Global Learning

Can you describe the project that you worked on?

When we talk about sustainable clothing, it’s important we question what that really means beyond the buzzwords and green-washing narrative many fast fashion companies proclaim. There are designers on a global scale which are genuinely making a difference in the realm of sustainable and ethical fashion to combat fast industry norms. We at Green Stitch believe there should be a further embrace of slow and ethical practices regarding fashion, especially digitized in the current tech landscape. For the Global Campus Studio showcase, our team developed a prototype app and website which focuses on promoting positive and conscious shopping experiences. Through our combined love for fashion and understanding that the consumption narrative must change, the app Green Stitch was created as a collaborative effort to uplift sustainable designers through building a community. The prototype contains 3 main features which offer shops to browse, virtual clothing try-ons, and a fashion footprint quiz to better track sustainable decision making. All brands and designers sold on the platform will go through a screening process to ensure that their production practices meet the "Green Stitch" standard. Pitched as an “Etsy for sustainable fashion,” this app works similarly off a monthly membership basis.

What was your experience like with the Global Campus Studio course?

My experience taking the Global Campus Studio course was quite interesting in terms of assignments, lectures and classmates you interact with. Part of the Creative School, this elective welcomed students from various disciplines to come together and work closely with each other on various projects. Our class specifically was partnered with Parul University in India. Due to the drastic time zone differences, one of the very first lectures discussed the importance of understanding high vs. low context countries to better grasp the working mentality of one another. Taking time to bond with your teammates is truly significant because of the amount of time each member spent (virtually) together. With this, the most fun assignment was known as the virtual coffee. Getting to video chat with a student from the partner university, we would each share our neighborhood sightings and take one another to a local coffee shop to better showcase our surroundings. This informal exercise was a very pleasant learning and bonding experience for all of us in the group as it expanded our knowledge of one another’s culture on a personal scale.

Can you describe the project you worked on?

Ecolle is an online platform aimed to help brands to establish sustainable long-term solutions to implement into their business model. Ecolle’s attempt to combat unethical and environmentally damaging practices in the fashion industry starts with creating an urgency for sustainability and transparency in the industry. Once brands take the initiative to inquire about a switch over from their unethical and environmentally damaging practices in the search for guidance on sustainable solutions, Ecolle will provide them with an ultimatum. Ecolle uses AR technology to augment predicted outcomes of unethical and environmentally damaging practices of brands in the fashion industry in which these brands must decide to alter their practices via Ecolle’s individualized, sustainable solutions. Ultimately, Ecolle attempts to unify and streamline all practices to be sustainable within the global fashion industry.