Strategic Design approach into Fashion System: Designing for Local Craftsmanship Developments

Abstract

As world grapples with the consequences of unsustainable fast fashion system, it is necessary to act to overstake its design, productive and distribution models, while keeping fashion items as affordable as possible. Within this scenario, craftsmanship seems to be the most effective pattern in meeting the current design scenario and consumer needs. In fact, local fashion practices offer countless of benefits: they incorporate cultural sustainability, preserving both material and immaterial craftsmanship heritage (Brown & Vacca, 2022); they focus on a small-scale production, counteracting a pleonastic overproduction of goods; they deliver a higher quality goods, being the craftsman able to manage the entire production process (Sennet; 2009). It is all about evolving that production model based on local economies (Livesey, 2010) to limit the impact on the environment and enhance the human resources of communities, while preserving their cultural heritage. To this purpose, since 2019 the authors have carried out a didactic experimentation within a Fashion Studies master. This paper describes and illustrates the results of this activity, which has involved about 150 international students – mainly from BRIC countries – with various bachelor’s degree, not only belonging to fashion field.