The aim was to research and build an innovative emotionally durable design by exploring the creative boundaries. The essay demonstrates that emotionally durable design can be created through sustainable fabric coloring. In-depth research of emotional durability, textile colorants, health and safety of soot, the study of the impact of fast fashion was done .These factors have influenced my practice and the design outcome. Through my research, I have concluded that consumers need to slow down, learn to conserve and reuse. Colorants and their ill effects have been an important aspect of the research and a lot of emphasis has been given to it. Attempts were made to make the product as sustainable as possible. I have achieved my goal by a multi-pronged approach. Firstly, by using a common air pollutant and putting waste to use. Secondly, by applying a technique which would use less natural resources. The process used for printing was eco-friendly with minimum usage of water. Therefore water is saved. There is reduction of industrial waste generation. Decreased waste generation indirectly reduces the cost incurred in treating the effluent to make it safe for disposal and saves our water bodies from pollution. Even if the industry does not follow the norms laid by the pollution control authority the damage to the environment is minimal toxic waste is generated. Thirdly, by involving the consumer, the lifespan of the end product increases as the end user will not discard it due to his/her emotional connection.
The consumer is actively involved in the design making process. The fabric will depict his/her story in the form of a travelogue. Though this end product will be similar to a souvenir, the process of individualization will increase the lifespan of the product. An individual will have an option of documenting multiple journeys on the same fabric. This aspect will reduce the consumption to a large extent. The very basis of this project is to develop a long lasting association between the product and the consumer by promoting a better sustainable product and the need to consume less but tasteful. The Idea is to hopefully influence consumers to opt for slow fashion over fast fashion. According to Nayelli Ganzolezan, a fast fashion industry churns out cheap products seasons after the season at the speed of consumer’s changing tastes, making slow fashion an oxymoron. Plain and simple, slow fashion promotes high quality versus fast production, durability versus design for obsolescence and mindful consumption versus overconsumption.
This scope of development is an ongoing research. The outcome presented will be an attempt to show the development done with the printing technique till date. The garments are a template for the artistic outcome with motifs as representation of the destinations . The research done till now has only shown the possibilities related to this substance. Soot print can be combined with other techniques. It could be developed into digital printing. It could be even developed into yarn dyeing stage. This future development with soot shows a promising future.
SOOT 