LIEBLINGSPULLI FAVORITE SWEATER

A thesis submitted to the Kent State University Honors College In partial fulfillment of the requirements for General Honors

by

Katryn Seeburger

May, 2017

Thesis written by

Katryn Seeburger

Approved by

______, Advisor

______, Director, The Fashion School

Accepted by

______, Dean, Honors College

ii

Contents LIST OF FIGURES ...... iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... v CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION ...... 1 II. LITERATURE REVIEW ...... 2 Sustainability ...... 2 Art Movement...... 4 Knitwear Market Research ...... 5 III. METHODOLOGY ...... 6 IV. RESULTS ...... 15 Considerations ...... 16 Collection Look One ...... 18 Collection Look Two ...... 20 Collection Look Three ...... 21 Collection Look Four ...... 22 Collection Look Five ...... 23 Collection Look Six ...... 25 Collection Look Seven ...... 26 Accessories ...... 28 V. CONCLUSION ...... 30 WORKS CITED ...... 31

iii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Calculation Process ...... 6 Figure 2. Hand Process ...... 6 Figure 3. Industrial Programming ...... 7 Figure 4. Industrial Knitting Process ...... 7 Figure 5. Initial Collection Sketches ...... 8 Figure 6. Final Layout Sketches ...... 9 Figure 7. First Swatch ...... 11 Figure 8. Contrast Swatch ...... 11 Figure 9. Final Swatch ...... 11 Figure 10. Stripe Swatch Denim Trial ...... 12 Figure 11. Stripe Swatch Denim Final ...... 12 Figure 12. Initial Design Muslins ...... 15 Figure 13. Final Collection ...... 15 Figure 14. Look One ...... 18 Figure 15. Look Two ...... 20 Figure 16. Look Three ...... 21 Figure 17. Look Four ...... 23 Figure 18. Look Five ...... 24 Figure 19. Look Six ...... 25 Figure 20. Look Seven ...... 27

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express sincere gratitude to my advisor Linda Ohrn-Mcdaniel for the support and willingness to share her time and knit expertise. As well as to Dr. Catherine Leslie, Noël Palomo-Lovinski, and Rachel Smith for serving on my Honors Defense Committee which gave invaluable feedback.

Thank you to my wonderful parents and family for their endless support and love.

Lastly, thank you to my sweetie for visiting and making sure I ate during deadline weekends.

v 1

INTRODUCTION

A wardrobe is an extremely important aspect of an individual’s life. It can serve as a powerful descriptor of personality, preferences, ideas, and lifestyle. However, how often are values and beliefs represented within a wardrobe? With the growth of fast fashion a wardrobe can easily ignore one’s beliefs. When considering individual pieces within the wardrobe consumers often think first about the deal they received rather than the people who actually made the garment. As consumers began to turn toward the ease of the mass market shopping experience, artisan businesses depleted to almost extinction.

It is easy to track when this shift of thinking began, but finding a viable way to return to a more personal and sustainable shopping experience can be tricky if the consumer chooses to reject the shift. How can artisan and mass produced goods be approached to form a collection that is sustainable, long lasting, and adaptable by the consumer?

By considering how both mass produced machine products and handmade artisan 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. While sustainability in fashion covers a myriad of topics including energy consumption, chemical waste, economic impact, giving back to the community and more, this thesis will approach the fashion sustainability topics of slow batch production within both the mass market and artisan market, waste within production cycles, fiber usage variety, and garment longevity. 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 2

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.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Improving the fashion industry through slow fashion has been a topic approached by designers and researchers for a plethora of years. However, each perspective has ended in a different result. Some ideas have been moderately favorable, and others are often deemed by the customer as a difficult transition to make. The research for this thesis is utilized to unite the ideas with the most favorable results into one line that not only stands for sustainability, but keeps the customer at the forefront of change.

