Blog - Atelier

Fashion Sustainability 2020

Let us together change Fast Fashion ‘back to the future’ and appreciate Slow Fashion again to save the environment for future generations. The below are short excerpts that provide an insight into how the new Circular Fashion and Slow Fashion can lessen landfill and make a difference to the environment. Moreover, let us together ensure that the clothing, footwear or textiles we buy are ethical and are made by employees that are paid fair wages for a fair day’s work.

Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2017

At Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2017, Global Fashion Agenda called on the fashion industry to take action on circularity by signing the 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment (henceforth 2020 Commitment) as a concrete way to turn words into action and to accelerate the industry’s transition to a circular fashion system.

Sited (20 January 2020) https://globalfashionagenda.com/commitment/#

‘To set a direction for this transition, Global Fashion Agenda outlined four immediate action points.

1) Implementing design strategies for cyclability
2) Increasing the volume of used garments and footwear collected
3) Increasing the volume of used garments and footwear resold
4) Increasing the share of garments and footwear made from recycled post-consumer textile fibres

As of July 2019, signatories have reached 45 of 213 targets (21%) and set 17 new and/or more ambitious targets across all four action points.

An example of a company that are lessening our landfill and are making clothes from used clothes. Patagonia recraft used gear known as, Worn Wear (Patagonia’s hub) are keeping gear in play. They state on their website that, ‘Keeping clothing in use just nine extra months can reduce carbon, water and waste footprints by 20-30% (WRAP, 2012)

Sited (January 2020) www.wornwear.patagonia.com

Dialogue on Enhancing Climate Action in the Fashion Sector January 2018

Further, ‘Dialogue on Enhancing Climate Action in the Fashion Sector, hosted by UN Climate Change in Bonn, Germany, (January 2018) brought together fashion industry stakeholders to discuss the impacts of climate change and the Paris Agreement on the sector. The goal was to develop a common understanding and agree on the next steps towards the fashion industry contributing to global net-zero emissions by 2050 and adapting to the impacts of climate change. Participants shared practices and lessons learned, and worked to identify common priorities and barriers to climate action in the sector.

Background and Purpose

‘This Dialogue represented initiation of a broader work programme by UN Climate Change to engage the sector. Summary of Discussion The companies and organizations represented expressed recognition that the fashion sector is a significant source or driver, through actions of its supply chain, of greenhouse gas emissions. This includes, but is not limited to, emissions generated through textile manufacture, processing and through the transport, use and disposal of finished products. Participants also recognized that climate change could have implications for the sector through supply-chain disruptions, materials availability and shifting consumption patterns.

It was acknowledged that while unilateral emission-reduction commitments from fashion brands may be a helpful signal of intent, effective action would require multi-stakeholder dialogue and engagement due to the diverse and dispersed nature of the business. This reality requires policymakers, brands and suppliers to engage in a collective and mutually supportive effort to reduce emissions and their drivers. …’

Sited ( January 2020) https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/Report_Fashion_Dialogue_January_2018.pdf

ADA ZANDITON ON ZERO-WASTE DESIGN – www.adazanditon.com

‘Fashion Designer, “Zero-waste design changes the way we use textiles and produces effective environmental results.” I take a common sense approach to sustainability. The zero-waste design technique is good for the environment, as it eliminates textile waste going to landfill, and it is economically smart by giving you the most mileage from your dollars.

Waste produced during garment production can be avoided by applying the zero-waste design technique, where designers carefully plan the design so that they utilise the entire textile. The concept of utilising the entire width of the textile is not a new phenomenon. It has long been used in the making of Japanese kimonos and Indian saris because it makes sense not to waste valuable textiles.

However, it became less popular after the industrialisation of fashion and the emergence of mass-produced fast fashion. Today, there are many different approaches to zero-waste design, including draping, knitting and smart pattern making. I use a variety of waste reducing techniques to create sculptural, elegant and desirable sustainable fashion garments. For example, I used zero-waste geometric cutting for the origami-inspired Hera dress (see image) <www.ecochicdesignaward.com>. For this, I took two squares and cut a line through them, and then joined the lines together and finally used buttons to fix the points of the dress into folds. This design also incorporates the amount of textile needed for seam allowance and hemming. I also have a zero-waste policy in my studio where all textile residues are kept and reused or donated to local recycling programs.

Elsewhere in this field, I think the most influential designer is Mark Liu who fits the pieces of his designs together like a jigsaw puzzle onto the textile. Looking beyond individual designers and into the mass market, the commercialization of zero-waste would be a huge step towards sustainability for the entire fashion industry.’

MY TOP TIPS TO ZERO-WASTE DESIGN 1.

‘1. Think before you cut and be inventive and experimental 2. Construct a zero-waste pattern or drape the textile 3. Sew or heat-seal the textile together 4. Knit and you will only ever use the necessary amount of material 5. Be inspired by origami.’

Sited (20 January 2020) www.ecochicdesignaward.com