This design research investigates the interplay of eco-responsibility and emotional expression in fashion design, proposing innovative approaches to reconcile these often divergent priorities.

By creating a draped dress assembled without the use of a sewing machine, the study critiques industrial manufacturing practices, and with them the flat pattern’s role as a Western system for standardising the body, while embracing concepts of zero-waste and slow fashion.

danielle martin, 2021

Drawing on Robert Morris’s felt work, where weight gives form, the dress suspends silk panels at a few assembled points and lets the rest fall by gravity. Silk organza was chosen to transpose that gesture into a natural, biodegradable fibre: translucent and light enough to move. The design process incorporated 3D beading techniques, hand-assembled silk layers, and a natural dye study, resulting in a considered palette and a structure rooted in emotional resonance.

The project challenges established norms of garment assembly and aesthetic priorities, advocating for eco-responsible practices prioritising emotional engagement. This work contributes to the field by demonstrating how sustainability and emotion coexist in fashion design, offering a transformative model for creative pedagogy and industry innovation.

Credits:

Re.Shape Lab_ PI & creative direction: Danielle Martin // 3D beading design: Jessy Simon // natural dyeing: Brianna Antoniel // beading lead: Lucy Lee // draping design: Serena Lestari, Kyla Pham, Manely Ramezannia, Suada Hoxha

photo: Danielle Martin // styling: Tricia Crivellaro // model: Lori

Proceedings: Eco-Fashion and Expression of Emotion: A Minimalist 3D Beaded Draped Dress

Part of the trilogy That Holds / Tenir: 3dBeadedDrapedDress, inBetween3dPrintDress, and 3dBeadedTwirledDress (forthcoming).