Sustainability

Point of Purchase: How Shopping Changed American Culture by Sharon Zukin presents a fundamental understanding of where the shopping culture began, how it has evolved, and the consumer view within the evolutions (Zukin 11-34). Understanding how the customer has evolved throughout this transition, informs how a collection could be made to reroute their shopping habits. Next, looking at The Atlantic’s article Slow

Fashion: Reconnecting Production and Consumption provides insight into how the fast fashion evolution has caused negative changes to the fashion industry (Brevet). In order to meet consumer preferences, the production cycle has become drastically shortened, creating a phenomenon that is termed fast fashion (Brand 16). Mass market companies, as discussed in this thesis, are the largest contributors to fast fashion. Companies that serve the majority of the nation and have price points suitable for their customer base are often considered to be a part of the mass market. While mass market is often viewed as 3

only budget friendly companies, it is important to remember that brands with higher price points also tend to serve a large customer base and take advantage of unsustainable production practices. This required speed has increased the amount of waste that the industry produces and has adversely affected the workers and their conditions (Minney).

After exploring the effects of the modern shopping culture, research began on previous and current solutions by using Fixing Fashion by Michael Lavergne and A

Fashion Odyssey: Progress in Fashion and Sustainability (Brand). These resources help to identify what efforts to return to sustainable fashion have and have not worked and the consumer’s response to sustainable goods. A characteristic of previously designed lines is that they are minimalistic in form. Exploring why these lines have not been commercially viable can lead to better solutions towards creating lines that the customer is more willing to accept as a replacement to the harmful fast fashion goods he or she is used to purchasing. Technology is an incredibly important step in being able to create the clothing that consumers are expecting while maintaining sustainable production (Brand,

9). Using knitwear technology to create slow batch garments, made per order as opposed to making thousands of pieces for stock, allows this collection to approach how technology allows for better production processes (Brand, 136). This technology also reduces the production time of garments. Some of this collection will be created using a machine that knits pieces per row, but requires manipulations to be completed by hand and the machine is moved by hand. Technology will be used to program a machine that will complete knitting rows and manipulations on its own. This majorly reduces production time to allow for lower costs and eases the process of slow 4

batch production (Brand, 136). Slow Fashion: Aesthetics Meets Ethics by Safia Minney provides context for the feasibility of slow fashion, a market segment that maintains slow batch production and places sustainability at the forefront of production decisions, and the place that it will have within the fashion industry. Minney introduces successful, sustainable companies and organizations; which is incredibly useful in discovering why each of these entities are thriving, how they work, and what mistakes they have made along the way.

Lastly, Kate Fletcher’s books Sustainable Fashion & Design Journeys and Fashion & Sustainability Design for Change serve as a starting point for research on how sustainable principles can be applied to the design process. Good designs start with fabric choice. Fletcher discusses the relationship that fiber and choices have with sustainability (Fletcher 8). Using a variety of fibers can often lessen the strain that any one type can cause within its production cycle (37). Some such strain can include water consumption, land usage, treatment of animals, energy use, dye types, and use of non- renewable resources (13). In consideration of the impact caused with the production of fibers, the bulk of the materials used were recycled cotton or industry overstock .

These alternatives fall outside of the high impact fibers that Fletcher analyzes.

Art Movement

Research towards the de Stijl period influenced designs and textiles. The de Stijl period began in 1917 and ended in 1931 (Mohn). This period of abstract work, mostly lived in the Netherlands and focused on the simplification of art that often included geometric shapes and primary colors –Piet Mondrian is a good example of this period 5

(Mohn). De Stijl was a major reaction to the elaborate qualities of the Art Deco period.

Reading about the processes that the artists went through helped lead to the combination of design and utility found within the collection. De Stijl artists used their perception or understanding of how advances in technology and research were changing society and the world to inform abstraction (Mohn). Knitwear is a very mathematical yet free construction method. De Stijl artists, as well as new artisans following similar concepts, follow this same pattern of free yet structured design. Creating jacquards and structures that are real, concrete, and objective helped to the individual yet adaptive properties that the garments are designed to achieve within hand and machine made knits.

Knitwear Market Research

One design group using machine knits to create a sustainable collection is Kotoba.

Kotoba is a group of designers in Japan that use Shima Seiki’s whole garment knitting

(Knitting Industry). This group takes the basic function of knitwear working with little to no waste and creates designs that celebrate the technology through detailing, allowing the silhouettes to stay simple. Such technologies put the textile design entirely into the designer’s hands. Details can be perfectly placed with the shaping of the garment without wasting materials. Kotoba also works to create easy to wear, timeless designs; however, their designs focus mostly on the mass market and industrial production end of things.

