The growing demand for sustainable production has encouraged designers to reinterpret traditional textile materials through contemporary design approaches. Although numerous studies have explored textile recycling and upcycling, limited attention has been paid to the intersection of postmodern design theory, cultural heritage, and material narratives within sustainable textile design. This study investigates how traditional Kutnu fabric, a significant element of Gaziantep's textile heritage, can be reinterpreted through postmodern and upcycling approaches to produce contemporary textile bags with both cultural and environmental value.
The research adopted a practice-based design methodology. Defectively manufactured Kutnu fabrics (pre-consumer textile waste) were combined with post-consumer textile materials, including denim, knitted, and woven fabrics, to develop eleven bags and one interior organizer (twelve prototypes in total). Design decisions were guided by postmodern concepts such as collage, hybridity, fragmentation, and reinterpretation, while upcycling principles emphasized material recovery and value creation. Each prototype was subsequently examined through a reflective design analysis conducted by the two designer-researchers against five practice-based criteria, rather than through independent expert or user evaluation. To enhance durability, discarded nonwoven felts were integrated into the structures, and an organizer system was designed to improve functionality.
The findings demonstrate that combining traditional Kutnu fabric with reclaimed textile materials generates products that simultaneously preserve cultural identity, extend material life cycles, and create new aesthetic narratives. Rather than functioning merely as recycled products, the bags serve as material-based storytelling objects, where memory, sustainability, and contemporary design coexist.
The study contributes to sustainable textile design literature by proposing a design framework that integrates postmodern artistic theory with cultural heritage preservation through upcycling practices. Furthermore, it offers an alternative model for transforming textile waste into high-value design products while strengthening cultural continuity.