Design and Product Development

Application of Experimental Patternmaking Techniques to Increase Utilization and Creative Potential of American Alligator Leather

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Abstract

Today, a major issue facing the American alligator leather industry is a surplus of hides in the market which is causing a significant price slump. Finding new uses for alligator leather is of critical importance to regions where alligator is a major agricultural product.Thus, the purpose of the present research was to apply experimental patternmaking techniques (EPT) to determine the best approach for utilizing more of each alligator hide and maximizing the creative potential of alligator leather for fashion. EPT includes subtraction cutting (SC), transformational reconstruction(TR), zero waste (ZW), planar flux (PF), and pattern magic (PM). The design team created five garments using different EPT and alligator leather. The team identified new considerations and provided sustainable design suggestions for using alligator and EPT.

Keywords: alligator, patternmaking, sustainable design, leather

How to Cite:

Stannard, C. R., Lansdell, L. E. & Lindrew, S., (2024) “Application of Experimental Patternmaking Techniques to Increase Utilization and Creative Potential of American Alligator Leather”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 80(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.17391