Aligning more with the slow production knitwear side of the thesis, Study 34 is a company that creates knitwear and produces the clothing only as the customer orders it.

Study 34 has expanded to offering a small marketplace of sustainable lines, but the knitwear still stands out among all of the product offerings. The sweaters are all made 6

using artisanal methodology: it was once made by the designer in her home (Moss).

Materials used by Study 34 are of the top quality available, and sourced through companies that save yarn from being thrown away at the end of large production cycles.

They vary from natural fibers like wool and silk, and never include synthetic yarns like acrylic. Study 34 produces garments that are competitive with luxury goods while still maintaining their own ethical standards. Their customer wants simple goods that are well made and will last. These ideals are very similar to the ideas that this collection strives towards. However, Study 34 works towards well-made basics and this collection wants to reach the customer that wants unique garments that will make a lasting statement.

METHODOLOGY

Figure 1. Calculation Process Figure 2. Hand Knitting Process

7

Figure 3. Industrial Knitting Machine Figure 4. Industrial Knitting Process Programming

Exploring the possibilities of what can be achieved by hand machine and programmed machine knitting helped motivate the design within this knitwear collection.

Hand machine, otherwise known as hand knitting in the sweater industry, differs from what is typically considered hand knitting. It is the process of using a machine that is powered by hand and manipulated by hand to knit row by row. The programmed knitting process is when a computer program is used to create the shape and material design to be used on a machine that automatically knits the garments out row by row. Recognizing how each of these techniques is used within either mass market – typically programmable machinery— or artisan goods – typically hand knitting machines – inspired the types of garments that were made. Consideration was paid to comparing and contrasting how different techniques are accomplished within each type of construction. Experimenting with the various knit construction techniques and how they can be combined led to 8

designs and garments that represent both the artisan and mass market within knitwear design.

Swatches were developed of both creation methods to narrow down what materials would work best within the collection. Following a sketch review and a second muslin review, colors were narrowed to focus on a mostly indigo blue and medium warm grey collection with stitches varying in a jacquard, a structural stipe, a two by three rib, and a full needle rib with randomized plaiting. These stitch variations provided the perfect balance between hand and machine made textiles. The more narrow focus allowed for a singular vision towards supporting a customer that wants her clothing to be easy, style focused, and functional.

Figure 5. Initial Collection Sketches

9

Figure 6. Final Layout Sketches

In order to create a more timeless collection, the focus was to create easy silhouettes with interesting structures and patterns within the knit garments. This also added a level of functionality that is absolutely required in a garment if it is to be lasting and worn for more than a single season. Considering how the customer gets dressed in the morning was an important starting point when getting the looks together. In order to be long lasting, the garments needed to be layered easily to fit across many seasons.

These elements led to designs that had to maintain large enough, or fully ribbed, necklines and waists that would be able to be thrown over the head without the need for a closure. Creating materials that could withstand a certain level of abuse, and create silhouettes that were flattering while also comfortable and free flowing from the body was the best way to solve this desire of layer-ability and easy of dressing.

An important part of knitwear development comes from swatching to decide what yarns to use within the stitch options, and figuring out what will or will not work within 10

the stitch techniques. Samples were created to see how the yarns would work with each other. First, it was a matter of seeing how each of the yarns reacted with the two different machines on their own to create a jersey material. After analysis, selections were made for using either the hand knit machine or the industrial knitting machine and used within the stitch layouts created by the chosen machine.

11

Figure 7. First Swatch Figure 8.Contrast Swatch Figure 9. Final Swatch

The jacquard pattern was directly inspired by the de Stijl period. This design was created to allow a very mathematical and rule based pattern. Sampling aided in the decision of where the colors would be placed within the textile. In order to maintain a thicker material for the jumpsuit and dresses, the jacquard was initially designed as a three color pattern. However, as colors and ideas were moved around a more subtle blue on blue contrast sample stood out. This sample maintained the element of a strong mathematical separating line. However, it was so subtle that the contrast lost its visibility at a distance. The lighter blue was then added, and an interesting differential shrinkage pattern emerged. This change not only provided a more pleasing color way, but it added a unique texture to the knit structure.

