Emily Mckenzie (She/Her)
I am a Glasgow based designer with specialisms in Menswear fashion design. Aiming to be inclusive and adaptable, my work does not subscribe to traditional gender norms, rather I create pieces which, with minor adaptations, can be worn by anyone. My garments are investment pieces, produced without influence from trend forecasting, allowing them to remain wearable and staples of the consumers wardrobe for decades to come, reducing the urge to overconsume, and challenging the current motives of the fast-fashion industry. With a strong focus on sustainable practice, my aesthetic is influenced by inclusivity, creative pattern cutting and an environmentally considered design process.
Trashion- The Aesthetics of Waste
“Trashion” represents the change needed to reduce waste and slow down the speed the fashion industry is currently manufacturing products.
I began this project by creating a broad photography series of sculptures, made from everyday household waste materials such as cardboard, foil and single use plastics, with the intention of subverting views of the objects we often thoughtlessly discard each day. Through the medium of collage, I created a range of garment visualisations inspired by the waste sculptures, and this cemented my concept of taking materials destined for landfill, and recreating them into a visually striking, sustainably conscious collection. I made thoughtful decisions about material choices, using eco-friendly fabrics, where possible, to produce my garments. Exploring how sustainability could inform the overall aesthetic, silhouette design and manufacture of my garments, encompassing this concept of environmentalism throughout the entire design process.
Trashion- Collage Design Development
I began my research by producing a series of ‘sculptures’ which I created using waste materials such as single-use plastics, foil and cardboard which I had found around my home. The aim of this exercise was to create art pieces using waste materials, subverting the way in which waste is viewed- creating something visually striking out of materials which otherwise would have been thrown away. I used these sculptures to produce a series of collages which represent a range of silhouette ideas. This method of using waste products to influence the form and shape of my potential garments allowed me to be inspired by the concept of sustainability in fashion through the silhouette development, as well as making decisions about fabric and material choices later on in the production stage of my collections development.
Alongside the production of the waste sculptures, I also photographed a series of images focussing on the creases and folds in cardboard tubes. By crushing and manipulating the material, I used the natural forms of these tubes to influence how they could be replicated through fabric. This became a hugely influential stage of research and design development, progressing into studying how I could replicate these shapes as garments. By using the idea of creating a tube of fabric and manipulating it through stitching to emulate the way I crumpled the cardboard tubes, it became possible to produce similar shapes while minimising waste production.
Trashion- Secondary Research
Using foam to create silhouette and shape ideas on the stand. Inspired by secondary research into the artist Marie Blaisse, who worked with foam to create sculptural performance pieces which move with the body. Through later development I decided not to continue using foam as a material due to sustainability issues and wanting to use more environmentally friendly fabrics, however using foam to experiment helped to develop ideas of how I could create garments which referenced my primary photography.
Trashion- The Muse
The muse for this collection represents a person who is active, a lover of the outdoors and shows this through their everyday clothing choices. They are environmentally conscious, and makes active choices to promote sustainability in their every day life. They look for practical elements within their clothing as well as aesthetic factors.
