How Conscious & Sustainable Design Can Drive Systematic Change in the Fashion Supply Chain
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How Conscious & Sustainable Design Can Drive Systematic Change in the Fashion Supply Chain A Senior Thesis by
Lovisa Molund Presented to the Department of Design Management in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the BACHELOR OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION IN DESIGN MANAGEMENT Paris College of Art May, 2016 Accepted by Linda Jarvin Dean of Paris College of Art
Yasmine Abbas Chair of Design Management
Maria Fors Thesis Advisor
Maurizio Serena Jury Member
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Acknowledgements I wish to thank Maria Fors, Mauricio Serena and classmates for providing useful comments and encouragement during various revisions that helped in making my research more focused, precise and useful.
I would also like to to thank Paris College of Art for giving me the opportunity to do this research and project. Thank you!
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Abstract 6
Current fashion design systems lead to unsustainable outcomes. The whole situation can beseen as a complex problem that needs creative problem solving, design thinking and questioning of current practices. This report aims to provide a source of inspiration for designers and all stakeholders whose interest lies in saving a broken, unsustainable system and how go to about changing this system. We will explore the current fashion supply chain, and more specifically current design processes in order to understand how we can transform it and which tools are needed to turn it into reality. Additional to our literature review, a survey and interviews were used to collect data to find out how designers’ and professionals’ work today, what sustainability actually means to them, and, based on our findings, how the design practice can address sustainability. The preliminary results show that; 1) there is a lack of knowledge around the area of fashion and sustainability, and that both people within the industry and consumers have
been struggling to find a way to comprehend the complexity of the challenges and to know how to go about tackling them in a scaleable and economically viable way; 2) that implications of creating sustainable designs today seem to be sourcing materials and price; and 3) Designers consider price and aesthetics more important than environmental values. The conclusion can be drawn that if replacing the dominant or high impact textile fibers with sustainable alternatives it would help us pursue strategies and allow innovation to tackle environmental and ethical issues in the supply chain. However, fashion sustainability is not only an material issue, there is a need for designers to develop a more critical mindset and to start integrating lifecycle thinking into their practices. We need to encourage and support designers in considering their responsibilities as fashion influencers. As a solution to our results, we developed “Hoop” – an online B2B tool for sustainable material sourcing and a visual step-by-step guide on sustainable design techniques.
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Content
Acknowledgements Abstract
4-6 6-7
Introduction
10-11
01 Literature Review
13-53
Chapter 1: Understanding Sustainability
14-21
Chapter 2: The Fashion Supply Chain
22-37
Why Sustainability in Fashion?
02 Methodology & Data Collection Chapter 5: Data Collection Survey
Data Collection Analysis
Production
Chapter 6: Conclusion & Discussion
Manufacturing
Consumer Care
38-43
Sustainable Fiber Alternatives Certification Systems
Chapter 4: Transforming the Design Practice
Results & Solutions
The Importance of Transparency Sustainable Design Techniques
62-77
Chapter 7: Introducing Hoop
Direct Competitor Analysis
44-53
Hoop Design Framework
The Design Process
Aesthetics & Sustainability
60-61
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Distribution & Consumption
Chapter 3: Sustainable Textiles & Materials
54-59
Interview
Cultivation
Disposal, Recycle or Reuse
54-61
Bibliography Appendix
78-81 82-94
Fashion Designers as Innovators
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Introduction 10
In a globalized world, no industry is more broadly dispersed around the planet than textiles and apparel. Most of the public, and even retailers are still not aware that human and environmental abuses are endemic across the fashion industry. Old systems and structures that business, industry and education have traditionally been predicted on have shifted, we now face a fashion system that is broken – it fundamentally operates in an unsustainable way. We cannot keep chasing the cheapest labor and exploiting natural resources forever. New models are needed which creates opportunities for innovation. In a world with increasingly constrained resources and environmental challenges, the circular approach represents a radical departure from the old linear “take, make, waste� production and consumption models to a model where products and resources are designed to have more than one life. Closing the loop for fashion means finding new approaches in the whole value chain of the industry; changing the way garments are designed, produced, shipped, bought, used and recycled.
In this report we aim to explore the potential of conscious design as a creative force to change the industrial chain of fashion - hope lies in the next generation of independent designers who are building their legacies based on radical transparency, sustainable practices and an entirely different design philosophy. The speed of change and development of sustainable textiles have been impressive but fashion sustainability is not only a material issue - in order to start using them we need to introduce new design methods for the designers. Throughout this research we want to contextualize the possibilities of transforming the design practice and how garments are made in our current day. We will explore the concept of sustainability applied to fashion, analyze the fashion supply chain and research the area of sustainable textiles and design techniques. The research has been designed this way in order to understand what the designers need in order to change their current practice and develop a more critical mindset.
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Part 1 Literature Review Chapter 1: Understanding Sustainability Why Sustainability in Fashion?
Chapter 2: The Fashion Supply Chain Cultivation Production
Manufacturing
Consumer Care
Disposal, Recycle or Reuse
Chapter 3: Sustainable Textiles & Materials
Sustainable Fiber AlternativesCertification Systems Chapter 4: Transforming the Design Practice The Design Process
The Importance of Transparency Aesthetics & Sustainability
Sustainable Design Techniques
Fashion Designers as Innovators
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Understanding Sustainability Nature
There are multiple value systems or worldviews that influence the approach we take on sustainability. Sustainability has many definitions but three of the most common seem to be an approach of continuous activities without causing harm, treating others as you would have them treat you and meeting a current generation’s need without compromising those of future generations.1 Perhaps the most common approach today is making incremental changes in our present day’s practices to bring about improvements, which also seem to be the biggest challenge – finding the balance between human wellbeing and natural integrity.2 In the face of alarming environmental and social imbalances, the growing push for sustainability has given hope to many thoughtful practitioners. Large corporations are eager to protect the reputation of their brands and have therefore started developing different Corporate Social Responsibility programs or equivalent, which seem to have created competition and co-operation across the sectors.
Society
Economy
solutions not quick fixes3. Socially responsible investing has become the latest mechanism for corporations to use the power of the market to prove that they are doing the “right” thing and what Ehrenfeld tries to explain is that the problem with these practices are that they have little or nothing to do with creating true sustainability. Another pioneer questioning true sustainability is Janin Benyus, where in her book ”Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature” 4 discusses three different approaches: 1
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The use of nature as a model to inspire approaches that solve human problems Employing nature as a judge to or measure of the “rightness” of our innovations Nature as a mentor, looking metaphorically at us designing with values and perspectives present in the natural world
However, ecologists like John Ehrenfeld argue that creating true responsibilities requires radical
Figure 1 Everything exists within nature
Sustainability is dependent on how parts work together rather than how parts work by their own. A choice in one arena affect theothers, regardless of intenttion. Conceptually, this is the first step towards understanding sustainability. Many terms refer to this mentality: Whole earth view, whole system view, general systems theory, philosophy of deep ecology etc.
Sustainability impacts of producing textile fibers, turning them into fabrics, are linked to the eco-system idea of diversity.
The radical vision of true sustainability is not a shift that will happen over night, but our research will develop through an interconnected vision found in nature and how we can apply that to the system of fashion.
D Pepper. Modern Environmentalism: An introduction (London: Routledge, 1996), 37 Kate Fletcher. Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys (London: Routledge, 2014), 3 3 John Ehrenfeld. ”Searching for Sustainability: No Quick Fix, Reflections.” (2004) 10 4 Janine M Benyus. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (New York:Morrow: 1997) 22 1 2
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Environmental Sustainability concentrates on maintaining and repairing the natural world. Methods like renewable sources, the three “Rs” (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) and everything certified organic fall into this category.
Environmental
Social Sustainability focuses on meeting the needs of people. These are all factors that impact quality of life. Social inclusion, justice, equal rights and education are all issues contained in this realm.
Social
Economic sustainability means developing business practices which provide a sound basis for income and wealth without exploiting economic resources such as raw materials, energy or workforces.
Why Sustainability in Fashion? The purpose of this research is to look at how we can use ecosystem properties, like diversity, in design and production decisions, and hope that we can begin to design textile products and production systems that are sustainable and integrated within nature. It is important to understand how current design, manufacturing and business practices within fashion create unsustainable outcomes. In today’s reality in the fashion field more and more garments are manufactured in other countries, very often on the other side of the globe - globally about 80% of clothing exports are shipped from undeveloped countries to developed economies5.
Economical
In recent decades, fashion retailers, such as Primark, H&M, Topshop, and Zara have revolutionized the fashion industry by following what has become known as the “fast fashion” strategy, in which retailers respond to shifts in the market within just a few weeks, versus an industry average of six months. Specifically, fast fashion is a concept developed in Europe to serve markets who desire trendy, short-cycle, and relatively inexpensive clothing6. The fast fashion business model is built on selling high volume of cheap products that are marginally marked up, meaning that stores have to sell a lot in order to profit, and they will do anything to keep people buying. Retailers rarely know anything about the materials they use or their manufacturing - the Behind the Barcode report found that of 219 brands surveyed, 91% didn’t have full knowledge of where their cotton is coming from, 75% do not know the source of all their fabrics and inputs and only half actually trace where their products are cut and sewn7.
True Sustainability
For something to be truly sustainable, it must fulfill the requirements for sustainability in all three areas. Each Realm can technically function independently, but true sustainability is reached when considerations for all three overlap.
Figure 2 The concept of true sustainability Inspired by John Ehrenfeld
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5 Kirsi, Niinimäki”Sustainable Fashion: New Approaches”, (Helsinki: Aalto University 2013) 23 Joy Annamma, Sherry John F, Venkatesh Alladi, Wang Jeff and Chan Ricky. “Fast Fashion, Sustainability, and the Ethical Appeal of Luxury Brands”, (Bergs, 2012) 276 7 The 2015 Australian Fashion Report; available from http://www.baptistworldaid.org.au/assets/Be-Fair-Section/FashionReport.pdf; Internet; Accessed March 20 2016
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Human rights, wages and working conditions Despite a number of international standards, certifications and government legislation to tackle human rights, working conditions are not followed in many of the places where clothing, accessories and footwear is made. Human rights violations include cross cutting issues such as forced and child labor, repression and discrimination, and unsafe, dirty and unfair working conditions. Producers and garment workers might face excessive hours, forced overtime, lack of job security, denial of trade union rights, poor health, exhaustion, sexual harassment, discrimination and denial of other basic human rights when on the job. These problems exist not just in places like Bangladesh but also in developed countries like the United Kingdom and the United States.
