• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.59-76
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• 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about environmental severity and new social, economic, and cultural changes. Conscious fashion, which is oriented to sustainable and valuable consumption, has become a trend to consume products produced using eco-friendly and ethical processes, from the selection of the product materials to the manufacturing process. The purpose of this study is to identify the concepts and characteristics of conscious fashion and zero waste, and to explore design trends of zero wastein the new normal era of conscious fashion through the analysis of various cases. The research method is a literature review on conscious fashion based on relevant professional and academic books and articles, designer collections, and campaigns from 2010 to the present, when conscious fashion as eco-friendliness and sustainable fashion became a trend. The concept and characteristics of conscious fashion were examined them in terms of environmental, ethical, social, and cultural aspects and the concept and characteristics of zero waste through previous studies and case analysis. Through this, the trends of zero-waste design in conscious fashion were categorized into: first, an eco-friendly design orientation that utilizes reuse and reduce methods of clothing and fabric; second, a variable design orientation that practices zero waste designs by using diversity of patterns through deconstruction, disassembly, and various cutting methods. Third, long-term circulation of design through the recycling of resources by second-hand trade, the utilization of stock clothing, resale, and availability of eco-friendly materials through the development of new technologies. As an active practice for the sustainable fashion industry expands, it is expected that continuous research will be conducted as a future core value to realize the possibility of long-term circular zero-waste design through social responsibility and conscious recycling, reuse, and reproduction.