Description:

This project developed as means to explore and contribute to the conversation around the globalisation of the fashion industry and the negative environmental and ethical impacts of consumerism. (un)dressing Utopia gives an alternative life to "valueless" materials by developing garments utilising resources from the locality around my family's lifestyle block in North Canterbury. Textiles and garments are produced using traditional handcraft practices such as spinning and weaving. This work recognises a shift towards a more localised fashion industry and considers how traditional methods of making can contribute to this.

Local materials for the project were developed entirely by hand. The project uses wool from our Merino Romney crossbreed sheep alongside alpaca fibre gifted by my neighbour. Wild clay from the Makerikeri River and limestone from White Rock Quarry have been used to develop proof-of-concept closures, replacing the need for conventional buttons and buttonholes. Plant life from the garden was used to naturally dye the wool—experimenting with quince-leaf, lichen, and eucalyptus dyes.

The woven textile in the garment, which consists of wool warp threads and alpaca weft, visibly reflects the hundreds of hours of handcraft that have gone into producing it. Through testing artisanal spinning and weaving methods, the importance of craft and its inherent connection with, and understanding of, materials was highlighted. This woven textile contrasts uniform against nonuniform. The weave provides uniformity, while the non-uniformness of hand-spun yarn offers a source of beauty. The uniformity pays homage to skills developed over centuries. At the same time, the primitiveness of the hand-spun yarn reminded me of how connected I am to the origins of this textile, which cannot be mass-produced due to the labour-intensive steps needed to produce it.

Decisions and developments of the textiles and garments were positioned within contemporary fashion to ensure they would be considered a viable option to replace current fashion needs and challenge existing fashion consumption trends. The garment I have handcrafted embodies a simplistic primitiveness in both material and design. Using my loom, which has a maximum width of 58cm, I could weave textiles constrained by width but not by length. This method of working allowed me to create a textile that is only cut horizontally (where the textile is most stable) to create pattern pieces that are zero waste. The silhouette developed for the garment showcases the width of the loom and highlights the artisanal methods used throughout, all the while ensuring that the garment is not perceived as costume but instead wearable in day-to-day life.

The jacket is a contemporary interpretation of modern clothing, emphasising longevity and quality while remaining relevant in the modern world. Throughout the garment's lifetime, it can be maintained and repaired to ensure longevity. At the end of the garment's life, it can be returned to the same pasture it "grew on" to decompose and provide nutrition, allowing more garments to be produced. In this way, the garment transcends the limitations of traditional clothing, providing and alternate model of consumption through connection with our locality.