The sustainable bride: an exploration in conceptual bridal design

The production and use of the traditional, iconic wedding gown is an unsustainable practice. Despite the celebrity-endorsed, environmentally aware social climate in North America, the trend to purchase single-use garments continues to dominate the bridal fashion industry. Using McDonough and Braungart’s (2002) “cradle-to-cradle” theoretical approach, this project investigated creative pattern-making techniques to develop conceptual bridal gowns that maximize sustainability. The project blended modular and Zero Waste Pattern Cutting (ZWPC) design techniques to create innovative bridal fashion that eliminates fabric waste and extends garment use while adhering to an iconic and culturally acceptable bridal silhouette of fitted waist, open neckline, and full skirt. The project developed a Sustainability Scale to foster objective decision-making practices and facilitate selection of the most sustainable options, which has the potential for general fashion industry-wide application.