Challenging Excessive Fashion Consumption by Fostering Skill-Based Fashion Education

The tensions between fast fashion and the conflicting desires for sustainability have been under scrutiny since the early 1990s. Despite many worthy initiatives, slow fashion and sustainable consumption have often been viewed as mere fanciful hopes. Cursory adoption policies and a limited commitment by the mainstream fashion world appear to have been the cause[1]. Equally problematic is the growing evidence in attempts to engage consumers in changing their buying habits. Amongst such a complex array of interrelated issues and priorities, people are left believing that the individual’s impact is small and therefore pointless. This demonstrates how conflicting views on the subject matter can create confusion and hence counter-productivity. The objective of this work is to explore education and the development of traditional sewing skills as a means to offer school age consumers options as to how they choose to engage with the challenges of fast fashion consumerism.Rather than attempting to challenge mind-sets already rooted in cycles of mass-consumption and fast fashion, this work looks to build on research exploring the potential to instigate a stronger personal attachment to garments by educating younger consumers. Ideally finding new ways to encourage a sense of irreplaceability, seldom identified within typical fast fashion purchases. One of the challenges circumnavigated in this research was an underlying need for dressmaking skills. In an earlier study Hirscher and Niinimäki[2] worked with ‘pre-made’ tunics offered to participants under the concept of ‘half-made’ to be customised by the individual. More recently Martin[3] addressed the same skills gap via the use of simplistic geometric shapes to create garments. The idea driving this new study, is that the use of a simple dressmaking technique, in conjunction with a participatory design culture, can help create a positive emotional attachment to the resultant garment; an experience that could potentially result in a longer life span of the garment, hence ideally reducing the desire to discard clothing and consume more

Determination of a sizing system for mass customisation of Ghanaian women's traditional dress: and a conceptual framework for small and medium scale enterprises

Dress whether traditional or contemporary is a visual symbol that communicates the identity of individuals and groups who share a common background and heritage. This study identified that the usage of traditional dress in the Ghanaian society functions as an important medium for social differentiation in terms of identity construction which is communicated through its symbolic meaning. Traditional dress for women, known as "slit and kaba", previously consists of two pieces of cloth and a semi-fitted blouse which requires no standardised sizing and fit requirements but as this dress has undergone an evolution process into a skirt and blouse with western features, the fit and manufacturing quality has become increasingly important. The usage of this dress for both formal and informal functions and its evolution places importance on its overall production strategy in terms of sizing, quality and fit. The research was undertaken to develop a sizing system for the mass customisation of the Ghanaian traditional dress for women between the ages of 20-54 years old. In order to achieve the aim of the research, an extensive review of literature was conducted which led to the adoption of multiple data collection strategies in terms of participant observation, interview, questionnaire and an anthropometric survey to corroborate each other. The grounded theory approach was utilised in order to ascertain key issues related to mass customisation, production and utilisation of traditional dress while a quantitative approach was adopted to develop a sizing system for the Ghanaian woman and to establish the relationship between the meaning and utilisation of this dress. The data was collected in three metropolitan centres in Ghana from consumers and manufacturers of the traditional dress as well as the stakeholders of the garment industries using a non-probability purposive sampling technique. The quantitative results were analysed using correlation, a one-way ANOVA and t-test to determine the relationships among the variables while an inductive approach through the grounded theory was used to analyse the qualitative data. The findings were used to develop a conceptual framework for a sizing system regarding quality of fit and the utilisation as well as the development of a production model that facilitates the mass customisation of the Ghanaian traditional dress. The findings revealed that the traditional dress has undergone a considerable change, and demographic factors, such as age, education and marital status are associated with its utilisation. The anthropometric survey confirmed that the average key dimensions (bust, waist and hip girths) of the sample are larger when compared with those of other studies conducted where the participants were of white ethnic origins. This has practical implications when producing garments for the Ghanaian consumer using other size charts from different target groups or surveys. In terms of a production strategy, the study showed that there is a strong preference for mass customisation over mass production as a result of issues with fit. This study provides the first anthropometric survey on the female population and has a great implication for the development of the Ghanaian clothing industry in the provision of well fitting and quality garments to promote consumer satisfaction. It also contributes to knowledge in the area of traditional clothing practices placing emphasis on the utilisation and the underlying meanings of the traditional dress within the socio-cultural context. This study therefore provides original baseline data for future research for the development of researchbased national standards for menswear and childrenswear for Ghana in particular and West Africa in general

