4 minute read
Make your Own- Article
Fashion and Textiles have now become the third most polluting industry in the world. The effect our constant fashion consumption has on the planet is something that many have only become aware of in the last few years. The water wasted in the production of most fabrics is incredibly huge. The British clothing and textiles sector alone creates a staggering 70 million tonnes of water waste per annum. Not to mention the wastage of the finished products, sold or unsold. It is estimated that 85% of all textiles go to the dump each year, many of these in perfect condition. Sustainability is perhaps the defining theme of this century and it presents broad issues to the fashion industry, which is under more and more pressure to become more eco-friendly. Consumption and fashion dominate the modern psyche and are a central component of almost all daily events, particularly in terms of our social and cultural decisions. This gives such importance to our clothes but with little regard to the devastation this fashion addiction has on the natural environment. The public have become disassociated with the making and production of garments, a recent global campaign by Fashion Revolution is called ‘Who Made my Clothes?” This movement is a call for a more transparent and fairer fashion industry precipitated by the devastating collapse of the Rana Plaza building in 2013. Knowing where our clothes come from can also create more ethical fashion, giving those who make the products a fair wage and safe working environments. However, huge companies simply cannot be sustainable due to their business models being too large, this is where greenwashing (the use of language to make the brand or company sound a lot more sustainable or environmentally-friendly than they actually are) can become an issue. Shopping local and from smaller designers is a great way to be more ethical and sustainable.
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Shopping second-hand is part of the much-needed solution to the over-consumption issues our society and environment faces today. There are over 11,000 charity shops in the UK alone and this is continuing to grow, this is great news for the environment, our wallets, and wardrobes as well as those in need. This also gives almost everyone the opportunity to shop local – another key factor in fashion sustainability. Online second-hand clothing sites are taking the fashion scene by storm. Thrift+, Re-Fashion and Depop are examples of these sites which are becoming hugely popular. It is estimated that if everyone in the world bought just a single used piece of clothing, rather than something new, it would reduce carbon emissions by the same amount that taking half a million cars off the road would in a year. So, while we are staycationing in these uncertain times, shop local too and help save the planet in even more ways. There is no denying the fact that Coronavirus, and the change in our behaviours that comes with it, has helped lower pollution across the world. When society returns to some ‘normality’, there are some aspects that we should not revert back to as there is definitely no need to travel, buy and waste as much as we did before.
It can be claimed that fashion is the very opposite of the prolonged existence that products require to be deemed as sustainable. But by reusing, swapping, or repurposing items it gives them a new lease of life and prevents as much ending up in a landfill. I have adopted a zero-waste ethos in my sustainable textiles practice. After exploring ethical biomaterials in my Textile design degree, I have moved on to produce a collection of products using recycled fabrics. I cut up and repurpose a range of garments and textiles such as t-shirts, trousers, and duvets to make the backs and linings of bags and pouches using my original printed designs for the fronts. I make reusable, sustainable facemasks too, like so many have during the pandemic. All my pieces are unique and are different sizes so to make the most of the fabrics, any off-cuts that are not usable (too small or have bad marking), I recycle to make pillow stuffing so as to create no wastage at all. Anyone can be creative and sustainable, especially now as most seem to have more time on their hands and are encouraged not to travel far. There is so much you could do to fall back in love with your clothes or turn them into something wonderfully new. There are online tutorials for almost everything these days and plenty of inspiration from so many sustainable creatives. So please, shop local, shop second-hand or make your own and help protect the environment this autumn.
Piece by Emily Hopkins, she is a sustainable textiles designer. She recently graduated with a first-class honour in Textile Design where she specialised in ethical biomaterials. She also did extensive research into sustainability within the textiles industry, discovering how harmful the sector is to the environment. She plans to be as eco-friendly as she can in her work as well as her way of living. She has continued to create this year, designing, and making on a small scale with natural materials. Some of her work and products can be seen on my Etsy (EmilyMayDesigner) and Instagram (Emily.May.Designs). Images from ‘Fashion Insider Co’.
Some ideas of what to do with old clothes from around the web:
