Showing posts with label sustainability. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sustainability. Show all posts

Monday, February 29, 2016

Future of Fashion

If you've been in the NYC subway lately, and seen all of the Thinx ads, you will soon understand why I am sharing this post again, originally dated July 10,2014.  It was clear, even then, that this idea had "legs"!

Last night (in 2014, of course), I attended the Future of Fashion event presented by Be Social Change, and hosted by the WIX lounge in Manhattan. It was eye-opening, to say the least.

The panelists at this event participated in a healthy discussion about sustainability, the impact of new technology on the industry, and the ever-changing products, consumers' desires, behaviors, and shopping choices.  One thing is for certain.  Everything is changing.

There is really too much to say about the event here, to truly express it in a way that will make sense to you as the reader, because, honestly, this event was about EVERYTHING, all at once.  We talked bout unfair labor practices in factories, about the environmental impact of our clothing choices, about durability, about dyes, about all of the things we don't know...

One of the most dynamic panelists featured last night is the founder of a very interesting brand called THINX.  Of everything I saw/learned about last night, this one really stuck. You've gotta check out the link to see what they are all about.

A great example of the seismic changes happening in the industry offered by a panelist, was the incredible financial loss JC Penney suffered after revamping its image. He gave some specific reasons and dollar amounts lost associated with  some specific moves the company made, but the final $2 Billion of that number?  Vanished.  Items not purchased by customers who just went elsewhere, or just decided they didn't need the items.  Who knows?  There is no data to prove where those specific customers went.  They just didn't care what was changing at JC Penney.  They've got plenty of other choices, or they can simply keep their money. 

Other panelists weren't offering statistics or numbers specifically, but actually harnessing some pretty amazing missions into their work.  Now, I can't adequately convey what made all of this so exciting to me, but here's a bit of a taste of what it was like to meet and learn about the work of one the dynamic panelists, "An Underwear Activist":






Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Apparel, Sustainiblity and the Environment? A very REAL post...



You must treat the earth well. It

was not given to you by your

parents. It is loaned to you by your

children.


- Kenyan Proverb

I'll be real, here...

This is too broad of a topic to even try to address in a single post.  There are far too many tendrils involved to even make a dent in the bigger issues here.

But... this post does come with resources, ideas, and reference tools. 

Why do I even bring this up?


I recently attended a special premiere for an HBO documentary, that, while specifically created for and about children, it presented environmental challenges in a unique, digestible, and hopeful way. Believe me when I say it is equally valuable for adults and children alike.

To view the short trailer for the program, click here.  The documentary is called "Saving My Tomorrow", and it features some phenomenal kids, some great music (Check out Joni Mitchell's song Big Yellow Taxi, performed by Lennon & Maisy - *you can also find it on ITunes or Spotify), wonderful visuals, celebrity readings... and, what I would lovingly refer to as "gourmet food for thought".

After seeing the film, I understood that while we can always talk about what we (collectively) are doing that is environmentally irresponsible now... (and... yeah...yawn, right?) what we will HAVE to talk about eventually, is what we CANNOT continue to do.  Eventually, we will be FORCED to make different decisions, because so many choices we are currently making are not sustainable ones.

Now, if you're still with me, here's my next point:

When it comes to apparel...


Let's consider the Higg Index.  What is it?  Officially, it is an open-source...

"self-assessment tool aimed at creating a standard industry approach to measuring and evaluating sustainability impacts of all apparel and footwear products for the industry, while informing business-to-business decision-making that identifies ways to improve products and processes.  The Higg Index looks at sustainability from an environmental and social/labor standpoint."

Blah, blah, blah...

These are just words right now, but these words will grow louder as time marches on. I've never been a tree-hugging environmental activist, and in fact, have long appreciated the artificial obsolescence of fashion trends.  But, even I will say that this subject is worthy of your time, careful consideration and attention.


On artificial obsolescence:

Have you ever noticed that trends are just created and sold to you?  You didn't actually just happen to love skinny jeans, they just got used to seeing many permutations of them, until, eventually... you bought/made/coveted a pair?

On Squawk Box this morning, the financial reporters commented on low retail numbers for apparel are due to a trendless season in fashion fight now.  No prevailing colors or styles pushing people out to buy new stuff is a real problem for retailers.

In the UK, however, they are busy trying to push sustainability as its own fashion trend.  Is that possible?  Can it be done? Can it be cool?

Yes, it can...

Check out these links:

First eco-fashion week  in New Zealand.

Sustainable fashion from Pharell.  Yes, the guy who sings "Happy" wants to clean the ocean...

Oh, and let's add some more starpower to the mix...

The CFDA Sustainability Initiative, and the no-brainer featured designer...

There's a lot more to explore out there.  I can't imagine where this will take us in the future, but it is absolutely the beginning of a broader movement.

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Fashion Institute of Technology Noncredit Certificates

What happens when you study color theory... I'm guessing...

