H&M have announced that from the 1st of January 2013, they will ban the use of perfluorinated compounds (PFC's) from their products.
PFC's are used as a finishing agent for waterproofing materials. The compound is known to be ubiquitous, appearing on items such as jackets, coats, shoes, shower curtains and tents. PFC's are also persistently harmful for the environment. PFC's are proposed as a new class of 'persistent organic pollutants'. As the strength of the carbon-fluorine bond in PFC's is so strong, the compound does not degrade; PFC's are found in water, food samples, in animals and mammals and even human breast milk and blood.
In 2011, after Greenpeace released a report about toxic pollution in the garment industry, H&M teamed up with Adidas, C&A, Li Ning, Nike and Puma to lead the industry toward zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020.
H&M are also a part of AFIRM, an international team of leading companies within the textiles and footwear industries that seek to reduce the use of harmful substances in the industry.
H&M PUTS BAN ON PERFLUORINATED COMPOUNDS
SUSTAINABILITY REPORTS
Tuesday 4 September 2012
Tuesday 28 August 2012
An Industry Tainted
Fashion Designer Jason Hewitt graduated from RMIT in 2010 and was selected to show in the prestigious National Graduate Showcase at the 2011 L’Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival. He's revered as one of the most aesthetically exciting designers to emerge from Melbourne in recent years. Hewitt publicly advocates sustainable design and recently discussed this for The Urban Times. You can read the full article at The Urban Times.
“While purchasing with the idea that the item will last for an extended period of time is not a groundbreaking phenomenon, or one that will save the environment, it is an idea that will perhaps help to combat the throw away attitude that society takes to fashion; an attitude that is in many ways the fault of the industry itself.” ~ Jason Hewitt
Hewitt touches on the idea that a conscious consumer has responsibility of curating their own wardrobe. To curate a sustainable and ethical wardrobe it is important to buy with longevity in mind, buying less good quality garments, to source from companies that are transparent - that are sustainable and ethical, supporting small (local) businesses and trade - not supporting sweatshops, giving love back to creativity, rekindling a personal approach to style; this will cut down the amount of unwanted goods purchased, while also ensuring there will be less; better yet, none to 'throw away'.
Curating a wardrobe isn't a new idea to me but it's one that I'm working on.
'What we – both as an industry and as the target audience seem to have largely forgotten – is that clothing is a craft, and should be treated as such...'
The article written by Hewitt pulled at my heart-strings. It was especially the latter that did this.
Jason Hewitt currently lives in Melbourne and spends his time trying to reconcile his love of design with what he describes as an “ever increasing sense of dissatisfaction at the state of the world, and the state of his chosen industry”.
I sincerely relate to Hewitt's reconciliation efforts. Honest artists like Hewitt remind me it's alright to feel this sense of dissatisfaction and I realise I'm not alone in this.
Nowadays, for me, anything that sparks a sense of dissatisfaction acts as fuel to perpetuate my aspirations; along with inspirations.
" If there is any hope left in a world so far fallen into the most hellish part of itself, it is within the arts and its screaming artists."
~ Anthony Anaxagorou
[Keep screaming Hewitt,
I hear you!]
“While purchasing with the idea that the item will last for an extended period of time is not a groundbreaking phenomenon, or one that will save the environment, it is an idea that will perhaps help to combat the throw away attitude that society takes to fashion; an attitude that is in many ways the fault of the industry itself.” ~ Jason Hewitt
Hewitt touches on the idea that a conscious consumer has responsibility of curating their own wardrobe. To curate a sustainable and ethical wardrobe it is important to buy with longevity in mind, buying less good quality garments, to source from companies that are transparent - that are sustainable and ethical, supporting small (local) businesses and trade - not supporting sweatshops, giving love back to creativity, rekindling a personal approach to style; this will cut down the amount of unwanted goods purchased, while also ensuring there will be less; better yet, none to 'throw away'.
Curating a wardrobe isn't a new idea to me but it's one that I'm working on.
'What we – both as an industry and as the target audience seem to have largely forgotten – is that clothing is a craft, and should be treated as such...'
 |
| LEFT TO ROT: Does the above photo speak of craft? Mass production results in thousands of items heading to landfill. Source: The Guardian |
The article written by Hewitt pulled at my heart-strings. It was especially the latter that did this.
Jason Hewitt currently lives in Melbourne and spends his time trying to reconcile his love of design with what he describes as an “ever increasing sense of dissatisfaction at the state of the world, and the state of his chosen industry”.
I sincerely relate to Hewitt's reconciliation efforts. Honest artists like Hewitt remind me it's alright to feel this sense of dissatisfaction and I realise I'm not alone in this.
Nowadays, for me, anything that sparks a sense of dissatisfaction acts as fuel to perpetuate my aspirations; along with inspirations.
" If there is any hope left in a world so far fallen into the most hellish part of itself, it is within the arts and its screaming artists."
~ Anthony Anaxagorou
[Keep screaming Hewitt,
I hear you!]
Monday 20 August 2012
Lucy Siegle - To Die For; is fashion wearing out the world?
I've recently read To Die For written by Lucy Siegle.
Lucy Siegle is an ethical writer and sustainable fashion advocate.
To Die For tells of eye-opening accounts of the inhumane corruption and environmental devastation in the global (fast) fashion chain. Tackling particular issues of the current obsession with cheap and fast fashion, Siegle appeals for an urgent change that needs to be made by the industry and the consumer.
