Australians are the world's second largest consumers of textiles, buying on average 27 kilograms of new clothing and other textiles each year. COLLSIGNIA proposes a way to rethink the ‘fast fashion’ industry in the context of Melbourne and its surroundings. Melbourne's multicultural citizens donate their textiles and clothing materials to COLLSIGNIA, from where they are recycled/upgraded with new materials and designs or converted into new fabrics that are further distributed to the manufacturers in a range of industries. The building's design exemplifies how architects, designers, and communities can work together to promote successful use and re-use of various items and textiles.
"Melbourne's Fashion Identity"
By being simple to construct, the structure of the building promotes the idea of rethinking the fashion industry beyond Melbourne, making it easy to construct across other cities. What makes the building specific to the local context are textiles collected from the suburbs, forming the identity of the exterior and interior spaces. Being collected from different communities with different cultural backgrounds, the building represents the diversity and uniqueness of Melbourne as a city, where the structure serves as a unifying element, bringing people closer to educating themselves about the fashion industry and conscious buying decisions.
"Flow"
The arrangement of the interior spaces balances the need for highly efficient cloth and material production, with a desire to introduce play and interaction into the process. The main function of each space is represented with a unique colour and name. Additionally each space has specific design and architecture that represents the processes happening inside. People are invited to contribute clothes to the design of the building and the textile production process, or to observe these processes through windows outside.
“Playground”
Through the play of textures, colours and materials visitors explore a new dynamic space that takes through the process of clothing creation. Through simple interactions and giving this process a more playful environment, the building shifts people's attention to rethink the role and importance of clothes and the buying decisions they make. This approach helps to educate and interact with complex issues in a more understable and daily basis.
"Market Space"
With the spaces being adjustable, visitors can contribute to the creation of new pieces for the space through being involved in the design decisions. The market and exhibition areas serve as places for events, promoting cultural and design engagement through a range of different activities, creating a playful space for adults and kids.
"Melbourne's Canvas"
Australians are the world's second largest textile consumers, purchasing an average of 27 kilogrammes of new clothing and other textiles per year. There has been a transformational shift in the way we source, wear, and dispose of clothing, with far-reaching social and environmental consequences. Fast fashion encourages the purchase of inexpensive new clothing that is often discarded after a few wears. It becomes clear that there is a need to reduce cloth consumption and the textile footprint, as well as learn more about the process of clothing creation in order to value them and make running repairs in order to extend their lifespan.
Sofya Savenkova, "Melbourne's Fashion Identity"
Sofya Savenkova, "Flow"
Sofya Savenkova, “Playground”
Sofya Savenkova, "Market Space"
Sofya Savenkova, "Melbourne's Canvas"
