Contemporary Kebaya Design Based on the Circular Fashion Concept in Sewindu Project’s Promotion Strategy
The global fast fashion industry has become a major contributor to textile waste accumulation, including fabric scraps from convection SMEs in various trading cities, which burdens local landfills (TPA). Although Circular Fashion offers a solution through upcycling, local recycled products are often less competitive due to weak design and branding strategies. This research aims to design a product concept for fashion and an integrated innovation strategy based on upcycling textile waste to strengthen local creative economic value. To address issues of aesthetics and durability, this study proposes innovation through the integration of the Patchwork craft technique, enhanced with Tetris motif acrylic painting. The method used is Design Thinking, which focuses on an adaptive, user-oriented design approach, considering the product life cycle. This research resulted in a prototype model of the Upcycling Contemporary Kebaya, documented as a digital branding case study (@Sewindu_Project). The results prove that with the innovation of the patchwork technique and artistic touches, waste can be reconstructed into fashion products that are unique, highly competitive, and possess a strong sustainability narrative. The implementation of this design is expected to be a catalyst for local SMEs in optimizing waste, while significantly contributing to environmental sustainability efforts and creative economic growth.
Keywords: Circular Fashion, Contemporary Kebaya, Digital Branding, Fashion Thinking, Patchwork, Textile Waste, Upcycling
