At Sol Inspirations we believe that everything you are capable of doing to lower the impact of your product should be done, and we believe designers should constantly strive to take that next step towards sustainability. The order in which you achieve the different aspects of sustainability is not important but the effort to do so is crucial.
Materials, or textiles, is the first arena that designers, especially the Eco-conscious, start their process, as their (Eco-conscious designers) materials often inspired how they are used. Using recycled fabrics is very green and also sourcing organic fabrics, like bio-based fibers, certified humane, organically produced fibers are some of the best options. There are too many good options to name them all but staying up to date about new technologies and options is part of an Eco-designers responsibility. The research phase is never over especially when it comes to textiles. Fast vs. Slow Fashion is an important concept, producing your garments consciously with care should be a process that takes much thought and skill. Fast vs. Slow Fashion is an important concept, producing your garments with consciously with care should be a process that takes much thought and skill.
In the production of garments there are oodles of innovations that make a piece of fashion more green-minded than conventional fashion. Planned pattern design can help to facilitate zero waste and there are strategies for post use, easy deconstruction or decomposable materials. Constructing garments that can be easily deconstructed or pieced together in such a way that ensures they can easily avoid the landfill is an essential part of being a holistic eco-fashion designer, there is a slew of ways to execute that idea but being able to easily communicate that to a buyer is important. Creating garments in an imminently closed loop manner is the main goal.
Sol Inspirations takes the definition of eco-fashion very seriously, unfortunately we live in a world where deceit is normally in every aspect of our lives. Green washing is very real and education along with translucency in the fashion industry is a necessary shift in order for eco-fashion to grow and become a consumer demand. Any and all designers participating in Sol Inspirations events are critiqued under the highest standards and are constantly pushing to be at the forefront of environmental conscious fashion design. We encourage both designers and wearers of fashion to educate themselves on the different impacts of the garment industry and always support designers that represent your own standards.
ELEVEN ECO LABELS YOU CAN TRUST
- Forest Stewardship Council
- Green Guard
- Green Seal
- Sustainable Forestry Initiative
- EPA’s Design for Environment
- Ecocert
- Energy Star
- EPEAT
- USDA Organic
- EPA’s WaterSense
- EcoLogo
References Sourced By Sol Inspirations Members & Contributors:
Hustvedt, Dr. Gwendolyn. “Sustainable Textiles Definitions.” Sustainable Action Leadership. Coral Rose, Eco Innovations, 2007. Web. 20 Jan. 2012.
Urban dictionary (November 21, 2010). Ecofashion. Retrieved August 3, 2011 from http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ecofashion
Fashion which is environmentally and ecologically friendly. Categories include vegan, ethically produced, craft or artisan, demi-couture, fair trade, organic, recycled, and vintage.
Ecofashion is a great alternative to mainstream fashion which isn’t always environmentally or ecologically friendly such as when endangered animals are made into fur coats.
Brown, S. (2010). Eco fashion. London: Laurence King Publishing.
* Sourcing and production that do not pollute through the process of manufacture and do not deplete non-renewable resources (both planetary and human)
* Clothing that can be absorbed back into the environment when it has reached end of its life
Hethorn, J. & Ulasewicz, C. (2008). Sustainable fashion: Why now? New York: Fairchild Books, Inc.
Sustainability within fashion means that through the development and use of a thing or process, there is no harm done to people or the planet, and that thing or process, once put into action, can enhance the well-being of the people who interact with it and the environment it is developed and used within.
Kadolph, S. (2010). Textiles (11th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.
Sustainability encompasses many areas including human rights, energy use, materials use, production, consumption, disposal, and recycling. It addresses both current practices and future implications. Materials and products are made from recyclable materials and renewable resources and do not pollute the environment at any stage of production or processing. Materials are biodegradable. Workers and animals are treated with dignity and respect.
Dickson, M., Loker, S., & Eckman, M. (2009), Social responsibility in the global apparel industry. New York: Fairchild.
Social responsibility encompasses sustainability with specific issues like resource consumption, pollution, consumer well-being, human rights, health and safety, product affordability and quality
Fletcher, K. (2008). Sustainable fashion and textiles: Design journeys. Sterling, VA: Earthscan.
* Material diversity: reducing the impact of cultivating and producing all textile fibers and establishing a foundation of a good practice across the board
* Ethically made: To address the use of water, textile pollutants, energy , labor abuses
* Use matters: Designing fabric and garments that cause less impact during care, frequency of care
* Reuse, recycling, and zero waste
* Fashion, needs and consumption: shared use, quality vs. quantity
* Local and light: small scale local production
* Speed: Slow fashion tied to rhythms of use: to develop a more sustainable and complex model of clothing design where account was taken of use patterns, fashion levels, and how long things last
* User maker: co-design/participatory design
Root, R. A. (ed)(2008). Ecofashion (Special issue). Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body & Culture, 12(4), 419-547.
* Ecofashion a.k.a sustainable fashion celebrates ingenuity, self-awareness, and empowerment. It is aware and responsive. It inspires local connections that contribute to social change and environmental stability. It acknowledges provenance as much as carbon footprint.
* Ecofashion often involves an entire process that begins with innovative design concepts, continues into production with ethical labor practices and ends as quality garment that can be recycled, upcycled, or downcycled conscientiously in order to avoid filling up another landfill.
* Examples that showcase ecofashion include fiber and fabric selection, cutting patterns for thrifty fabric utilization, less construction and the ease of disassembly when the garment has finished its first life, social justice, CSR, sustainable design and inclusive design.
Many Thanks to Anupama Pasricha & Trudy Landgren from St. Catherine’s University in St. Paul, MN for their contributions.
