Smart Fibres and Biotech: The Future of Fashion

As people become more aware of unsustainable clothing brands, the fashion industry needs to consider an incentive for the development of smart fibres and biotech.

It is imperative that smart technology becomes used more frequently within the fashion industry, as otherwise, the environment may be at risk of permanent damage. The industry is one of the major contributors of pollution and accounts for 10% of the global carbon footprint. It is also the second greatest pollution of local freshwater. As well as this, toxic chemical use and textile waste have a local and global impact on the environment. This needs to be recognised more. The fast fashion industry is at the root of this pollution and needs to be held to account.

This industry often uses a high speed, low-cost production in order to meet demands for a new collection, which results in subsequent environmental corners being cut. As well as the increasing demand for fashion items, the whole process results in an unsustainable consumption and production of such garments.

Smart fibres and textiles are a type of material that reacts to the user’s surroundings, for example: temperature or lighting changes. They can also have electrical elements in them such as batteries. This may be the stimulant needed to push for an environmentally friendly and future focused fashion industry. A reduction of the industries carbon emission may be possible due to smart clothes, consumer interaction and partnerships with other industries. This has been addressed at Ecosessions in New York. This is a series of conferences discussing change within the industry, designers and citizens in order to connect them globally.

Levi Strauss has begun emphasising sustainability by discussing the origin of their materials and how they can be recycled into other textile or fashion items. The iconic Levi’s jeans are now made with recycled plastic bottles that have been spun into them.

A variety of aspects in the fashion industry could be made more sustainable by smart textiles, furthering the industries commitment to both the environment and animal welfare, two issues that the fashion industry has previously had a turbulent relationship with. Digitally enabled textiles may be able to replace items of clothing that have relied on materials sourced from animals, subsequently benefiting the environment and concerns expressed by designers and consumers. In addition, benefits such as heart rate monitoring and a stable body temperature can be achieved through smart fibres and textiles. Pailes-Freidman, the founder and principal of Interwoven Design Group, has suggested that these smart fibres may be developed to adapt to the issue of climate change, with the potential to protect individuals from extreme environments that may be present in the future.

words by: ANNABELLE INGRAM design by: ESTHER LOI

However, the process of developing these ‘sustainable’ smart fibres is considerably unsustainable and thus the future of this innovative wearable technology poses many challenges. These challenges include making the production of sustainable fibres environmentally friendly, as the high levels of technology used in the production process release high levels of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Despite this, there is the potential for environmental integrity through collaboration with other industries, such as bio-engineers. It is crucial that consumers encourage the change that is coming from the development of smart fibres, pushing for a sustainable and future focused fashion industry. With consumer encouragement, the production of smart fibres has the possibility of becoming sustainable itself and, as a result, the whole movement will have positive and environmentally friendly backing from both designers and consumers.

Support from the public is not the only concern regarding the smart textiles industry. Camirais is a company focused on converting waste textile fibres into materials, namely ‘Advantage’ and ‘Cara’. Issues facing companies such as Camirais include arguments from consumers about the perceived quality of garments and the ability of designers to adapt material that may not seamlessly work.

The biggest impact of wearable technology has been in the sportswear sector, allowing individuals to maximise their productivity and efficiency whether they are doing yoga or going for a run. These connected garments are increasing in prominence within the fashion industry and are set to go mainstream. For example, Supa, a fashion tech start-up, has created a sports bra with a variety of biometric features. Retailing at $60, the sports bra is equipped with a heart rate monitor and artificial intelligence allowing it to keep track of workouts.

There are a variety of bio-metric fashion companies that are disrupting the fashion industry. This includes Thync, who specialise in Biometric sensors and produce smart watches and accessories, as well as OMsignal, who create smart apparel. Over 100 deals and a combined total of $1.9 billion in investment was achieved by 40 start-ups including the 3 previously mentioned, illustrating the potential within the biotech industry to make an impact.

It is apparent that smart fibres and wearable biotech are making their way into the mainstream fashion industry and improving sustainability. This is illustrated by the variety of brands now encouraging more sustainable fashion habits and the increase in consumer demand for the fashion industry to quit cutting corners. If fashion doesn’t become ‘smart’, the consequences are going to be catastrophic and both designers and consumers are beginning to recognise this.

HIGH STREET VS. VINTAGE CLOTHING

For the middle-aged generations of today’s society, it may be slightly disconcerting to witness the youth rocking many of the same styles as they did back in the 80s. Their daydreams of the new romantics in their denim, corduroy and eccentric patterns can be brought to life whilst walking down the High Street. The vintage clothing market has boomed and the fast fashion industry is taking a hit in consequence. But why is this?

Vintage clothing is unique and often a lot more expressive and interesting. The sustainability of reusing and recycling is on the rise as the younger generation are recognising the issues of production in high street stores. Equally, the quality of the clothing is unparalleled in today’s fast fashion with the production process using better materials to make products with more care. Those fits were made to last… and they have. Like the ghost of a Christmas past, they’re tapping on the shoulders of brands such as Boohoo and Forever 21, not ready to be forgotten.

