PATCH.

‘Patch’ is a personal project born from the idea of tackling the issue of textile production waste in the fashion industry. It has been estimated that 400 billion m2 of textiles are manufactured annually; out of which 15% ends up on the cutting room floors, and subsequently thrown away in landfills. If every tonne of discarded textiles was instead reused, rather than being thrown away, it would stop tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere and ultimately reduce environmental pollution. After analysing this issue, the objective was to build an online fashion platform with the aim of giving a new life to pieces and samples that are not used in garments production. Through this service, the customer can choose an organic cotton garment (or use an old one that they already own), patches and ornaments such as natural fabric paints and dyes, biodegradable sequins, stencil, etc. all from sustainable production companies, allowing the latter to gain visibility and widen their public. Subsequently, the box with the selected items and decorations is sent to the customer, who can start to create original designs by using imagination and self-expression. The aim of the project is to give a new perception of sustainable fashion by delivering a service that not only increases the awareness of textile waste, but also empowers the users to become the ‘designer’ of their own models. Moreover, through the use of easy and appealing visual communication, the message could reach a larger audience and ultimately encourage people to actively change their purchase behaviours.