Sustainable Fashion:
8th October 2021
Phase 1 - Starting point 2
"It's just fashion. Innovative, desirable and responsibly produced" — Bruno Pieters
I have a keen interest in fashion and footwear and by choosing this topic it allows me to branch out into sustainability. I'd love to know more about how we can make fashion more sustainable and protect the environment.
WHERE DO I BEGIN?
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I will be basing my research around sustainable fashion and ways to positively impact the environment through ways such as recycling and up-cycling. I have noted down a few questions I have beforehand which is where I'll begin my research.
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MY QUESTIONS
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1. How can we make fashion more sustainable?
2. Which materials are most sustainable?
3. Can we use waste to make clothes? E.g. vegetables?
4. Ways to be more eco-friendly?
5. How can we recycle more efficiently?
NEXT STEPS:
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To answer my first question, "how can we make fashion more sustainable?" I have picked up a book from the library to assist my research. I documented research from each of the interviews I read, and understood how fashion designers and brands are being more sustainable.
RESEARCH:
"Fashion Made Fair" - Ellen Kohrer and Magdalena Schaffrin
RESEARCH LINK:
Fashion Made Fair - Library
"The story behind the design needs to be as beautiful as the design itself"
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"...points to a fashion future that benefits both people and the planet"
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"Highly covetable clothing while also contributing to better working conditions, protecting the environment and apply innovative design techniques or materials".
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BRUNO PIETERS
"The story behind the design needs to be as beautiful as the design itself"
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WHAT IS THE BOOK ABOUT?
The book gives credit to designers and brands around the world that encourage sustainable fashion.
INTERVIEW: BRUNO PIETERS
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Has a brand called “Honest By” where all items/collections are made from organic or recycled materials.
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“There is no such thing as eco-fashion – there is only fashion and some of us produce it in a transparent, sustainable and responsible way, and other don’t”.
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Uses biodegradable and recycled materials.
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Soon shredders will be available to turn unwanted prints into new filaments. This allows recycling from home.
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Pieters has done everything he can to live a more sustainable lifestyle. For example, by going vegan and only wearing certified organic or vintage clothing – including furniture! His gas and electricity come from 100 per cent renewable energy and doesn’t own a car.
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The biggest problem in the fashion industry is that solutions are being ignored and delayed and customers are allowing this to happen.
INTERVIEW: VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
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"Fashion with a message"
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Vivienne created a collection to promote ethical fashion and sustainability in the workforce in 2010.
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All items were produced by hand. How? Weaving cotton fabric to printing material using silk-screen printing to embroidery.
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The Vivienne Westwood logo was also made by melting down scrap metal.
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This collection was a collaboration with the Ethical Fashion Initiative.
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Over five years of collaboration the project hired over 1,500 craftsmen and women from different communities in Kenya. Wages are higher than those paid locally allowing them to feed their families and send their children to school!
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These participants are also trained, allowing them to pass on their skills.
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Her commitment to the environment has become the main focus of her work which she continues to preach.
INTERVIEW: DEEPMELLO -
ANNE-CHRISTIN BANSLEBEN
"Fashion from rhubarb leather"
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Bansleben spent four years researching plant-based leather.
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Made a collection of clothing, bags, shoes, and accessories from rhubarb leather. Ultimately using rhubarb root.
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Their rhubarb leather is biodegradable and can be returned to the ‘natural-cycle’. (As well as for leather dyes)
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Dresses, skirts, and blouses made from rhubarb leather with organic silk and organic cotton. Sandals also have a sole made from fast-growing poplar wood.
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Examples of Deepmello products using rhubarb leather -
INTERVIEW: MUD JEANS -
BERT VAN SON
"Jeans for Leasing"
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Bert van made an important observation: “The textile industry is one of the most environmentally damaging there is”
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It takes an average of 8000 litres of water to manufacture one pair of jeans.
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135,000 tonnes of clothing are burned every year.
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Developed a business concept in 2012 ‘Lease a Jeans’.
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These jeans are made of a certified cotton and are fairly produced
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His aim was to create an incentive to buy and to show that sustainable fashion is more than affordable.
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You can lease a pair of jeans for 7.50 a month and after one year, decide whether you’d like to return them or continue wearing them.
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They then repair, recycle, or upcycle all materials used to create new products. Essentially this saves a great deal of water and reduces CO2 emissions.
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The jeans returned are then named after the first person that owned them and then are sold as vintage.
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Every pair of mud Jeans is given a “new lease of life” as pullovers, jackets or trousers.
Example of Mud Jeans
The leasing process
INTERVIEW: FREITAG -
DANIEL AND MARKUS FREITAG
"Compostable Clothes"
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Their latest business idea involves biologically degradable clothing made from linen, hemp and modal – a fibre produced from beechwood.
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Collection includes “simple, robust basics for everyday wear”. T-shirts, shirts, jeans, chinos, skirts in muted colours.
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They also created a line of Bags – made from discarded lorry tarpaulin, car safety belts and old bicycle tyre. The lining, label and strap of these bags decompose completely after use. The new fabric they use does not fall apart after washing!
