Sustainable Fashion

KatherinaEr (11299)
NurAtiqah (11634)
Teo Jia En (12565)
Yao Qiong, Bini (11621)
FMT4A CCS DE2606
Susan Olij
Content

Which 3 articles
Research process
Explain qualitative and quantitative research
Literature Review X Relevant designers
Introduction
Definitions
Sustainable Fashion – Plant Sources
Sustainable Fashion – Animal Sources
Sustainable Fashion – Upcycling
Conclusion
Research Process

• ―Inconvenient Truth‖
• Credible online & book research
• Selected and read through 3 articles 1 main
• Divided the article, research for supporting evidence
• Discussion of research, evaluation
• Conclusion
Qualitative & Quantitative Research
Qualitative research
• in-depth understanding of human
behavior and the reasons that
govern such behavior.
• why and how of decision making
• Depth interviews or group
discussions
Quantitative research
• asks a specific, narrow
question and collects numerical
data from participants to
answer the question.
• analyzes the data with statistics.
• yield an unbiased result that can
be generalized to larger
population.
Literature Review
• Sustainable Fashion by
Intelligent Life Magazine, Winter
2010
• Online version of Intelligent Life, a
lifestyle and culture magazine
from The Economist.
• Sustainable fashion: what does
green mean? - Financial Times,
Feb 2010
• In Ethical Fashion, Desirability
is Sustainability - Suleman
Anaya, The Business of Fashion
Sustainable Fashion ?

FridaGiannini, Gucci Fashion Anya Hindmarch, Designer You

Director
Defining Sustainable Fashion
Financial Times
• ‗ ―Sustainable fashion?‖… ―What‘s
that?‖ ‗
• „Lexicographical fuzziness‟
Business of Fashion
• ―How would you define
sustainable fashion?‖
• “Some emphasized a
commitment to traditional
techniques,
others pointed to locally sourced
materials
while still others mentioned the
importance of reducing carbon
footpoint.”
Definitions
“Sustainability
• Means using resources in way
that does not impoverish the
planet for the next generation‖
---
• Sustainability is the long-term
maintenance of responsibility,
which has environmental,
economic, and social
dimensions, the responsible
management of resource use.
• Triple bottom line: Social,
Environmental, Commercial
- Ethical Fashion Forum
“Fashion
• Wedded to novelty and
consumption, neither of which
mesh naturally with the concept of
sustainability‖
---
• We are defining fashion as
changing styles of dress and
appearance that are adopted by a
group of people at any given time
and place.‖
- Linda Welters & Abby Lillethun
AGREE
Literature Review X Relevant Designers

―… early attempts at eco-chic were

largely green window dressing.‖
―Rather than asking tough questions
about their materials, designers in
the 1990s seemed more
interested in turning out
collections of dingy, natural-
fibre clothing that made wearers
look as if they lived in a field.‖

Left to right: Martin Margiela, jacket repurposed from vintage scarves, Spring 1992; Martin
Margiela, socks, partially constructed sweater, and completed sweater, early 1990s; XULY.Bët,
recycled ensemble, Fall 1994 (Museum of FIT NY)

Peasant 1902
Literature Review X Relevant Designers
―Only now are questions such as how
a material was produced,
how much energy will be used to
take care of it, and
what happens to it at the end of its
life beginning to echo through the
industry. ―
―Companies must do more to ensure
respect for trade union rights in the
quest to provide a living wage for
garment workers.‖ - The State of Pay,
LB L REPORT 2011
―About two kilograms of CO2 equivalent is
emitted to air per kg output (about
0.4% of the UK total).‖
• ―The combined waste from clothing
and textiles in the UK is about 2.35
million tonnes (0.7% of UK total B4),
13% going to material recovery (about
300 thousand tonnes), 13% to
incineration and 74% (1.8 million
tonnes) to landfill‖. - Well dressed?
The present and future sustainability of
clothing and textiles in the United
Kingdom. 2006.
What are natural fibers?

Natural fibers are made from plant, animal and mineral sources.
Natural fibers from plants:

• Also known as, vegetable fibers, are generally composed mainly of

cellulose: examples include cotton.

• Cellulose fibers serve in the manufacture of

paper and cloth.

Cellulose fiber from

Print paper
Korsnäs Wave

•Made of 100% virgin cellulose fiber.

•Common applications include shopping bags, gift packs, exclusive

consumer packs and substitutions for plastic.
 ―Cotton may be natural, but most cotton consumes large quantities of
pesticides, fertilizers and water during production.‖
– Intelligent Life Magazine, Winter 2010

25% of all pesticides used are for Organic cotton uses

standard cotton production Zero pesticide
The World Health Organization estimates that at least
3,000,000 people are poisoned by pesticides every year
and 20-40,000 more are killed.

Sustainable?

HELL NO!!!!
Bamboo is a Renewable Resource

•The plant thrives naturally, totally unassisted

• Without the use of any pesticides or fertilizer, is totally biodegradable
• Bamboo Clothing is Comfortable
• Antibacterial, Hypoallergenic Bamboo Clothing
―New technology means that recycled polyester fibre, which saves energy and
water, has now crossed over into general use and can even mimic fine
fabrics.‖
– Intelligent Life Magazine, Winter 2010
ANIMALS / ANIMAL FIBRES

ANIMALS USED FOR CLOTHING

Leather Wool
―Leather is problematic. Some green dressers argue that most leather is just a
by-product of the meat industry.‖
- Intelligent Life, 2011
“This classy, berry-colored clutch from the British Luxury brand Asprey is farmed
alligator; wild alligator would be even better, as buying it gives more support to
marshland in Louisiana and Florida.”
- Intelligent Life, 2011
―Many species of crocodiles, caimans and alligators are now thriving where they
were once threatened, thanks to a strictly controlled, sustainable trade.‖
- Intelligent Life 2011

DUBIOUS!
 SUSTAINABLE? NO!

