Dutch designer wants to get rid of clothing supplies

Dutch designer Martijn van Strien launched a new type of fashion platform in The Post-Couture Collective. The goal is to manufacturer clothing in a more sustainable fashion and without waste.

Click-and-slide system

The Post-Couture Collective is an online community where designers can share their creations with the public in several ways: the customer can download the pattern, but he can also acquire ready-made pieces of cloth that can be assembled with a click-and-slide system. Those that buy a pattern, will need to head to a laser cutter to get the fabrics cut to size. Designers can also exchange and adjust creations to end up with the perfect piece of clothing.

Van Strien hopes the new system will create a more sustainable system of manufacturing. Because no needle and thread are required, everyone should be able to use it. “About thirty percent of fashion labels’ production will go to waste without having been worn. That excess production is a problem I am trying to tackle,” he told De Tijd.

“Get to work yourself”

Van Strien hopes that his platform’s future will only entail patterns and will also get rid of the ready-made pieces of cloth. “Those packs are a compromise but the digital pattern sales fit my vision much better and I would like to be able to focus on that part. I want people to get to work themselves.”

For the time being, Van Strien sells one to five digital patterns a week and one assembly pack a month. He hopes the platform will continue to grow and that he will be able to collaborate with people all across the world. “According to me, the store of the future is empty, aside from a laser cutter and a set of materials”, he concluded.