Introduction to Practice: Holding as Return
There’s a part of my practice that I never consciously chose but that continues to call me back. It lives in the rhythm of long hikes, in the stillness of alpine mornings, and in the quiet textures of wood, water, and stone. Raised around movement through competitive swimming, hiking, and time spent outdoors I learned early on that nature holds us, even when we don’t realize we’re asking for support.
In my design work, I’m always finding myself returning to that space. Even in moments of abstraction or fast-paced industry practice, there’s a part of me that longs for slowness—for the rooted, reciprocal language of the natural world. It’s not about escape. It’s about care. It’s about noticing how trees carry weight, how the body balances through tension, how materials shift with time.
I crave to be in that space in my design work, to hold the world gently, to pay attention to what is often overlooked, and to design in a way that respects the delicate systems that support life. This is not separate from my creative process; it is the process. My practice is a return to the places, textures, and rhythms that first taught me how to listen.
1. Summary of Proposed Research
Title: Re-Hang: The Fashion Industry’s Sustainability Shift Through Clothing Hangers
Overview: This research investigates the role of clothing hangers in sustainable fashion, examining their historical evolution, material composition, and impact on garment longevity. By engaging in archival research, material exploration, industrial collaboration and heuristic inquiry , this study aims to propose sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic and metal hangers. The research contributes to broader discussions on sustainability by exploring how hanger design influences consumer behavior, garment care, and material waste reduction. At the heart of it I am curious around how the act of holding, both physically and metaphorically, is practiced in design, and what it means to hold with care.
Despite widespread conversations on sustainable textiles and production ethics, clothing hangers remain a critical yet overlooked element in the fashion system. This project explores the hanger as a medium–a functional object that embodies systems of care, holding, and meaning. Applying a design practice of deep observation, reflection, and intentionality.
My aim is to stretch beyond predictable utility toward the poetic possibility of objects. This work will move between two distinct research milieux: one grounded in an industry-based context, collaborating with material experts and journaling, and another intentionally rooted in nature: deploying poetics, intuitive movement, walking, backpacking, and field observations I see these two approaches as running parallel, at times intersecting.
Also, an exploration of transposition–of moving between roles, places, and perspectives- the research will intentionally engage with slowness, movement, and reflection as generative methods. Multiplicity is part of the inquiry.
2. Why This Problem Matters
Hangers are often viewed as insignificant symbols of “hidden waste” and yet they do play a role contributing to broader environmental concerns: plastic pollution, overconsumption, and unsustainable design. Educating people about their environmental cost may encourage mindful consumption and a shift toward circular design thinking.
3. Possibility Space & How This Focus Developed
My deep connection with nature has been a defining force throughout my life, shaping how I view the world and my approach to design. I have spent years taking long solo backpacking trips, immersing myself in the mountains and forests to reflect, observe, and deepen my understanding of natural materials. This connection was cultivated in me by my father, a mountaineer, athlete, and educator in Iran, who taught me the importance of resilience, respect for nature, and the role of the outdoors in shaping one’s perspective.
Through these experiences, I have developed an intuitive relationship with trees, landscapes, and the materials they offer, inspiring me to explore how objects can embody this deep-rooted connection. The forests, the mountains, and the solitude of my hikes have given me space to reflect on sustainability, time, and impermanence, qualities I aim to bring into my design practice.
Through this personal journey, I’ve developed an intuitive and emotional relationship with trees, landscapes, and the materials they offer. This research is an extension of that journey–a way to bridge sensory and emotional connections with nature into tangible, functional, and poetic design work. I am particularly interested in how materials such as wood–often discarded or undervalued–can be transformed into meaningful, sustainable objects that embody organic imperfections and aesthetic harmony.
The hanger becomes both a subject and a metaphor–a medium through which I explore broader questions about design: What does it mean to hold and to care? What structures are we upholding, consciously or not? The deeper inquiry of this project lies not only in prototyping forms, but also in uncovering the language of holding–physically, emotionally, and environmentally. This is pursued through a design methodology that embraces openness, movement, and care, as well as through cultural ethnography, specifically exploring animism and the spiritual relationships people have with trees, to inform a more connected and respectful material practice.
The hanger is a medium–but more than that, it’s a vehicle for exploring broader design questions: what does it mean to hold? To care? To structure? The project’s deeper inquiry is not only in prototyping forms, but also in what the act of holding reveals about our values and assumptions in design.
This project aspires to reimagine hangers as poetic objects, guided by principles of animism, material intelligence, and a deep respect for nature. A nature-connected and nature-centered approach seeks not only sustainable function, but also peace, kindness, and emotional resonance–design as a way of relating. It draws on a poetic sensibility that emerges from observation, solitude, and attention.
I am learning what this work is–and what it is not. The research embraces an open, intuitive process–inviting pause, reflection, and discovery–while remaining grounded in three key areas:
1. Industry-oriented prototyping and collaboration
2. Personal poetics, journaling, and time in nature
3. An observational journal of my current work environment–a self-ethnographic tool guided by three criteria: things people say, decisions made, and concerns that arise. This is methodical and heuristic, documenting the implicit structures shaping everyday design work.
2. Personal poetics, journaling, and time in nature
3. An observational journal of my current work environment–a self-ethnographic tool guided by three criteria: things people say, decisions made, and concerns that arise. This is methodical and heuristic, documenting the implicit structures shaping everyday design work.
