I know that I want to have this triangle print in my collection, which would be digitally printed sustainably, by somone such as SPG prints, in the Netherlands. I decided to make a stencil to imitate the print. I actually really like the outcome, although it is more varied and has a slightly blurred line, the aesthetic is quite nice.
Stamp of the stencil on poly-cotton - I really like this outcome, it creates a more abstract variation of my print
on wool - it didnt really work..
Sustainable fabrics from Global Fabrics - peach organic merino. $35 - 150cm wide
grey organic merino. $35 - 147cm wide
blue and pink organic stretch knit cotton. $15m - 170cm wide
brown stretch organic cotton. $18m - 140cm wide.
dark brown organic cotton. $20 - 145cm wide.
The kind of fabrics I would hope to source sustainably - Heavy grey felted wool, Blue merino, Blue Japanese cotton, Orange double cloth merino, Orange cotton, Pink silk chiffon, Grey silk chiffon, Grey merino.
I want to be able to incorporate the use of sustainable fabrics in my collection, unfortunately as seen above, the range in New Zealand is quite limited. For my merinos however I would use Designer textiles, a New Zealand company who supply's sustainable merino knit. I want to be able to us an organic cotton for my t-shirts, which would be sourced from Pickering International, an import and wholesale company specializing
in textiles made from sustainable and organic fibers based in San Francisco.
For the woolen garments I want to use a chunky ply, I would use something like Rowan yarns, to produce these items (the big woolen cardigan and the capelette)
Fastenings are somewhat of a highlight in my transformational pieces, something that is both practical and for design aesthetic. I was thinking about the different ways you can attach pieces, domes, hook and eyes, zippers. Zips were my original fastening of choice, and I have come back to them, as I feel they suit my design concept, and work best in my samples.
I have found that there is a company providing sustainable zippers in America, The ideal fastner company, which use recycled yarns from the sustainable fiber company, Repreve, which I would use in my collection.
Tara St James is a sustainable fashion leader. Her own label Study - NY features her sustainable practices which include zero waste pattern making and low impact fabrics and manufacturing processes. She uses recycled materials, hand woven cottons and silks and organic cotton, linen, hemp, tencel, and wool and couples this with 99.9% of production in Brooklyn, New York.
"Believing that open source material plays a strong role in the
development of the sustainable design community, St James started Study
Hall in the summer of 2010. Under her guidance, Study interns
developed, produced and sold their own sustainable mini collections.
Study Hall can now be found at several retailers in New York City and
abroad. She is very open about her production and design process and
documents these regularly here on her blog.
A strong and driving presence among young sustainable designers, St
James lends her talent and skills to various organizations. She is the
fashion director for The Uniform Project, a fundraising platform using
sustainable design to raise money for underprivileged children. As a
mentor at the Awamaki Lab, a program that fosters cross-cultural
partnerships between young designers and Peru's Awamaki indigenous
weaver collective, she facilitates discussions about the intersection of
sustainability, ethical sourcing and product innovation.
She is also good at math and loves organizing socks."
St James incorporates a selection of sustainable practices, some zero waste pieces, the others, all use sustainable materials, and almost everything is produced in Brooklyn. This approach is something I want to do in my collection, perhaps having one or two zero waste pieces, a few transformational pieces, a couple customizable and others, all using sustainable fabrics.
Tara's sustainable collection is a good example of the mid-market sector. She has managed to produce sustainable clothing without compramising her design aesthetic, and making it available at an affordable price. The vest, is $198 USD, a very affordable price, and the shirt is $160 USD, showing that being green can be affordable and beautiful.