Siegle breaks down environmental devastation, animal welfare and human rights factors to inform the reader of the current situation of the industry, advocating an available sustainable and ethical alternative. This clear information encourages the reader to understand the differences between sustainable and ethical design and why it's important to support both and preferably not the majority of mass-industry which is in reality supporting neither. Good design is capable of protecting environments while supporting human rights - why wouldn't we want to adhere to that? And I've learnt, just like biodiversity is important in a healthy eco-system, it is also healthy for our wardrobes.
Lucy Siegle shares her ethical fashion vision, one that isn't all hemp shoes and hippie throw-backs but one that lives in the strong presence of today with sustainable and ethical designers challenging big fashion's footprint with an impassioned genuine care for people and planet, while also maintaining fashionable desirability.
This book will make you think twice about your purchasing decisions, and shock you into desiring the alternative. Siegle acts as the light at the end of the tunnel, directing the way to a more sustainable lifestyle; a lifestyle that asks more questions, a lifestyle that involves personal informed choices.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.
Lucy Siegle is an ethical writer and sustainable fashion advocate.
 |
| image courtesy of goodreads.com |
To Die For tells of eye-opening accounts of the inhumane corruption and environmental devastation in the global (fast) fashion chain. Tackling particular issues of the current obsession with cheap and fast fashion, Siegle appeals for an urgent change that needs to be made by the industry and the consumer.
Siegle breaks down environmental devastation, animal welfare and human rights factors to inform the reader of the current situation of the industry, advocating an available sustainable and ethical alternative. This clear information encourages the reader to understand the differences between sustainable and ethical design and why it's important to support both and preferably not the majority of mass-industry which is in reality supporting neither. Good design is capable of protecting environments while supporting human rights - why wouldn't we want to adhere to that? And I've learnt, just like biodiversity is important in a healthy eco-system, it is also healthy for our wardrobes.
Lucy Siegle shares her ethical fashion vision, one that isn't all hemp shoes and hippie throw-backs but one that lives in the strong presence of today with sustainable and ethical designers challenging big fashion's footprint with an impassioned genuine care for people and planet, while also maintaining fashionable desirability.
This book will make you think twice about your purchasing decisions, and shock you into desiring the alternative. Siegle acts as the light at the end of the tunnel, directing the way to a more sustainable lifestyle; a lifestyle that asks more questions, a lifestyle that involves personal informed choices.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.
Monday 30 July 2012
Eco-Fibre - Reviving Nettle
Nettles have such negative connotation in regards to our gardens and our vulnerable bare skin - but they could provide a sustainable solution for fashion designers.
Nettles provide a sustainable alternative to cotton as their growth rate and low maintenance qualities require minimal amounts of water and no pesticides, much like its relation of the bast fibre family - hemp. Nettles also thrive in the poorest of soil (with an added benefit of feeding nutrients back into the soil it grows in) while attracting an array of wildlife to the area.
The research staff at DeMontfort University in Leicester, UK are also pushing nettle fashions forward by eliminating the use of toxic chemicals in processing the fiber and breeding varieties of the plant that render even softer textiles. They have discovered a method of using enzymes for dissolving the lignin, a glue-like substance that makes plant stems sturdy, in order to extract the fibers to use for spinning into yarn. The university researchers have partnered up with furnishing textile producer Camira in a venture called STING: Sustainable Technologies in Nettle Growing. ~ EcoSalon
We've used nettles in cooking concoctions and in moisturising creams over the years. It might be time to dig out the weeds for our wardrobes, again. Soon enough, we might be wearing the nuisance that was, nettles, close to our skin.
Do not fear! Nettle fabric is extracted from the phloem - the stalk of the plant, making it a fabric that's softer and more durable than cotton.
Nettles provide a sustainable alternative to cotton as their growth rate and low maintenance qualities require minimal amounts of water and no pesticides, much like its relation of the bast fibre family - hemp. Nettles also thrive in the poorest of soil (with an added benefit of feeding nutrients back into the soil it grows in) while attracting an array of wildlife to the area.
Much like hemp - will the benefits of nettle be squandered?
The use of nettle for textiles isn't a new idea; it dates back 2,000 years, it was most popular in Victorian times. When cotton arrived in the 16th Century, nettle lost its popularity, (cotton was easier to harvest and spin, too) dwindling the amount of other fibrous resource use. Nettles made a brief comeback in the First World War when Germany suffered a cotton shortage.
To this day, existing problems in the agricultural sector seek the need for alternative crops. Although, this time around, the concern about environmental damage caused by cotton is the driving force for alternative fibre manufacture and use.
DID YOU KNOW? The juice of nettle leaves and stem have been used over centuries to make a permanent green dye, while a yellow dye can be made by boiling the roots.
There haven't been many nettle textile products being made and procured in recent years, although there are a fine few in this generation who are causing a revival of this useful weed. This includes Netl - a Dutch fashion label. 'Netl is a quintessentially Dutch, fashion forward label. Not only the designs are avant garde and pure: the intractability of Netl starts with the material. ... The warm, colorful knitwear is a blend of cotton and nettle.' ~ Netl, translated 'About' page
To this day, existing problems in the agricultural sector seek the need for alternative crops. Although, this time around, the concern about environmental damage caused by cotton is the driving force for alternative fibre manufacture and use.
