s s a l G f o e us
Ho KK
aren Glass, also known as Zerøwaste, is an Atlanta based highend fashion label that’s known as much for their social and environmental missions as they are for their meticulously crafted designs. The label utilizes studio practices that produce almost no waste. For Glass and her company, Zerøwaste extends far beyond just the fashion label — it’s a way of life. This sentiment is deeply echoed in the brand’s mantra, “living life of fewer things with greater value.” SCAN MAGAZINE // FALL 2017
WRITTEN BY ANYA HABER
PHOTOGRAPHED BY CONRAD MAXWELL-GIROD
When describing the brand’s aesthetic, Glass credits the nature of the process. When creating garments, fabric scraps are either sewn into future garments or turned into paper to produce labels. Everything is reused, whether it’s note-scribbled paper, fabric scraps or cardboard boxes. “Because we work with found objects and work with zero waste, it confines and structures us,” said Glass. “We can’t grab any piece of fabric; it needs to fit within our values, which in turn helps form the aesthetic. I think that’s really rare.” Glass and her team pull from an archive of globally-sourced materials, accrued over decades of frequent travel to garment factories during her time in fast fashion. This unique fabric source aids in the beauty of her
designs. The brand’s “ø” archive line breathes new life into textile remnants, transforming them into new garments. Each piece is unique and constructed over the course of more than 100 hours. For the label’s first archive collection, entitled “obi,” the textile scraps, complete with original factory labels, were discovered at a Parisian flea market with their origins dating back to 1930s China. Glass also worked in the readyto-wear fashion industry for decades before launching her sustainable label in 2015. Glass described her transition as a long road that led to a change in values and a yearning for a deeper sense of self in both her professional and personal life. One incident specifically stuck in her mind. When working as head of production