Iron Fashion, Apparel and Garment Design · 2024
Escape Work Detachment Garment
by Huili Jin
- A' Design Award 2024 Iron Winner in Fashion, Apparel and Garment Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 67,252
- Verification code 3C045A84DF · Verify this award
About Escape Work Detachment Garment
Escape is a womenswear garment designed to help the wearer detach from work. Escape allows a quick change between work and rest, so a formal suit or shirt becomes casual leisure wear within seconds. Elastic bands and pullable straps make the transformation possible. Pulling the necktie releases the connection between sections and lets the garment drape, which alters the design completely. Escape is made with zero waste pattern cutting, and fabric waste is kept below five percent. The intent is to support psychological detachment after working hours.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- In this project, I created a swift switch between on and off-work status through quick changes of clothes so as to help the wearer quickly get rest. In the meantime, I practiced zero-waste tailoring to achieve "single piece in two-way dressing," embodying the sustainable fashion concept from every detail of the cloth.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Throughout the project's pattern making process, I used zero-waste cutting techniques in the whole project, ensuring fabric waste was kept to less than 5%, thus adhering to the principles of sustainable fashion, minimizing fabric waste during the production process.
- Tags
- Womenswear Design, Zero-Waste Pattern, Sustainable Fashion, Healing Garment Design, Fast-change Garment, Psychological Detachment, Workwear Design
- Production Technology
- In my research, I found that people often habitually pull their ties downward or unbutton their collars after work, so my first development direction is to study how to quickly change the shape of clothing through wearers’ movements.
- Project Duration
- The project started in February 2023 in Beijing and finished in May 2023 in Beijing, and was showed in Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology Graduate Fashion Show in June 2023.
- Operation Flow
- I mainly researched two ways of making the fast switch possible: plasticity of elastic bands and pullable straps. Work outfits like serious suits and shirts can be turned into casual leisure outfits by certain adjustments within seconds.For example, applying a necktie to unfasten the connection between different sections to drape the garment so as to completely alter the design.
- Inspiration
- The inspiration for this project came from the WeChat message prompt sound that kept coming to my mind after work.
In today’s society, it is difficult for people to truly detach themselves from work. Psychological detachment refers to the withdrawal of individuals from the working state at both the time, space and psychological perspectives after work, so that the individual is temporarily away from work in both physical and mental aspects.
Colors of Escape Work Detachment Garment
Grand Interview about Escape Work Detachment Garment
Because after I get off work I can often still hear message reminders from work, which prevents me from completely resting, making me even more tired, and the cycle repeats itself.
I think sustainable development is very important in the process of marketization and commercial production. Therefore, zero-cut design from the source pattern can greatly reduce fabric waste.
I designed a special technique to change the seams of the garments so that the elastic cords and pullable straps can change the silhouette of the garment by pulling.
I did a lot of research on the fast-changing outfits, especially Hussin Chalayan, and I was curious about how other designers achieved it and which techniques they used.
A piece of clothing can be quickly switched from work wear to casual wear, so as to quickly enter the off work state from working state. In this way to bring wearers more comfort and relax.
I have also been paying close attention to adaptive fashion design recently. My school, RCA, also encourages students to pay attention to this field. After participating in the project, I think I should let the people participate in our design. Any design without the people is unreliable.
It is difficult for modern women to completely withdraw from work after work, so I saw this need to design clothing for women who face this difficulty.
I hope to switch between work and rest states by changing between work clothes and casual clothes.I hope that this way I can eliminate the wearer's tension and allow them to truly rest.
I want to work with more women, let them join my designs and express their ideas, and I can improve my designs through their feedback.
This experiment is ongoing and I am still looking for more suitable women to participate in my designs, I need more feedbacks from women to adjust my design.