A dress crocheted from fabric waste to symbolize the web of life is the winning design of an annual upcycling competition at KPU's Wilson School of Design.
Third-year fashion design and technology student Clara Devina was recently named the winner of the 2024 Upcycled Design Competition, bagging a $2,000 prize.
“I've always believed that sustainability in fashion is important. When I joined the Wilson School of Design at KPU, my goal was to learn more about how to make them work in today’s circular economy,” said Devina.
The dress is Devina's interpretation of the theme of this year's competition, Gaia, which was "inspired by scientist James Lovelock's theory that suggests all living organisms are connected and form synergetic, self-regulated systems," reads a media release from KPU.
The techniques of weaving and crocheting highlighted the idea of connectedness and Devina chose to use yarn to represent the idea that "everything in nature begins small."
“It is one strand, but I can make something of it. It does represent the whole world — plants are grown from a simple seed,” she said.
“I wanted to make it like a rag material, where the colours and materials did not look very pleasing, but when you combine them, they are beautiful.”
This year's competition, held by the Wilson School of Design in partnership with local textile recycling initiative Our Social Fabrice, challenged students to create a three-dimensional design using recycled textiles and found objects to incorporate environmental and social responsibility into their work.
Winning designs were chosen through an online vote.
In second place with a $1,500 prize was a death-inspired dress designed by students Destiny Lang, Denanae Tingala and Olivia Wong, while Heidi Wilson came third and won $1,000 with a lacing jacket representing the beauty of Gaia.
The winner of the People's Choice Award and a $500 prize was Sophie MacFarlane, who designed a dress to raise awareness of microplastic fibre waste.
For more information about the competition and to learn more about the finalists and their work, click here.
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