Since Rana Plaza, the Bangladesh Accord, set up to improve factory conditions, they have inspected over 1200 factories for safety hazards and as a result closed 41 of them and helped to upgrade many others. 10But this is just one country where our clothing is made. Transparency within the fashion supply chain is an enormous issue, and it is difficult for people to take action if they do not know what is happening.
However, reality remains that basic healthy and safety measures do not exist for huge numbers of people working in fashion’s supply chains. The Rana Plaza factory collapse is the most extreme and familiar example where 1134 people were killed and thousands more left injured8. Figure 3 Minimum wages in garment manufacturing9
Image 1 Relatives cry out after identifying the body of a loved one killed in the building collapse, May 3, 2013
A living wage is recognized as a human right, yet the reality for the vast majority of garment sector workers is that wages are set so low that the workers and their families remain trapped in a cycle of poverty.
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Sarah Ditty, ”It’s Time for a Fashion Revolution” (Fashion Revolution: December 2015) 11
The 2015 Australian Fashion Report; available from http://www.baptistworldaid.org.au/assets/Be-Fair-Section/FashionReport.pdf; Internet; Accessed March 20 2016
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Sarah Ditty, ”It’s Time for a Fashion Revolution” (Fashion Revolution: December 2015) 12
Image Available from http://projects.aljazeera.com/2015/08/rana-plaza/images/bangladesh_rana_ plaza_grief.jpg (Accessed May 3 2016)
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Chemicals, carbon & use of energy resources 17-20% of industrial water pollution comes from textile dyeing and treatment and an estimated 8,000 synthetic chemicals are used throughout the world to turn raw materials into textiles, many of which will be released into freshwater sources9.
Image 2 Greenpeace Detox Campaign
A study by Greenpeace into fast-fashion a few years ago exposed a number of toxic chemicals present in clothing made by some of the worlds largest apparel retailers. In order to do this research, Greenpeace purchased 141 items of clothing, including jeans, trousers, T-shirts, dresses, and underwear made from both natural and synthetic materials, from authorized retailers in 29 countries and regions. After testing the clothes at Greenpeace’s Research Laboratories at the University of Exeter, and also at independent accredited labs worldwide, they found that all the brands had at least several items containing hazardous chemicals, including some classified as ”toxic” or ”very toxic” to aquatic life. For example persistent nonylphenol (NP), a hormonedisruptor known to accumulate in fish and other aquatic organisms. Two clothing items, both from Zara, contained cancer-causing amines from the use of AZO dyes.12 It is not only the fast-fashion brands that have landed in an unsustainable supply chain, also brands within the luxury sector. In a study, also made by Greenpeace, reveals that even hazardous chemicals where found in children’s clothing and footwear produced by eight luxury brands including Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Hermés, Louis
Image Available from http://www.digitaljournal.com/img/4/5/4/4/9/2/i/1/3/3/o/Detox_Greenpeace.jpg (Accessed May 3 2016)
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Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Trussardi and Versace. The study revealed that 16 out of 27 products included hazardous chemicals, showing in all of the brands except from Trussardi. However it is argued that the sample from Trussardi was too small to be able to draw conclusions about chemicals used. The products were also predominantly made in Italy (10 products), followed by China (four), Morocco (three), Turkey (two) and Hungary, India and Thailand (one in each). For five products – two by Dior, two by Trussardi and one by Hermès – the country of manufacture was not stated on the labeling, showing a lack of transparency on the part of the brands concerned. 11 Also notable is the number of products manufactured in Europe, compared to previous studies where China and other developing countries have predominated, though this pattern may not be representative of luxury textile products in general. Producing fashion and textiles involves one of the longest and most complex industrial chains in manufacturing industry. Cultivation and manufacturing locations are far from end markets and local manufacturing skills have diminished or disappeared. We are all responsible not only for the environmental impacts of the fashion industry but also for the unsustainable consumption behavior of consumers and the increase of waste streams. In order to understand the fashion supply chain and its environmental impact we will do an indepth analysis of every step of the cycle.
Sarah Ditty, ”It’s Time for a Fashion Revolution” (Fashion Revolution: December 2015) 12 Greenpeace, ”A Little Story About a Fashionable Lie: Hazardous chemicals in luxury branded clothing for children” (Netherlands; Greenpeace International, 2014) 9 11
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Fiber Cultivation
The Fashion Supply Chain
Fabric Production
Manufacturing
Distribution & Consumption
Consumer care
The conversion of raw textile fiber to finished fabric to final product to consumer to point of disposal draws on labor, energy, water and other resources which makes the supply chain a high-impact sector.13 The textile and garment manufacturing is linked to being a major user of water, energy and a major polluter, but it is also linked to being a ethical issues as poverty wages, excessive working hours, lack of job security and denial of trade union rights. The lifecycle of a garment can be divided into six steps: 1) Cultivation, 2) Production, 3) Manufacturing, 4) Distribution, 5) Consumer laundering and 6) Disposal, Recycle or Reuse. In order to find the major environmental impact of the lifecycle we will look closer into each step.
Disposal, Recycle or Reuse
13 Kate, Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys (London: Routledge, 2014) 51
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Figure 5 MADE-BY Environmental Benchmark for Fibers17
1. Cultivation Clothing and textiles products begin as fibers. There are two main categories of textile fibers: natural and manufactured. Natural fibers comes from plants or animals. Manufactured fibers are man-made, which most of them comes from synthetic polymers but also natural polymers (vegetal and animal). Two fibers dominate the textile market today: cotton and polyester. The demand for polyester has now doubled over the past 15 years and has now overtaken cotton as the most produced textile material14. Figure 4 Textile Fiber Types15
Natural Plant Cotton, Flex, Hemp, Jute, Ramie, Sisal, Banana, Pineapple Animal Wool, Silk, Cashmere, Mohair
Raw natural fibres require cleaning before entering the fabric production-chain. The process is most intensive in the case of wool. Raw wool can contain 20-40% impurities in the form wool grease (lanolin), dyed perspiration (suint), dirt and a significant loading of pesticides. To remove these impurities the wool is scoured in an energy intensive process requiring large amounts of hot water loaded with non-ionic detergents (namely alcohol ethoxylates and alkylphenol ethoxylates) and builders (inorganic salts) to emulsify the wool grease16. The areas of the greatest impacts of the cultivation seem to be: • Large quantities of water and pesticides required for growing cotton • Emissions to air and water arising from producing synthetic fibers • Significant use of energy and nonrenewable resources for synthetics
Class A
Class B
Class C
Mechanically Recycled Nylon
Chemically Recycled Nylon
Conventional Flax (Linen)
Mechanically Recycled Polyester
Chemically Recycled Polyester
Convetional Hemp
Organic Flax (Linen)
CRAILAR® Flax
Organic Hemp
In Conversion Cotton
Recycled Cotton
Monocell® (Bamboo Lyocell Product)
Recycled Wool
TENCEL® (Lenzing Lyocell Product) Class D
Class E
Unclassified
Modal® (Lenzing Viscose Product)
Bamboo Viscose
Acetate Alpaca Wool Cashmere Wool Leather Mohair Wool Natural Bamboo Organic Wool Silk
Conventional Cotton
Poly-acrylic
Rayon
Virgin polyester
Spandex (Elastane) Virgin Nylon
From Natural polymers (vegetable and animal)
Wool
Viscose, Modal, Lyocell (Regenerated cellulosic fibers) Acetate, Triacetate (Alginate fibers)
Casein, soya bean (Regenerated protein fiber) Poly/PLA (Biodegradable polyester fiber) From Synthetic polymers
Polyster, Nylon (Polycondensate fibers)
Acrylic, Polypropylene, PVC (Polymer fibers) Kate, Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles (London: Routledge, 2014) 10 Ibid, 52 16 Walters, A, Santillo, D, & Johnston, P. ”An Overview of Textiles Processing and Related Environmental Concerns” (UK: Greenpeace Research Laboratories, 2015) 7 14 15
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Ramie
Organic Cotton
Manufactured
Elastodiene (Rubber)
PLA
By looking at the production process of natural and man-made fibers and associated human and environmental impacts, Made-By ranked 28 fibers on six common parameters. Based on these parameters, each fiber was scored and
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placed into one of five classifications: Class A to Class E (A being the most sustainable) An additional category, ‘Unclassified’, has been added, in which fibers that are not part of this Benchmark are listed due to a lack of available robust data.
Environmental Benchmark Fibers; available from http://www.made-by.org/consultancy/tools/ environmental/; Internet; Accessed February 2 2016
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2. Fabric Production Textile materials are made in three stages: 1 Spinning: fibers are spun into yarns 2 Weaving or knitting: yarns become fabrics 3 Finishing: fabrics are finished to make them more useful (eg. bleaching, dying,printing)
Spinning, weaving and knitting During spinning, fibers are subjected to various mechanical processes that comb, align and spin them to produce a yarn. In some cases two or more yarns are then twisted together to form a twine18. Fiber blending is very common today, meaning that different types of fibers are spun into one fabric. This is mainly done because of economical reasons but also aesthetical, blends can influence coloring, strength softness, absorbency, ease of washing, and resistance to wrinkling, ease of spinning etc. Fibers blending can affect the environmental impact of a textile19. In some cases, the different properties of the Fibers that make up the blend means textiles must undergo two separate dyeing processes, thus increasing impacts. Blending also makes recycling more difficult. Spinning, weaving or knitting are largely mechanical processes and the major environmental burdens are related to energy use, solid waste production, dust and noise. In addition to mechanically manipulated fiber, all three processes involve the application
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of lubricants, a base of oil with additives for desirable characteristics (in spinning), oils (in knitting) or size agents (in weaving). Overall the environmental impact of the finishing is the most harmful because of energy, water and chemical use, and weaving is higher than of knitting, because of the use of sizing agents, which is used to strengthen and protect the threads from breaking from the stresses of processing. This needs to be completely removed before further processing, which is done with a large amount of water and addition of process chemicals20. Spinning, weaving and fabric finishing are normally separate activities done by different companies in different countries.
July-September 1989
August 2003
August 16, 2010
Image 4 The Aral Sea in Central Asia has shrunk to just 15% of its former volume, largely due to the vast quantity of water required for cotton production and dying.30
Finishing Finishing is the chief cause of environmental impacts in the production phase, using significant quantities of water, energy and chemicals. The finishing stage includes preparations of the fabric to be dyed, bleached and/or printed. Some of the chemicals used contain toxic heavy metals as copper, chromium and cobalt, which are being released in water waste because of poor infrastructure in developing countries where a majority of the textile production takes place21. Pretreatment Pre-treatment occurs immediately before dying/printing in the textile production chain, and prepares the fabric for these processes. The fibers may either be in the form of a yarn or a woven fabric. Pre-treatment normally occurs in the same facility as dying, often in the same machine (integrated processing = faster processing).