Selvedge to selvedge explores zero waste pattermaking. The two designs apart of Selvedge to selvedge are Alice Sutton and Amy Taylor. "Through their labels EDITION and AYLOR they
explore the system of zero waste which is a system which incorporates
the whole piece of cloth. The cloth of a garment is often forgotten in
the final garment, this system introduces a meaningful relationship to
cloth lost in production. Each garment is embedded with stories; these
stories are told by the designer which is interpreted into the SELVEDGE 2
SELVEDGE philosophy". Their blog is a outlet for sustainable thinking and a "means for discussion into the role of zero waste design and the importance of a more sustainable fashion industry"
The burning dress
The burning dress - zero waste pattern
The destruct dress
The destruct dress- zero waste pattern
These are some of the garments and patterns for EDITION's debut 'The Observer' collection. "Uncertainty is a key attribute of my
inspiration, the Oddie Refractor observatory and my design practice.
For the Oddie Refractor there is uncertainty for the future of the
building as it is being redeveloped in 2012. The state in which the
building is currently in shows the many aspects of its history and the
marks left especially from the bush fires. This uncertainty is also part
of my design process of Selvedge to Selvedge pattern making as the
final garments silhouettes are determined in the process not through
drawings. Each garment is interpreted from a photo and the final garment
is only realised once it is draped and changed many times"
Jana Byrne - 'Separables' - A graduate collection of modular shoes with leather tops that press stud on and off the base to create a myriad of shoe creations. They can be mixed and matched to create different shoes with one base. Clever.
'The Wizard of Jeanz' collection by Hiroaki Ohya, 1999
The Wizard of Jeanz collection was inspired by the book, The Wizard of
Oz. Each one of the 21 book series acts as a chapter in an adapted tale
of The Wizard of Oz. Ohya chose denim because everybody wears jeans and
the clothes themselves are everyday garments. The first book folds out
to be a dress, the second book a tank top, the third a pair of jeans,
the fourth a skirt, the fifth a top, the sixth a blouse, the seventh a
printed denim jacket...the seventeenth a red neckpiece in sail cloth.
The final twenty first volume folds out to be a shift dress in printed
cotton.
"Rad Hourani reinvents fashion by transcending its conventions,
creating a unisex luxury that is changing women’s and men’s wardrobes
since he launched his namesake label in 2007 in Paris. Like all truly
great visionnaires, Hourani not only depicts fashion, he defines it, and
gives it cultural resonance. Gender-agnosticism is the driving
conceptual direction in Rad Hourani's work, and growing up and living in
such different parts of the world has certainly contributed to
Hourani’s rather holistic design approach: self-tought and driven by a
passion for modernity, Hourani creates a luxurious yet affordable
lifestyle that has rid itself of any conventional restrictions : no
gender, no season, no rules, epitomising the values of freedom and
unisex elegance."
I love the seamless transformational aspect of Rad Hourani, his jackets are breath taking and incredible inspiring. I feel I could make use of this transformational aspect and bring in the idea of reveal and conceal.
Market is an important part of this diffusion collection. I am targeting the higher mid-market segment. I want the collection to be desirable but also accessible, incorporating investment pieces, with less expensive items, for those who want smaller items that still carry the concept and design elements of the collection. Brazen transitions, is for those who want something classic, but with a bit of subtle quirk. The items can be mixed and matched to be as flamboyant or conservative as the consumer feels comfortable with. The sustainability aspect is brought in through the use of sustainable fabrics, but also through sustainable design. I want to incorporate this idea of transformation in to some of my pieces, where the consumer can create several different looks in one garment, giving them the feeling of wearing something new. I feel this adds a different dimension to the sustainable concept, and will open consumers eyes up to the possibilities being environmentally aware, without sacrificing their personal style.
While designing this collection I have been thinking about the types of stores that would stock my clothing and also what type of person would be wearing them. I feel my collection would merge seamlessly into MADE Store in Customs Street in Auckland. They provide an eclectic mix of designers, sourced within New Zealand and internationally. They fit my market group well, providing cheaper basics, such as Cheap Monday and Nudie jeans, but also providing more expensive investment pieces from Day Birger et Mikkelsen or Karen Walker. They describe themselves, "MADE is a colourful and unique mens and womens boutique situated in the
Britomart Precinct in Downtown Auckland. We specialise in something a
little different and have a large selection of labels on offer from
around the globe".
