A partir de 2004, no Brasil, com autorização do Ministério da Educação, cursos de nível superior voltados para formação do profissional da área de criação em moda passaram a ser amparados nas diretrizes curriculares do campo do design. Desta forma, a recente integração entre elementos do campo do design e elementos do campo da moda proporcionou o surgimento e compartilhamento desta nova subárea, o design de moda, e uma nova categoria profissional foi estabelecida, o designer de moda. A presente pesquisa analisa possíveis relações entre referenciais teóricos do campo do design e do campo da moda a partir da perspectiva do design de moda. Investiga, também, como tais referenciais interagem e são articulados na consolidação de um repertório teórico próprio do design de moda e que outras possíveis relações emergem deste momento de transição e integração de conteúdos, sobretudo no âmbito nacional. Tem como propósito norteador promover o aprofundamento da discussão sobre as confluências e dissonâncias entre os campos de design e de moda intrínsecas ao design de moda, na tentativa de contribuir para a integração entre os campos por meio da articulação de conceitos e conteúdos teóricos. E compreende, por fim, os campos de design e de moda como equivalentes na possibilidade de gerar, reciprocamente, críticas construtivas. / Since 2004, with authorization from the Ministry of Education, higher education courses for training the professional creative field in fashion are now supported in the curriculum guidelines of the design field. Thus, the recent integration between the elements of the design field and elements of the fashion field provided the emergence and sharing of this new sub-area, fashion design, and a new category was established, the fashion designer. This research analyzes possible relations between theoretical frameworks of the design field and the fashion field from the fashion design perspective. It also investigates, as such references interact and are articulated in the consolidation of its own theoretical repertoire of fashion design and other possible relationships emerge from this time of transition and integration of content, especially at the national level. Its purpose is to promote further discussion of the consensus and dissent between design and fashion fields, intrinsic to fashion design in an attempt to contribute to the integration between the fields through the articulation of concepts and theoretical contents. And understand, finally, the design and fashion fields as equivalent in the possibility of generating, conversely, constructive criticism.

A partir de 2004, no Brasil, com autorização do Ministério da Educação, cursos de nível superior voltados para formação do profissional da área de criação em moda passaram a ser amparados nas diretrizes curriculares do campo do design. Desta forma, a recente integração entre elementos do campo do design e elementos do campo da moda proporcionou o surgimento e compartilhamento desta nova subárea, o design de moda, e uma nova categoria profissional foi estabelecida, o designer de moda. A presente pesquisa analisa possíveis relações entre referenciais teóricos do campo do design e do campo da moda a partir da perspectiva do design de moda. Investiga, também, como tais referenciais interagem e são articulados na consolidação de um repertório teórico próprio do design de moda e que outras possíveis relações emergem deste momento de transição e integração de conteúdos, sobretudo no âmbito nacional. Tem como propósito norteador promover o aprofundamento da discussão sobre as confluências e dissonâncias entre os campos de design e de moda intrínsecas ao design de moda, na tentativa de contribuir para a integração entre os campos por meio da articulação de conceitos e conteúdos teóricos. E compreende, por fim, os campos de design e de moda como equivalentes na possibilidade de gerar, reciprocamente, críticas construtivas. / Since 2004, with authorization from the Ministry of Education, higher education courses for training the professional creative field in fashion are now supported in the curriculum guidelines of the design field. Thus, the recent integration between the elements of the design field and elements of the fashion field provided the emergence and sharing of this new sub-area, fashion design, and a new category was established, the fashion designer. This research analyzes possible relations between theoretical frameworks of the design field and the fashion field from the fashion design perspective. It also investigates, as such references interact and are articulated in the consolidation of its own theoretical repertoire of fashion design and other possible relationships emerge from this time of transition and integration of content, especially at the national level. Its purpose is to promote further discussion of the consensus and dissent between design and fashion fields, intrinsic to fashion design in an attempt to contribute to the integration between the fields through the articulation of concepts and theoretical contents. And understand, finally, the design and fashion fields as equivalent in the possibility of generating, conversely, constructive criticism.

Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Technology: Fashion, Durban University of Technology, 2013. / The Eco-Bride study is a practical product development research project in the fields of fashion, textiles, and sustainability. Currently it is considered fashionable to host an "eco-friendly" wedding, both because people are becoming more environmentally conscious with the prospect of global warming and also because the fashion industry, too, is attempting to reduce its impact on the environment. However, in spite of a growing trend in "eco-weddings", the bridal gown remains a conventional garment with a heavy carbon footprint. The intention of this study was thus to develop and produce a range of environmentally-friendly bridal gowns in order to create alignment between trendy eco-weddings and the bridal gowns worn to these functions. this was considered to fill a gap in the local market and to work toward educating both brides and industry as to a product offering which is less harmful to the environment. To this end, mixed methods action research was carried out within a constructivist worldview, firstly, to explore what might be construed as an environmentally-friendly bridal gown and secondly, to establish what would appeal to South African brides. The concepts of eco-friendly design models, sustainable fashion, celebrity and product fetish, customer behaviour and product development strategies were investigated in order to conceptualise, design and produce a collection of ten Eco-Bride-branded gowns for the South African market. It was hoped that the development of an environmentally-friendly bridal collection might assist in opening up the market to eco-fashion bridal wear. Further products of the research included instructional videos of the eco-friendly design-make process, which were intended to create awareness of the various eco-options in both the textile industry and bridal fashion market.

Submitted in partial fulfillment for Masters in Fashion, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / In my practise-based action research self-study I have developed ways in which to improve my practice as a bridal-gown designer in a highly-competitive and import-driven bridal-gown market. My earnest intent was to improve my practice using action research methods whilst simultaneously developing a solution through critical reflection and practice-based approaches as an economically-sustainable designer of bespoke, cost-effective, competitively-priced bridal gowns. I realised the potential for professional influence and positive economic growth through entrepreneurial thinking, not only for me but for others; it was this which cemented a sense of values in me as an action researcher. I have displayed a healthy marriage between equally important views of practice as theory and the theory as practice. I explored relevant literature that would validate my practice and aid in answering my critical questions, which became evident as validation chapters in my study. Carrying out internships with three bridal gown designers opened my eyes to the real world of business, a sense of theory as practice, where I could see, first-hand, the effects the import industry had on local designers and what they were doing to survive. The conceptualisation of foundational bridal blocks was a solution to save time in my own creative process so that I could produce cost-effective bridal gowns at a competitive price, in a sustainable manner. Once I had explored and created my own interpretation of the foundation block concept that transformed into a small collection of bridal gowns, I used the foundation blocks as a starting point to design bridal gowns for ‘real’ bridal clients. My study is personal in nature; by way of using self-study methods and also the personal ‘one-on-one’ connection I have with my ‘real’ bridal clients. I extended this ‘personal factor’ by holding a public exhibition to which I invited my friends, family, the public and my peers to view and give critical feedback on my work as a bridal gown designer. / M

The area of this work is distressed denim in women’s wear. Denim wear has been distressed by machines to imitate the individual patina that becomes from wearing e.g. a pair of unwashed jeans until the color strips from creases. This work uses challenges the faked used look, using a decorative motive in distressed denim. Lace has been used as a decoration of dress since medieval times. By using lace as the pattern for the distressing of denim one will decorate the denim in a destructive way that questions the perfection and delicate way that lace is usually used. Lace consists of threads and holes that builds an ornamental pattern, worn down denim often results in holes and threads at the most vulnerable areas of the garment. Denim is a warp faced cotton twill weave with blue indigo yarn in warp and natural white yarn in weft. By using a laser cutter to engrave a pattern on the warp faced side of the denim, one can set the settings on the laser cutter so that only the blue warp threads will be met by the laser beam. After wash the engraved warp threads will dissolve and depending on the scale and the design of the pattern the unengraved parts can dissolve as well. Therefor one needs to fix the unengraved parts of the pattern before wash if one wants the pattern to remain. There is several ways to fix the pattern before wash; this work includes fixing with laser cut fusing and with seams. Some of the garments aren’t engraved in this work but cut in the laser cutter. The two cutting techniques used is first a regular cut out technique and second a slicing technique. The shapes of the garments derives from typical denim and lace garments such as jeans, denim jackets, denim shirts, lace gown, wedding dresses and underwear such as negligees, corsets, bras and panties. Initially, experiments were done to understand the visual and technical effect of clashing materials and garments. The result is a collection, combining ideas from two different origins in fashion, denim from mineworkers and lace from nobles. The outfits manages how one can control distressed denim and shows a variation from lace, to garments where the traces of lace have completely or partially dissolved. The primary motive is to investigate surface possibilities in distressed denim through a specific pattern. The result is difficult to control and experiments in full scale are necessary to evaluate distressed experiments. The secondary motive is global. Can lasercutting and engravings be an alternative to sandblasting ? It is not dealt with in this investigation. However this investigation shows a selection of alternative expressions for distressed denim. This work challenges the idea of distressed denim as the only way to make a fake, torned effect. It points at new possibilities, using decorative motifs by lasercuts and engravings in combination with other treatments in search for alternative expressions in denimwear.

