Interwoven : exploring the consumer, the garment, and the system through artistic research practice

Abstract

This dissertation provided an opportunity to explore new artistic practices, permitting the development of creative skills. It was initiated as a direct response to the consumption of garments and the fast-fashion industry. Recognised as the second most polluting industry after oil production, the fashion sector plays a significant role in ongoing environmental degradation. This critical issue served as the foundation for the research and creative development undertaken in this study. Vivienne Westwood’s practice as a designer played a pivotal role in guiding the direction of this dissertation, with her activism and design work serving as a major source of inspiration for the chosen research focus. Westwood’s urgent call for change within the fashion industry framed fast fashion as a state of emergency, a perspective that deeply resonated with the artistic intentions of this research. Furthermore, this research moves beyond the study of garments and weaving to critically reflect on contemporary consumer behaviour and fast fashion practices. While the physical act of deconstructing and reworking textiles forms a central part of the investigation, the project also addresses the broader systems that inform why and how clothing is consumed, discarded, and valued in today’s society. The study engages with the psychological and cultural factors that drive mass consumption, exploring how fast fashion encourages a detachment from the material and emotional significance of garments. This research positions the act of making as both a form of resistance and reflection, challenging the throwaway culture that defines much of the modern fashion industry. By reclaiming discarded clothing and reimagining it through slow, deliberate processes like weaving, the work draws attention to the consequences of overproduction and overconsumption. It interrogates the lifecycle of garments and the ethics of production, urging a reconsideration of the relationships we form with what we wear. Ultimately, the project not only critiques the mechanisms of fast fashion but also proposes alternative modes of engagement, ones rooted in care, longevity, and awareness. In doing so, it situates artistic practice as a vital tool for both social commentary and transformative action.