18 Walters, A, Santillo, D. & Johnston, P. ”An Overview of Textiles Processing and Related Environmental Concerns” (UK: Greenpeace Research Laboratories, 2015) 8 19 De Montfort University, & University of Leeds. ”The Role and Business Case for Existing and Emerging fibres in Sustainable Clothing” (London; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2010) 5 20 Kate, Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys (London: Routledge, 2014) 58 21 Ibid, 60
A series of mechanical and wet treatments prepare the fabric in a variety of ways22:
treatment relaxing tensions due to upstream processing.
• Removal of foreign material from the fabric. Natural impurities present in wool and cotton, production residues in manmade fibres and previously applied processing auxiliaries must be removed. This improves: uniformity, hydrophilicity and fibre affinity for dye stuffs and finishing auxiliaries.
• Bleaching To allow pale colors or to produce white fabrics. The most common practice is we process which requires a temperature above 60’C and additional chemicals, resulting in an energy intensive and toxic process. Bleaching does undermine fiber strength and durability.
• Improving the ability to absorb dyes uniformly In the case of cotton a chemical treatment is applied (mercerizing) to alter cellulose crystallinity. • Relax tensions Synthetic fibres are often subjected to a heat
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The nature and number of pre-treatment stages depends upon both the fibers and the required end result. Natural fibers generally contain more impurities and so are subjected to more intense processes. The type of environmental pollution resulting from pre-treatment depends upon process ordering; if heat processing precedes wet then the off gas contains a higher proportion of the removed impurities and vice versa. 23
22 Kate, Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys (London: Routledge, 2014) 61 Walters, A, Santillo, D. & Johnston, P. ”An Overview of Textiles Processing and Related Environmental Concerns” (UK: Greenpeace Research Laboratories, 2015) 11
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Dyeing Textiles can be dyed as fibers yarn or fabric. Many different dye methods exist today for different fibers and outcomes. No color can be singled out as having the “best” or the “worst” environmental impacts, but blue green and turquoise are difficult to achieve without the use of copper, a heavy metal. Meaning the darker the shade, the greater the amount of dye lost to waste, which is why companies considered eco-friendly often avoid dark, heavy shades such as navy and black24. In countries with poor working conditions and few environmental protection measures, dying can pose a serious threat to human and environmental health.
concern within the production stage is to protect workers from toxins used in the three different stages, mainly in the finishing stage. The production phase has a highly complex chemical consumption pattern and suffers from poor data dissemination. Many finishing mills import pre-treated yarns, often not receiving full information about the compounds already applied.28
Printing Printing is one of the most chemically complex areas in the finishing phase. Textile printing involves the application of a color paste, a thickening agent and other chemicals onto a fabric25. Whereas dyeing conveys a uniform color, printing allows a range of different colors to be applied. Usually between 5 and 10 pastes are required for a single pattern26. Unlike dyeing, the color is applied to selected areas of a fabric, which reduces resource consumption. Digital printing is the most popular form, which uses inkjets. Key environmental challenges for the production sector are reducing energy, water and toxic chemical use, minimizing the release of chemicals in wastewater and minimizing the number of processing steps (eg. Merging the three processes stages within the same facility or at least within the same country.)27 Another
Image Available from http://hannahsharratt.blogspot.fr/ (Accessed May 3 2016)
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Kate, Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys (London: Routledge, 2014) 66 25 Ibid, 67 26 Walters, A, Santillo, D. & Johnston, P. ”An Overview of Textiles Processing and Related Environmental Concerns” (UK: Greenpeace Research Laboratories, 2015) 22 27 Kate, Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys (London: Routledge, 2014) 57 28 Walters, A, Santillo, D. & Johnston, P. ”An Overview of Textiles Processing and Related Environmental Concerns” (UK: Greenpeace Research Laboratories, 2015) 28
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3. Manufacturing Following fabric finishing, fabric is cut and sewn into garments or other textile products. The key concerns within the manufacturing stage are social and workers-related rather than environmental in contrast to the earlier stages in the supply chain. Manufacturers compete with each other for a place in the supply chain and cut down on labor rights and working condition in order to stay price competitive. Before sending fabric to manufacturers we have to design the garments. It usually starts with the designers and merchandisers, who come up with a concept for their collection, based on trending colors, styles etc and afterwards the merchandisers develop a collection plan. The designers sketch out what the garments will be and then present it to their production team who has the final say on quality control and costs, and therefore decide on materials used in the garments and which suppliers to work with. In most cases designers do not have any contact with factories or suppliers, they go through the production managers. Once production, design and development team have compromised on the final collection, it is often sent to a supplier for sample production. Many suppliers have different factories for production of samples than the production of higher quantity orders. We will go through a more detailed description of the design phase in Chapter 4 – Transforming the Design Practice. The cut-make-trim (CMT) stage is a largely manual operation – converting designs into garments or other products needs workers at sewing machines which today is an inexpensive, simple and traditional technology. With little and expensive manufacturing options in Europe
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and the US, many companies relocate their production to the east where labor costs are cheaper.29 As fashion brands continue to cut costs, and wages continue to rise in China, production in Bangladesh has grown into one of the biggest industries for cheap clothing manufacturing because of the low wages they pay the garment workers and poor working regulations. Bangladesh’s minimum wage is one of the world’s lowest with a minimum wage of 8,82€ a week. Evidence of labor abuses in the fashion supply chains of fast fashion brands is convincing. The documentary The True Cost (2015) reveals serious labor abuses in suppliers of many fast fashion companies including workers being dismissed or threatened with violence when forming unions to fight for better wages and working conditions. 30 It also shows how fast fashion companies put suppliers in a difficult position when constantly pushing for cheaper prices. Even after the government raised response to working regulations in factories after the Rana Plaza disaster in Bangladesh, where a factory building collapsed and 1129 workers lost their lives, the poor working conditions and wages still remain. There has been a growing pressure from the public, trade unions and campaigning groups to improve labor rights in the textile and clothing sector. Ethical trade initiatives have succeeded to educate and inform retailers about their responsibility to the workers in their supply chains. Developments of codes of conduct, an outline of workers rights and minimum standards sent out to factories to
Kate, Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys (London: Routledge, 2014) 68 The Thing That Makes Bangladesh’s Garment Industry Such a Huge Sucess Also Makes it Deadly; available from http://qz.com/389741/the-thing-that-makes-bangladeshs-garment-industry-such-a-hugesuccess-also-makes-it-deadly/; Internet; accessed 24 April 2015
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Image 5 Workers demonstrating in Bangladesh
sign, and developments of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programs have pressured companies to meet basic working standards and improve their environmental impact. Even though codes of conduct and CSR developments are voluntary, many companies have been eager to engage their company in these practices for competitive and reputational benefits. There is also an increasing demand for greener, more customized and higher quality products. Manufacturing needs to address the challenge of producing more, while consuming less material, using less energy and creating less waste.
Image Available from http://www.wornthrough.com/2015/11/on-teaching-incorporating-ethics-in-fashion-education-curriculum-a-request-for-dialogue/; Internet; accessed May 1 2016
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4. Distribution & Consumption Distribution and consumption is the whole process whereby the goods get to the customer. In fashion this means selecting the items from the designer or design manufacturing company and selling or distributing them to the public: in other words this is the transition from wholesale to retail. This process in itself incorporates several sub-processes: marketing, merchandising, advertising and display. Material volumes and flows in the fashion industry are designated by projected retail sales. Mill set up for fabric, machinery allocation, orders for trims and notions, organization and hiring of workforce are all arranged by sales forecasts. High-tech information collection systems, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, are placed on every product, and analytical systems have been developed to optimize the flow of garments through the supply chain. Together these kinds of systems provide data for producers and retailers to track, analyze and redirect material stocks to meet sales31. This reduces excess inventory and production, and in recent years we have seen fashion retailers compete with others by ensuring speed to market with their ability to provide rapidly the fashion trends revealed by fashion shows and runways. For example, Zara stores around the world receive deliveries twice a week and products designed at the headquarters in Arteixo reach stores three weeks later.When sales trends are identified – either from evidence in stores or the catwalk – the commercial team will work with the designers to develop new products to meet the trends. New fashions are then produced in relatively small batches, so flops can be disregarded after their first appearance and hits can be followed quickly by similar incarnations32.
With fast processes like these, customers have access to new, trendy, low-priced clothing every week. It is not a new statement saying that the relationship between fashion and high-volume consumption conflicts with the concept of sustainability. Cheap product prices lead consumers to impulse purchases and unsustainable consumption behavior of overconsumption, very short use time of products and premature disposal of the product. We buy items more often because of the downward pressure on price but also because of commercialization and marketing from retailers, which is linked to psychological obsolesce, the need to change appearance which has developed into a need of novelty.33 In the UK the consumption of fashion has increased by 37% between 2001 and 2005 (the amount of clothes purchased per capita).34 In Sweden the amount of clothes and home textiles released on the market rose by 40% between the years 2000 and 2009. In Finland the total volume of clothes sold in 2010 was 70 212 tons which, for a population of 5 426 674, equals an average of 13 kg of textiles per person35.
Fletcher, Kate, Lynda Grose. Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change. (London, England: Laurence King, 2012) 54 ”How Zara Became the World’s Biggest Fashion Retailer”;available from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/ retailandconsumer/11172562/How-Inditex-became-the-worlds-biggest-fashion-retailer.html; Internet; Accessed March 2 2016 33 Kate, Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys (London: Routledge, 2014) 140 34 Kirsi, Niinimäki, ”Sustainable Fashion: New Approaches”, (Helsinki: Aalto University, 2013) 14 35 Ibid, 16 36 H&M, ”Conscious Action Sustainability Report 2015” (2015) 9-11
Producing carbon emission is inevitable in distribution. According to H&M’s annual sustainability report it was estimated that more than half of the carbon emission at H&M are due to transportation from factories to stores. The question is how to design a more efficient transportation system, and minimize the amount of carbon emission in distribution. 36 There has been research within technology to develop more sustainable tracking systems. Strings technology, for example, developed by Historic Futures, is a software tool that enables companies to access information at each point in a garments manufacture and transportation. Suppliers upload information about the material inputs, processing that goes into the garment and specific steps within the supply chain. The retailer can then choose to share this data with their costumers, which is a great opportunity for a company to show transparency. These kinds of systems for data gathering can encourage companies to be more involved in their supply chains.