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Their ‘F-abric’ trousers will compose down by the warmth and moisture of a compost heap and it’s inhabitants. E.g. bacteria, fungi and insects! The only thing left will be the buttons which are then used for the next pair of trousers.
'F-abric' Trousers
'Fashion Made Fair': SUMMARY -
After reading a handful of interviews I am now aware of the way fashion designers and brands can be more sustainable and I have taken note of the brands that put in effort to do this. To summarise, most sustainable designers use biodegradable materials and strongly encourage recycling their items after use - this way they can be reused and turned into something else, reducing the amount of waste.​
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My favourite business idea was the 'F-abric' Trousers produced by the Freitag brothers because I think the 'Compostable Clothes' concept is incredible. This not only reduces the amount of waste produced, but allows them to produce new jeans using the buttons left behind - a constant cycle. I also really like Vivienne Westwood's collaboration with the Ethical Fashion Initiative where they hired people from Kenya and paid them higher than others locally so they could feed their families, gain experience and strengthen their skills - which could then be passed down.
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Next...
I have read a lot about Sustainable fashion from a designer/brand's point of view, however I am most intrigued to know how we as individuals can make a difference in terms of how we shop and the materials to look out for. I will start off by researching the basics and really understanding the concept of Sustainability.
"WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FASHION?"​
- Greendreamer.com
“Sustainable fashion refers to clothing that is designed, manufactured, distributed and used in ways that environmentally friendly”
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Ethical fashion is also a related term. Referring to clothing made while valuing social welfare and rights of the workers. Also can refer to avoiding animal fibres used in clothes.
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WHY IS FASHION TODAY NOT SUSTAINABLE?
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Fast fashion today is intentionally designed to be consumed quickly at very cheap prices e.g. Shein. Consumers wear these clothes a few times before throwing away and moving onto the next trend. Fast fashion exploits workers all around the world and results in a large amount of waste.
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HOW CAN WE BE MORE SUSTAINABLE?
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Use organic materials, biodegradable dyes and engineer patterns that create no waste.
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In order to tackle this think about which social/environmental concerns you feel most passionate about/towards. This is an entry point into sustainable fashion and essentially a place to start.
RESEARCH LINK:
https://greendreamer.com/journal/what-is-sustainable-fashion
“Regardless of what your background is, we can all agree on some really basic things—no one should die to make a T-shirt, and we shouldn’t be pouring toxins into our planet.” - WHITNEY BAUCK ON GREEN DREAMER PODCAST EPISODE 129
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Unsustainable Materials
MOOD-BOARD LINK:
"The uncomfortable truth of our modern day world"
HOW CAN WE SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE FASHION?​​
Low impact, natural and organic materials such as hemp, linen, cotton, silk, wool, and cellulose fibres. These fibres are made from plant sources and are preferable over synthetics like polyester and nylon.​
WHY?
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These natural materials are more sustainable – they compost cleanly back into the ground. Non-biodegradable fabrics sit in landfills and release toxic chemicals/fumes.
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Some wools and fibres can be grown in ways to regenerate healthy soils and ‘sequester carbon’ which combats climate change.
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We can help support sustainable fashion by looking for organic certifications such as GOTS (plant based fibers) and ZQ-certified wool – ethical indiciations and standards for wool.
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Recycling – Using pre-existing materials to create clothes doesn’t require extraction of new resources but makes use of things that may go to waste.
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Low waste design – most waste from the fashion industry comes from pattern cutting. Sustainable fashion brands design patterns that result in no wasted material. Also some brands disregard plastic packaging during transport and use recycled/biodegradable shipping materials instead.
Sustainable Materials - Mood-board
Examples of sustainable materials include
- Hemp
- Linen
- Silk
- Wool
- Cellulose Fibres
MOOD-BOARD LINK:
Certifications to look for:
ZQ Certified wool
GOTS
REFLECTION​​
​To summarise: Purchase clothes made in facilities that run on renewable energy and use natural or organic materials. Purchase thrifted or second-hand clothing. Recycle old garments or up-cycle to create new items of clothing, made modifications to match current tastes. when purchasing items of clothing check for certifications on the label such as ZQ certified wool and plant based fibres.
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I'd like to look more into Upcycling because I think it's a fun and engaging way to recylce and reuse clothing. I am a fan of arts and crafts and generally just being creative so this is definitely something I'd love to try out!
RESEARCH:​ Up-Cycling
What is Up-cycling?
MOOD-BOARD LINK:
Up-Cycling is the idea of using old/worn-out items to create something else and essentially turn them into something new. This can be done with clothes, accessories, fabrics, cloth, pillow cases, glass, bottles and even old leather wallets. The possibilities are endless with up-cycling, and it's also a great way to encourage creativity and to think outside the box. Up-cycling can include a range of techniques such as cutting, stitching, patching, dye-ing and combining!
How is up-cycling encouraged? Do any famous brands/fashion designers encourage up-cycling?