Jaimie Webster modelling 'Jaimie' Summer range
Another store I feel I can parallel my collection with is Jaimie Boutique in Ponsonby. A higher end store selling their in house label, Jaimie, but also pieces from Vivienne Westwood Anglomania and Deadly Ponies. Jamie, has mid-priced range items, in classic styles, which can be styled with other more expensive and quirky pieces. "Jaimie Boutique is an intimate and interesting space full of culture and style. Jaimie Boutique houses glorious art books, perfumes, shoes and
collections from international designers as well as Jaimie's eponymous
label 'Jaimie'."
In my designs I will need to think about how they translate into this market area. Keeping in mind that they will have to be transferred in to different sizes, different colours, provide a range of garment types. Durability, is another big thing, with the sustainable fabrics I need to make sure that they are not relinquishing longevity. This also goes for washing, they need to be easy care and not need to be washed too often to save energy and water. Also finishes, and small details, which often get left out, need attending to and can make or break a design, the are both a practicality and feature.
Another sustainable approach that some designers use, is fibre and fabric choice. Cotton is one of the most popular natural fibre used, however with this 'natural' fibre comes a number of environmental impacts. Cotton covers 2.5% of the worlds argicultured land, but uses 16% of the worlds insecticides, which in turn reduce soil fertility, cause a loss of biodiversity, water pollution, and severe health problems for those exposed to the chemicals. Cotton also has to be highly irrigated, an extreme example of this is the 'drying up' of the Aral sea, when the water was used up to irrigate cotton plantations. Man made fibres like polyester or nylon, use petrochemicals, an unsustainable resource, and the manufacturing process is extremely energy intensive. The emissions are also cause for concern, like nitrous oxide, potent greenhouse gas which is found to be emitted in the manufacturing of nylon.
Organic cotton
Organically grown cotton is grown using low impact methods on the environment. is from non-genetically modified plants, and has been grown without the harmful chemicals traditional cotton growing has become well known for using. "According to the fourth annual Organic Exchange Farm and Fiber Report 2009, organic cotton production grew an impressive 20 percent over 2007/08 to 175,113 metric tons grown on 625,000 acres. Organic cotton now represents .76 percent of global cotton production." - the organic trade association. All organic cotton suppliers have to meet the Global Organic Textile Standard, and the cultivation and production practices are monitored closely to make sure they conform. Organic cotton still carries some controversial issues, with the amount of water it still uses, the carbon foot print and the cost.
Hemp
Hemp is another sustainable fibre alternative. It naturally grows rapidly, uses little water, no insecticides and has an overall low impact on the environment. Hemp produces 250 percent more fibre than cotton and 600 percent more the flax on the same land. Hemp fabric has a high absorbancy, heat conductivity and is strong, which means it can be made into aesthetically pleasing long wearing clothes, and can be used as alternative to cotton or synthetic fibres. Hemp is making the transition from being the 'greeny' choice to something more fashionable, and is begining to filter in to the industry. It is still perhaps one of the least used fibres in sustainable fashion (possibly due to the association with its cousin, marijuana), maybe it is something more to look in to?
Organic wool
Organic wool comes from sheep that are grazed on organic feed, and on land that isnt treated with pesticides. Scouring and combing uses only detergents that are biodegradable and certified. In New Zealand there are some organic merino wool suppliers, who comply with these requirements and have gained the certification. Organic merino, is just as soft and supple, and of course warm, I think this could be a good fibre alternative for my collection, as long as the dying process complies to the regulations too.
Bamboo
The fibre is made up from the cellulose extracted from bamboo grass, as fast growing, wood like plant. Bamboo fabric can be identified in two catogories, natural bamboo which has a linen like hand to it, and bamboo viscose, where the viscose production used with the bamboo cellulose as a substitute for beech. Bamboo viscose is the most common form, however it is quite a high impact manufacturing process, but to counteract this, it is using a highly renewable natural resource, and is harvested in a sustainable way. It is also easy to launder and highly absorbent, and picks up dye better than cotton. It is often used in t-shirts and underwear, but can also take the place of silk in some cases.
Wild Silk
Wild silk is where the silk is cultivated in an open forest free from hazardous chemicals, and the silk worm chrysalis is cultivated after the silk worm has left naturally (rather than killing it in the traditional silk manufacturer). The silk is then manufactured the same way as ordinary silk using a fairly low impact method. Organic silk however is of lower quality, as when the silk worm emerges it breaks the once continuous silk filament into staple fibres and is then spun, in the same process as other fibres such as cotton.
Lyocell (Tencel)
Lyocell is a cellulose fibre, made using wood pulp, which is first dissolved in amine oxide and then spun into fibres, and the solvent is cleaned out of it. The manufacturing process recovers 99% of the solvent and the water is then reclaimed and then reused. Lyocell is also fully biodegradable. Some main characteristics of lyocell fibers are that they are soft,
absorbent, very strong when wet or dry, and resistant to wrinkles;
lyocell fabric can be machine- or hand-washed or drycleaned, it drapes
well, and it can be dyed many colors, and can simulate a variety of
textures such as suede, leather and silk.
Soy
Soya fibres are classed under regenerated materials, made from protein sourced from vegetables or animal milk. The oil is extracted from the soybeans and a cake is left, in which protein is collected through distillation and is then refined. Soy is often used as a replacement for petrochemical based fabrics and also for cashmere (it is sometimes referred to as vegetarian cashmere). It is soft and warm to touch and breathes well with a good absorbancy. It is often blended with organic cotton, to help in in the dyeing quality and to increase performance.
These are just some of the fibres I have started researching, but there are many more out there! I will continue my research and evaluate what would be the best to use in my collection.
The brain child of designer Julian Roberts, Subtraction cutting isnt necessarily a sustainable technique but can be likened to similar principals present in zero waste pattern making. The basic idea is that the "patterns cut do not represent the garments outward shape, but rather the negative spaces within the garment that make them hollow. Simply put, shaped holes cut from sheets of cloth through which the body moves; therefore the patterns represent the 'negative' rather than the positive". He generally starts off with a tube in which holes are placed for the body the go through, creating draping and bunching, the technique is more experimental, with each result being slightly different from the next. Another variation of this is called the plug hole technique, where a shape is cut out of the fabric and filled with another in a different shape. Julian's finished pieces take on a voluminous, draped form, identifiable with his aesthetic, something that could be considered a good and a bad thing. Although this isn't entirely sustainable, the process still creates little waste, as a majority of the fabric is used (a small amount cut out) and also minimal seams. I like the fact that this is seen more as a design process rather than a construction technique, I find that side quite exciting, it is risk taking, it may work and it may not but the possibilities are endless and the outcome is ultimately undefined.
As I continue my research deeper into sustainability, I realise the broadness of the industry and aspects that can be included under the 'sustainable' umbrella. So to help myself work out what area I want to explore I am going to separate each approach, into different posts (hopefully this will help me choose which one I want to focus on!) as it seems to me the options are endless.
First up,
Zero Waste
In traditional pattern cutting techniques between 15 and 20% of the fabric is discarded, which inevitably ends up in a landfill somewhere. According to Zero Waste New Zealand, "Zero Waste is a goal that is ethical, economical, efficient and
visionary, to guide people in changing their lifestyles and practices to
emulate sustainable natural cycles, where all discarded materials are
designed to become resources for others to use.
Zero Waste means designing and managing products and processes to
systematically avoid and eliminate the volume and toxicity of waste and
materials, conserve and recover all resources, and not burn or bury
them.". In fashion, Zero waste is applied as a pattern making technique, creating these sort of jigsaws that use every scrap of fabric from one square. It is about embracing the sustainable restrictions, having literally the equivalent of a box to work with, but thinking outside of it, discovering new ways with the limitations.