31 32
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Image 6 Marks & Spencer’s added information on their labels to change consumer laundering
5. Consumer Care Most of a garment’s environmental impact during its lifecycle arises during the consumer-use phase and not from the cultivation of the fiber or the production of fabric37. Textile and clothing prices have fallen, and currently the consumer possesses more and more impulse-buy cheap garments and low quality textiles. These kinds of low quality and cheap garments are easy to discard. At the same time only few consumers can repair their own garments or have skills to create garments themselves; many do not even own a sewing machine. The heaviest part within the consumer-use phase is laundering; washing a polyester blouse, for example, uses around four times as much energy as that needed to make it and just by washing the blouse half as often, the product’s energy consumption can be cut by almost 50 percent. 38 This is not the case for all garments, outerwear, for example, are rarely cleaned and therefor the environmental impacts are bigger in the production phase. The drying of clothes involves behaviors equal to washing. Tumbledrying is a very convenient solution for many people but it is extremely energy-intensive.
consumers to wash at a lower temperature. In the UK, for example, Marks and Spencer use the slogan “Think Climate, Wash at 30°C” on their labels to change consumer behaviors at home. Extending the life span of garments is one of the most critical issues for sustainable development but there is relatively little knowledge about the scope and potential of designing to reduce the impact of the use phase of fashion and textiles’ life.39 Moreover, designing to reduce the impact of the laundering or consumer-care phase of the life cycle has the potential to bring great opportunities for design and innovation.
The realization that most impacts associated with a garment occur in the laundry suggest that one of the most influential sustainable strategies change would be to change how people wear, wash and dry clothes. Even a small change as changing labels to encourage lower-temperature cleaning could have a big effect. The lower the temperature at which clothes are washed, the less energy is consumed. Recently there have been brands that use their labels to advise their
Kate, Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys (London: Routledge, 2014) 91 Fletcher, Kate, Lynda Grose. Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change (London, England: Laurence King, 2012) 60-61 39 Kate, Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys (London: Routledge, 2014) 36 37 38
34
Image 7 Filippa K have a guide on how to wash and care for your clothes on their website
Image 6 Available from http://www.reuk.co.uk/OtherImages/new-marks-and-spencer-label.jpg ; accessed April 5 2016 Image 7 Available from http://www.filippa-k.com/eu/filippak-world/care/; accessed April 5 2016
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Conclusion In systems thinking the success of the whole fashion supply chain entails a shared responsibility for all players (weavers, finishers, retailers, detergent manufacturers, consumers, etc) to foster sustainable outcomes. Major fashion brands including Nike, Adidas, Puma, H&M, M&S, Levi’s and Uniqlo have committed to a zero discharge of hazardous chemicals by 2020. What’s important is to take action to put things right and arguably big brands are leading in this respect. They have the money, they can afford to employ corporate social responsibility and ethical trading teams and are also very aware of the reputation risks attached to worker exploitation. With their influence and purchasing power, they could change business models fairly quickly if they decided to leave their current system of making fashion.
Image 8 A concept to encourage recycling developed by Unifroms for the Dedicated
6. Disposal, Recycle or Reuse A big amount of textile products (garments, household textiles, carpets etc) end up in a landfill after being used. Studies from the UK reveal that of the total textile fiber produced, up to 65% is lost, post-consumer, to landfill, incineration or composting, which represents between 400,000 and 700,000 tonnes per annum in the UK. Of this, at least 50% is said to be recyclable.40 Designing clothes with future lives requires a radical renovation of the way we currently deal with waste. We will talk more about what designers can do about this in Chapter 4: Transforming the Design Practice, here we can instead talk about what companies can do to encourage their consumers to recycle their garments. For example, H&M launched in 2012 the clothing conscious collection initiative which means that consumers can return the old apparel products (any brand and any condition) to all H&M stores, as well as &Other Stories and now recently Cheap Monday stores around the world. In return, consumers can get a 10% or 15% off coupon for their next purchase. Another initiative to involve consumers in recycling is made by sustainable Swedish label
Uniforms for the Dedicated who has come up with a creative way to alter consumer behavior with the Rag Bad, a biodegradable shopping bag received in their store that helps consumers to recycle something old every time you buy something new. To put it to work, simply remove your newly purchased garment, flip the bag inside out, put in an old garment, seal the bag and put it in the mailbox. Your unwanted items will then make their way to a charity that can give them a second life in service of those who are less privileged. The benefits of reusing textiles are; from reducing the amount of non-compostable materials ending up in landfill to putting less of a strain on the natural resources needed to make them, and steps are being taken to encourage people to do so. Making the designer or retailer responsible for the future disposal of products completely changes the traditional, linear system of clothing production, distribution and sales.
40 JM Alwood. ”Well dressed? : the present and future sustainability of clothing and textiles in the United Kingdom” (Cambridge : University of Cambridge, Institute for Manufacturing. 2006) 16
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Should we expect big brands with globally established business and manufacturing structures to be faultless or should we consider the transition to full sustainability and ethical practices will be gradual? As Orsola de Castro, founder of Estethica, London Fashion Week’s ethical trade fair puts it: “at this point in time the biggest ’offenders’ are also the biggest investors in sustainable solutions.” A recent piece of research for WRAP suggested that if the lifetime of a garment was increased by nine months, demand for water, carbon emission and waste generated could be reduced by up to 30 percent. 41
41 37
Kate, Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles: Design Journeys (London: Routledge, 2014) 103
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Sustainable Textiles and Materials Within the area of fashion, textile and sustainability, the space that receives most attention and research seem to be material phenomena, together with supply chain efficiencies. Organic agriculture and renewable fibers lead ideas about sustainable innovations. Over the past few years, a number of “eco textiles” standards have been developed. These standards ensure a certain level of environmental, social quality and are valuable in that they identify sincere efforts towards sustainability. In case of textile materials, most areas of sustainability-led innovation can be roughly divided into three areas: 41 • Increased interest in renewable source materials leading, for example, developments of rapidly renewable fibers • Materials with reduced levels of processing inputs such as water, energy and chemicals, resulting in low-energy (sometimes described as low-carbon) processing techniques for synthetic fibers, and organic natural fiber cultivation, for example: fibers produced under improved working conditions for growers and processors as exemplified by producer codes of conduct and fully certified fair trade fibers • Materials produced with reduced waste, for example: biodegradable and recyclable fibers from both consumer and industry waste streams
41 42
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(10.46%) and Turkey (6.80%). The remaining production is in the Americas, Africa and Central Asia (8.49%). 44 Fairtrade Cotton There are many ethical issues associated with conventional cotton cultivation, including poor worker’s rights (low pay, lack of security, etc) and hazardous working conditions associated with applications of pesticides. Fairtrade cotton focuses more on improving sustainability through social goals as growers earning minimum pay and encouraging community development projects, different from organic cotton that focuses more on environmental standards.45 Fairtrade cotton is produced in 7 countries, predominantly India, but also Africa and Central Asia. 66% of Fairtrade cotton is also organic.46
Sustainable Fiber Alternatives Recycled fibers Recycled fiber offers a low-impact alternative to other fiber sources, with reduced levels of energy material and chemical consumption. The traditional process of recycling use carding machines to tear the old fabric made from any fiber type apart. The effect of mechanically opening a fabric in this way is not just to unravel the structure but also to break the individual fibers into shorter lengths, which then are spun into new yarns that are of lower quality. This method is mainly called down cycling – meaning that once the materials are recovered, they are reused if possible but usually as a lower-value product. Innovation to extract longer fibers, especially in natural fibers, can change the quality and reuse of fibers. Natural fibers can only be recycled via mechanical methods but synthetic fibers like polyester can be recycled both through mechanical means but also chemical routes. We can see a growth of the use of recycled polyester, from both methods, and there are figures showing that it demands around 80 percent less energy to recycle than to make raw oil and convert them into fibers. Although the polyester itself is not sustainable as it is made from oil, the recycled fabric makes use of old plastic bottles and bags. If we could use old plastics and continue to recycle them into new clothes, then perhaps we can make the best of an environmentally damaging fabric. The use of plastics in forming these fibres also prevents the plastics going into landfill. 42
Fletcher, Kate, and Lynda Grose. Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change. London, England: Laurence King, 2012. p13 Kate Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, (London: Routledge, 2014) 43
Image 6 Uniforms for the Dedicated only use recycled fabrics in their designs. Typically this include fabrics made of recycled lambs wool, alpaca, cashmere, merino and polyester based fibers.
Organic Cotton The biggest challenges for conventional cotton cultivation lie in reducing pesticide, fertilizer and water use, and promoting better information and conditions for farmers. Cultivating organic cotton is within a system that does not use pesticides, fertilizers, growth regulators or defoliants. 43 Organic cotton originates from 19 producer countries, with India accounting for nearly three-quarters (74.25%) of total supply, followed by China
Organic Wool Just as in cotton, pesticides are used in the cultivation of wool fiber but the quantities applied per kilo of wool fiber are smaller than for cotton. Sheep are treated with injectable insecticides and dipped in pesticide baths to control parasite infections, which has serious welfare implications of the flock.47 Organic wool comes from organically grown feed, a land not treated with pesticides and sheep are not dipped in synthetic insecticides. The market for organic wool is still relatively small but it is growing and there is potential for expansion.48
43 Kate Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, (London: Routledge, 2014) 26 Simon Ferrigno, “Mind the Gap: Towards a More Sustainable Cotton Market” (UK: Pesticides Action Network UK, Solidaridad, and WWF. April 2016 ) 7 45 Kate Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, (London: Routledge, 2014) 32 46 Simon Ferrigno, “Mind the Gap: Towards a More Sustainable Cotton Market” (UK: Pesticides Action Network UK, Solidaridad, and WWF. April 2016 ) 10 47 Kate Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, (London: Routledge, 2014) 14 Image available from http://www.dandyfellow.com/images/uniforms-for-the-dedicated-anton-mutant-black-jacket-50036-p18072-57594_image.jpg ; Internet; Accessed April 25 2016 44
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Hemp Hemp is naturally one of the most ecologically friendly fibers. Hemp grows very rapidly, comparing fiber production with other natural fibers, for example, Cotton, Flax and Wool, Hemp grows almost two times more. Hemp is the only fiber that can grow in a cool climates, it also helps clear land for other crops: it improves the soil and its strong roots control erosion. 48 Organic or wild silk Organic silk is created without the use of any chemicals or treatments using insecticides, pesticides or synthetic additives (often used by some silk suppliers to provide additional softness to their silk fabrics). The silkworm chrysalis is collected after the moth has emerged naturally, as compared with cultivated silk where the silkworm grub is killed while in situ.49 Lyocell (Tencel) Lyocell is a cellulosic fiber made from wood pulp. Lyocell is often sold under the name TencelÂŽ which manufactured by Lenzing Fibers. Technically, a fabric must contain at least 30% of these proprietary fibers in order to use the name Tencel, but the term has become more commonly used than lyocell for similar products from all sources. The process of making lyocell is similar to that of viscose, but it uses less energy and less hazardous chemicals. The closed loop process means that almost all water and chemicals are reused over and over. 50
Organic Bamboo Bamboo textile is made from bamboo timber, which has matured in the forest for at least 4 years. It is the fastest growing woody plant in the world and therefor considered a sustainable, renewable source. Bamboo fabric is very soft, often described as feeling like cashmere. It is a light, strong fabric that requires less dye than cotton and it can be used in many ways from being woven to being knit. The concern about bamboo is natural bamboo habitats, as pandas, and clearing forests for bamboo plantations, and also converting it into fabric. Therefor it is important for regulation and certification systems to analysis the different bamboo practices. 52 Flax (Linen) Linen is one of the most sustainable, natural fibers because growing the flax requires no irrigation and very little chemical treatment. 53 Image 7 Mulberries is a social enterprise that seeks to create income generating opportunities for Lao people by producing traditional silk in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.
