MAKING THE PANEL PIECES
I took my challenge to Gary, a brilliant technician at the university, and together we figured out how to scale up the original jeans pattern. Using Adobe software and a clever scaling wall Gary had built himself, we worked out a way to digitally capture each piece. Once we had everything mapped out in Illustrator, we started testing sizes. The biggest piece needed to fit onto the largest available printer, so we worked backwards from there. Eventually, we landed on a scale of 280% — and that was it. The challenge was officially on!
The giant pattern pieces were printed off and away I went, first producing a toile (a practise version) of the main crotch area in calico to make sure everything worked was ok and to work through any problems before I started on the main pieces. A good friend of mine helped me scale the ‘button fly’ detail up using her CAD technology and kindly reproduces the buttonholes on her embroidery machine, again to a 280% scale, I was good to go from this point. Now I just had to work out how I was going to construct the Giant jeans and to consider all the materials I would use and the story I wanted to tell. I decided to break the jeans down into four panels focusing on: denim, materials, people and the industry.
The first panel focuses on the history of denim. This was such an important leg to create, because denim’s story acts almost like a mirror — reflecting what was happening in the fashion industry, and in the world, at different moments in time. It’s a cultural indicator, showing us changing attitudes, values, and priorities.
The history is incredibly rich, and exploring it only deepened my love and respect for this material.
The second panel explores the question: “What’s in my clothes?” It looks at the fibres and fabrics that make up denim, and the wider materials used in the fashion industry. This was a fascinating leg to work on, especially when looking at materials chronologically.
For example, hemp has been used for over 10,000 years, while polyester only came onto the scene in the 1940s. Seeing these materials side by side really highlights how much — and how quickly, the fashion industry has changed. And not always for the better.
Bringing all of this information together in one place has helped me, and I hope others, better understand the shift from natural to synthetic, and the impact that has had on both people and the planet.
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The third panel focuses on the processes involved in making denim and the people behind every stage of its production. This part was deeply inspired by the Fashion Revolution campaign and their powerful message: “Who made my clothes?”
It’s such an important question — and one that really shaped my thinking.
This panel explores the full journey of a pair of jeans, from the farmers growing the cotton, to the spinners, dyers, machinists, and even the people responsible for recycling our clothes at the end of their life. It helped me begin to understand just how many hands are involved in creating something as everyday as denim — and how invisible those people often are.
By highlighting them, I hope to bring attention not just to the product, but to the people behind it.
The fourth and final panel looks at the fashion industry today — where we are now, and what we can do as individuals to make a difference. This section brings together the bigger picture, including the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the importance of building a truly circular economy.
It’s about shifting how we value textiles — seeing them not as throwaway items, but as resources that should be kept in circulation for as long as possible.
From the choice of fibre, to the way a garment is designed and constructed, all the way through to the end of its life — every stage matters. This panel encourages us to rethink our habits, our systems, and our responsibility, asking: What can we do with unwanted materials? And how can we keep them in the loop, not in landfill?
There was so much to include, and the challenge was huge. But what a challenge it’s been. One that I’ve taken on alongside two brilliant collaborators: a talented young graphic designer, who has helped bring this website to life, and a fabulous illustrator, whose work has turned big subject areas into powerful, beautifully accessible visuals.
The Giant Jeans Project has been a complete labour of love. It’s been time-consuming, overwhelming at moments, and there were definitely days where my head felt like it might explode! But I feel incredibly lucky to have had the chance to bring this idea to life, and I hope it goes on to do exactly what it was built for - to educate, spark curiosity, and get people thinking in a fun, creative, and accessible way.
A huge thank you to Lincoln Creates for believing in this slightly wild idea and supporting its development. Your backing helped turn a concept into a one-of-a-kind piece of educational art.
Let the Giant Jeans journey begin!
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT
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TIME
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FUNDING
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A FOLLOW
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PARTNERING
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IDEAS
Have a suggestion or something to offer? We’d love to hear it. Let’s build something better, for the next generation of denim lovers, learners, and leaders.