DID YOU KNOW? The juice of nettle leaves and stem have been used over centuries to make a permanent green dye, while a yellow dye can be made by boiling the roots.
There haven't been many nettle textile products being made and procured in recent years, although there are a fine few in this generation who are causing a revival of this useful weed. This includes Netl - a Dutch fashion label. 'Netl is a quintessentially Dutch, fashion forward label. Not only the designs are avant garde and pure: the intractability of Netl starts with the material. ... The warm, colorful knitwear is a blend of cotton and nettle.' ~ Netl, translated 'About' page
Netl knitwear is made from a blend of 75% cotton and 25% nettle yarns - making use of our new advances in spinning technologies and cross-breeding capabilities.
 |
| Netl is a quintessentially Dutch, fashion forward label |
The research staff at DeMontfort University in Leicester, UK are also pushing nettle fashions forward by eliminating the use of toxic chemicals in processing the fiber and breeding varieties of the plant that render even softer textiles. They have discovered a method of using enzymes for dissolving the lignin, a glue-like substance that makes plant stems sturdy, in order to extract the fibers to use for spinning into yarn. The university researchers have partnered up with furnishing textile producer Camira in a venture called STING: Sustainable Technologies in Nettle Growing. ~ EcoSalon
...................................
Many new technologies are emerging to tackle the environmental issues of the fashion industry, although the current reinvention of the nettle reminds us that we can also learn lessons from the past.
Tuesday 10 July 2012
Recycling Textiles Throughout The Globe
Since becoming a keen follower of the recycling industry and the challenges of sustainability, I've been researching the impacts and implications of global issues.
I'm a follower of Eco Textile News for all of their Eco-textile related goodness. Ecotextile news magazine write news from across the globe concerning the textile industry and clothing supply chain.
Below I've listed some choice cuts from their recent news.
VARGÖN, SWEDEN – A new pilot textile recycling facility in Sweden, which aims to turn used textiles into fibres good enough for spinning and re-use in clothing, has finally been given the go-ahead. It is hoped the plant can be scaled up to take textile waste from Scandinavian retailers such as H&M and IKEA for up-cycling into new clothes through the regeneration of cotton and viscose fabrics.
BOLOGNA – Italian synthetic textile yarn supplier RadiciGroup has launched a new range of 100% post-consumer recycled polyester yarns for the sportswear and medical sectors that are available in a variety of counts, colours and lustres or as solution dyed yarn that have been sourced in Europe from bottle collection to yarn spinning.
RIO DE JANEIRO – In the wake of the recent Rio +20 UN Summit, Osklen, one of Brazil’s top fashion brands has teamed up with the Italian government, through Corrado Clini, the Italian Minister of Environment, to develop a new project that aims to develop cutting-edge, sustainable textiles and clothing.
MILAN – Green Carpet Challenge (GCC) founder Livia Firth will team up with British TV presenter, Observer journalist and author Lucy Siegle to host a special session at this year’s RITE Group conference on sustainable textiles in London on October 10th.
NEW YORK - Apparel manufacturer VDS Group has introduced a policy of 100% water treatment and reuse for its LEED Platinum certified factory Vintage Denim Studio Limited in Bangladesh.
HONG KONG – Crystal Group, one of the world’s leading garment manufacturers has received two awards for environmental excellence including its Chinese denim mill Zhong Shan Yida Apparel, which is capable of recycling 80 per cent of its treated water as the company reveals plans for zero water discharge at this factory.
~ Ecotextile News
LONDON - Right here in London I'm enjoying the work of Reclaim to Wear; an upcycling haven.
RTW utilises the fashion industry's surplus such as stock, remnants and off-cuts, recycling and reintroducing the textiles back into the market as a new, upcycled product.
Designers and retailers are welcomed to collaborate with Reclaim to Wear to create 'zero waste' collections. The waste from the textile industry is maintained with sustainable methods with Reclaim to Wear's ethos.
I'm a follower of Eco Textile News for all of their Eco-textile related goodness. Ecotextile news magazine write news from across the globe concerning the textile industry and clothing supply chain.
Below I've listed some choice cuts from their recent news.
VARGÖN, SWEDEN – A new pilot textile recycling facility in Sweden, which aims to turn used textiles into fibres good enough for spinning and re-use in clothing, has finally been given the go-ahead. It is hoped the plant can be scaled up to take textile waste from Scandinavian retailers such as H&M and IKEA for up-cycling into new clothes through the regeneration of cotton and viscose fabrics.
BOLOGNA – Italian synthetic textile yarn supplier RadiciGroup has launched a new range of 100% post-consumer recycled polyester yarns for the sportswear and medical sectors that are available in a variety of counts, colours and lustres or as solution dyed yarn that have been sourced in Europe from bottle collection to yarn spinning.
RIO DE JANEIRO – In the wake of the recent Rio +20 UN Summit, Osklen, one of Brazil’s top fashion brands has teamed up with the Italian government, through Corrado Clini, the Italian Minister of Environment, to develop a new project that aims to develop cutting-edge, sustainable textiles and clothing.
MILAN – Green Carpet Challenge (GCC) founder Livia Firth will team up with British TV presenter, Observer journalist and author Lucy Siegle to host a special session at this year’s RITE Group conference on sustainable textiles in London on October 10th.
NEW YORK - Apparel manufacturer VDS Group has introduced a policy of 100% water treatment and reuse for its LEED Platinum certified factory Vintage Denim Studio Limited in Bangladesh.
