Annika Luo

Annika Luo

Fashion Product

WASTE TO WEAR

Examining the fashion industry’s environmental impact reveals a complex system far beyond the glamour of the runway stage. It unveils the traces of the cotton and indigo trade, the evidence of labor exploitation, and the waste crisis of the capitalist world system. 
Embracing a systematic approach to her design process, Annika Luo’s collection is driven by sartorial (the Latin noun sartor, meaning "tailor" – literally, "one who patches or mends") traditions with materiality. She has pledged to forgo virgin textiles, focusing instead on reclaiming and repurposing waste materials to minimize environmental impact.

She uses minimalist concepts and detailed workwear silhouettes, while irregular scrap waste textiles are redefined through precise tailoring and immaculate finishing. By making it entirely from waste material, she aims to inspire others to rethink the excessive waste in garment production. Her use of materiality combined with the utility of workwear becomes products made for creatives, makers, and workers.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

This collection is made entirely from waste fabric, adopting a waste-led design process.
The patterns are meticulously adapted to fit the shapes of the fabric scraps, ensuring optimal utilization of the materials. Each scrap is thoughtfully collaged, preserving its original form to minimize additional waste. Unlike conventional practices that overlook the selvage edge, I intentionally embrace it as a unique and distinctive finishing detail. The act of repurposing discarded materials challenges our perception of “waste.”
Image: fabric manipulations made from scrap fabrics
Image: final materiality inspired by textile development.
Image: utility pockets designed for craft tools
Image: first iteration prototypes designed for standard laptop and sketchbook sizes

DESIGN DETAILS

Final product details.

Bio

Annika Luo’s systematic creative process responds to the global environmental crisis. Drawing upon her interdisciplinary minor in environmental studies, Luo critically reflects on consumerism, overproduction, and pollution in the fashion industry. She has made a personal commitment to forgo virgin textiles in all her collections, instead focusing on reclaiming and repurposing waste materials to minimize her environmental impact as a fashion designer.

E: luoannikary@gmail.com

Born in China and raised in Vancouver, Luo moved to New York City in 2019 to pursue Fashion Design at Parsons School of Design, where she explored various mediums, including collage, book art, and writing. These avenues of exploration led to critical themes of ecological and social justice, which Luo will pursue through a graduate program in the College of Natural Resources at the University of California, Berkeley.

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