Open Access Kent State (OAKS)

All fashion collections are created using inspiration. Often inspiration can come from art or prints updated, reimagined, or changed. But there is a fine line between inspiration and copyright infringement. While copyright laws are not hard to access they are complicated and often a copyright lawyer is necessary. Additionally, there are copyright fees and renewal fees assuming the artist files within two years of their work being published or publicly displayed. Copyright law should be easier for the artists and stricter for the infringer. If the artist does not sue the infringer, which they can only do if their work is legally copyrighted, within three years of the infringement the artist has no legal standing. Artists should have more time to file for their copyrights and a longer statute of limitations to sue infringers. Lastly, artists should know more about the rights over their work. I want to bring attention to this issue through my collection.

In my collection I created prints inspired by artwork of female artists that are clearly different from their original designs. Thus showing how to take inspiration and make it your own. I also will create patterns in non-traditional ways, through embroidered polka dots and layering fabric on top of my prints creating a new pattern. I will include sheer fabrics to represent the transparency that should be in copyright law. Additionally, I will feature fluid silhouettes to embody the fluidity that should be in copyright renewal.

This research explored the concept of stigma in dress history and used it as creative inspiration. Clothing can make us identify as individuals or with groups, yet also can serve as vehicles for isolation and discrimination. These include religious oppression, constricted garments, sumptuary laws, along with language and nomenclature. Through primary and secondary research sources, instances of stigmatization through dress were identified. Primary sources included historic garments and testimonies of people who experienced stigma in their dress. Secondary sources included scholarly books and research that accounted for documented dress that stigmatized groups or individuals. These served as a foundation for creative exploration, producing five contemporary fashion looks and one example garment. The five looks comprise a fashion collection that takes its inspiration from history. Colors, fabrics, silhouettes, and accessories all represent this theme. This study expands our understanding of oppression within society and how we can learn to harness stigmas and use them as a tool for empowerment.

The fashion industry has long since been guilty of having a negative impact on the environment. One such issue is the generation of textile waste during production. In traditional pattern making and fabric cutting approach up to 15 percent of fabric is wasted, which if not recycled ends up in landfills. Zero-waste cutting is a concept that allows fashion corporations to focus on sustainability as a design approach whereby no fabric is wasted during production. Minimal cut, tessellation and jigsaw cutting are some techniques to achieve zero-waste. My challenge was to design an active athletic apparel, suitable for running, but utilizing zero-waste methods. By using jigsaw cutting less than two percent fabric purchased was wasted. The result was a three-piece athletic outfit comprising of a t-shirt, sports bra, and leggings. Combining functionality with visual appeal, I designed an orchid motif which I laser-cut into the razorback of the sports bra to add breathability. The same motif was also printed on the front of the t-shirt and the side of the leggings. Side pockets on the sports bra was designed to hold keys or identification and a large, zippered pocket on the back of the leggings to hold a phone or a snack while running. This project is unique and much research is done combining zero-waste cutting with active sportswear. As a runner myself, making something that was practical for a runner was important to me and as a designer I wanted to combine aesthetic appeal with functionality and sustainability.

This project was created to develop a method book written for tubists to develop their low register as an extension of their mid-register. The low register for the tuba is the most widely recognized aspect of orchestral tuba playing, such as in Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries and Respighi’s Pines of Rome. There is, however, a deficit in method books for tuba players to develop their low register. The few books targeting low register, unfortunately, were originally for other instruments and/or written by non-tubists.

The growth of fast fashion has created an economically inefficient and ecologically destructive industry. Consumers have adjusted to a constant fashion cycle of purchase, wear, throw away, and repeat. They have grown to look for the best perceived value without considering lasting quality or the negative effects that those garment cycles have on the environment and the people involved in production. Too often, the proposed solution has been to convince the consumer to accept the minimalist lifestyle of creating a more staple based wardrobe. However, this appears to be too great a transition for the consumer to make willingly.

How can artisan and mass produced goods be approached to form a collection that is sustainable, affordable, and adaptable by the consumer? By considering how both machine and handmade goods have a place within a sustainable, slow fashion world, this collection proves that the current industry can be altered to be more sustainable, benefiting both consumer and retailer. Using personalized goods to supplement wardrobe staples, this collection created knitwear that allows the consumer to be eased into choosing well-made goods to create a sustainable closet. This collection found that a wardrobe does not have to lose its individual identity in order to be sustainable; it just has to be more mindful of where and how each piece was created.