2% Less: Sustainable Fashion Experience

Photo:
John Breznicky at 2% Fashion Show

Project Overview




Company2% (University of Colorado)  
Role
Creative Technologist,  Designer,  Producer
Tools
Webflow, Figma, Touchdesigner, Blender


2% is a theoretical fashion event organization created with the intention of advocating for sustainable practices within the fashion industry.  It is a
challenge to the leaders of big fashion who have historically pledged 1% of their profits or reduction of waste to do more.

A team of 6 creative technology and design graduate students including myself spent  less than 10 weeks developing a project that we hoped would become greater than the sum of our individual parts. 

We produced and delivered:

- A visual system and brand identity
- Augmented Reality interactive experience
- Interactive website - Fashion event/experience which sold out our 150 person capacity venue and included 50+ volunteers and collaborators


Photos:
Gabo Page for 2% Marketing Campaign


Team






Challenge

Mission




Importance




Solution

Create a brand and experience that confronts the devastating environmental and human impacts of the fashion industry by promoting a fashion designers and methods that values sustainability, ethical practices, and respect for both the planet and the people behind the garments.

Recognizing the urgency of environmental issues due to the fashion industry, 2% sought to raise awareness and inspire change through an experiential approach.

Our team created 2%, multi-faceted solution by combining design, technology, and storytelling. Key components included:

- A Visual and Brand Identity
- An Augmented Reality Experience
- An Interactive Website
- A Fashion Event


Project Plan


Ideation and planning

We began our brand and experience development with research in the realm of fast fashion waste, delegating tasks and resources, and creating the concept to align with the mission and deliverables.




Key Milestones
  Planning


Design/Development


Production

My role
Contribute to research, synthesize, and analyzation of fashion waste data. 

Research and plan the technology required for various interactive elements including website, AR, fashion show production.

Research and plan development of the tech.

Begin overall development of web project, projections at show.

3D Scan clothing from designers, assisting with production & coordination of collaborators.

Bridging the human, technology, and creativity.

Finishing development of deliverables, setting the stage and starting to broadcast and advertise the message and the venue.

Polish and finish the technology and mission for the final stretch.

Polish, hit expected deadlines, make sure everything works before it’s supposed to.

Our Process


Our team was able to execute a project of this scale in less than 10 weeks while juggling several other masters classes due by implementing several strategies to successfully communicate, delegate tasks, and become an efficient team.

















Lead
Responsibilities and Subtasks

To maximize the scale and quality of our project, we defined our roles and goals based on individual strengths and aspirations. Each team member took charge of a primary element—Production, Web, Branding, or AR/VR. While each lead focused on their area, we collaborated extensively to support one another in completing tasks.




As category leads, we also leveraged each other's expertise to address specific challenges. For example, the Web lead might consult the designer on colors and fonts, or the Production lead might ask the Web lead (who is also a creative technologist) for input on projection, lighting, and sound. This approach ensured a cohesive and high-quality outcome through shared effort and expertise.





Discussion Before Decision

Decisions with cross-group impacts, such as branding influencing production and web design, or production shaping web content, were made collectively through group discussions. These sessions included feedback, constructive criticism, and diverse perspectives.




Our goal for a democratic implementation system was to insure our deliverables at every stage were aligned with the over branding, mission, values, and to ensure cohesiveness between our project. 


Deliverable 1: Branding and Visual Identity

Lead Designer: Ellie Lindsey

Overview




The Branding and Visual System aimed to position 2% as an experimental and avant-garde sustainable fashion agency, challenging the norms of big fashion through bold and innovative design. 

Our goal was to craft a visual system that reflected the mission of 2%—to provoke thought, inspire change, and advocate for sustainability in a way that felt fresh and impactful.


My Role 


Provided critical and timely feedback to refine the design and ensure alignment with the project's mission.
Utilized the established branding to inform the web design and aspects of production, ensuring consistency across deliverables.
Developed graphical assets in accordance with the style guide, contributing to a cohesive and polished visual system that supported both digital and physical experiences.




Deliverable 2: Augmented Reality (AR) Experience

Lead Developer: Yuchen Zhang

OverviewThe AR Experience was brought to life by use of AR filters which were published on snapchat filters.  This filter amassed over 1 million views in one week!

We 3D scanned every clothing piece fitted to models for the fashion show, and turned them into 3D objects to be worn as a digital camera filter. The photos taken by users at the fashion show were uploaded to the web to create a photo collage of everyone who took pictures.

Using augmented reality, participants could virtually try on designs, explore details about the materials and sustainable practices behind each piece, and engage with the project in a unique and immersive way. 


My Role Supported researching augmented reality technology tools.
3D scanned the clothing from the designers.
Collaborated with the developer to clean up and optimize the 3D scanned models in Blender for integration into the AR experience.



Deliverable 3: Interactive Web Experience

Lead Developer: Phu Le (me!)

My Role

The web experience served as a central hub for the 2% project, combining interactive design with storytelling to engage users and promote sustainable fashion practices.

The website included 3D interactions built in Three.js, data resources, and detailed information about the showcased designs, and designers, as well as leading event patrons to RSVP and Donate. Its design adhered to the visual identity of the project, creating a cohesive digital representation of the brand and event. 

The site can be visited at 2percentless.com




Process

Defining Goals and IntentionDefining the goals for this deliverable and how they contribute to the project’s overall mission was a key step in ensuring it’s success.

We needed:
    - A website to hub 2% and it’s pledge to sustainability.
    - Promote our runway event and a central link for marketing, RSVP, and donations.
    - A compelling display of the facts of fast fashion waste.
    - A way to credit and promote the designers whose clothing would be featured at the fashion show
   - An ‘Ethos’,  proving our relevancy by capturing users with interactivity.


Seeking inspiration, moodboarding, researching tools In this stage I create a document for potential resources, brainstorming, planning, system architecture, and overall project management.  This serves to be a braindump as well as a checklist.









Sketches, mockups, prototypes,
Development
Webflow:


Selected for its user-friendly interface, enabling team members without traditional coding experience to actively participate in the web development process.

Threejs integration
Code Integration:

Webflow also allows for custom javascript which I used to point to locally hosted threejs code, and if that failed to connect, then telling the webflow code to point to the netlify hosted threejs code.

Threejs
Created 3D Model in Blender by merging two free low-poly models from https://poly.pizza/

Imported the models into threejs and used Rapier Physics engine to create a mouse interactive playful homescreen background.


Fashion Event Production

Project Manager: Jacob Rodgers

Venue


Projection



Marketing Campaign Photography

Moodboards

Designers outfit + models photoshoot

Event