Make/Use

Make/Use is an opensource system for making user-modifiable, zero waste garments. Make/Use provides a user-centred toolset that helps consumers gain agency in the making and ongoing use of the clothing they wear.

Every day, garment manufacturers produce more than 164 million square metres of textile waste due to inefficient pattern making processes. Zero waste garment design addresses this by producing garments with 100% yield. Not only is fabric waste eliminated, but the garment also retains its full potential for being modified or re-made as another piece. Make/Use has capitalised on this by developing zero waste garment patterns in which are embedded multiple possibilities for modification.

All aspects of the project are designed to facilitate effective engagement with both public and industry: exhibition, workshops, brand communication, film, as well as the garments and open-source system itself. The 2015 Make/Use (Objectspace) exhibition was designed as an entry point to the Make/Use system. It successfully provided a diverse audience with mixed-use space that celebrated both the garments as desirable objects, and presented the project as a living, user-centred collaborative practice.

The tools and concepts have been embraced by a diverse range of users, from retail clothing consumers and makers, to large international brands, including sustainability pioneers Patagonia and fast-fashion giant H&M. The Make/Use workshop experience has since been replicated internationally, taking the concept from New Zealand high streets to Parsons in New York

Click on the images below to be directed to a google drive folder with the patterns and files for the garment shown.