Petit Pli - Clothes That Grow

"Petit Pli (PP) is the most innovative childrenswear company in the world. PP has developed an innovative business model alongside of a patent-pending technology, designed using human-centric design methodologies. PP's technology allows clothes to growby 700% without mechanical deformation.

PP's garments upon extension retain their defined silhouette, currently custom fitting children aged 1 to 4 years old - an age range which current childrenswear products do not cater to. This capability of PP's garments and PP's technology is significant. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation together with Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) have identified that extending the life and use of clothes is one of the most significant opportunities the fashion industry has to reach carbon, water, and waste targets. Their research has shown that extending the life of garments just by nine extra months can reduce carbon, water and waste footprints by around 20-30% each.

PP in this project seeks to explore consumer needs for an easy to target market - given existing knowledge base and consumer base, maternity apparel. Mintel reported in 2013 that sizing technologies were among the chief concerns of maternitywear consuers. Together with this Mintel found that pregnant women are more likely to purchase envrionmentally friendly products.

For this reason, this project's key objectives are:

1) To discover, understand and define the needs and behaviours of maternitywear customers by conducting interviews and given questionnaires for the creation of a clear creative brief that frames the fundamental design challenge in maternitywear.

2) To discover what makes a desirable, fit for purpose maternitywear by conducting interviews and workshops for the creation of a clear creative brief that frames the fundamental design challenge in maternitywear.

3) To improve maternitywear product ideas generated using feedback collected from interviews and workshops by user-testing prototypes"