This practice-led PhD research explores the nature of embodied knowledge acquired and practised through the rhythms and patterns of hand-stitching processes, such as embroidery, plain sewing and patchwork quilting, undertaken by individuals alone and in dedicated groups as recreational craft, artistic expression and social life. The scale and pace of hand-stitching match those of the body, grounding cognitive and emotional experience in a tangible process. The hand-eye-mind coordination required cultivates a distinctive form of attention to the self, which has renewed importance in the context of the anti- haptic experiences of screen technologies that infiltrate our daily routines in the home and the workplace. Working with the premise that skilled hand-stitching concerns more than technical ability, I examine how these activities articulate dimensions of subjective experience. In turn, I explore ways in which the relationship between an individual and a group is constructed through their crafting skills. My previous experiences of textile crafting as a social activity drew me to this question, and my interest as a practitioner and teacher in the contemporary and future relevance of skilful work motivates me to better understand what it is that I, and many other stitch practitioners, do. With the tacit knowledge of a practitioner I know how to stitch, and from my investigations into the history and theory of textile art, craft and material culture I know about stitch. However, my view is that when absorbed in the process of making other more immediate and personal sensations take over. An exploration of haptic sensations relative to these processes underpins the investigation, and I focus instead on the dynamic relationship between practical skill, the body and its proximity to tools, materials and other people during actual experiences of making – the repeated gestures, coordinated hand movements and the skilled precision of tool use and fingertip manipulation – to provide a new context for the study of embodied knowledge known in and through hand-stitching. In order to explore this I have used a combination of ethnographic, auto-ethnographic and creative research methods including interviews, observation, video recording of a patchwork quilting group, participation in practical stitching sessions with a village embroidery group, undertaking workshops with students, and my own reflective stitching practice. It has emerged from the research that patterns of hand-stitching processes share characteristics with certain modes of social interaction sought by participants in order to experience sensations of participation, belonging or interdependence. Similarly to other oral traditions, an embodied knowledge of the practice includes patterns of interaction and particular attitudes and behaviours that are inseparable from the practical skills. However, people also stitch on their own; as a private, contemplative activity, hand-stitching allows a person to carve out time and space for introspective reflection. Whilst this could be thought of as a different kind of experience altogether, I suggest that mastery of these skills enables control over when and how to use them, which, I have found, allows a practitioner to adjust the type of experience sought: participation in a shared conversation or activity can be exchanged for isolated contemplation and a sense of self-reliance. I conclude that hand-stitching surpasses its technical or artistic attributes when considered as a material practice that offers particular metaphors for other processes of joining, collaboration, integrity – or even separation and isolation. Practising these skills is possibly the only way to acquire this embodied knowledge, which needs to be understood as a mode of interaction if it is not merely trivialised as quaint, as domestic labour or archived as ethnographic curiosity or as art object.

