The Future of DIY Fashion presentation for Trend Analysis Fall 2013

1. The Future of
DIY Fashion
Rebecca Low

2. HYPOTHESIS
Giving direct access to creative design and
production process will empower individuals
through collective collaborations while
establishing a sense of belonging in a community
Rebecca Low

3. TRANSPARENCY
& OPENNESS
Rebecca Low

4. FASHION
ECONOMY
Since the economic recession:
- people become more aware of how they spend their money
- skepticism in behavior
- people are not interested in luxury fashion
- change of attitude creates a growing demand for:
transparency,
uniqueness,
quality and
craftsmanship from brands.
Rebecca Low

5. BRIT & CO.
The DIY Bloggers
- things can be done at home with old materials
- easily sharing information while acknowledging others
non-authorship
T-shirt Restyle: (via Fine and Feathered)
- free information
- low cost
- establishing connections between individuals and groups
11. Men’s Shirt into a Sundress: (via Brit + Co)
COMMUNITY
SHARING
SELF-EXPRESSION
CONNECTED
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
ACCESSIBLE
Rebecca Low
12. Pocket T-Shirt:. (via Oh the Lovely things)

6. DEMOCRATIZATION
Rebecca Low

7. FASHION
FOR ALL
At the roots of open sourcing in 1968, Doug Engelbart has a vision for the future of The Internet:
“... an instrument of personal liberation and
freedom of expression, with the potential to
flatten hierarchies, decentralize organizations
and unleash collective creativity.”
Rebecca Low

8. LUMI &
KICKSTARTER
The Pro-Am
- Kickstarter as platform involves everyone in process of creation
- raw tools for creation
- breaking the boundaries between professionals and amateurs
- shift from consumer to prosumer where individuals in
production process
- concern for environment
Lumi’s tools for printing makes it easy to
design or customize your own apparel
CO-COLLABORATION
Rebecca Low
USER-FOCUSED
TOOLS
SELF-EXPRESSION
ACCESSIBLE

9. 3D Printing
Rebecca Low

10. FASHION
TECHNOLOGY
3D printing is being used most heavily in the Maker culture and adds flexibility,
versatility and ease to the process of creation:
- versatile use of materials (brass, stainless steel, gold, alumide, plastic, ceramic,
polyamide, wood)
- each printed piece can be easily customizable
- production on-demand can help reduce waste by avoiding over production
- cost depends on material and amount of material being used
- Maker culture enthusiasts build their own 3D printers at home as hobby
Rebecca Low

11. MICROSOFT
3D BUILDER SOFTWARE
The Maker Culture
- Microsoft 3D Builder is a touchscreen app
PRODUCER
Rebecca Low
MODIFIABLE
ACCESSIBLE
TOOLS

12. KINEMATICS
& NERVOUS SYSTEM
- 3D Printing technology and customization
- design service providing high quality materials being tailored to
your preference
- Kinematics is a jewelry collection designed by Nervous System
specifically for people who already have 3D printers at home
NON-STANDARDIZATION
OPEN
TOOLS
SELF-EXPRESSION
MODIFIABLE
ACCESSIBLE
Rebecca Low

13. Sustainability
Rebecca Low

14. FASHION
CONSUMPTION
Fast Fashion (“NOTNESS” of DIY) is a reaction
to the market based on trends with rapid
turnover time. It has recently gained
negative connotations due to environmental
concerns.
- over-production of garments creates
massive amounts of waste
- slow culture, craftsmanship are at forefront
of consumers buying decisions and behavior
Rebecca Low
[
1 . 2 MILLION TONS
[
of clothing went to landfill in
2005 in the UK alone.
13 MILLION TONS
of textiles generated anually in US.
Just 15%
is recovered
for reuse or recycling.
]
]

15. REET AUS
Reet Aus proposes changing the fashion cycle to enable sustainable
mass production through UPCYCLING, exemplified through her own
designed collection:
1. create waste mapping database to give designers overview of
where, what type and quantity of textile waste being produced
2. provide manual or sharing platform of techniques for upcycling
textile waste
3. an interactive platform/framework integrating elements to make
direct communication possible between waste generators, designers
and clients
SUSTAINABILITY
TOOLS
TRANSPARENCY
UPCYCLING
COLLECTIVE
DIRECT COMMUNICATION
Rebecca Low
Reet Aus’ line introduces upcycling in mass-production at Beximco
in Bangladesh. Each garment in the collection carries a label with a
unique calculation of the environmental impact

16. INSIGHTS
OPENNESS
ACCESSIBLITY
the act of creating and selfexpression is for everyone
COLLABORATION
people are co-creators, coproducers, “genius” designer does
not exist
EMPOWERMENT
Rebecca Low
ideas are shared, information is
downloadable, modifiable, results
are undefinable and unpredictable
people are culture creators, cultivate
a slow culture, promote elimination of
waste, sense of community & belonging

17. DIY
& SUSTAINABILITY
REWEAR
clothing that can be worn
again is marketed worldwide
as second-hand goods
REUSE
textiles that are no longer
suitable to wear are
converted into other products
H&M collaborates with DIY blogger Erica from
“HonestlyWTFto feature a modified leather bag.
RECYCLE
textiles that can’t be reused
get a new chance as
textile fibres, or are use to
manufacture products such as
insulating materials for auto
industry
ENERGY
when rewear, reuse and
recycle are not options,
textiles are used to produce
energy
Rebecca Low

18. {
OPENNESS
{
ACTIONS
Empower individuals by nurturing consumer-consumer
conversations while embracing their collective creative
ownership over the H&M design and production process.
elaborate on sharing and exposing
truths about brand, increasing
transparency in production chain
ACCESSIBLITY
COLLABORATION
give prosumers a place to give direct
input together towards the brand
by leveraging consumer-consumer
conversations
EMPOWERMENT
Rebecca Low
provide information and tools on
digital platform such as app and
reveal creative process to prosumers
produce and manufacture user-made
designs to validate their contributions
as co-creators

19. {
Rebecca Low
Direct communication between brand and
consumer is key to strengthening consumer’s brand
loyalty. The empowerment users receive from
collectively creating and self-expressing should be
embraced by inviting individuals into the world of
the H&M designer.
H&M can continue to be relevant and ahead of
trends (ie. predicting color palettes or silhouettes)
the same way it is now while sharing these forecasts
in real time, which also means being open to
sharing the same resources and tools to which only
H&M’s designers currently have access.
{
The future of
DIY + H&M
If individuals will have the ability to produce their own
garments in the future, what value will H&M add to the
life of the future consumer? How will H&M sincerely
remain relevant, especially amongst the DIY culture?