Sustainable systems - field action:

Zero-waste fashionThe future of designDone by: Sarah Lee Shan Yun

Content Statement of intent Sustainability in fashion What is zero-waste fashion

Pre-consumer zero-waste fashion Post-consumer zero-waste fashion

Designer and company profiles Incorporation of sustainability in business

Production Place Price Promotion

Field action

Statement of intent What topics in sustainable systems have

interested me in this course, in my other courses, or outside of class?Since I am hoping to enter the fashion industry, I am interested in the way sustainability plays a part in the production processes of clothing manufacturing. In particular, I am interested in the closed and open systems of fashion, how materials are being used and disposed whilst constructing garments and how what kinds of materials are being utilized.

Statement of intent What type of impact do I want to have on the

sustainability (social/environmental responsibility) of my field?I am currently in the BBA program, hoping to one day be a part of the management of fashion businesses in the industry. I feel that, in my position, there is so much opportunity to make changes to the way processes are being handled and carried out. I feel that I would be able to see the bigger picture, to communicate the problems that one department faces to another, and vice versa, and to come up with the most efficient and effective model.

Statement of intent What type of action can I actually take?

How can my classmates and I collaborate together on this issue?Right now, there isn’t much of a drastic change I can ensue on the current industry because I am still a student. However, big change can start from small steps, thus I am hoping to start some research and proliferation projects on sustainable fashion practices, to help educate not just my peers, but also myself as well.

Sustainability in fashion Sustainable fashion

includes many different practices of the industry, where individuals and organizations have noticed the demand for change and the need for more creative ideas to support ethical objectives. London fashion week SS11, Center for sustainable

fashionhttp://www.sustainable-fashion.com/projects/i-sustain/

Sustainability in fashion Sustainable materials

include: Natural non-petroleum-

based fibers (cellulose / plant fibers, protein / animal fibers)

Organic cotton, hemp, bamboo, soy and corn

Humane animal fabrics (wool, silk, cashmere, mohair)

Man-made materials (Lyocell, polylactic acid corn polymer)

Organic cotton used by H&Mhttp://www.ecouterre.com/hm-other-brands-guilty-of-organic-cotton-fraud/

Sustainability in fashion Other ways of introducing

sustainability to the fashion industry include: Sustainable and ethical

working conditions (especially of outsourced labor)

Airdye technology Energy-efficient importing

and exporting of materials and goods

Introducing indexes (The Higg Index 2012) and organizing global discussions (The Copenhagen Fashion Summit) to spread awareness

The Copenhagen Fashion Summithttp://youthfashionsummit.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/presentation-5.jpg

What is zero-waste fashion Pre-consumer zero-

waste fashion involves the elimination of waste during the manufacturing process of fashion.

This involves the idea of zero-waste pattern cutting, direct-pattern-on-loom (DPL) patent and whole garment knitting

“Zero-waste” pattern by Zhen Cui Lanhttp://elenaworkshop.blogspot.com/2012/05/zero-wasteproject-zheng-cui-lansirina.html

What is zero-waste fashion Post-consumer

zero-waste fashion involves the use of remnant or recycled materials from previously processed or cut products for the construction of other products or goods

Estethica by Mark Liu from Central Saint Martins for London Fashion Week using reclaimed materials from

old garmentshttp://inhabitat.com/estethica-2008-showing-at-london-fashion-week/markliu_zerowaste_4jpg/

Designer profiles Name: Holly

Mcquillan Country of origin:

New Zealand Eco-idea: Zero-

waste patterns for cropped Ts, trousers and dresses

Designer profiles Name: Siddhartha

Upadhyaya Country of origin:

India Eco-idea: patented a

DPL process which utilizes a loom, attached to a computer, that weaves made-to-fit garment sections

Company profile Company names:

Shima Seiki, Stoll Countries of

origin: Japanese, German

Eco-idea: Complete garment knitting machines, 3D full-garment knits

Designer / company profile Designer /

company name: Issey Miyake

Country of origin: Japan

Eco-idea: use of recycled polyester and thermal fleece fabrics

Issey Miyake Fall 2013 Menswear collection

http://magnifeco.com/issey-miyake-reveals-a-lightweight-heat-retaining-wardrobe/

Designer / company profile Designer / company

name: Martin Margiela

Country of origin: Belgium

Eco-idea: Reclamation of old garments creating artisinal dysfunctional patchwork garments for exhibition

Martin Margiela’s Artisinal linehttp://inhabitat.com/martin-margiela-artisanal-reclaiming-clothing-design/martin-margiela-artisanal-recycled-fashion-design-eco-sustainable-style-2/

Company profile Company name: H&M

(Hennes & Mauritz) Country of origin:

Swedish multi-national Eco-idea: Collection of 3.2

million garments for recycled manufacturing, 450 million liters of water saved during denim production, use of organic cotton, education and training of outsourced workers

Incorporation of sustainability in business

Incorporation of sustainability in business Product

Use of sustainable materials in manufacturing

Incorporating water and energy saving techniques in production

Investing in complete garment knitting machines

Hiring zero-waste pattern designers Working with creative individuals such as

Siddhartha Upadhyaya (use of DPL)

Incorporation of sustainability in business Price

Long-term investment in fixed costs such as machinery Long-term investment in setting up sustainable and

safe working conditions in factories (local and overseas)

Using marginal-cost pricing by factoring in the use of organic fabrics and other materials that incur variable costs

Pricing to target market: mass-market consumer (e.g., H&M), environmentally conscious individuals willing to spend slightly more for the satisfaction of good quality and ethical responsibility

Incorporation of sustainability in business Place

Sales of products in-store Sales of products online Expanding garment collection plans locally or

overseas Relocation of factories or design studios to

places with the required technology, machinery or labor

Relocation of factories nearer to the consumer or to raw materials to reduce shipping, importing or exporting costs (carbon footprint)

Incorporation of sustainability in business Promotion

Raising awareness of sustainability in fashion through Creation of sustainable clothing lines Creative campaigns and advertisements In-store point-of-sale displays Online access to information on company’s

sustainability efforts Holding conferences, events (e.g., fashion shows) or

public discussions on sustainable fashion Interviews and profiling of young creative talent

looking into zero-waste pattern design or other sustainable technological practices

Field action In terms of communicating with the

public and people around me with this project, I have decided to raise awareness of sustainable practices in fashion by educating my peers and fellow students in Parsons the New School for Design through an online informational website: http://sustainablefashi0n.wordpress.com

Samples of student comments On the online

website, students are able to learn about sustainability in fashion, as well as to contribute their own ideas and opinions on the project

The endI hope you enjoyed the presentation, stay green!