Zero waste has recently been highlighted in the sustainable world, but has infact been implemented for years, in traditional garment design, such as the Japanese kimono or the toga. The process is becoming more and more popular in the boutique fashion design houses, but is yet to be embraced by the bigger more influential fashion brands.
Issey Miyake - A-POC
A 1997 collection, which explored bringing the consumer back into the design process. It used just a single piece of cloth (for which A-POC is an acronym for), knitted on special looms to create a tube, with all the pattern pieces outlined on it. The wearer then has the choice what to cut out, how to wear it and how to essentially customise it to their own specifications, using their own hands. Although this process isnt labelled 'zero waste' as such, it does use similar principals.
132.5
132.5, is a another Issey Miyake creation. Miyake imbraces the process of origami and inspired by the idea of creating three dimensional structures, with curved surfaces by folding flat materials of computer scientist, Jun Mitani. The name 132.5, describes the collections meaning well, 1 meaning a single piece of cloth, 3 refers to the 3D aspect, 2 being the fact that the 3D piece has been folded into a 2D shape and 5 is the hope that the idea will spark other permutations. The concept and method translates into beautifully structured garments, shirts, skirts, pants and dresses all take on this trans-formality creating more of an art form than a practical outfit. This idea again maybe unconsciously implements the ideas of sustainable, zero waste fashion, using a single piece of recycled cloth and transforming it into literal origami designs, merging the fashion with art.
Mark Liu
Central St Martins graduate, Mark Liu is one of these people that has implemented zero waste into his designs. He has worked at top design houses such as Alexander McQueen, and has seen that side of the fashion industry, he feels there is a great need for sustainable practices and promotes the benefits of sustainable design. Liu manages to incorporate intricate design detailing with his zero waste philosophy. Liu is using the zero waste principal and re-working it to fit his own design aesthetic.
David Telfer
David Telfer, who is now a menswear designer for COS has investigated several areas of alternative garment construction and patternmaking processes. 1 piece construction, where he uses only a square of fabric and transforms it into a tailored piece. Minimal seam construction, where he simplifies down the design to having only the essential seams needed to make it fit the body. He also investigates zero waste, where he incorporates the minimal seam philosophy with creating no waste. He follows his equation LESS SEAMS=LESS MANUFACTURE TIME=LESS COST=INCREASE WAGES, something so simple, but yet makes so much sense. I like the idea of minimal seams, something I hadnt really thought about when it came to zero waste, but is definitely and idea to think about.
TYVEK efficiency project (zero waste and minimal seams)
Yeohlee
Yeohlee Teng is a New York based Parsons Design school graduate. "She dresses the “urban nomad”, a term she coined for her Fall 1997
collection, defining a lifestyle that requires clothing that works on a
variety of practical and psychological levels. She is a master of design
management and believes in the efficiency of year-round, seasonless
clothes". Her 2009 collection consisted of completely zero waste design, her garments have "a modular and functional versatility, a necessity in today’s
environment, encapsulated into extremely aesthetic and flattering forms".
Timo Rissanen
Rissanen is an assistant professor for fashion and sustainability at Parsons in New York, and has spent a number of years working with zero waste design. "His PhD project is titled Fashion Creation Without Fabric Waste Creation
and Rissanen presented a collection of menswear from the project in Bad
Dogs, an exhibition in Sydney in 2008. Rissanen has presented at many
international conferences and contributed a chapter to Sustainable
Fashion. Why Now? (Fairchild Books, 2008). In 2009 he co-curated
'Fashioning Now' in Australia with Alison Gwilt; 'Shaping Sustainable
Fashion', a book drawing from the project was published by Earthscan in
January 2011. Yield, a survey exhibition of zero-waste fashion design
curated by Rissanen and Holly McQuillan, was exhibited in New Zealand and New York." - Parsons. Rissanen teaches zero waste techniques to many up and coming fashion students and is ultimately spreading the word about sustainable design, his blog documents his continuing research.