These strands do not always align–but I’m interested in the space in between, where contrast generates insight. The industry-oriented component of this research is rooted in my current role as a graphic designer at DUER, a performance apparel company. This position allows me to observe design processes in real time, offering insights into material decisions, branding strategies, and production realities. It also facilitates access to a network of professionals across Vancouver and Vancouver Island working in design, retail, and sustainability, which strengthens the industry relevance of this research.
4. Research Questions
1. What does it mean to ‘hold with care’ in design; physically, emotionally, and environmentally? → This question anchors poetic, material, and ethical inquiry and threads through every level of your practice.
2. How can sustainable hanger design guided by nature-connected methods prolong garment life and reduce waste in the fashion industry? → Directly connects my research to real-world impact while holding space for poetic process.
3. How might an object-centered design approach reshape our relationship with materials, form, and care beyond human-centered frameworks? → Challenges mainstream design paradigms and offers a fresh, critical lens.
4. In what ways can discarded or undervalued materials be transformed into functional, poetic pieces that honour organic shapes and the imperfections of nature? → Taps into my interest in wood, waste, beauty, and meaning making through material reuse.
5. How can the metaphor of the hanger as a holder reveal hidden systems of support, transition, and care within design, environment, and everyday life? → Brings together metaphor, systems thinking, and tangible design intervention.
5. Research Timeline (May–August 2025)
May 2025 – Initiation & Dual Journaling
• Launch artifact observation journal: vintage hanger collection, sketching, photography, reflection.
• Begin workplace self-ethnographic journal: daily entries based on heuristics (language, decisions, concerns).
• Embark on overnight hiking trip to begin walking-based inquiry and connect with materials in nature.
• Develop visual mind maps of “holding,” “support,” “structure,” and “transition.”
• Launch artifact observation journal: vintage hanger collection, sketching, photography, reflection.
• Begin workplace self-ethnographic journal: daily entries based on heuristics (language, decisions, concerns).
• Embark on overnight hiking trip to begin walking-based inquiry and connect with materials in nature.
• Develop visual mind maps of “holding,” “support,” “structure,” and “transition.”
June 2025 – Explorations in Contexts
• Interview material designers and sustainable fashion experts.
• Continue solo hikes and field journaling. Photograph wood forms and natural joints.
• Partner with Origins Studio and other Vancouver-based wood/ID studios for prototyping.
• Translate field observations into hanger sketches and early experimental builds.
• Engage in cultural ethnography, exploring animism and the spiritual relationships people have with trees.
• Interview material designers and sustainable fashion experts.
• Continue solo hikes and field journaling. Photograph wood forms and natural joints.
• Partner with Origins Studio and other Vancouver-based wood/ID studios for prototyping.
• Translate field observations into hanger sketches and early experimental builds.
• Interview material designers and sustainable fashion experts.
• Continue solo hikes and field journaling. Photograph wood forms and natural joints.
• Partner with Origins Studio and other Vancouver-based wood/ID studios for prototyping.
• Translate field observations into hanger sketches and early experimental builds.
• Engage in cultural ethnography, exploring animism and the spiritual relationships people have with trees.
• Interview material designers and sustainable fashion experts.
• Continue solo hikes and field journaling. Photograph wood forms and natural joints.
• Partner with Origins Studio and other Vancouver-based wood/ID studios for prototyping.
• Translate field observations into hanger sketches and early experimental builds.
July 2025 – Prototyping & Synthesis
• Build first round of 30 experimental hanger prototypes using found, collected, and scrap materials.
• Test prototypes in both domestic and professional settings.
• Identify material-performance patterns, emotional responses, and use challenges.
• Continue journaling and walking: ask–what does it feel like to carry, to hold, to move slowly?
• Build first round of 30 experimental hanger prototypes using found, collected, and scrap materials.
• Test prototypes in both domestic and professional settings.
• Identify material-performance patterns, emotional responses, and use challenges.
• Continue journaling and walking: ask–what does it feel like to carry, to hold, to move slowly?
August 2025 – Presentation & Reflection
• Compile journal reflections into a visual and textual research narrative.
• Create presentation: diagrams, prototypes, photo essays, design maps.
• Share findings in an open-format critique/presentation.
• Develop framework for continuing this research into thesis year: methods, values, and direction.
• Compile journal reflections into a visual and textual research narrative.
• Create presentation: diagrams, prototypes, photo essays, design maps.
• Share findings in an open-format critique/presentation.
• Develop framework for continuing this research into thesis year: methods, values, and direction.
6. Conclusion
This research challenges the fashion industry’s neglect of the humble hanger as a critical element in sustainability. Through the integration of historical inquiry, industry collaboration, cultural ethnography, and user feedback, this project aims to prototype a thoughtful, tangible alternative to current hanger designs–one that supports both garment longevity and mindful consumer habits.
By embracing object-centered design, this research turns its focus toward the material intelligence of wood and the spiritual and emotional dimensions of care. It asks: What does it mean to hold? To support? To sustain? These questions are explored not only through form-making, but through walking, journaling, reflecting, and connecting with the land.
The project draws from my personal connection to nature, my professional position within a leading sustainable apparel brand, and my extended network of industry collaborators. It proposes a model of practice that is neither purely industrial nor purely poetic–but both.
The project draws from my personal connection to nature, my professional position within a leading sustainable apparel brand, and my extended network of industry collaborators. It proposes a model of practice that is neither purely industrial nor purely poetic–but both.
Ultimately, this work invites a reconsideration of how everyday objects–like hangers–can embody values of slowness, kindness, peace, and ecological alignment. It calls for design that not only serves functionally, but resonates spiritually and emotionally, inviting a more mindful relationship with the world around us.