12

Figure 10. Stripe Swatch Denim Trial Figure 11. Stripe Swatch Denim Final

13

Continuing with the visible texture concept, the stripe structure went through a similar trial and error process. At first, the samples maintained a striped single and double bed structures, but the size variation added an unpleasant wrinkling to the fabric. To fix this issue, the single bed structures were eliminated, so that all of the double bed structures could work without cinching. Each structure was purposefully designed and placed in order to not just look like a cable or aran, but to pop out and look like a texture.

This idea started with the knit and purl combination that forms a cubed front and back bed checkerboard. This idea was to take the usual moss stitch, often used for visible texture, and expanded it to add a geometric element. The patterning allowed for the material to pop up depending on what knit stiches were exposed to the front. Next, mini cables were chosen to contrast small rib lines. This structure was first developed by hand knitting, but later was brought to the industrial machine for the stripe to make it more feasible as a knit concept. Larger cables were added to form a size contrast. Lastly, arans were included to give a pattern that would completely pop off of the reverse jersey background. This ended up being the largest stripe so that two aran repeats could occur and the pattern would be showcased in the best way possible. Then, it was a matter of placing those structures with the right yarn. This took a lot of knitting to pinpoint where the errors were occurring. One of the largest challenges was the mercerized cotton. This yarn would fall off of the machine and cause holes to occur when switching from one yarn to another. Once it was eliminated, a thinner denim yarn was placed within the collection. Since it was thinner, it had some size issues, but after sampling and moving it around in the stripes, a solution was found where it could be placed to prevent the least 14

amount of structure shrinkage. This stripe material took a lot of meticulous work and troubleshooting, but it gives a unique textile for the customer to use to present her individuality.

The hand knit structures were a lot simpler to develop. Ribs were chosen in order to provide substantial materials that would support the chosen designs. The first rib is a 2 by 3, which means that two stiches are on the front bed and three are on the back bed.

This allowed for a very loose and visually structured material. Sampling occurred in figuring out what numbers would provide the best large rib look. The 2 by 3 was chosen for its large variation and minimal rib shrinkage. For the second rib a 1 by 1 was chosen to provide a heavy and warm knit. Two yarns were knitted together to allow for naturalistic color plating. This plating is controllable on the industrial knitting machines, but when done on a hand machine it is randomized and naturally occurring. Using this element to the collections advantage, the material is able to express the fluidity that comes with being able to control every stitch within each knitted shape.

15

RESULTS

Figure 12. Initial Design Muslins

Figure 13. Final Collection

Despite initial hesitation towards a monochromatic collection, the final looks successfully create a line of clothes that could be intermixed and function in a multi- 16

season manner. Indigo is a color that has repeated itself throughout history, and has never truly gone out of favor. The various forms of greys and blue within each look give the customer a color palette that is not only individualistic, but is also multi-seasonal. The promotion of pairing and multi-seasonal was not as strongly reflected within the original colorway. The switch greatly benefited the effectiveness of transcending fleeting trends.

Every look will not only serve the customer’s current wardrobe needs, but will become staples within her wardrobe.

Yarn Considerations

These garments were not only built to outlive passing trends, but they were also carefully considered in materials and construction methods to be made as sustainably as possible. All of the yarns used were recycled cotton, organic cotton, and industry overstock mercerized cotton. Recycled cotton is created by taking cut off waste fabric from clothing production lines, shredding it to create a pulp to form fibers, then using that fiber pulp to spin into the yarn. This process creates an interesting variegated yarn that is found within the garments when knitted. Two different gauges of this yarn were used to ensure function in both hand knitted and industrial knitted textiles. Next, the industry overstock yarn is left over yarns from production that is purchased and used in new designs. Since knitted garments are knit to shape and not fabric yardage that is cut and sewn they are already practically zero waste in construction. The utilization of these yarns helps to further cut back on the waste that is provided by the fashion industry. It is imperative to not focus only on the end use of a garment, but also how to reduce waste through the manufacturing process. 17