HONG KONG – Crystal Group, one of the world’s leading garment manufacturers has received two awards for environmental excellence including its Chinese denim mill Zhong Shan Yida Apparel, which is capable of recycling 80 per cent of its treated water as the company reveals plans for zero water discharge at this factory.
~ Ecotextile News
................................................
LONDON - Right here in London I'm enjoying the work of Reclaim to Wear; an upcycling haven.
RTW utilises the fashion industry's surplus such as stock, remnants and off-cuts, recycling and reintroducing the textiles back into the market as a new, upcycled product.
Designers and retailers are welcomed to collaborate with Reclaim to Wear to create 'zero waste' collections. The waste from the textile industry is maintained with sustainable methods with Reclaim to Wear's ethos.
Reclaim to Wear recently collaborated with Topshop, creating a debut upcycled capsule collection made entirely from discarded materials. It launched on the 15th of June.
'This is the first step towards the creation of zero waste design collections. The Topshop team's commitment to new sustainable solutions will lead to the reconsidering of consumption versus disposal versus disposal throughout the whole fashion industry supply chain.' ~ Topshop Reclaim to Wear
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| Topshop Reclaim to Wear, launched June 15th 2012 |
What measures are being taken where you are, to reduce textile waste?
Saturday 23 June 2012
Biocouture, Vegetable Leather: The Future Fabric of Fashion?
London based designer Suzanne Lee is growing her own material for a project named Biocouture. Biocouture is a research project harnessing nature to propose a radical future fashion vision. Lee is collaborating with scientists to unite design with cutting edge bio and nano technologies. Together they are investigating the use of microbial-cellulose, to produce clothing.
Lee is essentially using a kombucha recipe. Biocouture clothing comprises a concoction of green tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast which spin cellulose in a fermentation process. Over time, these tiny threads form in the liquid into layers and produce a mat on the surface, enabling the growth of an organic material which Lee describes as a kind of vegetable leather.
The two discoveries collide because I discovered them around the same time, plus, the first Biocouture garment that I saw resembles skin like qualities. My broadening interests at the time allowed me to be recepetive to new designers and artists that were blowing my mind. I love to discover an artist and then years later be updated of their achievements through different media. I discovered Suzanne Lee's work sometime in 2010 and since then I've been an avid follower of it.
Recently, in 2012, I've noticed that Lee's Biocouture project is being even more widely publicised. I've read that Lee has had so many enquiries that she can't keep up! I know that her work has been involved with PR in blogs for years and on her own site; Biocouture (recently under construction). And now, recently, Biocouture has been broadcast from the local BBC headquarters to the distant Brooklyn, NY, by the super Reality Sandwich.
We will witness more advancements of this material's potential as the project evolves becoming more commercially viable and desired for its sustainable and ethical properties.
Suzanne Lee on CNN - How to grow your own clothes
Here's a video from March 2011. Suzanne Lee giving a TED talk about her Biocouture project:
On the 7th of July this year Suzanne Lee appeared on the BBC alongside an annoyingly apt theme-tune. Biocouture: Designer Suzanne Lee on growing your own clothes.
Happy researching.
Lee is essentially using a kombucha recipe. Biocouture clothing comprises a concoction of green tea, sugar, bacteria and yeast which spin cellulose in a fermentation process. Over time, these tiny threads form in the liquid into layers and produce a mat on the surface, enabling the growth of an organic material which Lee describes as a kind of vegetable leather.
I'm not suggesting that microbial cellulose is going to be a replacement for cotton, leather or other textile materials. But I do think it could be quite a smart and sustainable addition to our increasingly precious natural resources. ~ Suzanne Lee
The potentiality for this organic alternative to leather is very exciting.
There are flaws in the design, however, like the super-absorbency of the material. If the material gets wet it will absorb the liquid, taking the material back to its former growth state. Lee is very confident that the issue can be resolved. The difficulty is how best to achieve it without the use of nasty chemicals.
There are flaws in the design, however, like the super-absorbency of the material. If the material gets wet it will absorb the liquid, taking the material back to its former growth state. Lee is very confident that the issue can be resolved. The difficulty is how best to achieve it without the use of nasty chemicals.
Suzanne Lee came up with the idea when researching her book, "Fashioning The Future: Tomorrow's Wardrobe" about how fashion might look in 50 years time.
I found out about Suzanne Lee's work after discovering Olivier Goulet's SkinBag Garments during a visit to 'Skin' at one of my favourite galleries; Wellcome Collection. |
| A finished Biocouture garment, resembling skin. |
The two discoveries collide because I discovered them around the same time, plus, the first Biocouture garment that I saw resembles skin like qualities. My broadening interests at the time allowed me to be recepetive to new designers and artists that were blowing my mind. I love to discover an artist and then years later be updated of their achievements through different media. I discovered Suzanne Lee's work sometime in 2010 and since then I've been an avid follower of it.
Recently, in 2012, I've noticed that Lee's Biocouture project is being even more widely publicised. I've read that Lee has had so many enquiries that she can't keep up! I know that her work has been involved with PR in blogs for years and on her own site; Biocouture (recently under construction). And now, recently, Biocouture has been broadcast from the local BBC headquarters to the distant Brooklyn, NY, by the super Reality Sandwich.