Development of a conceptual framework relating to ready-to-wear clothing for Ghanaian women for manufacturing strategies

In recent years there has been a remarkable increase in anthropometric surveys taking place worldwide for development of sizing systems. It has been acknowledged that the extent to which one sizing system may be applied to different populations is limited due to the variability of body shapes and sizes. Various countries have developed their own sizing systems in order to reduce problems associated with clothing sizes and fit. This study established that no official anthropometric survey has been conducted in Ghana. The absence of any publication of a national sizing system, intended for clothing purposes has resulted in the need for a sizing system that will relate to Ghanaian women and satisfy their different body shapes. This study was undertaken to develop a conceptual framework to facilitate the understanding of clothing sizes, body shapes and manufacturing strategies for the production of ready-to-wear for Ghanaian women aged between of 16-35 years. A mixed approach to research methods was adopted which incorporated interviews, focus group discussions, questionnaires and anthropometric survey to achieve the aims of the research after an extensive review of literature. The grounded theory approach was used to analyse the qualitative data to ascertain key issues related to sizing systems, body shapes and manufacturing strategies. Data was obtained from clothing manufacturers, stakeholders and consumers in Ghana using non-probability purposive sampling methods. Twenty clothing manufacturers and four stakeholders were interviewed. Four focus groups were formed for the discussions and 400 questionnaires were administered to consumers. Eight hundred and forty two Ghanaian women aged between 16-35 years were measured using the manual body measurement procedures. A quantitative approach using correlation and one-way ANOVA programmes from the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to determine the relationships among the variables and to obtain statistical information for the development of the sizing system. The grounded theory using an inductive approach was used to analyse the qualitative data from the interviews and focus group discussions. The findings of this study have implications for manufacturing strategy for clothing manufacturers for the Ghanaian market. A conceptual framework was developed to help facilitate the understanding of clothing sizes, body shape and manufacturing strategy for the production of ready-to-wear clothing. The anthropometric survey helped to develop a size chart for Ghanaian women aged between 16-35 years in order to improve well fitted and quality garments to satisfy consumer clothing needs. This study also established significant relationships between body shape, body cathexis and clothing. It contributes greatly to knowledge by providing a detailed procedure involved in developing a research based anthropometric, which will serve as the basis for other future national anthropometric surveys for men and children in Ghana as well as West Africa. This study also provides original baseline data for future research on body shape and body cathexis on Ghanaian women of all ages.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Development of a conceptual framework relating to ready-to-wear clothing for Ghanaian women for manufacturing strategies

