DST63904 Ethical and Sustainable Fashion
Week 01 (Assignment 1 -FASHION ETHIC CODE OF PRACTICE):
LESSON OF THE WEEK
As this was the first week of the semester, Mr. Daniel began the class by introducing himself, since some students were attending his class for the first time. This also acted as an ice-breaking session so that the class atmosphere would not feel too serious.
Part 1: He briefed us about the module and explained the assignments we will have throughout the semester. We listened carefully because we had to begin our first assignment this week by deciding on our subject matter and starting the proposal as soon as possible. He showed us examples of seniors’ work to guide us on what to include in our proposal slides. He also mentioned that we will be going on a field trip between Week 5 and Week 7 to visit a large sustainable fashion industry. This trip will help us gain inspiration and learn more about sustainable fashion, especially since it is our first time working on a fashion project related to sustainability.
Part 2: Next, he brought out many creative bags made by our seniors using IKEA bags, which were part of their final assignment. For our last assignment, we will also be transforming an IKEA bag into a modern, stylish bag. He suggested creating a detailed and functional bag to achieve higher marks. For example, we should pay attention to how the ironing technique is used, whether the bag can actually hold items, and ensure that the IKEA logo and tag are included in the final design.
Part 3: Before ending the class, Mr. Daniel taught us using slides and explained the concept of sustainable fashion. He also introduced the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to inspire us for Assignment 1. Overall, the lesson helped us gain a deeper understanding of the module, the importance of sustainable fashion, and how it benefits both the industry and society.
MISSION OF THE WEEK
This week, we had to begin working on our proposal slides for Assignment 1. Starting from Week 2, we will begin sewing, cutting, and creating a laptop bag.
For my subject matter, I chose promotional event waste. Initially, I considered bakery waste and event props waste, but since these ideas were used by previous students, Mr. Daniel recommended that I explore promotional event waste instead. He explained that companies often produce huge amounts of rolled-up banners to hang in public spaces during events. However, after the event ends, these banners are usually left behind and not properly disposed of. Since they are often designed in creative and eye-catching ways, I felt this would be an interesting and meaningful topic to explore.
Ideas (pictures):
After finalizing my subject matter, I completed my proposal slides by researching the Sustainable Development Goals related to my topic, conducting deeper research on promotional event waste, and exploring textile techniques that could be applied. This took quite a lot of time because the research had to be detailed in order to fully understand my subject matter and achieve good results in the assignment.
Overall, I felt excited because this was the first week of the new semester, and it has been two months since the last semester ended. I think it’s time to work hard again, and I’m especially looking forward to the final assignment. I’m curious to see what kind of bag I can create from an IKEA bag and whether I will be able to do it well. After the lecture, I became even more interested in this module, as it is my first time learning about sustainable fashion—a type of fashion that has real benefits for society in the long run.
Week 02 (Assignment 1 -FASHION ETHIC CODE OF PRACTICE):
LESSON OF THE WEEK
This week, Mr. Daniel began the class by conducting one-on-one consultation sessions with each of us to review our proposal progress and suggest improvements. When it was my turn, he recommended that I remove the frame of my slides, as the template looked a bit boring. Instead, he strongly encouraged us to design our own templates. He also advised me to use fewer words and more visuals in my presentation to make it more engaging. Before ending the class, he showcased Nazurah’s slides, which he described as nearly perfect, so that we could learn from her work. He reminded us to conduct deeper research for each topic, such as exploring materials used, lifespan, and case studies.
MISSION OF THE WEEK
This week, we need to prepare the materials we plan to use and bring them to the next class. In addition, we must complete our slides with the design concept, product idea, and moodboard, which are still pending. Personally, I would like to redesign my template to make my slides more visually appealing. I also plan to add more important information, such as case studies and sustainable approaches, to make my presentation more informative and engaging for the audience.
Final Outcome (updated version):
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hCxg37v0g7CrBtusIZWmoZrDNsgVizB_/view?usp=drive_link
Overall, I feel excited this week because I can finally begin working on the bag after completing the proposal. At the same time, I feel a bit tired since I need to redo my proposal slides for improvement. However, I see this as a positive step because revising them will allow me to create a much better version.
Week 03 (Assignment 1 -FASHION ETHIC CODE OF PRACTICE):
LESSON OF THE WEEK
To start the class, Mr. Daniel began with the usual consultation session where we could show him our product ideas from last week and get feedback. For my design, sir recommended that I make it more interesting by playing around with the arrangement of the letters. For the base, I’ll be using red, yellow, and blue, cutting them into circles and stacking them in uneven layers. For the second and final layer, I’ll focus only on black and white colors, using the letters from the banners. Before ending the class, sir gave a lecture about the implementation of sustainability and new technological devices that support sustainable concepts. This helped us understand how companies use sustainability in their marketing strategies.
Initial version of product idea:
Final version of product idea:
MISSION OF THE WEEK
Since we’ve already completed our proposal slides, we can now start preparing materials to create our new laptop bag. This week, we’ll focus on gathering the materials and begin sewing next week, as the submission deadline will be in Week 6.
Overall, I feel happy that I finally completed the proposal part, especially since I redid it to make improvements. I hope everything goes well with the proposal. I also feel that next week will be really busy since we’ll start sewing the laptop bag, but I’m quite excited because it will be my first time sewing a usable bag.
