This research investigates and responds to the wastefulness of denim through an experimental approach of deconstructing and reconstructing used denim garments. Denim is one of the most popular fabrics globally, accounting for one of the largest segments of the fashion industry. This style of woven cotton was first created for workwear in the late 19th century by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss and soon became the source of one of the most prevalent garments in the history of fashion–– denim jeans. Today denim is used in various subsectors of the fashion industry, from fast to high fashion, and has become a fabric that has a significant influence on the way people dress around the globe.

However, with their versatility and popularity, denim jeans come at a high cost to the environment; on average requiring 3,781 litres of water for one pair of standard jeans, which is equivalent to filling approximately 54 bathtubs. This environmental impact is intensified by the throwaway culture of fast fashion, including denim jeans. This thesis responds to the wastefulness of the denim industry by investigating methods for recycling denim cloth, through approaches of deconstruction and reconstruction.

Deconstruction as intertextuality, trace and différance as constructed by Derrida, alongside the practical analysis of deconstructive strategies in fashion design analysed by Maria Skivko as the conflict of form, function and ideology act as guiding principles for this research.

In the process of physically deconstructing and reconstructing second-hand denim garments, draping was used as a method to explore new possibilities in how pre-constructed garments are positioned on the human body. By draping deconstructed jeans on the upper part of the body, for example, I was able to challenge the original function of each garment. This allowed me to test new forms, sculptural effects, and ideologies regarding deconstruction and reconstruction as methods. These findings contribute to the storytelling aspect of the fashion collection, which aims to prompt the audience to reflect on their understanding of denim and its detrimental impact on the environment. It seeks to encourage a deeper emotional connection to the viewer’s own personal relationship with denim by helping them understand its timeless beauty as a fabric. Through this, the research hopes to extend the user’s relationship with their denim garment, and the designer’s relationship with denim as a durable and versatile textile, thereby preventing more denim from ending up in landfills.