Creative Design: Professional

Pieced Back Together

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Abstract

Digital fabrication has become an important tool for design, introducing opportunities for innovation, risk-taking, and creativity to be integrated into the design process. This is explored here through a focus on the reasons to include digital tools, both practical and aesthetic. Embracing the precision and repetitive capabilities of the laser-cutter, the garment was designed to be constructed using laser-cut denim components that would be hand-embellished with laser-cut acrylic, expired credit cards, and seed beads. The components were then washed and allowed to fray, removing the harsh digital aesthetic; the final step was assembling them into a tunic dress. This development process allowed creative risk to be harnessed in a successful garment, facilitating responsive creativity at each step of the making process. In this way, the machine and hand produced a combined aesthetic and revealed how digital tools empower hand-worked processes by eliminating tedious, repetitive activities.

Keywords: Digital Fabrication, Design-Thinking, Denim

How to Cite:

Riewe, K., (2019) “Pieced Back Together”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 76(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.8754