My collection explores how sustainable aesthetic might be achieved through cultural heritage to create an emotional connection with storytelling in order to prolong the lifespan of a garment. Focusing on sustainability and longevity I created a womenswear collection by drawing inspiration from my own Hungarian heritage. With the rise of ‘fast fashion’ the longevity of fashion garments has significantly reduced in the last century. Millions of tonnes of textile items are thrown away annually ending up in landfill. Extending the lifetime of clothing has been found to have the most environmental benefits out of all the sustainable strategies. (WRAP, 2012) My research is based on the hypothesis that it is sustainable to give the receiver a durable aesthetic experience with visual and tactile stimulation leading to an emotional connection. In my collection I’m recycling old denim pieces and using sustainable materials and waste fabrics. I’m also using sublimation printing which is one of the most environmentally friendly techniques using less water, zero waste and the dyes are Azo dye free. I want the garments to be ethically made in a local factory with full transparency across the value chain.
Sustainable Womenswear Collection inspired by Hungarian heritage