The recycled cottons worked successfully in the hand-flat knit structures, so they were delegated to those garments. However, finding yarns that would work with the

Industrial Stoll knitting machine was more challenging. The industrial machine requires more precision when choosing yarn and composition. Once sources were located that could provide smaller, non-industry quantities of yarn it was a matter of finding what yarn would work well within the designs. Originally an overstock mercerized yarn was considered with an organic cotton yarn, but the mercerized yarn caused issues when transferring from one yarn to another within the structural stripe. However, the organic cotton yarn did not come in light blue, so a recycled denim yarn replaced the mercerized cotton. This ended up working much better for the color ways of both the jacquard and structured knit. The jacquard was able to stand out more and emphasize the complicated patterning; furthermore, it was able to create differential shrinkage that formed an interesting fabric texture that is visible when looking closely to the material. These details provide designs that are unique and individualistic yet still multi-seasonal and adaptable.

18

Collection Look One

Figure 14. Look One

Look one adds a dress that perfectly completes the goal of only multi-seasonal and easy to wear, but also allows her to express her individuality. The jacquard is an interesting pattern while the fit produces a playful balance of short and long. The oversized sleeves of this look mixed with the shorter length of the dress create a youthful feel that still maintains the level of sophistication that the customer wishes to maintain.

The sleeves also have the added bonus of being able to be customized in styling in order the change the look. If she prefers to have a capsule wardrobe, she can utilize this dress in many ways by choosing to leave the sleeves as they are with a ruched volume created 19

when end of sleeve is placed at wrist, or she could fold the sleeves up to create a large cuff. The sleeves on this dress are not only practical for the sense of fitting many women despite height and arm length variations, but it also serves an important aspect of being able to be styled many ways making it long lasting and adaptable . While this look is one of the most playful and least layered of all of the looks, it still maintains the ease of being able to pop it on and go as well as the ability to function in many ways depending on the desired look.

This dress perfectly combines technology and handcraft. Technology is used to create a jacquard that would be too complex for a hand machine, because while using a hand machine a very small repeat is required. However, using the Stoll industrial knitting machine and M1+ programming allowed for a very complex systematic approach to the jacquard repeat that not only created a seamless repeat, but also allowed for the repeat to be flipped and placed around so that no true block repeat exists. While some elements occur in similar combinations, the pattern is never exactly the same in repetition. This type of complexity would not have been possible when knitting by hand, and greatly adds to the uniqueness of the piece. The ribs and pocket of this dress were then handled using a hand knitting machine. Having a 1 by 1 plated rib and contrast pocket allowed for the reintroduction of a textile offered later in the collection, but also created a heavier rib necessary for holding up the substantial jacquard material. Allowing the two techniques to meet united the various gauge knit elements within the one design.

20

Collection Look Two

Figure 15. Look Two

Finding function in layering, look two layers a tank and a dress that work nicely separated in warmer months and work well together in cooler months. This look combines both machine and hand machine knitting techniques. The dress was programmed using a Stoll machine which allowed for a greater level of freedom in stitch variety. Such technology greatly reduces the time it takes to knit out the arans, cables, and front to back techniques that this stripe features. This time reduction greatly benefits the line in the ability to reduce costs and still produce unique and expressive knit 21

garments. Layering the stripes with a sleeveless shirt creates a comfortable mixture of textures and knit gauge. Recycled cotton was used to create the shirt on a hand flat machine. Since the piece features a more simple stitch – a two by three rib – it is easy to allow it to be made by hand. While the hand method required the addition of a center front and back seam, it is worth the extra work to maintain a visible texture. The rib also allowed for an easy fit mock neck to increase maximum comfort in a more fitted neck option that layers well.

Collection Look Three

Figure 16. Look Three

22

During the second muslin critique, muslins were shown with a cut and sewn linen back. This process was consequential to the short developmental time available; however, with critiques in mind it was intended to give the collection view from the front. This provided an interesting exploration and direction due to how successful the design looked with the mixed sweater and cut and sew back. A dark blue linen plain weave was added to the line in order to balance the new direction with the knit structures. Adding the linen to this look not only contrasted with the knit and allowed it to stand out, but it also lightened the physical weight of the garment. The 1 by 1 rib takes two yarns in order to create the natural plated look, which can promise a lot of yarn used and a lot of weight added to the garment. By not knitting this calf length dress fully, weight was cut in half.