Organic Soybean Fiber Soyaben fiber is seen as a potential replacement of mainly petrochemical based synthetics but also for cashmere. Perhaps the biggest concern relating to soybean fibers is related to the environmental impact of soybean agriculture which is why it is important to source for organic soybean fibers. Kate Fletcher, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, (London: Routledge, 2014) 4333 Ibid, 34 50 Lenzing, About Tencel; available from http://www.lenzing-fibers.com/en/tencel/; Internet; accessed March 5, 2016 51 Todd Copeland, �How Eco Friendly is Bamboo Fabric� (US: Ecouterre, 2010) 48 49
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Image 7
Available from https://ecosourcingproject.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/img_3383.jpg ; Accessed May 5 2016
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Conclusion
Certification Systems There are a number of labels that certify organic standards in clothing, including the Soil Association label and the EU ECO label. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is recognized as the world’s leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibres. It defines high-level environmental criteria along the entire organic textiles supply chain and requires compliance with social criteria as well. Only textile products that contain a minimum of 70% organic fibers can become GOTS certified. All chemical inputs such as dyestuffs and auxiliaries used must meet certain environmental and toxicological criteria.52 The choice of accessories is limited in accordance with ecological aspects as well. A functional waste water treatment plant is mandatory for any wet-processing unit involved and all processors must comply with minimum social criteria.53
threaten bio-diversity • Focus on resource efficiency: create manufacturing processes, services and products that consume as few natural resources as possible • Invest in high quality and durability: longer lasting and better functioning products, which age aesthetically and therefore reduce the impact of product replacement • Reuse, recycle and renew: design products that can be reused, recycled or composted
Except from The Global Textile Standard (GOTS), the certifications for fabrics today have only to do with the fibers, and not with the processing into fabric. It is important to note that if a piece of clothing bears a label saying 100% organic cotton- this normally refers to the cotton itself only, and does not include the processing and manufacturing phases (spinning, weaving, dying, manufacture).54
The speed of change to the technical structures of the fashion and textile sector has been impressive and it appears that we do not necessarily lack technical expertise to reduce resource consumption within fibers, fabric and garments, but rather applying it to the system of fashion as a whole. Eco-fiber section can make a big difference in lowering the environmental footprint of a garment or collection. However, all kinds of fibers must be woven/knitted, dyed, and finished before they become fabric. All of these processes have negative environmental impact, and the size of the total production impacts is determined by the efficiency of the factories that dye and finish fabrics, as well as the fiber type. For example, although organic cotton is a natural fiber, the impacts of dyeing it are higher than the impacts of dyeing polyester. However much we innovate and act to improve the sustainability credentials of a piece of clothing, the benefits brought by these changes are always restricted by the production system and business models that market and sell the garment and by the behavior of the person who buys it. Stronger demand in organic will force synthetic companies to research and development The task is to follow nature’s lead and diversify while cooperating.
The European Commission has defined principles of environmental design as follows55: • Use low-impact materials whenever it is possible: non-toxic, sustainably produced or recycled materials which require little or no natural resources (such as energy and water) to transport and process, and such use does not
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52 Certification: Global Organic Textile Standard International Working Group; available from http://www. global-standard.org/certification.html ; Internet; accessed March 1 2016 6-7 53 Ibid, 14 54 Ibid, 27-30 55 Standards & Labelling ; available from http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues/standards-labelling ; internet; accessed 18 2016.
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Transforming the Design Practice
The fashion discipline is far behind for example industrial design in producing environmental knowledge for designers’ use, trying new design methods to solve problems in more creative ways or engaging consumers in sustainable transformation processes. We need more creative thinking in designing but also in manufacturing, consuming and doing business in a sustainable context.56 For sustainable design, each design and manufacturing decision has to include consideration of the future: how the product will be used, how it will age, how it will be disposed of, and what environmental impact the product will have (during manufacturing, use and after use).
restructuring our manufacturing systems so they are conceptually and pragmatically aligned with sustainable principles. As we do so, new types of products will emerge whose aesthetic goes deeper than shape and surface. Viktor Papanek, who discussed environmental issues in design already in the 1970s, regarded aesthetics as an inseparable aspect of functional design. Nonetheless we know that aesthetics is a tool, one of the most important ones in the repertory of the designer, a tool that helps in shaping his forms and colors into entities that move us, please us, and are beautiful, exciting meaning57. Typically the designer’s job, not to mention the fashion designer’s job, is seen as quite superficial.
Figure 5 The Position of a Fashion Designer within a organization
Aesthetics & Sustainability Today, the aesthetics of a product are, to a very great extent, a result of the system which produced it. The definition of form, detailing of shape and surface are both constrained and largely determined by the overall product system. Therefore, we should not be attempting to find a new style which we might characterize as some form of “sustainable aesthetic”. Rather we should be developing products and
Kirsi, Niinimäki (ed.) ”Sustainable Fashion: New Approaches”, (Helsinki: Aalto University, 2013) 22 Papanek Victor. Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change. (Chicago: Review Press; 2 Revised edition, 2005) 22
56 57
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Image 9 Fashion Revolution Available from http://eluxemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/800x533xurl-3.jpeg.pagespeed.ic.N9ZX9IJyaO. jpg ; Internet; accessed May 2 2016
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“We need more transparency from the fashion industry. Transparency involves openness, communication and accountability.” Fashion Revolution
The Importance of Transperacy The vast majority of today’s fashion brands do not own their manufacturing facilities, making it difficult to monitor or control working conditions throughout the supply chain. A brand might place an order with one supplier, who carves up the order and subcontracts the work to other factories. This happens regularly across the industry and presents a great challenge for brands themselves as well as the people working in the supply chain who become invisible in this process. It is impossible for companies to make sure human rights are respected and that environmental practices are sound without knowing where their products are made, who is making them and under what conditions. Transparency means companies know who makes their products – from who stitched them right through to who treated the fabric and who cultivated the cotton. If we cannot see it, we do not know it is going on and we cannot fix it. At the moment the public do not have enough information about where and how their clothes are made. There is no way to hold companies and governments to account if
we cannot see what is truly happening behind the scenes. This is why transparency is essential. Being transparent creates the opportunity for collaborations between companies, governments, NGOs, unions and the public to work towards building a fairer, cleaner and safer fashion system. 58 Positive Example: Fashion Revolution Fashion Revolution campaigns for systemic reform of the fashion industry with a focus on the need for greater transparency in the fashion supply chain. The non-profit organization aims to change the way fashion is made, sourced and consumed. Here are some ways, according to Fashion Revolution, that companies can demonstrate their commitment to transparency59: 1
Showcase positive examples of brand/ producer relationships.
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Make one product transparent. Companies could do this through tools like Provenance, Caretraceor QR codes.
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Make at least one supply chain transparent. Companies could do this through tools like String, Sourcemap or Cotton Connect.
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Map out all your suppliers.
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Document this in an internal database, at least your company knows itself.
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Publish all your suppliers publicly
Fashion designers as innovators: Innovation & Design Thinking Applied to Fashion “User-centered design means understanding what your users need, how they think, and how they behave – and incorporating that understanding into every aspect of your process.” Jesse James Garrett, User experience designer
Today’s complex supply chain leaves opportunities for problem solving and innovation. In this section we will explore to support an approach to engage design thinking within the field of fashion. Such thinking seems suited not just to the complex shape of sustainability issues; but also to solve the responses that these issues necessitate. By using design techniques and strategies that uses a user-centered approach, a designer can require the consumer to become a necessary participant in the life cycle of a garment. This means that designers are not only transforming the way that they approach production but also they are influencing how consumers use garments. The kind of fibers used in a garment is very important but that it only one of many interconnected factors influencing the overall product sustainability. Fashion designers need to change their mindset, and use design strategies and innovation to improve the users both physical and emotional durability, and function.
58 Fashion Transperency Index; Available from http://fashionrevolution.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/FR_FashionTransparencyIndex.pdf ; Accessed March 15 2016 ; 27 59 Ibid, 29
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Sustainable Design Techniques There are a number of techniques, strategies, alternative processes and approaches you can take to design products that have a low environmental impact and positive social purpose. Dematerialize & Designing for Durability Dematerialization means reducing the amount of material that goes into making of a product. Durability is another key dimension of what it means to be sustainable, when designing a product the main goal should be to make the product as durable as possible. Garments should be designed to last. We know that most people today do not repair their garments, they discard them, therefore designing to make a garment have a longer life circle (seams, buttons that are properly attached, garment tolerating wash without losing shape and color, etc) are essential to sustainable design. Design for Cyclability There are mainly three techniques following the concept of a lifecycle: Upcycling Upcycling is a way of processing an item to make it better than the original. In the example of clothing, this is often taking something that doesn’t fit or is stained/torn and refashioning a wearable product from it. Design for Disassembly Sometimes shortened to DfD, this is a design approach that enables the easy recovery of parts, components, and materials from products at the end of their life. Recycling and reuse are noble intentions, but if a product cannot be disassembled cleanly and effectively they are impossible, or at least cost prohibitive to
Designers are already working effectively with ‘upcycling’ strategies, but this only postpones the arrival of the discarded material at landfill if followed without consideration of future cycles. The problem of biodegradability and harmful substances to the environment could still be present. As part of a design brief for cyclability, materials are made to be recycled indefinitely without losing value, and ultimately to consider the ‘material ecologies’ to which they return.