As always, I got very excited when I saw the brochure for the FIT Fall 2014 Continuing and Professional Studies course offerings arrive this year.  A perpetual student, I love to explore the enormous fashion industry and all of its players, and I am just wowed by how the ever-changing nature of the business changes what courses are being offered.

I'm being careful not to bury the lead... you can take some of these classes online.  Yes, I said ONLINE! Follow this link to learn more. Not only that, but there's still time, since orientation hasn't even happened yet!

Wanna ago?

It's Monday, September 15 5:45 - 7PM
John E. Reeves Great Hall (on FIT's campus)

You will need to call to RSVP at 212-217-7715


Fall 2014 

Look into it!

Here are a few highlights below, after which, I will guide you to FIT's own social media sites for more info.

First of all, they are offering a Sustainability Certificate - 6 courses and FutureLab to complete. This is exciting. Read yesterday's post if this if you are interested in exploring this important issue.

Fashion Marketing: China - this workshop helps guide you through developing a marketing strategy for this often misunderstood market.

Color Specialist: Fashion and Home Products/ Image and Style
I am particularly intrigued by "How Color Gets to Market"

The Social Media, Software, E-Commerce and Mobile classes look wonderful.

There is so much more... I can't write it all here.  You'll have to explore for yourself.

Stay Connected to FIT by following them here:

Pinterest
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
Enterprise Center (Business focus)
Professional Studies

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Eco-friendly fabrics

The ecologically-minded folks among you will be "Happy" to read this article, highlighting the mission of the artist pictured below:



Recording Artist and Creative Director of Bionic Yarn Pharrell Williams greets Chief Marketing Officer, G-Star Thecla Schaeffer at the event to announce "RAW for the Oceans", a long-term collaboration between Bionic Yarn and G-Star turning ocean plastic into Denim, at American Museum of Natural History on February 8, 2014 in New York City.


Today's post is in response to a specific reader (and professional colleague's) question... 


 I've been meaning to ask you about eco-friendly fabrics since last year. I'm curious and concerned about the fashion industry's move towards sustainability. Our industry is the second largest polluter in the world according to research. Between textile waste, polluting natural resources and social abuse, the industry is making a huge impact. Have you heard discussions about sustainability in fashion? Also, what steps are industry leaders taking to improve the enormous waste associated with cheap fashion? I've vowed not to design another piece of clothing unless it is made from recycled fiber or textile. It is difficult to stay away from polyester since it's the cheapest thing on the market and abundant. However, it's made from plastic and highly toxic especially when place in dryers. Most people don't have a clue. My question to you is? Which fabric stores sell recycled textiles or work with factories recycling fibers to weave new textiles. I may not get into the business of custom making textiles but I want to support businesses who do. Is it possible to find a list of stores or distributors contributing to eco-fabric? I would love to have this knowledge or find research. There are a few professors at F.I.T teaching sustainability in fashion but it's a new concept. What are your thoughts? 

Thank you for asking about this, Stacia.  If you care about the environment and our collective future, you may care to know that there are some companies specifically focused on providing Eco-Freindly fabrics, and to my eyes, it doesn't look like the NYC Garment district is leading the charge.

First of all, I want to emphasize that I truly believe that durability is the absolutely best way to make responsible use of the fabrics we purchase.  Make something that will last until you have either worn it to pieces, hand it down, pass it on to friends or family, or donate it to a thrift shop.  That is the best we can ask for, no matter what a garment is made of.

Aside from that, I have noticed bamboo Fabrics at NY Elegant, which are delightfully soft and wonderful to touch.

I also visited a few eco-friendly fabric suppliers at last year's DG Expo.  The businesses are not local, but they do sell in smaller quantities, so you would be able  to obtain and sample their offerings that way.

KenDor Textiles is a Canadian company, offering a variety of Eco-friendly fabrics, including:

Organic Cotton
Bamboo
Hemp
Recycled Polyester (Repreve*)

Zen Tex is a company with a New York Garment District Showroom, selling wholesale (1 roll minimums) to the trade. Among their offerings are:


  • Broadcloths
  • Voiles/Lawns
  • Yarn Dyes
  • Oxfords
  • Gauze/Double Cloths
  • Twills/Herringbones
  • Canvas
  • Dobbies
Other items include:
  • Recycled Polyester
  • Hemp
  • Linen
  • Lyocell/Tencel® (from wood pulp cellulose)

Indigo Handloom, spotted at this year's DG Expo, offers some heart-stoppingly beautiful eco friendly products.  The company's own mission statement is below:


Indigo Handloom has thousands of unique handwoven fabrics in its collection. We work with several different areas in South Asia and work in all natural fibers including all varieties of silk, cotton, wool and linen. Our fabrics require no energy to be made - besides the energy and expertise of our master weavers. By choosing handloom fabrics over machine-milled fabric, reduces the carbon footprint of your products as well as employs nine times as many people.

What this shows, in my opinion, is that responsible manufacturing and sustainability are not fads, but the way things are moving. For that, I am glad.

I have spoken at length on this subject in a recent post, detailing a local event on "The Future of Fashion", and challenging people to thing differently about how/what we wear/use/create/consume.