Transforming the sequential process of fashion production: where zero-waste pattern cutting takes the lead in creative design

When producing garments utilising zero-waste pattern cutting methods, it can be seen that the design and make process has to be transformed in order to create garment designs, both desirable and achievable. Moving interchangeably between the stages of the process results in flexibility between pattern creation and design. Through a series of interviews with industry representatives, the relationship between the designer and pattern cutter was explored across three different market sectors. This, alongside the sequence of the fashion production process, was investigated, with creative leadership and decision-making being the focus. A set of practice-based experimentations demonstrated that this traditional process altered significantly when utilising zero-waste pattern cutting methods, meaning that it is pattern cutting that ultimately dictates the garment aesthetic. When applied in a wider context, this transformation will encourage closer collaboration and parity between the roles of the designer and the pattern cutter. Zero-waste pattern cutting, often closely associated with sustainability, has the potential to spark creative collaboration in the design team, resulting in an alternative production model for the fashion industry.