Everyone is responsible for damaging the environment, whether it's personal, environmental, social or economic - all impacts are responsible. One thing we can target is the amount of waste produced as that is wholly man-made and thus completely changeable.
STEP 1: Design to Minimise Waste
'Of the total textile fibre produces, up to 65% is lost, post consumer to landfill, incineration or composting which represents between 400 000 & 700 000 tonnes per annum in the UK. Of this at least 50% is recyclable' (Alwood, 06)
ISSEY MIYAKE- Zero Waste Cutting
Waste occurs not just at the manufacturing stage but also at the design stage. Thus designers ought to minimise waste from the outset. I particularly like Issey Miyake's APOC principle where he uses one single thread to begin and end a final garment. Made using an industrial knitting/weaving machine, Miyake creates continuous tubes of fabric with tops, skirts, shirts, trousers all designed in such a sequence that a piece of clothing can physically be cut out from the strip leaving no surrounding waste fabric. It is an extremely successful technique as it not only minimises waste but also allows the customer to participate in the design process. There are no waste scraps of fabric as each design is all inclusive. Computer aided design is a much easier and faster process to ensure waste is reduce.
SHAUN SAMSON
Shaun Samson uses an exquisite needle punch felt technique that combines two different pieces of material without the need thread/material or joining devices. He uses a seamless fabric manipulation that fuses together chunky knitwear, denim and wool. The fuzzy fibres of the knit effortlessly fuse with the linen to make a clean join that appears like magic. Experimentation has allowed Samson to create fabrics that co-exist rather than lie on top of each other. There is no chemical impact or left over fabrics for if you can fuse together materials with this embroidery like technique then soon there ought to be no left-over scraps.
Close up of needle punching felt technique
There are many designers that use disposable fashion to counteract waste minimisation. They create garments out of recyclable paper that are made to be worn once and then discarded. REBECCA COLE MARSHALL has attempted to combat the mass production market by producing these one off wonders however I feel if clothes are to be bought they should be bought to last. Short-life garments do however have great appeal to the public as it allows for a quick turnover and works well alongside the fast paced fashion industry. Consumers don't want to wear the same thing permanently thus this method allows them to buy one item and then wear it once. however I feel this encourages waste and we ought to be able to design garments that satisfy the consumer enough to keep it. As Vivienne Westwood says 'BUY LESS, CHOOSE WELL, DO IT YOURSELF' . Her biggest annoyance i that people over wash their clothes making them look cheap and slob like, instead we ought to rub talcum powder under the armholes of a t-shirt or simply wash the cuffs of a long t-shirt.
WOOLRICH & AGION
Woolrich who supported Shaun Samson in resourcing woollens and materials have teamed up with Agion- a leader in odour fighting, to combine a piece of outerwear that eliminates frequent laundering, This nano-technology means that the jacket need never be washed thus reducing the amount of water energy. The garment features a 'one-two punch of antimicrobial protection and industrial strength odour elimination, both on and around the fabric'
What's even more exciting is that if Woolrich & Agion join forces with Safe@Sea then they could have their first odourless/repairable garment. Scandinavian researchers have discovered a self-healing effect in the form of plastic polyurethane which is applied in liquid form to a fabric surface and allowed to harden in the presence of air and water. This means that if there was to be a small tear in the garment the micro-capsules that contain the glue-like substance will burst sealing the holes and becoming almost as good as new.
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