Zero waste pattern cutting, one of various attempts to solve the problem of increasing fashion industry waste, is a method of designing and producing clothing with the aim of significantly reducing the amount of textile waste generated in the production process. Despite zero waste pattern cutting being an innovative method of implementing sustainable fashion, few brands and designers pursue and practice it due to the unique and creative design process required, and related education is also rare.
However, with the introduction of the 3D Virtual Design Program, it is expected that industrialization and popularization of zero waste pattern cutting will be easier. The 3D virtual design program sews the entered apparel patterns and clothes the 3D avatar, enabling a real-world rendering of the clothing. With the accelerating digitalization of industries, the demand for 3D virtual design program is on the rise. Therefore, in addition to the ability to use basic functions, creative problem-solving skills will also be required. In order to develop such creative problem-solving skills, education for cultivating application skills and creativity through various original examples, rather than a focus on acquiring simple functions.
Due to the fact that zero waste pattern cutting constructs designs and patterns based on creative ideation and experimentation, determining the final design product from the shape of the patterns is difficult. Applying these characteristics to 3D virtual design program education will enable more efficient and creative use of program. In other words, if 3D virtual design program education is incorporated in zero waste pattern cutting education, we can expect to develop creative thinking skills for zero waste pattern cutting and awareness about sustainability in the fashion industry, in addition to the basic functions of the program.
Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to nurture creative talent that can practice the sustainability required by the future fashion industry through the proposal of a zero waste pattern cutting education model using a 3D virtual design program. The significance of this study is to present guidelines for sustainable fashion education by realizing sustainability not only in the learning content but also in the curriculum.
For this, various practical cases of zero waste fashion, which can be called the start of zero waste pattern cutting, were analyzed. Among various practical cases, the case of zero waste pattern cutting, the subject of this study, was analyzed and its characteristics were deduced. In addition, the use of 3D virtual design programs were examined as well as the potential for using 3D virtual design programs for zero waste pattern cutting. The results of the study are as follows.
In the zero waste fashion, biodegradable materials are used in terms of materials, and knitting, DPOL, and zero waste pattern cutting methods are used in terms of manufacturing methods. In terms of expiration date, there are repair and convertible fashion, and in terms of recycling, there are recycling, redesign, and use of recycled fibers.
The 3D Virtual Design Program allows users to see realistic designs and fit without production. This enables the reduction of energy use as well as the cost and time of sample production to realize sustainability in the fashion production process.
The subject of this study, zero waste pattern cutting, is based on ancient costumes where environmental awareness did not exist. Various examples of this practice can be found before the mass production of the fabric takes place. An analysis of the cases from after the official establishment of zero waste pattern cutting shows that they can be divided into jig saw cutting, subtraction cutting, minimal cutting, and tessellation cutting, the characteristics of which were summarized as follows. First, the characteristic of zero waste pattern cutting in material aspects is that the width of the fabric should be considered when designing the pattern, and minimizing waste does not mean minimal fabric use. It is also easy to reuse and recycle materials. The characteristic of the design aspect is that the pattern and design work must be executed simultaneously, and the remaining fabric is actively utilized as details. The characteristic of the compositional aspect is that the size adjustment is limited due to the pattern composition without waste of fabric, and the arrangement and shape of the pattern are irregular.
Based on this theoretical background, a 15-week education model with the theme of zero waste pattern cutting education using a 3D virtual design program was presented. Every week, various examples of zero waste pattern cutting were analyzed and practiced using CLO3D, a 3D virtual design program.
As a result of practicing various cases for each week, the following considerations were necessary for the practice of the zero waste pattern cutting using the CLO3D program. First, it was necessary to delete the pattern seam allowance. In addition, double-layered were worked as a single layer, and the double-layered function or the wick function of the program was applied to give a similar effect. Also, it was necessary to delete darts and pacing. Additionally, there was a case where an incision line had to be added for smooth fitting. In addition, it was necessary to add patterned inner lines such as pleats or tucks so that the clothes were constructed similarly to the finished design, and there were cases where it was necessary to add patterns to complete the clothes. Furthermore, due to its characteristic non-standard pattern, additional work was required to exactly confirm the parts for pattern connection. Apart from that, subtraction cutting could not be demonstrated due to the difficulty of setting the incision line and the collision of the fabric. Tessellation cutting was excluded from the education model because of the time consumed from repetitive simple work.
Suggestions for subsequent research are as follows. We consider it necessary to secure objective data on the validity and effectiveness of education by testing the development model proposed in this study on real student subjects.