Raw Materials
Manufacture
Point of Disposal
Now Distribution
Use
achieve.60 Will a product need to be repaired? Which parts will need replacement? Who will repair it? How can the experience be simple and intuitive? Can the product be reclaimed, refurbished, and resold? If it must be discarded, how can we facilitate its disassembly into easily recyclable components? By responding to questions like these, the DfD method increases the effectiveness of a product both during and after its life. Cradle to Cradle The cradle-to-cradle principle was originally suggested by Walter Stahel in the 1970s and again at the beginning of the new millennium by William McDonough. According to this principle a product is designed and manufactured in such a manner that multiple life cycles of the product or materials are possible. The cradle-to-cradle principle counsels that after the use phase the product will continue in technical or biological life cycles, meaning it will be recycled into a new material or it will be composted. This means that materials, dyes, chemicals and auxiliaries have to be suitable either for recycling or composting (i.e. be biodegradable). 61 This is a challenging task since, for instance, only few textile colors or chemicals in the fibers can be composted without environmental problems.
Raw Materials
Point of Disposal
Manufacture
Near
Raw Materials
Point of Disposal
Manufacture
Future Use
Afterlife: An Essential Guide To Design For Disassembly ; Available from http://gsistechnology.pbworks. com/f/Afterlife-DfD-Green-Design.pdf ; internet; accessed April 10 2016. Kirsi (ed.). Niinimäki, Sustainable Fashion: New Approaches. (Finland: Aalto University, 2014) 18 60
Distribution
Use
Distribution
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Figure 3 Promoting lifecycle thinking in fashion design process Inspired by Kate Goldsworthy
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Conclusion
Image 9 Zero Waste Design
Zero Waste Design Technique Zero-waste is a design technique that eliminates textile waste at the design stage. This method is good for the environment, as it eliminates textile waste going to landfill, and it is economically smart by giving you the most mileage for your money spent. Waste produced during garment production can be avoided by applying the zero-waste design technique, where designers carefully plan the design so that they utilize the entire textile. We need to carefully plan the material we use to avoid leftover waste. 60
Designers need to develop a critical mindset: challenge themselves to think beyond materials and to link fiber with its lifecycle, a material with its user, and industry with the ecological and cultural system to support it. This reminds us that is in the designers’ skills and craft of practice within the context of sustainability where the real promise and drivers of change lie. Technology may provide us with new tools but it is the creative design mind that informs and directs their effectiveness. As we look to make improvements to fashion products to enhance their sustainability characteristics, it is vital that designers employ both broad and deep thinking when making decisions. Design is fundamentally about problem solving and not about making products without values for a fashion system that runs faster than anyone can keep up with. Problem solvers are exactly what we need today - that means designers have a lot to work on. It is easy to sit
around and waiting for someone else to take action, because the problems along the fashion supply chain today might come across as too intimidating for a designer to solve by themselves but if we start seeing sustainability as a continuous development process, where we need contributors to be able to bring about change, designers are one of the most important stakeholders we have. It is important that designers realize their power to change things. In a world where we already have too many things – a new way to develop will have to be to grow in quality instead of quantity. For a designer this might mean adding more value to their work, and there are many different kinds of value, not only material value.
Zero Waste Design; available from http://www.ecochicdesignaward.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/ files/2013/07/LEARN_Zero-waste_ENG.pdf; Internet; accessed March 2 2016
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Image Available from http://spadesandsilk.com/big-ideas/zwf- designers-use- it-not- lose-it/ ; accessed May 3 2016
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Part 2 Data Collection & Results Chapter 5: Data Collection Interview Survey Data Collection Analysis Chapter 6: Conclusion & Discussion
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Methodology
Interviews Eva Zingoni Profession
Designer and Owner of sustainable clothign brand Eva Zingoni Location Paris, France
Christian Tournafol Profession In order to prove that a conscious and sustainable design can drive systematic change in the fashion supply chain, it is important to clarify the questions found in our literature research: - What are the main values for a fashion designer today and are they aware of sustainable textile alternatives and design techniques? - How much influence does the designer have in decisions about final product?
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Survey We collected collected a survey with 125 participants, 102 women and 23 men, asking questions about consumer behaviors when buying garments but also about environmental engagements and their attitudes towards sustainable fashion. The full survey and results can be found in the Appendix.
Designer & Owner of sustainable clothing brand Les Racines du Ciel Location Paris, France Martin Patrick Mitchell Profession Founder and Editor in Chief of Less Magazine Location Copenhagen, Denmark
Anna RitzĂŠn Profession Buyer and Product Developer at H&M, Head of Product Design at Tiger of Sweden, Product Manager at Lala Berlin Location Berlin, Germany Michelle Row Profession
Senior Fashion Design Student at Paris College of Art Location Paris, France Nirina Metz Profession
- How can we educate and encourage designers to change their mindsets to a more sustainable design practice?
Xavier Thurston
In our study, we have interviewed fashion designers, senior fashion design students and working professionals within fashion but also within sustainability to ask them about their current practice and their knowledge and approach towards sustainable fashion. We will also interview both male and female consumers aged between twenty and sixty through a survey in France and Sweden on their own ideas and values on fashion, to highlight the issues involved in their approach to sustainable consumption.
Josefine Priest
Profession Senior Fashion Design Student at Paris College of Art Location Paris, France
Senior Fashion Design Student at Paris College of Art Location Paris, France
Profession Senior Fashion Design Student at Paris College of Art Location Paris, France
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What do the results show? Our overarching finding is that sustainability is not a term consumers, and some of the designers interviewed, typically associate with fashion, although they are very open to environmentalism and, for example, regularly buy organic food and recycle packaging. When buying a garment, 88% regard aesthetic qualities as the dominant factor. Even if ethical and environmental values are important to some consumers and guide their choices, all consumers consider aspects of aesthetics as highly important. One positive finding, is that 79 participants (65%) have once bought a piece of clothing that was considered sustainable. Main influence for people to start buying more sustainable clothing would be t 1) Availability 2) To have more knowledge on sustainable production 3) To have more knowledge on current issues within textile and garment production. The demand of knowledge was also found to be the greatest concern with sustainable clothing existing today. Aesthetics is the most important factor when people purchase clothing, and materials as the second most important. Although, we can question if they mean the aesthetic aspects of materials and how they feel rather than being conscious about the fibers used.
clothing label, aesthetics is the most important consideration when designers are creating fashion items. Material is also an important factor, but most of them have not had any learning about sustainable materials and they do not question where their materials have been cultivated or manufactured. All of those designers not already using sustainable materials are all open to use it but argue that it is difficult to find and that the quality is not the same. In terms of values and design techniques, there is a change in mindset that is essential to bring change in the design phase. Knowledge of Sustainability among the designers When it comes to designing, the only design technique they had all heard of seem to be up cycling but thinking about a garments end of lifecycle is not a priority. They also said that they want to know more about sustainability within fashion and how to apply it to their designs, but that most of the information that exists today is too complex to understand. An important finding is that there seem to be a preference in visual learning instead of reading, and that one of the main reasons of why designers do not know enough about sustainability issues is because the information is too difficult to comprehend.
The influence of a designer in the decision-making process Many factors influence the development of a product. According to Anna RitzĂŠn, who has worked with product development at both large (H&M) and small cooperatives (Lala Berlin), the designer has a relatively large impact on the decision making of a product but the designer has greater impact in smaller cooperatives, mostly because there are less people involved. Central to the decision, both in small and big cooperative, is price. When asking Anna BjĂśrnfot, knitwear designer at Sonya Rykiel, about her influence if she would suggest sustainable yarn in her designs, instead of the conventional ones they currently use; she replied that the questioning from the production manager would be price and that it would be central to the final product decision but that it would not be impossible.
To easier understand the data found, we have divided our results it into different categories: Values of the designers The primary purpose of the interviews with fashion designers and students was to gain an understanding of designers’ knowledge of sustainability but also to understand the most important elements designing a garment. According to all designers interviewed, except for those two running a sustainable
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Conclusion & Discussion The challenge of sustainability is to better integrate and balance design practices with multiple other layers: to continue to generate material diversity but from a broader engagement with the integrity of natural systems, while at the same time meeting our requirements for newness and change as expressed through our garments. In addition, based on our data analysis and our literature review, we learn that:
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The implications of creating sustainable designs today seem to be finding materials. It is not an issue of not having enough diversity within sustainable materials; the issue lies in where to find them without having to do all the research yourself Designers may consider the degrees of aesthetics and price more important than environmental values, mainly because they do not have the knowledge to design sustainably Consumers require more knowledge about sustainable textiles, production and consumer care
To begin to evolve a changed approach to the industrial chain of fashion, and more specifically designers’ practices, we need to provide them with the right tools to do so. Knowledge remains the main weapon to start a process of positive change. The information age has its virtues and thanks to the development of digital it is now easier than ever to find out about a brand’s ethical credentials from independent sources. As seen in literature review, there have been third-party assessors that have emerged to help analyzing fiber processing and production facilities in the supply chain in order to make it more ethical, environmental and to inform consumers about fibers but sourcing sustainable materials seems to be difficult.
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Future Recommendations Although literature review and data collection helped us to better develop a better understanding of the fashion supply chain and sustainable principles, there are several limitations in this paper. First, this report selects only six major steps in the fashion supply chain, which may not be exhaustive; one could go more in depth in every step. We also only explore sustainable fibers and design techniques. For future research, more details in looking at a sustainable fashion supply chain as a whole should be explored; including sustainable alternatives in every step of the industrial chain (ex. dyes, processing, finishing, transportations etc.).
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Part 3 Solution Results & Solutions Chapter 7: Introducing Hoop Direct Competitor Analysis
Indirect Competitor Analysis Hoop Design Framework
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The situation today:
The implications of creating sustainable designs today seem to be a lack of tools for designers to source environmentally and ethically friendly materials, and gathered information about fashion and sustainability. The most common way to find materials today are wholesale textile fairs. In Europe, for example, two of the biggest fairs are Premiere Vision and TexWorld which are happening two times a year outside of Paris. Premiere Vision does not have a section for sustainable materials, but TexWold for the first time during the spring this year showed a relatively small section of sustainable materials. In order for desginers to start designing sustainable they need a change in mindset; in order for them to do so we need to provide them with the right tools to encourage that motivation.
Solution: Introducing Hoop
Hoop will be an online B2B tool to introduce fabric buyers and designers to international mills and suppliers of sustainable textiles. The aim is to allow constant access to specification and sustainability-focused information about fabric with a reduced environmental and social impact. Additionally Hoop also includes a visual step-by-step tool on lifecycle thinking for designers, and all stakeholders whose interest lies in the area of sustainable design. An online platform means constant access at any time, from anywhere, which allows an easy and userfriendly way of sourcing materials. Millennials are a technology-driven generation. Mobile phones and Internet access lets information travel faster than ever before. The digital space allows for people to be more engaged with brands and governments alike. Technology makes it possible for more voices to be heard. Hoop is tapping into this, using the power of the Internet to change more mindsets and to be more critical of the materials we buy and the way we design.