RESEARCH:​ "Up-cycle That"
What is Up-cycle that?
A small business which creates up-cycling ideas and projects. They thrive to reduce carbon footprint by reusing materials! They have a huge selection of material uses to encourage readers to up-cycle old items.
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HOW?
They have a variety of options including how to use old glass bottles, old fabrics and even rubber. Another section of their website includes how to make things like décor and storage by using previously owned materials. Specifically, they have a section named ‘Sweater Weather’ which outlines ways to repurpose old sweaters into warm accessories, décor and gifts for friends and family. Examples of this include sweater to slipper boots, hand warmers and jackets for pets! Up-cycle That have a huge range of up-cycling ideas and inspiration to encourage individuals to use their old/run-down materials and convert them into something useful. This reduces waste.
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DRAWBACKS
If you're not interested in this kind of this or don't have the patience for an activity like this then it's not for you! Up-cycling is targeted most at the creatives and artistic individuals.
RESEARCH LINK:
What is Up-cycling?
"The act of taking something no longer in use and giving it a second life and new function"
- Up-cycle That
REFLECTION​​
Up-cycle That do a great job at encouraging up-cycling by providing their audience with ideas and suggestions rather than showing them exactly how to do them. They have an endless list of exciting ideas however no guidance as to how to fulfil them which might lead to people scrolling past and essentially ignoring them. I think in order to make up-cycling more popular, people need to be given instructions and guidance in order to achieve something this, as it makes it easier and more feasible - espeically when people can see the end result.​
RESEARCH LINK:
RESEARCH:​ "Take Care" - H&M
H&M are focused on using more innovative sustainable materials for example citrus fruits and waste. They aim to make meaningful change throughout their value chain, starting from design, sourcing raw materials, transport, sale and use all the way to reuse and recycling.
HOW HAVE THEY DONE THIS?
Some ways they have begun to do this include a 14% reduction in packaging and 24% less plastic. 100% of their cotton is organic, recycled and sourced in a more sustainable way.
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UP-CYCLING
A section of their website is focused on taking care of old clothing by upcycling. They have included ways for customers to upgrade clothing maybe damaged or old. Ways to reuse old garments can involve sewing on patches, adding buttons, or even completely dying them another colour.
REPAIR AND CARE
‘Repair and Care’ consist of a variety of different up-cycle ideas and inspiration. One that stood out to me the most was ‘deconstruct your denim’. This provides customers with a way to upgrade their item through step-by-step instructions and guidance to do so.
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Another one is “Statement-piece” – based on the idea to speak your mind without moving your lips. H&M provide customers with guidance on how to upgrade an item through customisation. This can include painting their favourite quote on the back or creating awareness for something they stand for. They have listed the appropriate paint/resources to use to do this.
Take Care
"Tips and hacks on how to repair, remake and refresh your clothes to make them last longer"
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H&M have different categories including DIY, Repair and Laundry offering their customers a wide range of ways to up-cycle their clothing and therefore be more sustainable.
They provide customers and readers with a list of instructions and guidance, including an equipment list and short step-by-step video! Having this kind of guidance and explanation, customers are more likely to do this.
RESEARCH:​
"Five Easy Ways To Up-cycle Your Clothing "
- Elle Magana Mireles
“Save money by using the things you already own, turn boring garments into exciting pieces, and inspire you to see how you can recreate the old clothing in your closet”.
Elle Magana Mireles suggests using natural ingredients such as fruits and vegetables to create dyes to dye clothing.
Examples include: to make purple use red cabbage leaves, for blue use blueberries, for orange use onion skins and for red use beetroot!
She then provides readers with step-by-step instructions involving simmering the veg with salt or vinegar and letting it cool before placing into a container ready for tie-dye.
There are a variety of fun ways to upcycle clothing such as cutting, sewing, and placing patches, all of which are outlined by Mireles in her article.
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RESEARCH:​ REFLECTION
To conclude up-cycling, I believe it’s an extremely innovative way to upgrade tired or old garments, which overall avoids a build-up of wasted resources and materials. (Due to new trends, old clothes a few sizes too small etc)
SUMMARY OF RESEARCH:
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What have I learned?
I have learned and understood a lot about what we can do to make a difference in terms of being more environmentally friendly and reducing the amount of harmful materials we use and buy. I looked into a variety of brands and how they have become more environmentally friendly involving their latest business ideas which reduce waste and use organic materials etc.
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What do I find interesting?
I am pleased that I researched into this topic because I am now aware of the ways we can be more eco-friendly involving checking labels for specific materials and classifications. As well as this, I have dived deeper into up-cycling and recycling materials which have provided me with fun ways to upgrade old clothing - this is something I think everyone should take advantage of and for creatives like myself, it's the perfect weekend activity.
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What would I take further if I choose this as my starting point?
I would certainly take further the ways we can improve our buying habits and encourage recycling, reusing and up-cycling old garments. I think this is something that people should be aware of and to create a game that influences this would be a perfect way to educate people that don't quite understand the impact waste has on our planet.