with fast fashion with captioned photographic
evidence.
❏ You list your sources in MLA format and provide appropriate citations in your writing.