This benefits the customer as she will be able to wear it in the warmer months and not be so engulfed by the knit fabric.

Collection Look Four 23

Figure 17. Look Four

In order to display a second combination of the layering pieces featured in look one and a long knit skirt. Changes were made through displaying the tank in a different color way from the tank in look two. These adjustments showcase ways in which hand knitted garments can be recreated to provide a more extensive product line. Using patterns creatively massively reduces the production time, as patterning and calculation times are often shortened and focus can be on the actual knitting of the garment. Not only can these pieces be layered for a more winterized look, but they can also pair together for something better suited for summer.

Collection Look Five 24

Figure 18. Look Five

Formulating a knit pant was imperative to this collection for garment variation.

The difficulty in this necessity is the overall weight of sweater knits and the desire for limiting closures to ease dressing. In order to create pants and maintain the ease of dressing it was decided that a jumpsuit would work the best. The jumpsuit allows for a complete look when worn alone, but can also be layered with other collection pieces when necessary, for example: the cardigan in look seven. A linen top was added to this look to balance the linen in look three; however, was removed before the final critique in order to allow the jumpsuit to stand out on its own.

While looking at the back of the design, a necessity for interest became apparent.

Since this look features the same contrast rib as look one, a keyhole back was able to be added by creating an extension on the rib and allowing a slit to naturally open for the hole with movement. The addition of the hook and eye closure is the only closure in the entire collection, due to the desire to provide garments that the customer can easily throw on. 25

However, this was necessary since the rib is so structural; it would not have been able to stretch over the head without the hook and eye.

Collection Look Six

Figure 19. Look Six

Combining both mechanized materials, the caftan in look six is successful in providing a very individualistic stand out piece. Due to the massive size of the piece’s shape manipulations, the asymmetric area where the stripe changes to a jacquard had to be treated as a seam and not an point. This created an usual problem for the top part of the caftan. Since the bottom comes to a point, this piece had to be knitted upside down. The great outcome of this challenge was that the neckline was able to be created using a circular start and received a successful finish while on the industrial knitting 26

machine. The other difficulty of this piece was finding the yarns that worked within the textile. Each piece is so large, that it would have been incredibly wasteful to knit piece after piece until one knit out without holes. Once the mercerized yarn was eliminated from the stripe, the caftan bottom knit out much more successfully. Then the only challenge of the machine was meticulously monitoring all of the gauge calculations and programs to make sure that the asymmetrical pieces would actually fit together. Normally sweater knits with a wide fit allow some room for calculation error as long as the error is small and encounters throughout the entire garment; however, since two different materials were used no errors could be realistically tolerated without complicating the asymmetrical seam. Luckily, with some precise planning this did not end up being as large of a problem as was predicted. It also helped that both materials had a similar row and needle measurement per inch.

Collection Look Seven 27

Figure 20. Look Seven

Lastly, look seven was completely changed during the process. It originally started as a pullover sweater and knitted culottes, but ended as a linen dress and cardigan.

This change fulfilled a need for one last linen piece to balance the fabric in look three.

Since the original look was not quite working in the demand for easy sophistication, the decision to completely overhaul the look was incredibly easy.

This collection required another layered look to help support the cooler months.

An open front cardigan is a simpler and expected sweater shape, and also is a useful layerable addition to the customer’s wardrobe. It was designed to be baggy and oversized in order to keep the sophisticated slouchy look that the nontraditional sweater shapes, such as the jumpsuit, create within the collection. The 1 by 1 rib was reintroduced due to its warmth, unique patterning, and thickness to extend the comfortable look. 28

The under layer needed to be woven, and it also needed to maintain the easiness of the other garments. The design landed on a dress with a simple hip placed gathered skirt. The gathers were designed to maintain a level of easy femininity and to best show the wonderful properties of linen. Neckline and fit were extremely important considerations for this dress. Woven dresses often require some sort of closure to ease dressing and fit, so the design was pushed towards a looser garment with a wide enough neckline so that it could just be thrown on over the head like all of the other looks in the collection. Adding this linen piece added a nice texture variation when placed with the plated 1 by 1 rib knit cardigan.