Week 04 (Assignment 1 -FASHION ETHIC CODE OF PRACTICE):
LESSON OF THE WEEK
Sir started the class by briefing us on what we had to do this week, as well as briefing us on the final assignment which is laptop bag, he suggest us to find some reference pictures of the bag that we want to do and started to prepare a proposal while doing the laptop bag at the same time . For those who haven’t confirmed their final laptop bag design, they needed to have a consultation with Sir to finalize it as soon as possible. Meanwhile, those who had already finalized their designs could start working on their textile manipulation and begin sewing, as the submission is due in Week 6. Sir also informed us that Week 5’s class will be cancelled due to a public holiday.
MISSION OF THE WEEK
We have to start sewing our textile manipulation and assemble it into a laptop bag.During the class, I cut out the wordings and texts in black and white from the banners to use as the second layer of my textile manipulation.
Next, I sewed the circles together in uneven layers. As a result, there were many long strips that formed the first layer, which also serves as the base of my laptop bag.
Afterwards, I combined all the strips together to form a 17-inch laptop-sized bag.
I decided to leave the remaining steps for Week 5 since there will be a public holiday. During that time, I’ll focus on other assignments while waiting for my PVC vinyl and sponge to arrive.
Overall, this week felt quite stressful since we only have one week left to complete the laptop bag. I’m also a bit worried about the workmanship because there will be three layers to combine, plus the sponge, which will make the bag quite thick and difficult to sew.
Week 05 (Assignment 1 -FASHION ETHIC CODE OF PRACTICE):
LESSON OF THE WEEK
Monday was a public holiday, so we didn’t have any class this week. This gave us extra time to complete Assignment 1.MISSION OF THE WEEK
Our goal for this week was to complete Assignment 1.
Continuing from last week’s progress, after combining all the long strips into 17-inch laptop bag–sized panels, I started applying the words and texts onto the base as part of my textile manipulation. I rotated the angles of the words and used different text sizes to create variation and then stitch it with invisible thread.
After that, I cut the inner fabric into panels for the laptop bag. On one side of the bag, I added a pocket to make it more interesting and functional, allowing space to store a mouse or other accessories.
Next, I sewed all three layers together, the PVC vinyl, the textile manipulation layer, and the inner lining.
For the zipper, I attached it along the long band section of the bag. Personally, I found this part to be the hardest process because I kept getting the measurements wrong. Even though I measured the perimeter of the laptop bag, the long band still turned out too short. As a result, I had to cut more circles to extend the length, which led to too many panels and slightly messy workmanship, something I felt disappointed about.
Lastly, I attached all the panels together and trimmed the seams neatly to complete the laptop bag. This was another challenging step. I tried sewing with both the studio machine and my home machine, but neither could handle the thickness when attaching the bias tape. I also attempted to neaten the seams using the overlock machine, but it couldn’t sew through the corners due to the thickness. Therefore, Sir suggested that I just cut the seams cleanly instead.
Final Proposal Outcome:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1nJBoSUDv9tsAf6aLmy2nTinQJlSgwItk/view?usp=sharing
Final Photo of Laptop Bag Outcome:
This week felt quite stressful because I spent almost the entire week completing the laptop bag, which affected my ability to focus on other assignments. I was also worried about my final grade, as I wasn’t very satisfied with my workmanship this time. Despite measuring carefully, the dimensions still came out uneven, which forced me to make repeated adjustments while sewing. Since I could only cut the seams cleanly, there were still some leftover stitches coming out even after trimming. However, I’m glad to have completed Assignment 1 since I learned how to sew a laptop bag for the first time and overcame many challenges along the way, which made me feel proud of the outcome.
If I were to do this again, I would avoid sewing a long band panel because it’s difficult to handle, especially with PVC vinyl. Instead, I would prefer attaching two main panels together. I would also take extra care with measurements next time to ensure greater accuracy.
LESSON OF THE WEEK
To start the class, sir briefed us about the upcoming field trip to LLCM on the 3rd of November. He informed us that we need to form groups to go to the venue together since no bus will be provided. Moreover, the same group will remain together until the end of Assignment 2, as we will need to delegate tasks during the visit , some members will take notes, while others will record videos or take photos for the report. Hence, we needed to form our groups as soon as possible.
This week was also the submission week for Assignment 1. After the briefing, sir asked us to upload our assignment outcomes to Google Drive and then called our names one by one to submit our laptop bags.
MISSION OF THE WEEK
Since sir didn’t have time to review our final prototype this week due to the Assignment 1 submission, he will be checking it next week instead. Therefore, it’s better to complete it as soon as possible and show it to him then.
I decided to choose two bag designs which one is a Boston bag, and the other is a keychain + bag design. I chose these two because I remembered sir mentioning that we could score higher marks if we produce two sewn bags for our final outcome. The Boston bag will serve as the main bag, while the keychain + bag will act as a secondary or complementary bag. Consumers can hang the keychain on the Boston bag, and when they go shopping or for groceries, they can take out the foldable bag that’s attached to the keychain. It’s both convenient and cute!
I finally feel more relaxed after completing and submitting Assignment 1. Now I can rest a bit before starting on the final assignment. I’m also excited to receive feedback from sir regarding my IKEA bag prototype, as I really hope to develop the keychain + bag design as my final outcome. It’s a cute idea and also very practical, since I wouldn’t need to bring an extra reusable bag for shopping anymore.
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