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Competitor Analysis Fashiondex http://www.fashiondex.com/ Fashioniondex offers sourcing online showing fabric, trim and service suppliers but also publishing on books within textile sourcing and buying. The online tool mainly functions as a dictionary showing a list of suppliers, which includes the name of the supplier and contact details. What they do well Broad assortment of suppliers What are they missing? Sustainability commitments Help user contact supplier and order service No images - buyers need visuals Le Souk http://www.lesouk.co/ Le Souk is a global platform that connects consumers with mills and suppliers, mainly conventional ones but offer a few organic options. What they do well Wide assortments of suppliers and fabrics Website easy to navigate What are they missing? Detailed material descriptions and images Sustainability commitments Local mindset instead of global
Future Fabrics Virtual Expo http://www.futurefabricsvirtualexpo.com/ Managed by The Sustainable Angle, this online tool aims to introduce fabrics buyers and designers to international mills and suppliers of sustainable textiles. The platform mainly focuses on information about fabrics, but also have contact with sustainable suppliers. Once a year Future Fabric Virtual Expo also hosts a fabric fair, which is not virtual, showing suppliers with a reduced environmental impact in the UK. What they do well Educating the visitors about sustainable fabrics, lifecycle assessments, life certification systems and how to run a transparent business What are they missing? Website/virtual expo difficult to navigate Quality images Few suppliers
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Hoop Design Framework The Enterprise Design Framework is a strategic management template for developing a new, or documenting an existing organization and a business model. We have decided to use, and adopt this framework suitable for Hoop, in order to explain its organizational structure.
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Motivations
- The exploitation and environemental damages of the fashion industry today is unsustainable - We believe that designers can be social innovators and drive systematic change if the current way of designing if we just give them the tools to do so
The big picture
Mission
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Hoop is an online B2B tool for sourcing sustainable materials and learning about sustainable design techniques. The vision of Hoop is to make sustainable options more accessible and to offer a more comprehensive toolkit for sustainable design techniques in order to promote lifecycle thinking.
Beliefs of Hoop We believe in a circular fashion system where designers, and everyone involved in creating a garment, use materials and methods most beneficial for our planet and people. In a interconnected process, unlimited materials can have unlimited life cycles, and the material exchange would be open, dynamic and transparant.
Aspirations To change the mindset of current fashion creators and influencers to radically change the our clothes are sourced, produced and purchased.
To create the most up-to-date, user-friendly and inspiring sourcing tool and design guides available.
Our Levers of Change
- Fashion makers and influencers - Producers and suppliers - Governments
Our Impacts are
Transparency and lifecycle thinking becomes a normal part of doing business and designing which contributes to a safer, cleaner and safer fashion industry
How we will work to achieve this: Educate -Gather evidence of the outcomes of today’s fashion sustem -Build & share knowledge for suppliers and designers thorugh our platform and workshops
Collaborate - Build partnerships with people or organizationss which shares the same beliefs
Which requires that
- Designers understand the impacts of the fashion they contribute to today, and see this as an motivation for innovation and creativity - Improved sustainable suppliers visiability - Increased demand and knowledge among consumers for sustainable clothing - Increased government involvment with regulations and improved recycling systems
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People: personas 72
Based on our research, we have created two fictional, potential users of Hoop.
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Stakeholder map 74
The stakeholder map identifies the different actors that will be involved in order for Hoop to function.
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Revenue Stream
Idenpendent subscription
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Team subscription
The revenue stream of Hoop will mainly be from monthly and yearly subscription fees since the users of the platform require continous acess to the platform. We can first divide our users into two different groups: Suppliers and then the people wanting to buy from the suppliers. The different subscriptions are: Independent subscription Only allows acess for one person Team subscription Allows acess for an entire team where they can share their findings and moodboards Student subscription Free for students Supplier subscription Mills and suppliers
HOOP
Supplier subscription
Students
Reccurring Revenue Free users
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Bibliography
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Annamma Joy , Sherry John F, Venkatesh Alladi, Wang Jeff and Chan Ricky. Fast Fashion, Sustainability, and the Ethical Appeal of Luxury Brands, (Bergs, 2012)
Andersson Fi, Coming Clean About Greenwashing . April 8 2016. Available from https:// www.notjustalabel.com/editorial/coming-clean-about-greenwashing . Accessed April 9 2016. Alex Diener, Afterlife: An Essential Guide To Design For Disassembly. February 01 2010. Available from http://gsistechnology.pbworks.com/f/Afterlife-DfD-Green-De sign.pdf . Accessed April 10 2016. Bain, Mark. Avins. The Thing That Makes Bangladesh’s Garment Industry Such a Huge Sucess Also Makes it Deadly, 24 April, 2015. Available from http://qz.com/389741/the- thing-that-makes-bangladeshs-garment-industry-such-a-huge-success-also- makes-it-deadly/. Accessed April 2 2016. Copeland Todd, How Eco Friendly is Bamboo Fabric (US: Ecouterre, 2010) De Montfort University, & University of Leeds. ”The Role and Business Case for Existing and Emerging fibres in Sustainable Clothing” (London; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2010) 5 Ditty Sarah, It’s Time for a Fashion Revolution (Fashion Revolution: December 2015) Ehrenfeld, John. Searching for Sustainability: No Quick Fix, Reflections. (2004) Ethical Fashion Forum, ”Standards & Labelling” Retrieved May 18 2016.
JM Alwood. Well dressed? : the present and future sustainability of clothing and textiles in the United Kingdom (Cambridge : University of Cambridge, Institute for Manufacturing. 2006) Lenzing, About Tencel, Available from http://www.lenzing-fibers.com/en/tencel/ . Accessed March 5 2016. M Benyus, Janine. Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature (New York:Morrow: 1997) Niinimäki Kirsi, (ed.) Sustainable Fashion: New Approaches (Helsinki: Aalto University 2013) Pepper, D. Modern Environmentalism: An introduction (London: Routledge, 1996) Walters, A, Santillo, D, & Johnston, P. ”An Overview of Textiles Processing and Related Environmental Concerns” (UK: Greenpeace Research Laboratories, 2015) Papanek Victor. Design for the Real World: Human Ecology and Social Change. (Chicago: Review Press; 2 Revised edition, 2005) Redress, Zero Waste Design; available from http://www.ecochicdesignaward.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/3/files/2013/07/ LEARN_Zero-waste_ENG.pdf; . Accessed March 2 2016
Ferrigno, Simon. Mind the Gap: Towards a More Sustainable Cotton Market (UK: Pesticides Action Network UK, Solidaridad, and WWF. April 2016 ) Fletcher, Kate, Lynda Grose. Fashion & Sustainability: Design for Change. (London, Eng land: Laurence King, 2012) Fletcher Kate, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles (London: Routledge, 2014) Global Organic Textile Standard International Working Group Gershon Nimbalker, Jasmin Mawson, Claire Harris, The 2015 Australian Fashion Report. April 20 2016 . Available from http://www.baptistworldaid.org.au/as sets/Be-Fair-Section/FashionReport.pdf . Accessed April 21 2016. Greenpeace, A Little Story About a Fashionable Lie: Hazardous chemicals in luxury branded clothing for children (Netherlands; Greenpeace International, 2014) H&M, Conscious Action Sustainability Report 2015, 2015. Available from http://sustainbility.hm.com/en/sustainability/downloads-resources/reports/sustai nability-reports.html . Accessed February 25 2016. ”How Zara Became the World’s Biggest Fashion Retailer, The Telegraph (October 20, 2014)
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Appendix
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Interviews
Christian Tournafol, Owner of sustainable clothing brand Les Racines du Ciel What is your educational and professional background? I started studying technical design where I learned how to make garments, patterns etc. After that I started studying design and architecture at École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts but I it was nothing about design so I personally found it boring and decided to move to Cholet, which had a big fashion scene at that time, to study fashion design. After finishing my degree I moved back to Paris to work as a fashion designer but it was difficult finding a job because I had a very personal style and employers were searching for designers who could design under their brand identity. I moved to Bordeaux to design costumes, which is completely different from making fashion but after a year I decided to move back to Paris to start my own fashion label – Christian Tournafol. I received a lot of recognition, mainly because I decided to move the fashion shows outside of the traditional catwalk (Ex. one show was in the Trocadero metro station). My designs weren’t as sustainable make then as they are today, but I have always used natural fibers. After running my own label for 10 years I started questioning the industry of fashion and decided to stop. I have always been interested in sustainability and at that time I wanted to create something within that field – my friend, Nathalie Goyette who comes from a buyer background, and I started discussing what we could do with sustainability and fashion. This was in 2002 and there was barely anything existing on sustainable fashion, and the designs were awful.