We will witness more advancements of this material's potential as the project evolves becoming more commercially viable and desired for its sustainable and ethical properties.
Design Futurist Suzanne Lee is a disruptive thinker who translates emergent technologies into future visions. ~ Biocouture
Suzanne Lee on CNN - How to grow your own clothes
Here's a video from March 2011. Suzanne Lee giving a TED talk about her Biocouture project:
On the 7th of July this year Suzanne Lee appeared on the BBC alongside an annoyingly apt theme-tune. Biocouture: Designer Suzanne Lee on growing your own clothes.
Happy researching.
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Fermented Fashion
Researchers at the Bioalloy laboratories University of Western Australia have developed a way to turn alcohol into clothing. The creators have aptly named the living microbe fabric Micro'be'.
The Microb'be'/Fermented Fashion project investigates the practical and cultural biosynthesis of microbiology, exploring forms of futuristic dress-making and textile technologies.
The project involves a collaboration between scientist Gary Cass and artist Donna Franklin. Fermented Fashion expands upon concepts explored in their previous works.
Gary Cass was inspired to create cellulose garments when he noticed a skin-like rubbery layer covering a vat of wine that was contaminated with Acetobacter bacteria; the kind that ferment wine into vinegar. This process creates microfibers of cellulose (similar to cotton) which feels a little sludgy when wet but it dries to the consistency of cotton.
Cass worked with artist Donna Franklin to fashion the bacteria. The bacteria ferments the alcohol into a raft of microbial fibrils that float just above the surface. Once extracted the material is fashioned by pouring and wrapping around a mold or a body. The resulting material is entirely seamless.
The Micro‘be’ material, initially fermented from red wine, has now been produced from white wine, beer and even Guinness. The different types of alcohol give a different shade to the finished fabric. Although, the smell of the bacteria is apparent even after the material has stiffened which isn't ideal for commercial usage. The creators acknowledge the flaws in their design. The fabric lacks flexibility and smells pretty alcoholic. Cass and Franklin are currently working on these issues to make the fabric more commercial, and they're optimistic about their experimentation.
Micro'be' is an eco-friendly, organic and biodegradable material. Growing our own fabric could be one of the answers to resource shortages. On another note, there's not a seamstress in sight which cuts production costs. Although the material isn't ready to have commercial use, it's ingenuity to invigorate the status quo. Besides, the research isn't over. Cass is also researching Microb’be’s potential as medical dressing or scaffolds for tissue engineering.
“Fermented fashion doesn’t need to stay within the fashion world but can inspire new thoughts in many other disciplines, such as medicine, engineering, dentistry, architecture. All one has to do is let their imagination, creativity, and ingenuity loose.” ~ Gary Cass
If you like this project, I recommend Biocouture,
and Fashion and Biomimicry.
The Microb'be'/Fermented Fashion project investigates the practical and cultural biosynthesis of microbiology, exploring forms of futuristic dress-making and textile technologies.
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Bioalloy.org |
Gary Cass was inspired to create cellulose garments when he noticed a skin-like rubbery layer covering a vat of wine that was contaminated with Acetobacter bacteria; the kind that ferment wine into vinegar. This process creates microfibers of cellulose (similar to cotton) which feels a little sludgy when wet but it dries to the consistency of cotton.
Cass worked with artist Donna Franklin to fashion the bacteria. The bacteria ferments the alcohol into a raft of microbial fibrils that float just above the surface. Once extracted the material is fashioned by pouring and wrapping around a mold or a body. The resulting material is entirely seamless.
The Micro‘be’ material, initially fermented from red wine, has now been produced from white wine, beer and even Guinness. The different types of alcohol give a different shade to the finished fabric. Although, the smell of the bacteria is apparent even after the material has stiffened which isn't ideal for commercial usage. The creators acknowledge the flaws in their design. The fabric lacks flexibility and smells pretty alcoholic. Cass and Franklin are currently working on these issues to make the fabric more commercial, and they're optimistic about their experimentation.
 |
| Photo Courtesy of Bioalloy.org |
 |
| The fabric takes on the colour of its feedstock |
“Fermented fashion doesn’t need to stay within the fashion world but can inspire new thoughts in many other disciplines, such as medicine, engineering, dentistry, architecture. All one has to do is let their imagination, creativity, and ingenuity loose.” ~ Gary Cass
If you like this project, I recommend Biocouture,
and Fashion and Biomimicry.
Monday 11 June 2012
Closed Loop Production; Preventing Landfill
McDonald's 85,000 employees in Britain are set to get a makeover this summer. When the 2012 Olympic Games open in London, McDonald's staff will be sporting new uniforms designed by Wayne and Geraldine Hemingway (for Worn Again), the husband and wife behind London fashion label Red or Dead.
Upcycling design brand Worn Again have a long term partnership with McDonald's to introduce a closed loop system of recycling their uniforms. McDonald's were the first company in the UK to commit to the closed loop system. They could soon be followed by National Grid and Marks and Spencer. Virgin Atlantic, Royal Mail and Eurostar have already joined forces with Worn Again for upcycled products.
Closed loop production is a manufacturing model that incorporates returned products as a part of the supply chain. The manufacturer takes responsibility of the product once the products become obsolete; the manufacturer reclaim (to reuse) what they had distributed. The reclaimed items will usually be reused, recycled or upcycled into another product, thus creating a loop. The closed loop system deters the used products ending up in landfills, preventing waste, devising a more sustainable design life-cycle.
