Nike Colordry

Nike have launched yet another sustainable initiative, as they unveil the first clothing line made with ColorDry; a revolutionary water-free dying process. Water-free dyeing is a big feat as conventional dyeing uses roughly 30 litres of water to dye just one T-shirt.

Nike was one of the first to join Greenpeace in their 'Detox Challenge', which was set out two years ago to challenge fashion businesses to eliminate the discharge of hazardous chemicals from supply chains by 2020. And they're proving themselves to be one of the game-changers with Colordry.

ColorDry uses a highly pressurized form of carbon dioxide to saturate textile fibres with colour, not only saving on water but also saving energy and eliminating the need for extra chemical agents. Nike says it’s the most saturated, intense and consistent colour they’ve seen yet. 

Dreamscape

Reminiscing those University days and my final collection... and the launch party of 'Dream Issue' with the independent magazine Cock no.7, when I showcased a part of my collection.

My designs sitting alongside Sally singing us a song...

Cock No. 7’s The Dream Issue #5 Zine pack including the otherworldy album from Rawkiss Records - Luna

Shoddy Aid

I became interested in the state of India's textile industry while working at Everything Must Go.
For a week in January 2012 I volunteered to install and invigilate at the compelling Everything Must Go exhibition at the Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Wharf. Find out more on this exhibition via Waste of the World.

I became curious of the bad quality of the emergency aid blankets that are produced in Panipat, India and want to find out why they are produced in this way.
The blankets feel greasy, rough and dirty - these aren't what you'd wish for with emergency aid and blankets.

Emergency Aid blankets

'The most lucrative export market comprises the international aid agencies' emergency wool blankets, of which over 90% comes from Panipat. These are delivered to regional depots in Africa and Asia for stockpiling, or transported directly to disaster zones. Major aid agencies aim to procure good quality stocks from reputable companies operating factories with good labour and environmental conditions. However, sub-contracting arrangements may make it difficult to track their origins.'

Now I wonder what is being done to revise this matter. I haven't found a lot.

Firstly, let's break it down.
The 'shoddy' aid blankets are produced from mixed fiber composites. These fibers will have come from exports, possibly the UK. Second hand garments that aren't resold for use can be sold for an alternate reuse elsewhere, for example, Panipat in India. It is legal to export the second hand garments as long as they are mutilated before they cross the Indian border. These mutilated imports provide a source of raw material for India's wool industry.

Let me introduce the 'shoddy' aspect that I discovered while working at Everything Must Go.

A general lack of reliable statistics and transparent pathways in a rapidly expanding market prevents upstream stakeholders (eg charities) from being able to take sufficient corporate responsibility for the downstream effects of their economic activities. 
The current conditions in the Indian recycling industry are an example of the potentially damaging effects of this trade maintained by this lack of transparency. (Ironically, international aid agencies are one of the principle buyers of those shoddy blankets produced for the export market, unintentionally framing 
an exploitative recycled commodity chain at both the front and back ends.) 
• For example, developing initiatives that support the capture and retention of a greater proportion of the value in used clothing for socially constructive aims could prove to be an important incentive to counter the attractions of selling old clothes directly to recyclers, and encourage donations to charity shops. 
• Can alternative models for recycling textiles in a sustainable fashion be found for the surplus generated in the UK? Could improvements be implemented in the Indian industry to support the workers dependant upon it, and how might these be piloted and introduced? Worn Clothing 
http://www.wornclothing.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/SummaryShoddy.pdf

The above information from Worn Clothing leads me to conclude with questions.
What can be done for the Indian Textile Industry workers? How can improvements be made to support them?
Can the surplus of second hand clothing be managed in the UK or its origin? Why do we export to countries that aren't fully educated in how to manage our generated surplus? Where is the ethical consideration?
I've found out it's not only humanity and human rights that are being affected. It is also the environment due to poor management and harmful methods for handling the surplus.

My investigation continues.

ECOCIDE

“Corporations are the ones gambling our planet away and our governments are running the casino.”
Polly Higgins, Eradicating Ecocide

Polly Higgins is a barrister, an author and the leader of Eradicating Ecocide Global Initiative.

Eradicating Ecocide is a proposed amendment to the Rome Statute, which was defined by Polly Higgins in April 2010;

‘Ecocide is the extensive damage to, destruction of or loss of ecosystem(s) of a given territory, whether by human agency or by other causes, to such an extent that peaceful enjoyment by the inhabitants of that territory has been or will be severely diminished.’ ~ http://eradicatingecocide.com/overview/what-is-ecocide/

Polly’s wish is to end Ecocide by 2020 – you can make a wish with her over on the Eradicating Ecocide website.