In recent years there has been a remarkable increase in anthropometric surveys taking place worldwide for development of sizing systems. It has been acknowledged that the extent to which one sizing system may be applied to different populations is limited due to the variability of body shapes and sizes. Various countries have developed their own sizing systems in order to reduce problems associated with clothing sizes and fit. This study established that no official anthropometric survey has been conducted in Ghana. The absence of any publication of a national sizing system, intended for clothing purposes has resulted in the need for a sizing system that will relate to Ghanaian women and satisfy their different body shapes. This study was undertaken to develop a conceptual framework to facilitate the understanding of clothing sizes, body shapes and manufacturing strategies for the production of ready-to-wear for Ghanaian women aged between of 16-35 years. A mixed approach to research methods was adopted which incorporated interviews, focus group discussions, questionnaires and anthropometric survey to achieve the aims of the research after an extensive review of literature. The grounded theory approach was used to analyse the qualitative data to ascertain key issues related to sizing systems, body shapes and manufacturing strategies. Data was obtained from clothing manufacturers, stakeholders and consumers in Ghana using non-probability purposive sampling methods. Twenty clothing manufacturers and four stakeholders were interviewed. Four focus groups were formed for the discussions and 400 questionnaires were administered to consumers. Eight hundred and forty two Ghanaian women aged between 16-35 years were measured using the manual body measurement procedures. A quantitative approach using correlation and one-way ANOVA programmes from the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to determine the relationships among the variables and to obtain statistical information for the development of the sizing system. The grounded theory using an inductive approach was used to analyse the qualitative data from the interviews and focus group discussions. The findings of this study have implications for manufacturing strategy for clothing manufacturers for the Ghanaian market. A conceptual framework was developed to help facilitate the understanding of clothing sizes, body shape and manufacturing strategy for the production of ready-to-wear clothing. The anthropometric survey helped to develop a size chart for Ghanaian women aged between 16-35 years in order to improve well fitted and quality garments to satisfy consumer clothing needs. This study also established significant relationships between body shape, body cathexis and clothing. It contributes greatly to knowledge by providing a detailed procedure involved in developing a research based anthropometric, which will serve as the basis for other future national anthropometric surveys for men and children in Ghana as well as West Africa. This study also provides original baseline data for future research on body shape and body cathexis on Ghanaian women of all ages

Generative design for agile robot based additive manufacturing for sustainable aesthetic furniture products

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University LondonThe Furniture manufacturing industry has been slow to adopt the latest manufacturing technologies, relying heavily upon specialised conventional machinery. This approach not only requires high levels of specialist knowledge, training and capital investment, but also suffers from significant traditional subtractive manufacturing waste and high logistics costs due to centralised manufacturing, with high levels of furniture product not re-cycled or re-used at the end of its life cycle. This doctoral research aims to address these problems by establishing a suitable digital manufacturing technology framework concept to create step changes in the furniture design to manufacturing pathway. The design stage has the potential to contribute massively to the environmental impact of products. In this research, a Robot Base Additive Manufacturing Concept cell for future furniture manufacturing is reported. Generative design illustrates its potential contribution to waste reduction, increased manufacturing efficiency, optimised product performance and reduced environmental impact constituting a truly lean and progressive future for Furniture Manufacturing Design. Through case studies the research will show the potential for exploiting Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) concepts through the rule-based AI generative design post-processing of geometry for robot manufacturing, examination of different methodologies for printing and thus the resultant potential for ‘Mass Customised’ Furniture. Aesthetics, structures and the use of Smart Materials not previously economic to manufacture will be considered to demonstrate the potential to flatten the traditional Bill of Materials (BOM) and reduce logistical issues. The Furniture Industry has developed from an artisan driven craft industry, whose pioneers saw themselves reflected in their crafts and cherished the sense of pride in the originality of their designs, now largely re-configured to an anonymous collective mass output. Digital technologies and smart materials enhancement allow innovative structural fabrication, presenting a plethora of potential for networked artisan craft industries to create extraordinary aesthetics and customisable product designs. Integrating these developments with the computing power of generative design provides the tools for practitioners to create concepts which are well beyond the insight of even the most consummate traditional designers. This framework is becoming an active area of research for application in many different industries. The step changes are empowering artisans to revolutionise the design to manufacture workflow, giving momentum to the concept of conceiving a pre-industrial model of manufacturing with bespoke sustainable design at its heart. The elements of the framework will be described and illustrated using case study models highlighting the potential for creating unique aesthetics for sustainable furniture products. The research presents the methodology to create and compare iterations employing different rule sets through a commercial generative design application and how these outputs can be further customised using parametric strategies in NURBS modellers, with the ultimate goal of creating aesthetic ‘Lean’ and sustainable innovative furniture of the future, thus illustrating how the creative use of digital networks in linking individual practitioners in the making of aesthetic customised products, manufactured local to their markets, could be achieved using this framework. This research shows a robust ‘green revolution’ is evidently necessary to satisfy the needs of an ever-growing population, allowing the world to thrive within the means of this planet. New approaches to the use of technologies can achieve these changes in Furniture Manufacturing and establish a truly enhanced Circular Economy. Governments around the World are encouraging these initiatives and these approaches are identified and rationalised alongside the drivers for change which will have major impacts on this manufacturing sector. This research critically examines the Furniture Design and Manufacturing technologies presented through a TRIZ framework against the desired outcomes. Using this approach together with the physical development of a robotic test cell, combined with case study data significant contributions to knowledge in the focused area of Furniture Manufacturing are identified, detailed and enhance Furniture Design, Manufacturing and Environmental Impact for the future. The focused approach also serves to highlight areas requiring further research

