September 24, 2024
Tales of a t-shirt - Book
This book is the outcome of an experimental research and teaching project, aimed at rethinking how the garments we wear create relationships between producers, designers and wearers. The project has researched these relationships centered on the production of a dedicated t-shirt, designed, produced and put to use by the project partners, who are located in the Netherlands and India. This book provides an overview of the project trajectory, focusing on how the project has facilitated students from the vocational training colleges in Rotterdam (Netherlands) and Erode (India) to engage in co-creation, and encourage conversations on design, materials, labour, social inequality (caste), gender and value. The book is a resource for students and educators working in fashion-related fields at high-school, vocational training and early bachelor degree levels. Integral to the book are a number of short video clips, dedicated to the crucial phases of the process. This book will be a resource for college students and educators who are concerned with the production and use of textiles, particularly in relation to fair trade, circularity and sustainability in the garment industry. It aims to elucidate the textile value network that supports the production of cotton garments, illustrating the processes (designing, farming, ginning, spinning, weaving, dyeing, printing, cut-make-trim, and shipping as well as wearing, customizing, and discarding). It does this by following the production of a long-sleeved, unisex t-shirt co-designed by students in the Netherlands and India. Through videos and photos, as well as texts, the book aims to make this process accessible and engaging to fashion and design students. With the book we aim to raise the awareness of future students in relation to the production of garments by enabling them to follow their peers and colleagues as they participate in the production processes. Moreover, by enabling the students to engage with the stories connected to the diverse people who are involved in the production process and to learn about the challenges they face, we aim to empower the students to become more socially and environmentally conscious fashion designers.