From Rust to Elegance: a Wabi-Sabi Approach
Dress shirts created by fourth semester students of fashion design exploring draping and
sewing technique
Sculpting Through Modelling Technique
Creativity in Fashion Design
Fashion design is a form of art dedicated to the creation of clothing
and other lifestyle accessories. This includes applying design,
aesthetics, and clothing construction using dierent techniques
such as sketching, concept development, pattern making, draping,
sewing, garment construction and process of embellishment. In
order to allow students of fourth semester to practice the skill of
draping and stitching, they were given the task of creating dress
shirts. The objective of this project is to guide students in exploring
the historical, cultural, symbolic, emotional and personal signi-
cance of color, fabric material and the concept they have selected.
Students were encourged to do so through research and personal
reection that can be practiced by creating mood boards, color
boards, and design patterns that can act as a source of inspiration.
Through this project, students
demonstrate understanding,
interpretation and signi-
cance of the selected concept
by displaying a fusion of
creativity and craftsmanship.
Following the initial explora-
tion and after undergoing
research process, students
proceeded to engage in the
practical application phase,
transitioning from theoretical
understanding to hands-on
implementation. This involved
practicing draping technique
to understand the interplay of
design and material within the
realm of creativity. This was
followed by the meticulous
process of sewing to bring
their envisioned designs to
fruition. Such a comprehen-
sive approach not only deep-
ened students' understanding
of how to partake research
before creating any garment,
but also helped in developing
their technical skills, ultimate-
ly culminating in the creation
of nal garments that encap-
sulated not just research, but
also creativity and nesse.
Wabi Sabi is the Japanese philosophy
that celebrates the art of imperma-
nence. In traditional Japanese aesthet-
ics, wabi-sabi is a world view centered
on the acceptance of transience and
imperfection. The aesthetic is some-
times described as one of appreciating
beauty that is "imperfect, imperma-
nent, and incomplete" in nature.
Taken from the Japanese words wabi,
which translates to less is more, and
sabi, which means attentive melan-
choly, wabi-sabi refers to an awareness
of the transient nature of earthly
things, and a corresponding pleasure
in the things that bear the mark of this
impermanence. Taking inspiration
from this idea, textile design student
Visha Imran explored this philosophy
while converging it with rust dyeing
technique. This technique involves
using the process of oxidation to create
unique designs and patterns on fabric.
Visha Imran has attempted to draw
parallel between appreciating imper-
fections in both philosophy and tech-
nique, therefore celebrating the
authenticity brought by natural
processes. Emphasizing environmental
conciousness, it highlights the impor-
tance of creating aesthetically rich and
meaningful fashion. Rust dyeing, treat-
ing textiles with rusted metal for
unique patterns, aligns with wabi-sa-
bi’s embrace of imperfection. The study
delves into their intersection, shaping
materials through natural processes,
using thrift items to illustrate enduring
beauty and potential for reuse. By
using rust dyeing technique show-
cased in various forms, this can result in
a versatile and enduring medium that
can contribute signicantly to creative
and impactful fashion discourse.