Case Study
The R Collective x Garcia Bello: Circular redesign
Created by
The R Collective x Garcia Bello
,
2023
Defective garments pose a significant challenge in the fashion industry, persisting despite rigorous quality control measures along the supply chain. Issues such as shading problems and sewing defects often result in waste. As designers, there is a real opportunity to partner with manufacturers and other industry partners to design out waste within the supply chain and through to consumer use.
In this case study we explore how
introducing a successful low waste circular design strategy takes a collaborative effort. We follow GARCIA BELLO, The R Collective, and TAL Apparel on their journey to tackle the issue of defective pre-consumer garments.
The Challenge
TAL Apparel makes 50 million garments per year, and 0.01% of this production is considered to be defective during final quality control checks. Annually, this amounts to approximately 50,000 shirt pieces. The R Collective (TRC), a social impact business focused on ending fashion waste, decided to tackle this pre-consumer waste by turning it into new products fit for selling on the market.
TRC called for a collaboration with GARCIA BELLO, a global award-winning sustainable Argentinian brand specialised in the reconstruction technique. Together they set out to design a three-piece collection consisting of a shirt, a dress, and a bag using TAL’s defective garment stock.
Credit: Redress. Juliana Garcia Bello, designer of the brand GARCIABELLO tackles the fashion industry’s trickiest waste streams.
Part of the brief for Juliana, the designer of GRACIA BELLO, was to maintain her signature style whilst keeping TRC’s customer in mind. This three-piece collection effectively reconstructed defective shirts in order to minimise waste. The designs were carefully crafted to be reversible, enhancing their versatility and uniqueness. Each style was to be produced in bulk, with exact numbers decided based on the inventory available.
Credit: Redress. From defect garment waste, to complex deconstruction and reconstruction techniques, to a re-engineered capsule collection.
TRC, Juliana, and the TAL technical team worked together to incorporate cutting waste by reusing it in design features such as pockets, belts, and labels, resulting in distinctive features not commonly achieved in conventional designs. To ensure a fully sustainable process, there was no additional wet processing and chemical usage. All materials were 100% cotton to ensure recyclability for their end-of-life.
The Outcome
Working with discarded garments demanded a meticulous sequence of operations and a highly detailed tech pack to determine precise cutting and joining points. The openness to learn, innovate, and collaborate was key to overcoming the unique challenges inherent in handling defective garments.
Credit: Redress. The R Collective x TAL collection was represented on the runway at the Redress Design Award 2023. TRC’s first retail collaboration for this particular capsule is with influential lifestyle brand, kapok.
The success of this collection can be attributed to the profound technical expertise and creativity demonstrated by all involved. Juliana’s in-depth knowledge of pattern-cutting, construction, and zero-waste principles, honed through her experimental work with designing and making reconstructed garments, played a vital role. Likewise, the TAL production team’s expertise in tech pack development, grading, and sewing construction ensured the creation of durable, scalable outfits without compromising the design.
Credit: Redress. From left to right: Christina Dean, Founder, The R Collective; Rod Henderson, President, TAL Apparel Ltd; Juliana Garcia Bello, Founder, GARCIA BELLO.
Throughout the capsule development, all parties exhibited a highly collaborative spirit, particularly during the development and sampling stages. Close cooperation through clear and consistent communication from all parties was instrumental in developing the garments, finding innovative ways to integrate waste materials, and providing circular solutions.
After the launch of the capsule collection, the collaboration inspired the Redress Design Award team to reenact Juliana’s brief, challenging the Redress Design Award Finalists to come up with a functional design within 10 hours! Watch the Circular Redesign Challenge with TAL Apparel here.
About the Contributor
TAL Apparel Limited is now over 75 years old, headquartered in Hong Kong with self-owned factories across Asia. Producing most of the world’s famous fashion apparel, their reputation relies on excellence in quality, consistency, and innovation, but more importantly, their focus on sustainability.
The R Collective is a social impact business in London and Hong Kong, born in 2017, to end fashion waste. They work alongside manufacturers and brands to reuse and recycle their luxury fabrics, including sensitive IP fabrics and garments, turning them into responsible products and clothing with a conscience.
GARCIA BELLO is a concept that originated in Tierra del Fuego province, in the south of Argentina, by Juliana Garcia Bello, Redress Design Award 2020 Alum. It is a sustainable brand inspired by everyday life, and in the paths we’ve come along. The concepts in each collection speak of what’s ours — of home as land and shelter. GARCIA BELLO is based on the upcycling circular design method.
