ZERO FOOTPRINT: Fashion Design Department X Patagonia Korea Collaboration Project Exhibition

The Department of Fashion Design presents the outcomes of its Zero-Waste Fashion Capstone Design course through an exhibition in collaboration with Patagonia Korea. As part of this industry-academic partnership, students worked with unsold garments provided by Patagonia Korea and reimagined them through creative upcycling approaches.

In this project, students critically examined the environmental challenges facing the fashion industry and explored the potential of responsible design in depth. Their work reflects a sustained inquiry into how design practice can respond to ecological urgency while maintaining aesthetic and functional innovation.

To minimize fabric waste, each designer developed experimental zero-waste construction techniques based on modular cutting, subtraction cutting, traditional costume pattern systems, weaving, folding, draping, tailoring, and the use of off-cuts. Under the guiding concept of “ZERO FOOTPRINT”—referring to the goal of minimizing the environmental impact of fashion—the students investigate processes that bring textile waste as close to zero as possible, documenting both experimentation and practice.

Professor Eunhyuk Im, who supervised the project, noted that visitors will be able to observe not only the final garments but also the full design process. This includes ideation, research, motif development, material exploration, pattern making, prototyping, fitting, lookbooks, and portfolio development, presented through physical archives and documentary film.