Make a wish for 2020 Eradicating Ecocide here: http://eradicatingecocide.com/wish20/

Polly Higgins, Earth Lawyer, http://eradicatingecocide.com/

BIOCOUTURE at SELFRIDGES for FESTIVAL OF IMAGINATION with SUPER/COLLIDER and AMY CONGDON

On Sunday the 16^th of Feb 2014, Selfridges held a Biocouture workshop for Festival of Imagination, in collaboration with Super/Collider and Amy Congdon.

Suzanne Lee opens the workshop with an introduction to microbial cellulose and introduces us to the edible, sweet kombucha style dessert popular to many in the far east of the world. This dessert originated from a coconut recipe in the Philippines, known as Nata de Coco (translating to cream of coconut); this dish is often flavoured with various fruit syrups. The fermentation of the coconut water creates a jelly like substance, which gels together through the production of microbial cellulose – a naturally occurring bacterium in the fermentation process.

Suzanne spoke about the well-known and loved kombucha health drink, and offers everyone a taste.

We were shown these simple food stuffs as kombucha drink and the dessert is the result of the fermentation of a live kombucha culture, which is the production method of growing the fabric for the above skirt!

“Kombucha is a symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeasts (SCOBY).
The main bacteria, Gluconacetobacter xylinum, produces nanofibrils of cellulose which self-organise into a nano-structured, textile-like material.” ~ Biocouture

Live kombucha culture is a byproduct and foodstuffs made of kombu, or kelp, from the seaweed family, Laminariaceae.

Microbial cellulose samples

Susan Lee's Biocouture Jacket 

Microbial cellulose skirt

The fabric itself feels softer than you’d imagine at first glance. Eight sheets are lined up before us – with smaller sheets that are textured with salt, or that have been laser cut. We each get to have a feel – some caress it, other sniff it, while Suzanne encourages someone to scrunch it up, and then watch it go back to its original form, barely creased. So on first glance and through that experiment, the first impression of the fabric is that it’s durable and relatively hard wearing – it doesn’t scratch, tear or get creased up easily. But Suzanne goes on to explain that, if it got damp enough, it would turn back into its original state – it would absorb water and produce more bacteria that it is made from.

If leather got damp enough, it would do the same – it would become a little less durable and more rubbery to touch. That being said, this fabric has been known as a potential ‘leather alternative’.

The commercial ability of this material derived from bacteria isn’t strong, although, the purpose, as defined by Suzanne Lee and Amy Congdon, is to invite audiences into new ways of seeing and understanding the potentiality of this organic, and smart use of resources and to translate this into more ideas, and to design with this theory in mind.

Environmental Justice Foundation, Lily Cole and Vivienne Westwood Collaboration

On the 30^th of January 2014, Selfridges held an event for Festival of Imagination, which showcased Vivienne Westwood’s new video, directed by Lorna Love starring Lily Cole, in collaboration with the Environmental Justic Foundation ~ The NO PLACE LIKE HOME Campaign.

Selfridges window display

A T-shirt that Lily Cole designed for EJF sits alongside the panel for the evening

The film, Red Shoes, is a short 5 minute film. It takes inspiration from the Hans Christian Anderson tale of the same title.

The Red Shoes is a metaphor for ‘climate refugees’. Climate refugees is a term being used to describe victims of natural disasters that haven’t got a home to go to, and is prophesying a future when there’s nowhere left to go.

Lily Cole in RED SHOES; a metaphor for the plight of those who are forced to leave their homes because of climate change ~ EJF

The main discussion topic of the evening revolves around imagination and creativity as important tools to raise awareness of climate change. 

“In 2012, 31 million people had their homes taken away from them due to environmental disasters of some kind.” ~ EJF

Lorna Love Speaks from a personal perspective, and about her passion to document human rights films – as an artist. 

Lily speaks about not necessarily using art as a vehicle to express these global concerns, but as a passionate individual that’s what her work, and Vivienne’s, has become.

Vivienne agrees, “because I have credibility as a fashion designer, I take the opportunity to talk about these issues. People will ask me what’s the latest collection about, and I’ll be like never mind that! I’ve got something really important to tell you….” She talks about using her position (in a benevolent way)…

She talks about “hijacking” her fashion shows – with campaigns like Climate Revolution. In a true activist style… as Lily says there’s honesty in their expression, so rather than using art to communicate, they are artists communicating what they believe in.

“True culture is something that is foreign to most people.” Vivienne Westwood 

Vivienne speaks about understanding the past to communicate with clarity, the present day affairs – she speaks of trusting no governments! And to always ask questions.