Paper Short Abstract:

The paper proposes a "design pedagogy of resistance” to unwrite fashion’s consumerist narrative. Grounded in Freire and Debord, it enables students to defy the industry's unsustainable model and subvert the spectacle with design for circularity while fostering conscious engagement with clothing.

Paper Abstract:

This paper proposes a pedagogical framework for "unwriting" the fashion industry's ingrained narratives that prioritize novelty and disposability. Inspired by circular-economy-systems defined by the rigorous constraints and needs of long-duration space travel, the author aims to subvert the industry’s consumerist narratives from within the design studio. The goal is to contribute to a broader cultural shift toward ending fashion’s wasteful spectacle and reclaiming active engagement with textiles and clothing, by fostering a generation of designers who prioritize individuality, sustainability, and a more conscious relationship with apparel and textiles.

Grounding its approach in Guy Debord's "Society of the Spectacle" and Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy, this framing translates their critiques of consumer culture and overbearing educational systems into a design pedagogy that empowers students to become active agents of “unwriting” the present fashion culture. Utilizing classroom perspectives illuminates students’ evolving relationship with clothing and consumerism as they develop critical awareness of social and political realities embedded in their design choices.

Analyzing the fashion industry's role in perpetuating consumerism and environmental damage, and informed by new materialism, students engage with the materiality of clothing, going beyond the surface, critiquing consumerism, and designing for individual engagement, durability, and repair. They consider materials and their impact on production and consumption, to foster narratives of sustainability and anti-consumerism. Through active deconstruction, mending, and upcycling, they "unwrite" the illusion of disposability and expose fashion’s hidden costs. By motivating a shift towards ethical and responsible design, they challenge the industry's image of effortless style and relentless consumption.