Sustainability: What it really means in the fashion world.

In order for there to be green fashion, designers have to make sure that the fabric that they plan on using is sustainable, meaning able to be used over and over again which is generally healthier for the planet. When considering a certain fashion, designers look into its "renew-ability". Natural fibers are earthly found fibers that are not petroleum based, that are categorized into cellulose (cotton) and protein (wool, silk, cashmere). Recycled fibers are also utilized in the development of clothing. These fibers are made from scraps of fabrics accumulated from clothing factories, which are processed back into short fibers for spinning into a new yarn.Sustainability isn't just an idea, it has turned into a movement. Organizations such as he National Association of Sustainable Fashion Designers have been created to aid entrepreneurs with growing fashion related businesses that create social change and respect the environment. To the right is a picture of organic cotton yarn.

Recycled Dresses

These are a few recycled dresses designed by British designer, Gary Harvey that I came across.  

 

The one to the left is a transformation of 37 army jackets into a shapely fishtail gown . 

To the right, is a tom-boyish dress made of 26 nylon baseball jackets.

Below, is a collection of 30 newspaper issues of the Financial Times, developed into this unique and environmentally friendly dress . 

Film Redeveloped

A Chilean designing company by the name of Modulab ecodiseño has created a way to make use of old film from local cinemas. Using a Mexican weaving technique Modulab has refashioned 35mm film into a variety of handbags. The company has also recycled old movie billboards and turned them into various collections of messenger bags, yoga mat holders, laptop bags, totes as well as totes. Each Modulab ecodiseño bags are unique in that they all have a different story to tell depending on what movie the bag is a representation of. If you hold any of the new refashioned film bags up against light you may recognize scenes of the particular movie. Not only are these bags attractive and unique, they are also very healthy for our environment since they are composed of recyclable material. 

New York City Clothing & Textile Recycling

When it's time to clean out your closet, what do you do with your clothing? If you're like myself, you may take some of the raggedy clothing that may not be of any use to the Salvation Army or any other local charity, and toss them in the trash. According to GrowNYC.org, An average New Yorker tosses 46 pounds of clothing and textiles in a singles year. This is about 6% of our total residential waste stream. To eliminate, NYC has developed a way to get people recycle old clothing, even those in the worst conditions. Just this past September, the city has made them available for residents. Items such as clothing, handbags, hats, bedding, shoes and belts can be put into the drop box. These items are then sorted into different grades including usable/non-usable, cotton scrap, cotton blend scrap and synthetics. They are then sold for reuse and if unable to be reused they are sent to recycling markets that turn materials into wiping rags, fiber for car seats and insulation. These clothing Going Green is definitely no longer a trend, I'm actually starting to believe it's turning into a movement.

Eco-Friendly Fashion - The Intro.

Okay, so I know when you think of "Green Fashion" you would assume that it had to do with something related to clothing and possibly some trees. Well, I know that's what I thought. I did some research prior to deciding whether or not this was the topic I wanted to focus on, and I just wanted to share some background with you guys in case you still don't have a clue. Soooooo... basically the whole thing behind Green Fashion is the idea of clothing being more "eco-friendly", meaning more beneficial for the environment. When reading this I was sort of taken back for a second, because it never occurred to me that clothing could be harmful to our world, other than fur of course. Reading on, I found out that the clothing are made of organic cotton, bamboo, hemp and recyclables. After hearing bamboo, I had to see what this clothing looked like, and surprisingly there are look just like any other clothing, just healthier.To the right, you can see a unique bag I had found while researching this. This is made of pull tabs from recycled soda cans. I wouldn't personally where this, but I found it very interesting. Click here to watch a video and see a few more examples of Green Fashion.