“buying leather directly contributes to factory farms and slaughterhouses—

and all the cruelty involved.
Leather is also no friend of the environment, as it shares responsibility for all
the environmental destruction caused by the meat industry as well as the
pollution caused by the toxins used in tanning.”
- PETA.org
ANIMAL CRUELTY

―The production of leather hurts animals, the environment, and the workers who
manufacture it. The only ones who benefit are people who profit from the
misery and suffering of others.‖
- PETA.org
―Vicuna products that are sold with a CITES certificate – like this oversize, tan-
colored scarf from Esgyrn – support the animal in the wild.‖
- Intelligent Life, 2011
Esgyrn

―Esgyrn is delighted to offer you this exclusive collection of the World‘s finest
natural fibres woven into garments of timeless style. ‖

“Our luxury fibre business now offers the same attention to detail as is required to
meet the exacting standards of the World’s luxury fibre mills. We apply the same
ethos by providing you with a hand picked selection of scarves, wraps, shawls and
throws from the Vicuna, Guanaco, Alpaca and Llama. ”
ENDANGERED

Vicuna: The vicuña was almost hunted to extinction for its beautiful soft
wool. Now there are about 125,000 vicuñas, but they are still listed as
threatened. The vicuña is classified as vulnerable by the IUCN, and as
endangered by the USDI.
- Blue Planet Biomes

Guanaco: The guanaco has since undergone a steep decline, particularly

during the last century. Major threats to the guanaco include overhunting,
for skins, meat and wool, as well as poaching, habitat degradation.
- ARKive.org
 SUSTAINABLE? NO!

“ The wool industry threatens the land, air, and water. “

- PETA.org
 ANIMAL CRUELTY

“ No amount of fluff can hide the fact that anyone who buys wool supports a cruel
and bloody industry. There are plenty of durable, stylish, and warm fabrics available
that aren't made from wool or animal skins. “
- PETA.org
History of Fur

―In the richness and beauty of its splendid fur the

Silver-gray Fox surpasses the beaver or sea
otter, and the skins are indeed so highly
esteemed that the finest command
extraordinary prices, and are always in
demand.‖

—John James Audubon, quoted from The Imperial

Collection of Audubon Animals, 1967
 Fox
―Finding-and affording-these products
is the tricky bit‖

Silver fox
• Rare, difficult to caught them, high
price.
• Fendi
• Expensive,highend, limitedpiece
History of the crocodile

“Roughly 65 million years ago, an asteroid came

crashing to Earth and perhaps led to the extinction of
most prehistoric life on our planet.

But one dinosaur-like animal that managed to survive

this mass extinction continues to live today.

Crocodilians roamed the Earth along with those

”terrible thunder lizards“ and exist today as crocodiles,
alligators, caimans and gharials (those croc-like
creatures with long, narrow snouts.)”

– Vanessa HoAnimalPlanet.
 Crocodile Skin
―Tend to be used by the highest of high-
end houses‖

• Very rare. (Only the stomachskin can

be used)
• It is expensive (most of people
cannot afford it)
―It takes three to four crocodiles to
make one of our bags so we are
now breeding our own crocodiles
on our own farms, mainly in
Australia,‖ - Hermes chief
executive Patrick Thomas.

Customers put their names on a

waiting list for up to two years and
pay up to $60,000 for the bags.
Up-cycling

―The process of converting waste materials or useless products into

new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.‖

- Intelligent Life Magazine, Winter 2010

Hermes – Petit H

• to create unique accessories and toys from its discarded and excess materials
from the workshops.
CONCLUSION
What is Sustainable Fashion?

Sustainable Fashion is not all about being Natural or Organic.

Its all about being:

Environmentally-Friendly
Socially-Responsible
Animal-Cruelty Free
Commercial Viable
BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF SF?

YES! (:
References

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_fiber
• http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2231/how-is-paper-made
• http://www.packworld.com/material-type/woodpaper/kraft-paper-bags-stretchable
• http://johneen-manning.suite101.com/bamboo-eco-fashion-a50587
• http://www.jujubeboutique.com/about.php
• http://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/leather-environmental-hazards.aspx
• http://www.agmrc.org/commodities__products/aquaculture/alligator_profile.cfm
• http://www.iftf.com/responsible-fur-trade/wild-fur.php
• http://www.furisgreen.com/renewable.aspx
• http://www.uft.org/endangered-animals-and-fur-trade
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qualitative_research
• http://www.techsociety.com/cal/soc190/fssba2009/ParticipantObservation.pdf
• http://www.fashionprojects.org/?p=883
• http://fitnyc.edu/7885.asp
• http://fashioninganethicalindustry.org/!file/Well+dressed.pdf/
• http://www.zeroemissions.com/corp/web/en/news/news_archive/2011/abe_20111006.html#
• http://www.ethicalfashionforum.com/the-issues/made-in-britain
• http://www.carbon-label.com/take-action/what-others-are-doing