Holly McQuillan
Holly McQuillan is a leader in sustainable fashion in New Zealand. Her primary focus is zero waste, using illustrator to create beautifully intricate designs that use only one piece of fabric. The detail in the pattern stage is mind numbing, the outcome is a stunningly different garments, adhering to her personal aesthetic. Her zero waste journey is continuing to evolve as she 'raises the profile' of this technique to the fashion world.
examples of Holly McQuillan's flat zero waste patterns
Zero waste is something I would like to investigate more through my own design process. I feel it looks at sustainability in a somewhat more interesting way than just using organic cotton or just using recycled fabric. It requires a different level of thinking, it is merging the idea of sustainability with the design process, something which I feel has the tendency to look separate in other eco collections.
So what is sustainability? I feel I have started off my research without actually exploring the basics.
The New Zealand Ministry of The Environment sums up, "Sustainability is often perceived as a complex concept to understand and it
can be hard for businesses to discover the benefits it offers. In essence,
sustainability is about meeting the needs of today, without adversely impacting
on the needs of tomorrow. As a term it can be applied across a range of areas,
such as the environment, the society and
the economy."
But what is sustainable fashion? The phrase is thrown around so freely, but yet it is not commonly defined. I want to pin down exactly what the label encompasses. A simple google of 'definition of sustainable fashion', doesn't seem to quite cut it as I quickly found out.
At a Copenhagen conference, a collection of designers were asked what their definition of sustainability was:
Frida Giannini, of Gucci - "Quality items that stand the test of time ... a timeless handbag that
you wear again and again, and can pass on"
Oscar de la Renta - "A commitment to the traditional techniques, and not just the art, of
making clothes. I work today in the same way that I first learnt in the
ateliers of Balenciaga and Lanvin 50 years ago ... clothes that are not
only beautiful but extremely well made"
Anya Hindmarch (I'm not a plastic bag) - "Locally sourced materials that don't pollute in their creation or demise
(preferably recycled) and with limited transportation to achieve the
completed product."
Dries van Noten - "Sustainable fashion is a contradiction in
terms. It refers to how the fabric used for a new garment has been
produced ... I believe, we need to consider this issue from a more macro
and profound perspective. Though a cotton may be unbleached, we need to
examine how it arrives to the manufacturer or to us the wearer. What
was the 'carbon imprint' of its delivery, for example?"
All a very mixed understanding (or distinct lack of understanding what so ever!) but this range illustrates the blur when it come to sustainability.
Kate Fletcher demonstrates a deeper understanding, "Fashion that fosters ecological integrity
and social quality through products, practices of use and
relationships. Fashion that helps us engage, connect and better
understand ourselves, each other and our world".
To me sustainable fashion is an ever evolving movement, which in turn has an ever evolving definition. Sustainability is a future thinking process, a way of bridging the gap between humanity and the environment, working together harmoniously through 'green' ways. Whether it be through material choices, labour choices, manufacturing choices, design choices, zero waste, they all have elements of sustainable thinking. I am still having difficulties with defining how much of these things a garment or design has to have to gain the label of being sustainable, it seems anyone can call themselves 'green' or 'eco-friendly', but what is the reality of this? it can be recyled? so can milk bottles! I want to explore all the sustainable fashion elements and how they in turn are 'sustaining' our world and work out how I can incorporate these into my design work.
Market is something very important to consider in the design process. Things like fabric, design elements, construction and of course price point all vary from market to market. Here is a market comparison for button up shirts, two from high, mid and low market. Fabric is something I immediately think about when comparing different markets, it is clear that silk is considered a more luxurious fabric, with it being a high price to buy this is reflected in the price point, such as the Karen Walker shirt which is 100% silk. One thing I thought was interesting in the middle market sector, was the Country Road shirt, a comparable price to the Witchery one, however it is 100% silk, much more desirable than something that is 100% polyester. In the mass market, predictably they were both 100% polyester, something which you would expect when only pay around $50. With the luxury of silk also comes the hassle of care, it needs to be handwashed or drycleaned, unlike polyester which although preferably would be hand washed can also be chucked in the washing machine for easy care.