"Closed-loop production is a big deal, and a very, very important area for the future," ~ Nabil Nasr, director of the Golisano Institute for Sustainability at the Rochester Institute of Technology. "What's driving the growth is the realisation among manufacturers that there won't be enough raw materials to meet the increasing demand for consumer goods in developing economies in the future. The rising price of oil - one of the main components of polyester - is also sparking interest in the new production method."
........
In Britain alone, 33.4 million uniforms are purchased each year and less than 5% of them are recycled.
The closed loop system will ensure the percentage of (uniform) recycling increases dramatically, promoting sustainable production lines and preventing 'waste' to landfill.
........
Worn Again has only just begun to bring together a network of companies committed to using closed-loop uniforms, but Rhoades is already looking ahead. "The high street is the next big step. Ultimately, we need to move into the consumer market."
There are also other obstacles, such as the fact that the recycling of natural fibers, as well as blends of natural and synthetic materials, isn't technologically possible at the moment. "That's our holy grail, finding ways to close-loop natural fibers." - Rhoades
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| Remade: Virgin Atlantic's old economy class seat covers |
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| Remade: Royal Mail's decommissioned storm jackets |
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| Decommissioned Eurostar uniforms upcycled into Eurostar bags |
Why Upcycle?
“The combined waste from clothing and textiles in the UK is about 2.35 million tonnes, 13% going to material recovery (about 300 thousand tonnes), 13% to incineration and 74% (1.8 million tonnes) to landfill.” - University of Cambridge Institute for Manufacturing
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| Worn Again |
I must admit I was a little skeptical upon hearing McDonald's to be the first corporation to take on closed loop production, although skepticism aside, the benefits of no textiles going to landfill do not lie. The bigger the corporation that Worn Again work with, the more people who will get to witness their advancements. It's encouraging to see such gargantuan companies participating in greener values. Worn Again are lessening the environmental impact for the end phase of product use; waste doesn't have to be waste.
McDonald's/Worn Again Press Release
Saturday 9 June 2012
Shed Me Clothes: An Alternative to Fast Fashion?
Shed me Clothes is a project devised by Katie Ledger, an MA Fashion and the Environment Student.
During her studies at London College of Fashion, Katie Ledger developed an innovative textile that reduces the environmental impact during the use phase of a garment through the application of biomimetic techniques.
Shed me Clothes follows the development of a biomimetic textile that draws inspiration from the ecdysis process (or shedding of skin) witnessed in nature by snakes and insects. Recognising that snakes shed layers to repair and renew, Shed me Clothes sets about developing a textile that too sheds layers as an alternative to laundering. ~ Shed me Clothes Press Release
Shed Me designs would comprise three to eight layers of natural-fiber fabric attached by polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), a nontoxic, water-soluble yarn with high tensile strength and flexibility. It's described as a quick-dissolver and fully biodegradable.
Katie Ledger aims to reduce the environmental impacts of a garment during its use phase by creating a new method for laundering clothes. These garments don't require conventional laundering, skipping the energy intensive phase of use. Instead, when the outer layers are sprayed with water, it's possible to peel a layer of the garment away, each layer molts to reveal a new one. Shed me Clothes offers another alternative, too. The layers that have been shed can be composted, offering an alternate disposal, highlighting the 'waste' issue of what should and can be done to minimise it. In some cases the shed layers can be reattached in different configurations.
'The purpose to find an alternative to laundering is the ultimate aim of the textile with the sole purpose that the use phase causes the most environmental impact during the life cycle of a garment; consuming high levels of energy and releasing phosphates into waterways.'
'By composting shed layers, the usually linear clothing life cycle can be closed. The ultimate disposability of Shed me Clothes offers an alternative to fast fashion.'
~ Shed me Clothes Press Release
Katie Ledger aims to reduce the environmental impacts of a garment during its use phase by creating a new method for laundering clothes. These garments don't require conventional laundering, skipping the energy intensive phase of use. Instead, when the outer layers are sprayed with water, it's possible to peel a layer of the garment away, each layer molts to reveal a new one. Shed me Clothes offers another alternative, too. The layers that have been shed can be composted, offering an alternate disposal, highlighting the 'waste' issue of what should and can be done to minimise it. In some cases the shed layers can be reattached in different configurations.
'By composting shed layers, the usually linear clothing life cycle can be closed. The ultimate disposability of Shed me Clothes offers an alternative to fast fashion.'
~ Shed me Clothes Press Release
Katie Ledger has made films showcasing her concept and there are also Shed me Clothes tests available to view online on YouTube: Beherenwrobin
Katie wishes to continue the Shed me Clothes project at PhD level with a strong desire to explore the concept's potential.
This is an inspiring project exploring new methods of biomimetic design solutions to solve global issues - one to watch. Highly looking forward to its progression.
Thursday 7 June 2012
Design for Change; Fashion meets Biomimicry
'Biomimicry draws us far beyond the limits of the narrow and intellectual habitat of industrialized design and reminds us of the dual nature of our present circumstances as designers: how small a part we play in, and yet what enormous responsibility we have, to the “whole.”' An excerpt taken from Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change (2012, Laurence King) by Kate Fletcher and Lynda Grose.