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We decided to start a new brand, Les Racines de Ciel, in 2005, which we still have today. Expect from working with this label, I also lecture at ESMOD and some freelance lecturing – most recent one was at Printemps where had a two day workshop about technical design but also a small part on sustainability (even though most people aren’t interested in hearing about it) When you started Les Racines de Ciel, did you know anything about sustainability? Yes, but far from the knowledge I have today. Nathalie, my partner, knew more than I did at that time. How did you learn more about the subject? Experience – learning by doing. We started researching suppliers and fabrics. How did you find your materials? When we first started it was very difficult, because first we wanted to have everything made in France but we quickly realized that it wouldn’t be possible since no one could make the organic fabric we wanted. We went to a fair in Germany, close to Frankfurt, called Innatex, which had a small selection of suppliers where we found our first supplier in Italy. One positive element of running a sustainable brand is that it is like a community where everyone wants to help so we found our other suppliers through the word of mouth. What kind of materials and suppliers do you use today? Today we mainly work with a suppliers in Bulgaria, Germany and Portugal. The materials we use are cotton jersey, linen (only knitting) and alpaca. It is very difficult today to find suppliers who try to be
sustainable all the way during the production – it is not enough only using organic fibers and we make sure to ask them about their production (dying, finishing etc) and where the fibers comes from. We managed to find a supplier in Portugal who makes the fabric and treatments under the same house - the different steps of fabric production are usually very spread out. We decided to use organic cotton from the US, because the quality is very good and we want to give the American cultivation market a chance to change and thereby they need buyers of the organic for it to work. We buy all accessories as ex. bottoms from Germany. What kind of dyes do you work with? We worked with only natural dyes in the beginning but the outcome is not aesthetically pleasant - we need darker and bright colors and you can’t get that with natural dyes. Today we only use OEKO-TEX certified dyes. How do you design your garments? Do you know any sustainable design techniques? Everything we make is biodegradable – even the bags and price tags are biodegradable. How much power does the designer have in an organization? It depends on who the designer is. A young designer does not have any power. It is difficult because today the marketing and sales team have more input in the design than before. Even our sales agents often make suggestions, but then we don’t always follow them. How do you stand towards global retailers as ex. H&M, Zara push for sustainability within their brand? I hate them. They have a good marketing but it is not real. They can’t be
sustainable with the kind of production they have. The way the garments are made is horrible – and the prices are even more horrible. Have you ever both fabrics online? No, I want to feel and have the different options in front of me. What challenges do you face as a sustainable clothing brand? Finding customers – it is complicated already to be a small company but then people have a set idea about sustainable garments as being ugly and that it is not important. It is funny because when you have a business considered sustainable people are very critical about production etc but when buyers buy conventional clothing they don’t question the production. Can you provide 2 opinions regarding the ‘future of fashion sustainability’ eg. will the fashion industry ever be 100% sustainable? It is difficult to be 100% sustainable, with transports but it is definitely possible to design your garments in a sustainable way. We need to think about a global system and start to think more critical – and it is easier now than before so I really advise all brands to reconsider their designs. How can we change the mindset of designers? To talk and share knowledge. Develop more sustainable programs in schools. In France for example it seems like there is no interest in designing sustainable. How do you feel about a step-bystep guide on sustainable fashion techniques? I think that could be very interesting, I have been thinking about writing a book myself. I think it is important
for a desiner to see the contrast and understand the impact for current fashion productions. In general the organic fabric is nicer Organic fibers are longer
Martin Patrick Mitchell , Designer, stylist and founder of Less Magazine What is your educational background? I am a fashion designer. What made you decide to create Less Magazine? The low quality of fashion media, in general and in Denmark in particular - I was missing fashion media covering clothes and fashion from other perspectives than clothes just being pretty or trendy. Someone telling the stories behind the creation, the craftsmanship and the societal criticism fashion can be a part of. What is your definition of sustainable fashion? I think it is hard to define - It can be a whole lot of things. At Less Magazine, we like to work with the term Slow Fashion, or Slow Clothing as we like to call it. We have a slow clothing definition: Less Magazine focus on slow clothing, as you probably know. But you might not know exactly what we mean when we say this. So, in order to be more transparent we made a definition, so you can have a clearer idea of what you see on the following pages. The fashion industry itself is not very transparent at this moment. We are doing the best we can, but we can only be as transparent as the brands allow us to be. At Less Magazine we define slow
clothing as a specific approach to clothing consumption mainly from the point of view of consumers. Because of this, a brand can be acceptable in the slow clothing sense without awareness of it and without branding itself as such. A single garment can also be acceptable while the brand is not. At Less Magazine we expect a slow clothing garment to be of very high quality in both materials and handicraft. This assures that the garment will last a long time but also at the same time certifying a lot of use. For a brand to be accepted as a slow clothing brand it needs to ignore seasonal trends, be of very high quality and at least meet one of the following standards. The brand should: · Only make garments that live up to our definition of a slow clothing garment. · Work on maintaining or developing new sustainable materials or techniques. · Present a high level of transparency concerning the consumers. Furthermore the garment should fulfill at least one of the following standards to be accepted as slow clothing. The garment should have: · Special features that makes it long lasting, e.g. a timeless fit and color. · Special meaning that makes it more than just clothes to the owner. This could be in the form of sentimental value, or a special artistic or conceptual idea behind the design. · Be made of reused material or other eco-friendly materials. · Be made by using techniques that reflect environment issues.
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To the best of our ability we will mark every garment in one of these ways: (G) Slow clothing garment from a non-slow clothing brand or (B) a slow clothing garment from a slow clothing brand. This slow clothing definition will be reviewed biannually. How can consumers become more involved in sustainability issues? Mainly by companies involving and engaging their consumers by being as transparent as possible. Honesty is what the fashion industry lacks the most, I think. How important do you consider the role of education/knowledge within sustainability? It is crucial! Uneducated consumers make uneducated decisions in the phase of buying. What you and I might take for granted someone else would never think of. Therefore it is crucial to share the knowledge you obtain from the industry. Again: honesty and transparency. How do you choose the subjects for your articles? Do you have any kind of limitations of what you can/cannot write about? At Less Magazine we always work around a theme defining both slow and our own concept. We have dealt with subjects such as: Legacy, transparency, authenticity, materiality, empowerment and for the coming issue we are working with the theme: Prosumption or the Prosumer. Production and consumer working closer together making the consumer a part of the production phase. We always have an open mind towards articles, but they should obviously always be about fashion and clothes. However, we do NEVER feature high street brands in articles, fashion editorials
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or the likes. (only if it is a critical article) Are you engaged in any other areas of sustainability except from fashion? My main focus is fashion, but I try to live my life around the same principles of slowing down, less and better consumption and anti trend in my everyday life as in fashion.
Xavier Thurston, Fashion Design Student, Paris College of Art What materials do you use the most in your designs? Leather, Cotton Jersey, Cotton Demin, Silk How do you find your materials? And do they inform you about where it comes from? Les etoffes du Sentier where I buy leftovers from high-end brands. Yes, but only which brand it comes from. Now I for example use leftovers from Louis Vuitton. Do you know any platforms online for materials? The fabric house, Italian company Alibaba.com What is most important for you when buying fabrics? Texture most important and color When selecting your fabric range, do you think about the production cycle of your fabrics and its origins? Interesting to see how it was done (weaving, treatments etc), but don’t check where it comes from. Do you know any sustainable materials? I’ve seen some at Premier Vision and the tech-section. I also know of
Biocouture which is cool. Do you have any courses about materials and textiles? If so, do the professor introduce you to sustainable alternatives? We had one semester class where we learned the basic of fibers and how they are made into fabrics but nothing on sustainable fabrics.
Have you every heard of Sustainable design techniques? Up cycling, but otherwise no. I know Maharishi, a brand from the UK, who use leftovers from military supplies. Would you be interested in a platform with sustainable materials? Yes I would use it, if it was one month for free. Most important for me is the assurance of the fabric – maybe a contract that protects me and return policy. When I’ve worked in different companies, I have seen how designers get abused by factories so I need some kind of guarantee that I get what I ordered. Would you use a guide on how to design sustainable? Yes, I would use it but it have to be visual, we don’t like to read .
Michelle Row, Fashion Design Student, Paris College of Art What materials do you use the most in your designs? Cotton, silk, linen How do you find your materials? Les etoffes du Sentier where I buy leftovers from high-end brands and Tissus Market. Do you know any platforms online
for materials? No. What is most important for you when buying fabrics? Material – how they drape, feel and colors When selecting your fabric range, do you think about the production cycle of your fabrics and its origins? No Do you know any sustainable materials? Heard about it, but I haven’t seen any. Do you have any courses about materials and textiles? If so, do the professor introduce you to sustainable alternatives? Yes, during Junior year but we didn’t learn anything about sustainable materials but I would like to learn more about it. Have you every heard of Sustainable design techniques? I’ve heard of up cycling. Would you use a guide on how to design sustainable? I would use it for information and inspiration, but maybe not regularly. More visual – helps a lot Would you be interested in a platform with sustainable materials? Depends, if they give samples.
Josie Priest, Fashion Design Student What materials do you use the most in your designs? Most Important? Mostly natural fibers - Wool, cotton and silk. How they feel. How do you find your materials? And do they inform you about where
it comes from? Les Etoffes du Sentier and Tissue Couture. They only talk about manufacturing not where it’s been cultivated. Do you know any platforms online for materials? Spoonflower – send samples for free. When selecting your fabric range, do you think about the production cycle of your fabrics and its origins? No When designing your garments, do you think about the products end-oflife-cycle, such as the implications of disposal? No Do you have any courses about materials and textiles? If so, do the professor introduce you to sustainable alternatives? Yes, we had one course in junior year. We had a workshop in my old school in Copenhagen on sustainability. Do you know any sustainable materials? Yes, but they are expensive and the colors are usually not very nice. I also don’t trust them, because I don’t know what is sustainable and what isn’t. Have you every heard of Sustainable design techniques? Yes, upcycling. Would you use a guide on how to design sustainable? I would check it to be conscious about it Would you be interested in a platform with sustainable materials? Maybe, I like to feel fabrics so samples would be very important for me. I would pay for it if I had my own company but not as a student.
Nirina Metz, Fashion Design Stident, Paris College of Art What materials do you use the most in your designs? Most Important? Natural fibers – silk, cotton and wools Leather and fur – make sure its coming from a good source and the chemicals behind it – it’s pretty but it needs to be material from an animal that was made for eating Mink was about to disappear – but Quality and price How do you find your materials? And do they inform you about where it comes from? Sentier – leftovers I don’t care where it was before They wouldn’t know Little shops don’t know anything, no business are sustainable anyway Do you know any platforms online for materials? I barely go on websites, I like feeling and touching the fabric When selecting your fabric range, do you think about the production cycle of your fabrics and its origins? I’m concerned, I try using materials that are good quality. I’ll be more conscious when I have my own business maybe. It is easier . When designing your garments, do you think about the products end-oflife-cycle, such as the implications of disposal? No Do you have any courses about materials and textiles? If so, do the professor introduce you to sustainable alternatives? Yes, explanation of fibers. Basics of what’s good and what’s not good – she told us about cotton for example
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Survey
and dying, spinning. I would have liked to have a workshop or a guest lecturer on fashion and sustainability, a class would have been too much. Have you every heard of Sustainable design techniques? No Would you use a guide on how to design sustainable? Yes, these kind of things are necessary. More visual.
Who has the most power in the design desicion making of a garment? Today, I think it is the production team which is different from before when it was the product developers who used to work with sourcing of materials and fitting. The designers has a stronger opinion in smaller companies compared to for example H&M but if a designers decision would go through at H&M it will have greater impact on the entire supply chain and the industry.
Would you be interested in a platform with sustainable materials? Would you pay for it? Yes, if I could order samples and find a way for designers to see the fabric well. Yes, I would pay for it.
Anna Ritzén, Product Developer and Product Manager What is your educational and professional background? I don’t have a University degree, it was not as common to have one before when working in fashion. I started working for H&M as a Buying Assistant in the beginning of the 90’s in Paris, afterwards I changed position to Design Assistant for children’s wear, and then I moved back to Stockholm to work with women’s wear, still within H&M. After that I got an opportunity to move to Shanghai and to learn production, where I mostly worked with the factory and merchandisers. After Shanghai, I moved to Hong Kong for a new position as Product Developer which at that time was a new developed role.
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