Manifesto
Re.formons nous
(can be translated as "Let's Reform Ourselves")
is an invitation for collective experimentation, thinking and the sharing of creative solutions for a waste-free fashion world.
Yes, the clothing sector is extremely polluting, and our relationship to materials can be quite puzzling.
80% of the environmental impact caused by a garment comes from the production of its fabric.
Yet, we discard between 15% and 25% of this valuable material when cutting the pattern pieces, even before the garment is sewn.
While concrete solutions do exist, this waste has been normalized for decades to the point where it is taught in fashion schools as an unalterable norm. And when it is not overlooked by industry players, it is often underestimated. While the figures may be overwhelming, the ideas for solutions inspire us and empower us to take action.
Creators, fashion designers, pattern makers, and seamstresses: whether you are an amateur, student, professor, entrepreneur, or employee in the industry,
Let's deconstruct the rules that shape the way we design.
Let's Re.form ourselves together.
let's create new learning spaces made of collective experimentation and sharing, and let's show the institutions what the future of design looks like.
RE.FORMONS NOUS is an invitation to break away.
1
Let's re.form our design habits.
Let's relentlessly challenge the rules, constraints, and organizational structure of our beloved industry. Nothing is irrevocable; everything is transformable.
2
Let's re.form our patterns.
Let's go back to the fundamentals of geometry, draw inspiration from mathematics, architecture, or living organisms to create shapes that fit together perfectly.
3
Let's re.form our relationship to time.
Let's embrace a slower pace to allow ourselves the space to research and experiment with creative solutions that serve the common good.
4
Let's re.form our education system.
Let's create new learning spaces outside of traditional institutions. Let's give future designers the opportunity to sharpen their critical thinking skills. Let's value questioning, cooperation, and exploring beyond the conventional paths.
5
Let's re.form our dress codes.
Conventional pattern-making is currently presented as the most refined version of what humanity has reached in terms of good fit. But what does "good fit" really mean?
The history of clothing shows us that what we enjoy wearing is constantly evolving. So, no, the shape of a shirt is not immutable. It will evolve or disappear. Let's use the constraints of planetary boundaries as a creative opportunity to evolve the style and forms of our garments.
6
Let's re.form our design legacy.
The craftsmanship inherited from the fashion houses of the last century is often presented to us today as an absolute legacy. However, it fails to transmit the tricks and techniques that enabled our oldest ancestors to create garments without waste. Let's explore the history of clothing through a different lens and dissect optimization tricks of the past.
7
Let's re.form mutual aid by creating multidisciplinary circles because complex problems cannot be solved in isolation. Let's stop acting as competitors and pool our brainpower for the common good.
8
Let's re.form our vision of success.
Let's deconstruct the well-oiled collective imagination that constantly feeds us the dream that creating our own brand is the ultimate achievement.
Before diving into an already saturated market, let's ask ourselves: Does my project offer a real alternative, or does its economic viability depend on the current consumption system that perpetuates resource waste?
Together, let's create hybrid professions capable of supporting this transformation.
9
Let's re.form our eyes to appreciate our bodies. Let's embrace diversity to ensure that everyone feels represented and legitimate, free from body-shaming, as they navigate through life.
10
Let's reform the spectrum of what is worn.
Pockets shortened in half and waists cinched in the women's section, skirts excluded from the men's section. But why?
Let's break free from the extreme binary of male and female that limits our design choices in a disconnected opposition to any form of gender fluidity. Let's allow people the freedom to explore their identity without confining them.
RE.FORMONS NOUS
is intended to be an open and dynamic laboratory.
Here, we explore - through the lens of Zero Waste Design -the various forms that the future of textile design can take,
Here, we share reflections, self-questionning, ongoing research, tips and tricks, inspirations, educational experiments, training opportunities, contacts, patterns, spotlight on cool projects, and sometimes even political opinions.
We don't claim to know everything nor possess the ability to accompany people one by one through transformation. One thing, however, is certain: the more of us question ourselves and strive to RE.FORM, the easier it will be to make progress.
So come in, enter this space, feel free to forage in, but don't forget to pollinate!