Women’s Fashion Consumption in Saudi Arabia

This study investigates the influence of the sociocultural factors affecting the fashion and clothing consumption of Saudi women. It is a multidisciplinary study that combines fashion and consumer behaviour approaches in order to define and explain the collective sociocultural norms that underlie the patterns of women’s fashion and clothing consumption in Saudi Arabia. It applies a mixed-method approach as a strategy for data collection, with primary data gathered through observation, a face-to-face questionnaire completed by 654 respondents and interviews with local retailers and experts in the fashion market. The analysis of the empirical data revealed significant findings related to consumption patterns and the characteristics of the local market. It identified that there are two main systems that define fashion consumption in female Saudi society. Each system operates in a different social setting (public and female-only social settings) that requires communicating or establishing a specific value or a set of values to meet social expectations. The research findings also indicate the structure of the market and its operational system used to respond to consumer demands. In the light of these findings, theoretical models were developed to define the particularities of fashion consumption in Saudi Arabia as outcomes of this study. This study could have a substantial influence in academia as it provides a broader insight into fashion consumption behaviour in Saudi Arabia compared to that available in the existing literature. It could also help retailers and investors to understand the particularities of Saudi women’s fashion consumption in more depth. This understanding could be applied to develop strategies to meet Saudi women’s fashion demands.Saudi Cultural Burea

Floating chapel—A redesign of Chinese weddings towards sustainability

Weddings have significant impacts on the environment and society, especially in China, where a complicated set of cultural and social factors have resulted in a unique wedding consumption culture. The two distinctive features of Chinese weddings, 1) the prevalent overconsumption behaviour and 2) the focus on the temporary ritual space, intertwine to pose great challenges to sustainability, including large amounts of waste production, resource consumption, and economic cost. Thus, the thesis "Floating Chapel—A Redesign of Chinese Weddings towards Sustainability" is explorative design research that proposes an alternative design strategy to ease the burden of Chinese weddings. The main objective is to design a participatory wedding planning product-service system concept, which involves consumers in the design and production process and consequently eliminates unnecessary consumption. This thesis investigates the overconsumption in Chinese weddings, and the research process is divided into two parts: a theoretical study and design exploration. The theoretical study uncovers the reasons behind the distinctive Chinese wedding culture, focusing on the wedding planning sector, and gains knowledge from Design for Sustainability (DfS) and sustainable movements in relevant fields. This portion selected four DfS approaches (design for sustainable behaviour (DfSB), product-service system design (PSSD), participatory design, and transformable design) for the next part. The design exploration was conducted in three steps with multi-method research in the Chinese wedding industry. The first step is a workshop with consumers to investigate demands and generate the initial concept. The second step illustrates the system map and service blueprint of the existing Chinese wedding planning system to locate the problems and opportunities from the perspective of the wedding industry insiders. Lastly, the concept development builds upon previous findings with the selected DfS tools and inspiration from existing case studies. At the end of concept development, the feedback from the focus group interview serves as the final refining section. Thereafter, the thesis concludes by conceptualising a participatory wedding planning product-service system strategy, which consists of a transformable structure and a product-oriented product-service system. The study fills the research gap between Chinese weddings and Design for Sustainability (DfS) areas and questions the production and consumption system in the Chinese wedding planning industry from the perspective of designers. The outcome of the study is an alternative design strategy that enables consumers to adopt sustainable weddings by changing their role from the observer to the co-designer

