MAKING WAVES

Shunan Li

SHUNAN LI s3732553

Project statement 

Let’s take a look at what is going on around us. The number of garments produced annually has doubled since 2000 and exceeded 100 billion for the first time in 2014 and an estimated 92 million tons of textile waste is created annually from the fashion industry. Shockingly, every second, the equivalent of one garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or burned globally.

WASTE ACCUMULATION, WATER POLLUTION, CHEMICAL POLLUTION,INERTIAL CONSUMPTION( SINGLE USE), GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS are the main 5  disastrous damage on the environment impact by The fashion industry.

 In this project, I will reuse and recycle some  discarded materials, under-utilised clothing, scraps as well as corresponding to  some solutions and alternatives to mitigate these problems in fashion industry pollution.

The theme of recycling and environmental protection is something I’ve always wanted to do. Because of the exhaust fumes and chemical waste water from the factories near my home when I was a child, the sky was a gray haze every day. When I was a child, I felt sad but could do nothing about it. So I always want to do something for nature, and let more people see what our world will be like if we don’t care for the environment. In the past two years, more and more artists and designers have been making great efforts to promote garbage classification and environmental protection. For example, in the green recycling box of H&M, if you put old clothes in it, you will get a discount when shopping. Luxury brands such as Fendi, Burberry and others have started to introduce many styles of environmental protection materials, reducing the use of genuine leather. What inspired me the most was SCHUELLER DE WAAL’s “Mull” collection, which he launched with the environmental organization Pik Pik Environment for Paris Fashion Week. The designer used the waste materials and waste materials from the studio, and he made a runway show on the streets of Paris. Each model was dressed in clothes made of discarded material and was also carrying reusable bags and garbage cleaning tools. In addition to the collection  is breaking the traditional concept, some recyclable or non-recyclable materials, and even some discarded garbage can be reused to make clothes, the color and design of the whole collection bring a strong visual effect. I inspired a lot by this runway and collection, I decided to do another visual stock and reused the discarded and waste material at home in this project.


This is my development process of degradable sustainable and environmental friendly textile. My materials are raspberry, blueberry, mulberry, gelative leafs and vey drops of dish detergent. First, i put several pieces of gelative leaves into the cold water for melt, and then put the whole bowl into a big bowl with hot water, and wait it melt. Using the juicer juice the raspberry, blueberry, mulberry as the natural dye material. Mix the melt gelative leaves with natural dye, and a few drops of dish detergent. Then wait for few minutes , i can start to below bubbles. The can put serials of bubbles on fabric and wait for dry.(need to wait for 8 hours)

This is my design sketch and inspiration collage. I was inspired by my previous journal of weave shape.

My FINALOUTCOME