“TRASH.”
by Lauren Lee (Apparel Design ‘22)
This exhibition showcases Lauren's research, design development and creative proposal, “TRASH.”, which addresses the textile waste in the fashion industry, in response to the question, "How might we encourage people and communities to think and act for the long term." Lauren’s proposal, “TRASH.” is an experiential and interactive textile waste educational center that places emphasis on educating the general public on this issue, bringing light to current efforts being made, and inspiring others to take matters into their own hands.
Lauren is a senior studying fashion design in Human Centered Design (FSAD + DEA) in the College of Human Ecology. Her passion for this project sparked when she found herself deep cleaning her own closet to get rid of many pieces of clothing that she no longer liked or resonated with her “style”. Appalled by the amount of bags of clothing that she wanted to get rid of, guilt dawned upon her as she realized she was responsible for contributing to the absurd amount of textile waste that exists today.
Through her education at Cornell, learning about the textile waste in the fashion industry supplemented by first hand experience as a fashion design major it has become very evident to her that textile waste is a prevalent issue within the fashion industry that must be addressed. While the absurd statistics may be read as a hopeless situation to some, Lauren strongly believes in the power of an individual to make a difference and spark change.
With that said….it all starts with one individual here at “TRASH”.
Through Lauren’s research on textile waste and design probe it was evident to her that there is a need to educate the general public. Furthermore, having grown up in NYC playing in children's museums as a kid and visiting immersive spaces (ie. Museum of Ice Cream) with friends, she wanted her proposal to be creative, interactive and experiential to attract the general public, targeting millennials and Gen Z visitors who are our future leaders and can be agents of change. Some of the graphics she designed are inspired by graffiti art that can be spotted everywhere she goes in NYC.
Lauren always seeks to use her creativity for good and positive change.
TRASH. is for the good of the fashion industry and the good of the people, supporting the mission of the College of Human Ecology, by improving lives through creative solutions.
Lauren had a lot of fun with this project in FSAD 3770 and wants to thank Professor Van Dyk Lewis for his guidance and feedback and Carolyn Chun and Matthew Sheen for their assistance and help setting up! :)
