<![CDATA[The production of custom-made couture by Indonesian fashion MSMEs generated significant textile waste because fit-to-body construction required patterns that precisely followed the contours of the body, while conventional cutting techniques did not efficiently accommodate this requirement. Existing zero-waste and subtraction cutting techniques had primarily been applied to loose-fitting and ready-to-wear silhouettes, with limited application to fit-to-body couture. This study developed and validated a modified subtraction cutting technique designed to produce fit-to-body couture dresses while maintaining fabric waste below 5%. An exploratory experimental method was employed using a Research through Design (RtD) approach and iterative prototyping. The research process included baseline waste assessment, pattern engineering, controlled comparative testing against conventional patterns using identical amounts of fabric, and aesthetic and fit validation by an expert panel. The results showed that the selected subtraction cutting prototype successfully reduced fabric waste from 7.64% for the conventional baseline to 4.65%, representing a relative reduction of 39.14%. The prototype also achieved a “Good” rating (74.4%) in expert validation based on aesthetic and fit-to-body criteria. The final garments were subsequently produced using patchwork materials obtained from partner MSMEs, demonstrating the practical potential for utilizing textile waste. Expert feedback identified improvement of the drapery as the primary priority for final design refinement. Overall, this study demonstrated an applicable pattern-engineering approach and provided empirical evidence that fit-to-body couture could be aligned with textile waste reduction objectives in sustainable fashion production.]]>
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