No Wasted Jam: Zero-Waste Draping at Loughborough University

Zero waste. One piece of fabric. Endless possibilities.

On 1 & 2 October 2026, we delivered our one-day No Wasted Jam zero-waste draping workshop to BA Fashion Design students at Loughborough University, with a different group attending each day. Over one day of experimentation, pattern development and construction, we explored a different way of approaching fashion: beginning with the cloth itself and discovering what it could become.

For us, zero-waste design is more than a method. It is a way of looking at fabric, recognising its possibilities and treating every part of it as something worth keeping.

In a time of urgent environmental challenges, zero-waste design makes fuller use of precious materials and eliminates cutting-room scraps, offering a creative path towards what we believe is the future of fashion.

Listening to the cloth

The morning began on the stand, working with a single piece of uncut material. Rather than imposing a predetermined pattern, we encouraged the students to respond to the fabric’s intrinsic qualities: its weight, stretch, natural fall and movement.

Each pin, fold and connection became a design decision with an immediate, physical result. A small adjustment could change the balance of a silhouette, introduce an unexpected volume or reveal a new way for the cloth to move around the body.

This is what makes draping so engaging. The thinking happens through the hands. The designer, the stand and the material are in constant conversation, with every touch opening up another possibility.

Designing in three dimensions

Working directly on the stand asks students to consider the whole garment at once. Front, back and sides cannot be treated as separate ideas: each must respond to the others.

100% Zero Waste Draping. Student work: image 1 by @elsa_patterson_design; image 2 by @harrytownend___.

As the students moved around their stands, they explored how gravity and tension could create structure, and how asymmetry could coexist with balance. Alongside silhouette, we considered wearability, functionality and desirability. A compelling shape also needs a relationship with the person who might wear it.

The restriction of using one piece of fabric became a starting point for invention rather than a limit. It demanded patience, spatial awareness and constant problem-solving, while leaving room for instinct and surprise.

From experiment to construction

In the afternoon, the studio’s energy shifted. The students began translating their morning draping experiments into concrete design decisions, developing measured paper patterns so their ideas could be recreated.

From Cloth to Clothing. Student work: images 1 and 2 by @matildasportfolio.

Pattern development connected intuitive exploration with precision. The challenge was to preserve the qualities discovered on the stand while understanding how each design could be constructed.

From the uncut morning exercises, the students moved towards zero-waste garments made from a single piece of fabric with one cut and no leftover scraps. As fabric was cut and sewing machines came into use, the focus moved from discovering a form to working out how to make it.

A studio full of possibilities

Seeing the students’ designs together was a powerful moment. Fluid, sculptural silhouettes emerged from a shared brief, yet each reflected a different response to the material.

Student work: image 1 by @sam_wy_chan; image 2 by @tgnworks.

We were proud of the skill, curiosity and commitment the students brought to this one-day workshop. Their work showed how a demanding constraint can encourage individual expression, and how zero-waste thinking can sit at the heart of the design process rather than being added at the end.

A huge thank you to the BA Fashion Design students at Loughborough University, and to our collaborators at SPOON Magazine for capturing and championing their work.

No Wasted Jam is about looking again at what is already in our hands. A single piece of cloth can hold far more possibilities than we first imagine.

The final line-up: a showcase of the students’ zero-waste draping designs. (Instagram) in order @fj.fash1on @meganthomaz @meghana.n_portfolio @harrytownend___ @matildasportfolio @angels.design.archive @yuchingxarchive @tgnworks @jesspotter37 @_khandakhulu_ @sofia.donahoe @sam_wy_chan @sh1tbit._

From draping to the runway: watch the students bring their creations to life.

Featured Students: (Instagram) @indyamei @grace_fashiondesign @ridhima.r.studio @ecnaicous @emma_humphris_portfolio @elsa_patterson_design @niamh.fashion.portfolio @lillyzfashiondesignz @sophie_fashiondesign @fashionarchivesim @esmedesignn @lottiesarsonart @jess.f_00 @elizabetedaugava

Discover more on Instagram @no_wasted_jam

Shop from Cunnington & Sanderson Zero Waste Fashion.

Interested in bringing No Wasted Jam to your university? Contact us to discuss a zero-waste draping workshop for your students.