When we think about a garment, we often focus on the finished product: its silhouette, fabric, colour, or how it will be worn. Yet before it reaches the consumer, every garment generates a significant amount of textile waste. These offcuts, largely invisible to the public, are an integral part of the manufacturing process. Approximately 15% of the fabric purchased for garment production is lost during the cutting stage alone in the form of textile scraps. While textile waste is inherent to clothing production, its volume is amplified by accelerated production cycles and the high demand associated with fast fashion.

It all begins with fabric sourcing. When developing a collection, designers carefully select the materials that will bring their ideas to life. Each style is often produced in multiple colours or variations, which requires meticulous planning of fabric quantities. Since running out of fabric during production is not an option, an additional safety margin is always included in orders. This precaution is essential, as lead times can be lengthy and certain fabrics may become unavailable before production is completed.

Once the fabrics arrive, a lesser-known step begins: quality control. Despite manufacturing standards, fabric rolls can contain defects such as holes, stains, tears, or weaving irregularities. In many cases, these imperfections are absorbed by the designer. Defective sections must therefore be set aside, creating a first source of material loss.

Next comes the cutting stage. To transform a roll of fabric into a garment, each pattern piece must be cut individually. Even when pattern layouts are optimized with great care, it is nearly impossible to use the entire surface of the fabric. Empty spaces inevitably remain between pattern pieces, resulting in scraps of various sizes. Textile offcuts are therefore not necessarily the result of poor planning. However, when production volumes are kept small, they can be reduced considerably.

Material losses accumulate quickly. Between defective sections, surplus fabric ordered as a precaution, and cutting scraps, a substantial amount of material remains unused. In large-scale production, these textile remnants are often discarded. Some smaller businesses attempt to give them a second life by transforming them into accessories, bags, or other small-scale products. Despite these efforts, a significant portion of these materials still ends up as waste.

It was this reality that inspired my creative project.

For several years, I have been collecting cutting scraps, end-of-roll fabrics, and textile surpluses from designers and fashion companies. Materials that would otherwise have been forgotten or discarded. Through my work, I seek to revalue what is typically considered waste and demonstrate that there are alternative ways to create.

Each wearable artwork becomes a reflection on our relationship with production and consumption. It invites us to slow down, to appreciate the craftsmanship behind each piece, and to embrace a more thoughtful approach to fashion.

Of course, even within a process centered on material recovery, some scraps remain unavoidable. This is why the work of companies specializing in textile waste recovery is so important. Reusing existing materials alone will not solve all of the environmental challenges facing the fashion industry. However, every fabric diverted from landfill, every resource used for longer, and every purchase made with intention helps challenge a system built on constant growth and overproduction. Perhaps true innovation lies not in producing more, but in learning how to make better use of what already exists.

References:

Government of Quebec, “Public Service Environment Day,” 2026.

Government of Canada, “Government of Canada Invests in Canadian Innovators to Reduce Textile and Plastic Waste and Promote a Circular Economy,” 2025.

Sustainability Directory, “How Much Pre-Consumer Textile Waste Is Generated by the Fast Fashion Sector Annually?”, 2026.