Practical magic: Fractal Geometry
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| Using the example of an equilateral triangle, Donella Meadows explains that when another such triangle is added at the center of each side and the pattern repeated, an elaborate shape results. The Koch snowflake illustrates that biomimicry is not simply a tool for copying. Rather, it is understanding and applying nature’s principles—surprisingly simple at their core. |
Kate Fletcher and Lynda Grose discuss Janine Benyus' basic guidelines for designers who wish to evaluate their own ideas and actions for using biomimicry models. Benyus states that designers should use Nature as a model, as a measure and as a mentor. Without all three guidelines the full potential of biomimicry might not be realised.
Nature as measure: where nature is used as an ecological standard to judge the “rightness” of our innovation, e.g., considering how much energy (and what type) does the solar panel use in its production and whether the energy it saves during use justifies this investment.
Nature as mentor: where nature is viewed and valued in a new way. It introduces an era based not on what we can extract from the natural world, but on what we can learn from it, e.g., developing solar technology that can be installed close to the point of use, rather than developing desert wilderness areas into solar-panel farms.
'Designers may be frustrated at the lack of access and means for implementing biomimicry innovations.'
Fletcher and Grose continue to discuss the starting point of biomimicry for fashion designers which is usually the physical materiality - the textiles.
Advantageous: It is sometimes enough to change the surface of textiles without having to change the chemistry of them; just take a look at Sharklet, for example.
Disadvantageous: The enhancement of fabrics and fibers are usually housed within the labs of technical Universities thus making the knowledge of these material developments difficult to access. The frustrations of the designer's difficulty accessing information are "indicators of old work habits".
I acknowledge that the perceived "old work habits" are a second-nature reaction to the pressure as a retailer for quick turn around in conception, to production to shop floor for consumer use. The ever growing competition will not allow designers to slow down the speed of their collection's readiness. But, I believe this ethos is practiced by the high street designers and retailers.
The designers who want to achieve greatness in their developments are doing so. Take a look at these three designers for inspiration:
Karen Ingham - Pollinator Frocks. Protecting the symbiotic relationships of declining species through interdisciplinary collaboration with entomologists, botanists, microscopists, surface pattern technologists and print and coating engineers. (Nature as a model:) The fabrics of the pollinator frocks were treated with pollinator food sources that replicate nectar. Ingham designed frocks to attract bees and butterflies; the patterned fabric acts as 'wearable gardens'.
Donna Sgro - Morphotex. Sydney designer Donna Sgro designed a frock from the Morphotex, a nanotechnology-based, structurally coloured fiber that mimics the microscopic structure of the Morpho butterfly’s wings. Manufactured by Teijin in Japan. (Nature as a measure:) No dyes or pigments are used for Morphotex, and because the dyeing process is skipped so is the water and energy consumption that is used in conventional dyeing.
Suzanne Lee - BioCouture. Imagine if we could grow clothing. Suzanne Lee is realising that potential. She is collaborating with scientists to unite design with cutting edge bio and nano-technologies. (Nature as a mentor?:) Together they are investigating the use of microbial-cellulose, grown in a laboratory, to produce clothing.
-Going back to the koch snowflake and Benyus' work; to understand the distinction of biomimicry's purpose is critical. It's too easy for designers to use biomimicry to sell novelty and feign green credentials. However, the authenticity of smart design will be exceptionally difficult to feign (of many factors) and only those who have the mastery of their field should succeed in discovering biomimicry's power.
Returning to thoughts on consumerism and the need for speed of retailers: Fletcher and Grose state that "Fabric and product development, ecology, business motivations, and consumer behaviour must co-evolve to achieve optimum sustainability benefits."
The reality is that all affecting factors of the design's lifecycle must co-evolve together. There needs to be a balance of consciousness between the factors, especially that of the relationship between the consumer's behaviour and the businesses motives or vice versa. In the product lifecycle case, or for the basic biomimicry guidelines of model, measure and mentor; one without the other is extracting potential power away from an extremely powerful medium.
Tuesday 5 June 2012
Monday 4 June 2012
Little Slide Dress
Emily Steel constructed The Little Slide Dress out of recycled individual film slides, backed with light-sensitive LEDs. During the day the dress will remain true to its surface material of little colour, but when darkness falls the LEDs sensor reacts, bringing the backed slides truly into the limelight.
"The Little Slide Dress is a modern take on the classic Little Black Dress. It uses modern technology and blends it with a 100-year-old medium, film. The Dress draws inspiration from classic movies and the ‘magic of film’ to create a wearable piece of technology and art." ~ Emily Steel, Behance
"The Little Slide Dress is a modern take on the classic Little Black Dress. It uses modern technology and blends it with a 100-year-old medium, film. The Dress draws inspiration from classic movies and the ‘magic of film’ to create a wearable piece of technology and art." ~ Emily Steel, Behance
Lemuria Moon Dress
The Lemuria Moon Dress is an awe-inspiring versatile shape-shifting number. There are SIX dresses in ONE making the Lunar Dress economical and cutting edge. It's wholly impressive of Susanna Gioia to design six styles created from the fabric usage of one dress.
The ingenuity of the lunar dress takes its inspiration from the phases of the moon.
Watch Susanna Gioia's Lemuria dress in action on Vimeo: Abito Luna
Monday 14 May 2012
Deconstruction
I'm currently assistant designer for the avant-garde designer, Barbara í Gongini.
Last week I was assigned to deconstruction group. There have been restrictions when designing for Barbara and the deconstruction group is no different. I am not allowed to cut the garments I'm using, only pin and drape.
