Abstract

Driven by fast fashion and overconsumption of clothing, the fashion industry is one of the largest polluters in the world. The purpose of this research was to explore the creative process of fashion designers in pursuit of a deeper understanding of creative problem-solving specific to fashion design as well as an effort to gain insight into pragmatic solutions for addressing sustainability issues. This qualitative research examined the complex creative processes of three professional fashion designers with a minimum of thirteen years of experience. Utilizing open-ended, one-on-one interviews, participant data was recorded, transcribed and analyzed to identify emerging themes and patterns. A case study research design was used to present the findings. This study revealed that fashion designers specifically are crucial to finding sustainable solutions in changing the way the fashion industry operates. However, analysis also showed that overconsumption of clothing is a systemic problem which affects the whole fashion production model. In order to move away from the fast fashion model, change is required from both fashion professionals and consumers. The findings of this study add to the existing knowledge of design research and the creative process of professional fashion designers centered around problem-solving, experience, communication, customer, creative space and sources of inspiration. Furthermore, this study helps extend the knowledge of the complex issue of incorporating sustainable practices into the fashion industry by examining the challenges such as cost, thinking fabric first, continuous questions and profit as a goal.

Thesis available at:

http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1601029403307031