Subtraction cutting - Julian Roberts

The brain child of designer Julian Roberts, Subtraction cutting isnt necessarily a sustainable technique but can be likened to similar principals present in zero waste pattern making. The basic idea is that the "patterns cut do not represent the garments outward shape, but rather the negative spaces within the garment that make them hollow. Simply put, shaped holes cut from sheets of cloth through which the body moves; therefore the patterns represent the 'negative' rather than the positive". He generally starts off with a tube in which holes are placed for the body the go through, creating draping and bunching, the technique is more experimental, with each result being slightly different from the next. Another variation of this is called the plug hole technique, where a shape is cut out of the fabric and filled with another in a different shape. Julian's finished pieces take on a voluminous, draped form, identifiable with his aesthetic, something that could be considered a good and a bad thing. Although this isn't entirely sustainable, the process still creates little waste, as a majority of the fabric is used (a small amount cut out) and also minimal seams. I like the fact that this is seen more as a design process rather than a construction technique, I find that side quite exciting, it is risk taking, it may work and it may not but the possibilities are endless and the outcome is ultimately undefined.

Julian and one of his designs