Additive Manufacturing as a Manufacturing Method: an Implementation Framework for Additive Manufacturing in Supply Chains

The supply chain is changing speedily and on a continuous basis to keep up with the rapid changes in the market, which are summarized as increased competition, changes in traditional customer bases, and changes in customers’ expectations. Thus, companies have to change their way of manufacturing final products in order to customize and expedite the delivery of products to customers. Additive manufacturing, the new production system, effectively and efficiently increases the capability of personalization during the manufacturing process. This consequently increases customer’s satisfaction and company’s profitability. In other words, additive manufacturing has become one of the most important technologies in the manufacturing field. Full implementation of additive manufacturing will change many well-known management practices in the production sector. Theoretical development in the field of additive manufacturing in regards to its impact on supply chain management is rare. There is no fully applied approach in the literature that is focused on managing the supply chain when additive manufacturing is applied. While additive manufacturing is believed to revolutionize and enhance traditional manufacturing, there is no comprehensive toolset developed in the manufacturing field that evaluates the impact of additive manufacturing and determines the best production method that suits the applied supply chain strategy. A significant portion of the existing supply chain methods and frameworks were adopted in this study to examine the implementation of additive manufacturing in supply chain management. The aim of this study is to develop a framework to explain when additive manufacturing “3D printing” impacts supply chain management efficiently. To build the framework, interviews with some companies that already use additive manufacturing in their production system have been carried out. Next, an online survey and two case studies evaluated the framework and validated the results of the final version of the framework. The conceptual framework shows the relationship among supply chain strategies, manufacturing strategy and manufacturing systems. The developed framework shows not only the ability of additive manufacturing to change and re-shape supply chains, but its impact as an alternative manufacturing technique on supply chain strategies. This framework helps managers select more effective production methods based on certain production variables, including product’s type, components’ value, and customization level.The supply chain is changing speedily and on a continuous basis to keep up with the rapid changes in the market, which are summarized as increased competition, changes in traditional customer bases, and changes in customers’ expectations. Thus, companies have to change their way of manufacturing final products in order to customize and expedite the delivery of products to customers. Additive manufacturing, the new production system, effectively and efficiently increases the capability of personalization during the manufacturing process. This consequently increases customer’s satisfaction and company’s profitability. In other words, additive manufacturing has become one of the most important technologies in the manufacturing field. Full implementation of additive manufacturing will change many well-known management practices in the production sector. Theoretical development in the field of additive manufacturing in regards to its impact on supply chain management is rare. There is no fully applied approach in the literature that is focused on managing the supply chain when additive manufacturing is applied. While additive manufacturing is believed to revolutionize and enhance traditional manufacturing, there is no comprehensive toolset developed in the manufacturing field that evaluates the impact of additive manufacturing and determines the best production method that suits the applied supply chain strategy. A significant portion of the existing supply chain methods and frameworks were adopted in this study to examine the implementation of additive manufacturing in supply chain management. The aim of this study is to develop a framework to explain when additive manufacturing “3D printing” impacts supply chain management efficiently. To build the framework, interviews with some companies that already use additive manufacturing in their production system have been carried out. Next, an online survey and two case studies evaluated the framework and validated the results of the final version of the framework. The conceptual framework shows the relationship among supply chain strategies, manufacturing strategy and manufacturing systems. The developed framework shows not only the ability of additive manufacturing to change and re-shape supply chains, but its impact as an alternative manufacturing technique on supply chain strategies. This framework helps managers select more effective production methods based on certain production variables, including product’s type, components’ value, and customization level