For my partner and I’s field guide, we decided to focus on the fashion industry specifically, the after life when clothes are finished being worn. We volunteered at a place called Fab Scrap which is a company that takes unwanted and used fabric from designers and artists in the New York City area and sorts them into categories. For example, the 1000% wools and cottons are sorted and then sold to other companies who want these 1000% materials. Another example is the mixed fabric that don’t contain fabric are sent to a shredder where it will be turned into industrial felt which will be used for things like building instillation. Another great thing about Fab Scrap is that the fabric pieces that are a certain size will be sold in their online and physical to people who want it and if you volunteer like we did, you can take home 5 pounds of fabric for free. The goal of this company it to minimize the amount go textile waste that ends up in the landfills.
For our field guide, we wanted to include information about the negatives of the current clothing cycle as well as ways that individuals can change the system by suggesting different tasks that can complete.
This is one side of our little booklets and it focuses on the negative. For example, it has the life cycle of a t-shirt which we wanted to include because it shows how much water and energy goes into production. It also gives some statistics about the current fashion industry in order to inform readers.
On the other side of the booklet, we focused on the positive things we can do to prevent textile waste from being thrown away and we also give suggestions on how readers can learn more about the clothing industry. We gave some more information about Fab Scrap so that readers are encouraged to volunteer or learn more. We also share a DIY on how to turn a t-shirt into a tote bag. By giving suggestions to create positive change, we think that individuals have the power to change the clothing industry.
And as for the poster, we just briefed all the information together into one single image so that readers can catch a glimpse of what our booklets are about. We condensed our information as well in order to draw readers in and get them thinking about how they can change the fashion industry and make the planet a better place.
And here are the final booklets themselves. On the left, the booklet is folded in the way it would be distributed. On the right, the booklet has been turned inside out, which can be done by following the illustrated instructions, in order to see the other side which includes the positive actions. Overall, we think that this experience was eye opening and it encouraged me to look into making things with unwanted fabric and scraps instead of always buying new fabric. It was also very interesting to volunteer at Fab Scrap and seeing how the company works. In the end, I now look at the clothing industry differently and I am excited to find new ways we can combat textile waste.
