Reusing of Materials in Clothing Design

The purpose of the article is to reveal the possibilities’ potential of applying this ecological trend in clothing design through the arrangement of the concept’s meaning of "upcycling" and the analysis of its manifestation options.

Research methodology. The research used methods of visual-analytical, system-structural and morphological analysis, objective observation, and the method of comparison.

Result. The main traditional techniques of working with secondary textiles for creating new canvases, textures and ornamentation of modern clothes are described. The advantages of the upcycling direction in creative, practical, organizational and educational aspects have been revealed. When creating something new, it is necessary to use what has already been created, what no longer functions or has fallen out of use; the result of this process is not only beneficial, but also inspiring. A designer, working in the direction of upcycling, does not just process material and create a new product – he transforms an already existing object, giving it a new life, a new function, his deep philosophy, devoting much more time, effort, skills and own resources to it. On the basis of the conducted analysis, an intelligence map has been developed, which allows to organise the semantic content of the term “upcycling – secondary use of materials in clothing design” through the definition of all its essential features.

Scientific novelty. The article is devoted to the analysis of upcycling as a relevant direction of eco-design, which is more economical and technically promising than the manufacture of new things. Collections of well-known global and Ukrainian brands that use the method of reusing (secondary use) of clothing and textile materials were analysed. It has been determined that upcycling develops imagination, teaches to fantasise, think creatively, and experience the diversity of the world. Upcycling combines different directions, techniques and methods in clothing art.