Kilo sales are a recent trend which appear to be taking the UK by storm, offering a new and interesting way to get your vintage fashion fix very cheaply whilst having a varied choice. Companies will transport lorries upon lorries of clothes around the country to set up in large halls for students. Kilos often go for £15 and depending on what you ram into your binbag, you can get some absolute bargains. The novelty of this has completely taken off this has inevitably taken some of the heat away from fast fashion high street brands, as people fill their wardrobe with second hand.

However, this shopping experience is unique and some may say it can be described as stressful. The perks of shopping in your average high street store is far too desirable for many to willingly give up. The atmosphere is clean and the shelves are well organised. The air smells sweetly fragrant and you can guarantee that the clothes you buy have not been worn outside of the shop. This is something that many shoppers of today are reluctant to let go of; they don’t want to be digging around other people’s old clothes in a messy and stressful environment.

Having said this, there are many cleaner and more organised alternatives to second-hand shopping that act as a worthy rival. Charity shops are on the rise and are becoming much sleeker and easy to shop in. Although not all of their clothes are vintage, they are still cheap, sustainable and you can make a muchneeded contribution to charity at the same time. When you’ve taken the time to really get into the charity shopping experience, the bargains will come flooding in! However, these shops tend to be run by older people, and arguably one of the reasons why young shoppers still go to fast fashion high street stores is because of their trendy atmosphere, the music blasting, and the young people working behind the till.

But this has been rivalled by the second-hand vintage shops which are now offering edge and style. The theme is less unwashed with more chic quality clothing. A local vintage store in Cardiff city centre called Flamingos Vintage is a recent addition to Capitol Shopping Centre that has popped with success. Despite it only being open for a couple of years, it has already gained over two thousand followers on Instagram and you can keep up with their regular posts of new deliveries and outfits they’ve styled. The shop offers everything you could look for in a high street store with its edge, style and easy shopping experience. The layout of the store makes it easy to navigate and browse and the clothes are truly wearable. Flamingos has even been recognised by Style of the City Magazine as one of the top 20 independent retailers in Cardiff. With vintage shops like Sobey’s opening branches across the South West in Exeter, Bristol and Cardiff, it’s clear that the popularity and demand are increasing.

More people are in the market for good quality and sustainable clothing. Equally, with eco-awareness ever on the rise, the younger generation are looking for sustainable alternatives that cause less harm to the environment. Recent events such as the threatened bankruptcy of Forever 21 put into perspective how much pressure is being put on the high street fashion industry; by being forced to close 88 stores in the US, all UK stores, and take out a bankruptcy loan of £350 million, it’s clear that increasing environmental awareness is taking its toll. Founded in 1984, it seems unexpected for such a major retailer to take this dramatic turn, and with the increasing popularity of the vintage industry, it may not be such a stab in the dark to point fingers. It could be argued that they weren’t keeping up with the retro and vintage styles that are popular in today’s clothing and that’s what has caused the lack of interest.

Contrastingly, shops such as Urban Outfitters have added a significantly large amount of reworked vintage fashion into their stores, supporting the cause of sustainability and eco-awareness. The general vibe of the shopping experience is extremely retro, and a

words by: SASHA NUGARA design by: KATIE MAY HUXTABLE digital photography by: CHARLIE TROULAN film photography by: ELLA CUSS

lot of the products they sell are 80s and 90s themed. Urban’s significant popularity in the UK is doing work to promote and popularise the trend of vintage fashion, whilst accommodating to the needs of the high street market. This has caused other high street stores to incorporate these ideas into their products and designs such as Bershka and H&M, leading to a decline in high street styles.

Topshop have also included a collection entitled ‘Boutique’ which they describe as “straddling two of their favourite fashion decades”. It includes all you would expect from the vintage market from bell bottoms to jumpsuits, heavy knitwear and bright colours. The company have clearly found it necessary to include a collection like this in order to keep up with the market and the demand of today’s shoppers. On the other hand, shops like Primark who represent the epitome of fast high street fashion are also doing extremely well: in January they had announced that their sales had grown by 4% in the last year. People love the convenience of cheap prices and the ability to constantly refresh the wardrobe - something that is not done so easily at the expense of vintage. It could be easy to argue that Primark’s success is purely due to their ability to drive down their prices incomparably, and as long as there are people who rely on those prices, their success will continue.

So, is vintage fashion a phase? Are the fast fashion high street stores struggling to compete? Due to the rising popularity and the apparent increase in demand, I believe the vintage fashion is growing strongly and competing well with the high street. Fast fashion stores are being forced to incorporate vintage ideas into their lines in order to keep up and stay relevant. It looks like the sustainable clothing is taking a win for now, but will it outrun fast fashion? Probably not. Will vintage keep the high street on their toes? Definitely!