Accessories

In this type of creation process it is difficult to get a real world feel for how customers will react to the line and company structure. Research does give a planned view on what could happen, but often the best resource is someone who is currently succeeding in the desired field. As a research element, a connection was made with

Bridget Prater of Blending by Betty to create a line of accessories that would go with the knitwear pieces. As an artist, she specializes in combining wood and fiber through yarn and hand . She designs her own laser cut pieces that work as small, permanent looms, and she uses various colors and textures of yarn to create unique hand woven jewelry. As she is very successful in her artesian entrepreneurship, she seemed like the best choice for trying out a collaboration process in order to successfully provide custom jewelry for this collection. 29

After receiving the concept, line sketches, material images, and a couple cones of yarn from the collection, Prater was given full creative freedom to design and make the necklaces featured within each look. This experimental collaboration worked extremely well as it offered space to see a different approach to the ideas within the thesis. Once received, each piece was carefully placed with a look in a way that would enhance the full picture. These pieces really aided in pulling the pieces in the look together and allowed the ideal customer to show through the display of the collection.

30

CONCLUSION

As a whole, this line could function as a collection of pieces that each customer could shop to carefully add to her existing wardrobe. She has options that fully cover each season and that will outlast all of the changing fast fashion trends. However, this line could also function as her entire wardrobe. It serves as a base full of statement pieces, layering pieces, and basics that can be worn no matter the season.

Lieblingspulli works to provide a sustainable line in every aspect of the garment cycle. From material consideration and production to length of wear and end use, these garments were meticulously planned to be sellable and take the best elements from sustainable companies. The customer’s garment needs are considered within this collection, and she will be able to maintain and wear her favorite clothing items for as long as she would like. Each garment was carefully considered to be easy to wear, to function in each season, and to outlast fleeting trends. To further this concept, the collection could be placed in the marketplace to see the customer response and to consider methods of customization that slow batch production allows. Expansion in forms of colorways, stitch layouts, and fiber choices could help put the power into the customer’s hands to further the idea of individualistic, multi-seasonal, wardrobe items.

Mass market companies and artisan producers have varied solutions to the problems caused by the fashion industry, and this line works to take aspects from each to form an adaptable and long living line of knitwear. 31

WORKS CITED

Brand, Jan, and Jose Teunissen, eds. A Fashion Odyssey: Progress in Fashion and

Sustainability.

Arnhem: ArtEZ, 2013. Print.

Brevet, Pascale. "Slow Fashion: Reconnecting Production and Consumption." The

Atlantic. The

Atlantic, 15 Sept. 2011. Web. 12 Aug. 2016.

Fletcher, Kate, and Lynda Grose. Fashion and Sustainability Design for Change. London

(Laurence King Publishers): n.p., 2012. Print.

Fletcher, Kate. Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys. London: Earthscan,

2008.

Print.

Lavergne, Michael. Fixing Fashion: Rethinking the Way We Make, Market and Buy Our

Clothes. Gabriola Island, BC, Canada: New Society, 2015. Print.

"Made in USA: Kotoba's Sustainable Knitwear." Knitting Industry. Knitting Industry, 3

Dec.

2012. Web. 05 Aug. 2016.

Minney, Safia. Slow Fashion: Aesthetics Meets Ethics. Oxford: New Internationalist

Publications, 2016. Print.

Mohn, Tanya. "Stepping Into Mondrian’s Shoes, and Other Adventures in Dutch Style."

The

New York Times. The New York Times, 15 Mar. 2017. Web. 05 Apr. 2017. 32

Moss, Rachel. "This High-End Sustainable Knitwear Brand Uses Recycled Materials."

The

Huffington Post. The Huffington Post, 14 Sept. 2015. Web. 05 Apr. 2017.

Zukin, Sharon. Point of Purchase: How Shopping Changed American Culture. New

York:

Routledge, 2005. Print.