These restrictions allow me to design something I wouldn't of been able to without the restriction. As the piece wasn't imagined, or pre designed, I discover elements I didn't think possible.
I revel when deconstructing.
I think of my deconstruction work as organic because the designs are pure from the start, I don't determine how the piece will end. I have no preconception of what I'm creating until it's whole. The finished designs remind me of organic earthy shapes. When I look through the process of my deconstruction, its natural evolution is clear.
Last week I was assigned to deconstruction group. There have been restrictions when designing for Barbara and the deconstruction group is no different. I am not allowed to cut the garments I'm using, only pin and drape.
These restrictions allow me to design something I wouldn't of been able to without the restriction. As the piece wasn't imagined, or pre designed, I discover elements I didn't think possible.
I revel when deconstructing.
I think of my deconstruction work as organic because the designs are pure from the start, I don't determine how the piece will end. I have no preconception of what I'm creating until it's whole. The finished designs remind me of organic earthy shapes. When I look through the process of my deconstruction, its natural evolution is clear.
Friday 11 May 2012
Life creates conditions conducive to life
I recently learnt about the antibacterial brilliance of shark skin at Hello Materials, and about the new uses inventors are creating from this genius.
Designers are creating changes to the surface of materials inspired by the pattern of shark's skin to mimic its natural antibacterial property. Shark skin is impervious to bacteria as microbes cannot cling to its surface. It's enough to make changes to the surfaces of materials as the shark's skin is antibacterial only from its pattern, not its chemistry. Danish Design Centre - Hello Materials
Here, in Bacteria and Biomimicry, Janine Benyus talks about the Galapagos shark, and why there's a greater value for us to learn from the evolution and brilliance of these creatures than to use them for their fins, which they are sadly, still devastated by.
Janine Benyus is a natural sciences writer, innovation consultant, and author of six books, including her latest − Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. ~ JanineBenyus.com
Biomimicry 3.8 Vimeo Videos Link
Designers are creating changes to the surface of materials inspired by the pattern of shark's skin to mimic its natural antibacterial property. Shark skin is impervious to bacteria as microbes cannot cling to its surface. It's enough to make changes to the surfaces of materials as the shark's skin is antibacterial only from its pattern, not its chemistry. Danish Design Centre - Hello Materials
Here, in Bacteria and Biomimicry, Janine Benyus talks about the Galapagos shark, and why there's a greater value for us to learn from the evolution and brilliance of these creatures than to use them for their fins, which they are sadly, still devastated by.
Janine Benyus is a natural sciences writer, innovation consultant, and author of six books, including her latest − Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature. ~ JanineBenyus.com
Biomimicry 3.8 Vimeo Videos Link
Wednesday 9 May 2012
Sculpting waves in wood and time
“What if every seemingly isolated object was actually just where the
continuous wave of that object poked through into our world?”
The above statement is made by artist Reuben Margolin. I'm completely in awe of Margolin's kinetic sculptures that I discovered via TED.
Reuben Margolin creates sculptures inspired by the patterns of water. His wave-like art installations mimic the movements of water, from a raindrop to a wave; combining the logic of math and the sensuousness of nature, engineered with cogs, gears, string, wood and recyclable materials.
'As a kid, Margolin was into math and physics; at college, he switched to liberal arts and ended up studying painting in Italy and Russia. Inspired by the movement of a little green caterpillar, he began trying to capture movements of nature in sculptural form. Now, at his studio in Emeryville, California, he makes large-scale undulating installations of wood and recycled stuff. He also makes pedal-powered rickshaws and has collaborated on several large-scale pedal-powered vehicles.' ~ TED.com/speakers
Some of the sculptures are currently on tour. Margolin has collaborated with the choreographer, Gideon Obarzanek. The sculptures are attached to dancers with string, connecting the movements of both. The fluidity of dancer and sculpture are coinciding, creating a natural motion almost to understand each other, together, navigating boundries between form and flow.
"It's not like I'm trying to copy nature -- I'm trying to relate to it." ~ Reuben Margolin
The above statement is made by artist Reuben Margolin. I'm completely in awe of Margolin's kinetic sculptures that I discovered via TED.
Reuben Margolin creates sculptures inspired by the patterns of water. His wave-like art installations mimic the movements of water, from a raindrop to a wave; combining the logic of math and the sensuousness of nature, engineered with cogs, gears, string, wood and recyclable materials.
 |
| Nebula @Hilton Anatole - photo by Janice Rubin |
'As a kid, Margolin was into math and physics; at college, he switched to liberal arts and ended up studying painting in Italy and Russia. Inspired by the movement of a little green caterpillar, he began trying to capture movements of nature in sculptural form. Now, at his studio in Emeryville, California, he makes large-scale undulating installations of wood and recycled stuff. He also makes pedal-powered rickshaws and has collaborated on several large-scale pedal-powered vehicles.' ~ TED.com/speakers
Some of the sculptures are currently on tour. Margolin has collaborated with the choreographer, Gideon Obarzanek. The sculptures are attached to dancers with string, connecting the movements of both. The fluidity of dancer and sculpture are coinciding, creating a natural motion almost to understand each other, together, navigating boundries between form and flow.
"It's not like I'm trying to copy nature -- I'm trying to relate to it." ~ Reuben Margolin
Watch the video of Reuben speaking at Ted here: TED
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