HIGH STREET LOOKS

MODELS: Denise Dogan Meg Burgess Emily Brounger Rhiannon Humphreys

design by: KATIE MAY HUXTABLE digital photography by: CHARLIE TROULAN film photography by: ELLA CUSS

VINTAGE LOOKS

A HISTORY OF MODERN BLACK & WHITE

words by: CALEB CARTER design by: ORLAGH TURNER emerald city image by: TVM1340 VIA FLICKR https://bit.ly/2Zefjth

In the early 20th century, the Lumière brothers trapped sunlight on thin strips of film and flickered it back at 24 frames per second. It was grainy, broken and black and white – a spectral imitation of life as we see it, miraculous, yes, but lacking. When sound was introduced in the late 20s, the gap between reality and cinema closed a little more. The world of thespians, photographers and businessmen combined to craft an assembly line of wise-cracking romantics, suave detectives and buccaneering voyagers. Hollywood made film the most lucrative art form in the world, but it was still a colourless make-believe. Make no mistake, some of these frames were outstandingly beautiful, licked in an American grey fog or sliced by the harsh contortions of German expressionism, but to be unable to break down light into its vibrant prisms meant that cinema fell short of its oneiric, reflective potential.

Méliès and Stroheim endeavoured to paint strips of film by hand, dying them in fantastical blues, pinks and yellows, but this was a long process that resulted in the uncanny and retrospectively tacky. Colour was always the ideal, so when cinema stepped sparkling heels into the technicolour world of Oz, it never looked back. Here, film could reach its true potential, studios could dazzle audiences in vibrant musicals with all the colours of the rainbow whilst more atmospheric efforts could use various hues to truly convince their audiences of the worlds that they crafted. Today, digital cameras can calculate the RGB scales of any light trapped in their lens, and after-effects allow directors to finetune every shade, cloud, blood splatter and under-eye shadow. Colour was the final frontier for film and the human race’s newest art is the one closest to replicating what it is to be alive. But that doesn’t mean that black and white ever truly went away; to tear colour from a frame is to make an artistic statement.

The anachronistic atmosphere of greyscale has fascinated contemporary directors who believe in the sacred cleanliness of shadow and light. Modern, avant-garde film-makers sometimes carry that torch: Bela Tarr worked exclusively in black and white and his final, 2011 film, The Turin Horse, which clocks in at just over two and a half hours, is projected in a stunning, crisp monochrome that only consists of thirty shots. It might be a decidedly Soviet purist attempt at stripping back the unnecessary to uncover a hypnotic “true form” of film. But it also proves that these days, to make a film in black and white is usually more than just an arbitrary retro choice. It is a choice of aesthetic intent that must filter through the entirety of the process, involving careful planning of every aspect of production, and leading to radical effects. For example, George Miller’s action masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road was rereleased in a Black and Chrome edition and it is w o r t h the watch to note how different it feels: more punky, gritty and iconographic than the acidic saturation of the original’s sunburnt desert. Sin City may seem like a transgression in this list given its stark splattering’s of colour but it demonstrates precisely the unique effects that B&W conjures. Rodriguez pulls directly from the laminate pages of Miller’s graphic novel, the white so illuminate that the blacks are ink clots that carve the characters from the screen; Bruce Willis’ and Clive Owen’s flesh a smoked steel. Black and white is also used here, primarily, as a canvas for violence. Blood contrasts in plastic, femme fatale red and splatters across angular shafts of light or flies through the constant noir night of the city sky. The result is beautifully dumb; aggressively kitschy and an ironic habitation for ‘grey area’ characters.

Elsewhere, Anton Corbijn’s Control sits on the flipside of this spectrum, grounding the story of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis in a Mancunian pavement-grey. Suitably depressing, Control boasts a roster of outstanding British performances all seated in an aesthetic that seems to mimic the music of its protagonist. The largely still, black and white imagery and almost completely diegetic soundscape (a genius choice for a music biopic) combine to create an atmosphere so basic and primarily fundamental, that it would seem sparse if it weren’t for the pure poetry that fills the gaps.

If Marriage Story is Noah Baumbach’s magnum opus – a water-tight, tragic charting of perspectives – then Frances Ha was his loose, jazzy escape into Bildungsroman; it’s my personal favourite. Greta Gerwig is Frances, a “not that old, you know”, early-30s dancer who endearingly bumbles through the inconveniences of finance, ambition and friendship in New York. Here, Baumbach’s black and white lends a nostalgic, inviting feel to a playful tale whose colours spring from the writing and Gerwig’s devastatingly underrated performance. And so, it feels classy and warm, more Parisian than Manhattanite and like you are laughing with your friend as you remember how terribly you have handled adult life.

Taxi Driver writer and film scholar Paul Schrader coined the filmic style ‘transcendentalism’ in the 70s in regard to old black and white masters Ozu, Dreyer and Bresson. After seeing the 2013 film, Ida, he noted a resurgence in the form: it is a film you “lean in to”, slow and spellbindingly quiet. It’s distinct lacking means that you are given oodles of space to fill with your own thoughts, a clever way of seducing you into a world rather than knocking you out with colourful sensation. More recently, Cuarón took these cues into Roma, an intensely personal poem that tapestries a time and a place, sketched in blossoming black and white with ghostly camera movements and a soundscape nothing short of masterful.

Studio cinema increasingly fetishizes “more”, filmmakers that strive to look back at a simpler, more intuitive form that exists in the removal of elements, rather than the excess continue a tradition of resuscitation: reminding themselves that the medium they work in is ultimately light and shadow, trapped on film.