This practice-led research explores the significance of Qi energy for fashion by materialising the East Asian culturally-specific concept of Qi. Qi features prominently in the traditional philosophy of everyday life in East Asia and my research aims to show how this philosophy can also provide an understanding of the relationship between body, garment and making, which is new to more Western concepts of fashion culture. This reflective journey unravels fashion practice in this context, focusing on the making process and the methods that were developed during that process. I engaged in significant handwork in the field of contemporary womenswear, integrating concepts of the body and garment as a circulatory system for Qi energy. It is the objective of this research to realise garments which help the understanding of Qi as a communication tool in relationships that arise in fashion, namely those that exist between the material and the maker during the making process, the body and the garment, and the wearer and the viewer. My research question originates from a desire to find a way to materialise Qi in garments through the making process. To pursue this, I explore a range of fields including anthropology, material culture, psychoanalysis, literature, cultural theory, and language. Apart from contextual studies, I adopted conversations and filming as methods to develop my research further. In practice, I investigate the meridians (as seaming which constructs garments), the finishing and the openings of the garment, all of which amount to a transitional interface. I view this as a concrete way of injecting Qi energy into the garment on a material level. I have reflected deeply on my making experience; this reflection has led the entire process and also given me a much better understanding of body and garment. Through my making process, aimed at materialising Qi in the garment, I essentially tried to establish a better connection between body and garment. This thesis oscillates between practice and theory. My research suggests Qi energy as a new perspective on fashion making; it offers a new understanding of the body in fashion and tries to fill the gap between practice and theory through embodied knowledge.

M.Tech. (Fashion Design) / In January 2014, the Mail & Guardian published an article, ‘Going out of business is coming into fashion’, which claims that “South African fashion is in a state” (Witepski 2014:5). The journalist based her statement on the number of fashion designers that went out of business in the previous year (2013). Local designers, such as Tiaan Nagel, Marion and Lindie, Hip Hop, to name but a few, were all popular with both the public and the media, but just did not manage to stay afloat. Witepski (2014:5) writes that the problem with these businesses does not seem to be a lack of talent but rather a lack of business skills. Although the South African fashion sector has increased its economic profile in the last decade, the Gauteng Creative Mapping Project (GCMP) claims that a number of factors restrict its growth (Ameru & Caj 2008:190). One such issue is the sustainability of small businesses and, according to GCMP, this is an area where the government needs to lend its support

A indústria têxtil brasileira emprega diferentes tipos e processos de design de moda. Nesse contexto, o objetivo deste trabalho é demonstrar e analisar alguns dos seus principais tipos e processos. Desse modo, pretende-se esclarecer como esse design traz benefícios ao desenvolvimento do produto de moda; benefício que redunda num melhor aproveitamento dos aspectos financeiros e produtivos da indústria. Pretende-se ainda, apontar o uso e as aplicabilidades desses desenhos, como ferramentas que aprimoram o processo criativo e sua comunicação, ao exibir formas e materiais, combinações de cores, estampas e peças prontas, com o intuito de diminuir o tempo de criação, contribuir na finalização e comercialização do produto de moda. Para tanto, buscou-se pesquisar a literatura sobre o assunto com fundamentação teórica para a realização de uma pesquisa de campo / The Brazilian textile industry employs different types and fashion design processes. In this context, the aim of this study is to demonstrate and analyze some of the main types and processes. Thus, it is intended to clarify how this design is beneficial to the development of fashion products; benefit which results in better utilization of financial aspects and productive industry. It is also intended, to point the use and applicability of these drawings as tools that enhance the creative process and its communication, to display forms and materials, combinations of colors, patterns and finished parts, in order to decrease the time of creation, contribute to the completion and sale of the fashion product. To this end, we sought to investigate the literature on the subject with theoretical foundation for conducting a field survey

This doctoral enquiry develops practice-orientated approaches to design for sustainability. It focuses on the relationship between garment design, laundry practices and sustainability, and responds to research that evidences domestic laundering as one of the most environmentally damaging stages in a garment’s lifecycle (Allwood, et al.,2006; Hansen, et al., 2007). A one-year laundry study surveyed the use and laundry of sixteen garments to ascertain the relationship between garment design and laundry behaviour. The research findings revealed that laundry behaviours are complex and unpredictable, and often not directly linked to producing cleaner clothes. Laundry routines are underpinned by factors beyond cleanliness including: garment use, social auditing, garment aesthetics,life stage, cultural norms, and spatial arrangements within the household. Through re-examining laundry as a social practice the research develops a series of design provocations to challenge the organisation of laundry practices, and by extension the frequencies and processes in which laundry is carried out. The findings highlight that understanding laundry as a social practice opens a space to reconceptualise design, laundry behaviour and sustainability. It decentres material products and attends to the embedded social dynamics that are set within a nexus of spaces, materials, thoughts, actions and emotions. This provides an alternative lens from which to view and develop design theories and practice for sustainability in fashion. The central insight from the research shows there are multiple benefits from incorporating social theory into methodologies for design for sustainability.