Thoughts on Sustainability and Fast-Fashion

Photo by Lillie Eiger

I received an email from a reader in New Zealand about the very inexpensive dress I included as part of yesterday's post showing a connection between the sculptures of Berner Venet and things I noticed floating around in the fashion ether.

The dress in question came from a D2C online Chinese company that I instinctively knew, after many years in this industry, couldn't be on the up and up. The reader was surprised and disappointed that I would include such an item despite my concerns, which I directly questioned in the post itself, about living wages and other labor and environmental violations a dress with such a low price would demand. She claimed that after clicking through to the site she felt like she needed a shower! Presumably because it was so icky and disturbing.

She was right to call me out. And so I removed the image as well as the link to the manufacturers site. If you check back you will notice that the post has been updated.

You probably know that I am an animal lover as well as a lover of all sweaters furry and fringe-y because they are a great alternative to using real fur. A while ago I pointed out that I would make sure to no longer post any image which has real animal fur shown. Because I'm also an advocate for sustainability and transparency in the fashion industry I mentioned the conundrum that faux furs create because the synthetic fibres from which they are made rely heavily on fossil fuels. I personally have made a choice that I would be anti-(real)fur first and support mills and bio-engineers working on alternative solutions for more eco-friendly materials.

In fact, I consulted with a brand that specializes in faux fur clothing to help them develop eco-friendly yarns which can be turned into eco-friendly, furry fabrics for their collection. They are being supported by both PETA and Cradle-to-Cradle in this endeavor. (Unfortunately I can't mention their name just yet.) This kind of thing is the future of fashion but it's going to take time.

We have a global culture of mass overconsumption. There is too much "stuff" in the world and $19 dresses contribute to the egregious waste of the earth's natural resources. $19 dresses also mean someone is probably not making a living wage or working in facilities that are safe.

53 million tons of clothing are produced each year and about 85% of that ends up in landfills. It is estimated that a woman wears an item of clothing an average of 7 times before getting rid of it. Each pound of clothing that ends up in a landfill produces 2lbs of CO2 emissions and landfill clothes, which can take up to 200 years to decompose in some cases, leak toxic dyes and chemicals into the soil, which can contaminate local drinking water.

Consumers are detached from this reality and unless those of us in the industry help to educate them, the cycle will continue. A return to quality and an appreciation for craft and skill must be redeployed.

I realize that most people can't afford luxury or contemporary priced clothing but fast-fashion, in its quest to achieve endless growth and profits, has trained customers to want more and more; faster and for a lot less. The more "stuff" they crank out, the more "stuff" we're convinced we need and like any addiction it soon spirals out of control.

I guarantee there is plenty of wiggle room between the $4.99 t-shirt at Forever 21 and the $499 one from Saint Laurent. Consumers need to be reprogrammed to buy less and buy better.

In any case, I welcome any and all comments and will strive to maintain my high aesthetic standards and a consistent POV while also making sure to uphold my core beliefs.

News | The Weekly Edit 3.24.18

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China's Fur Capital Touts Itself to World Even if Fur's Out at Versace and Other Leading Fashion Houses - South China Morning Post

Image via The Daily Top

• The image above of bunnies is not from the linked article. Honestly I couldn't include pictures, as seemingly benign as they are, from an article which promotes the fur trade. You can see them when you read the article  

• EDITOR'S NOTE:  In case you are scared to click through, the pictures in the article are not gory or illustrative in any way, shape, or form of the horrors of animal cruelty.

• My Confession:  I think its known by now where I stand on fur. I hate it. I hate that I wear leather and I hate that I have a weakness for burgers even after spending 16 years of my life as a (mostly) vegetarian. I hated it when I would walk through of halls of Coach and see rooms and rails fur of leather skins. I used to count to myself how many dead animals each rack would amount to. I'm trying not to be preachy lest anyone call me a hypocrite. We human beings are complicated. I'm not trying to hide my own transgressions but for now, I can at least definitely, comfortably say no to fur. It's a step in the right direction.

• So with all that out of the way let me sociologically make the case that fur represents everything the #MeToo and #TimesUp revolution is fighting against. To me, fur conjures up images of a 1950's housewife who receives a mink coat by her hard-working husband for being a dutiful housemaid. A fur coat was a symbol of status; an item imbued with a level of achievement and financial standing in a rising middle-class society. But note, women never bought the fur for themselves. It wasn't a symbol of HER hard work. It was a symbol her husband's. One could make the case that a fur coat then was more a symbol of oppression rather than one of reward. Too much of a reach? Maybe. I just hate fur.

• Here's a list of fashion houses and retailers that have gone #FurFree.  Some have always been on the list, some recently joined:

LUXURY DESIGNERS:

1. Armani
2. Botega Venetta
3. Calvin Klein
4. Donna Karan - Just announced as I write this list. DK is now owned by G-III Apparel. As of now, this is the only brand in G-III's portfolio which has pledged to go Fur Free 
5. Gucci *recently announced
6. Hugo Boss
7. Kate Spade
8. Lacoste
9. Michael Kors *recently announced
10. Ralph Lauren
11. Stella McCartney *also leather free
12. Tommy Hilfiger
13. Vivienne Westwood
14. Versace *recently announced  

BRANDS/RETAILERS:

1. Henri Bendel (which is owned by Limited Brands which owns VS)
2. Lulemon
3. Net-A-Porter
4. Nike
5. Patagonia *of course!
6. The North Face
7. Victoria's Secret
8. Yoox 

• Many vertical retailers and non-luxury brands such as ASOS, Gap, H&M, Top Shop, Urban Outfitters, and Zara have always been fur-free because of price restrictions.

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San Francisco Becomes Largest US City to Ban Fur - The New York Times

Sorry Girls!  You'll have to find other ways to be fabulous.

Image from SAGA Furs Website
(have to give credit unfortunately)

• Companion piece to the above which simply reports the news of this groundbreaking decision. It will be interesting to see if other cities follow suit.

• If you still like the look of furry coats, check this video out from YouTube.  I've discussed the double-edge sword with faux fur and its effects on the environment but you have to go through the middle to get the end. Baby steps are better than no steps.

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Reebok Launches the New Fast Flexweave Running Shoe

On Monday March 5th, I joined star athletes, professional trainers, and fitness enthusiasts to celebrate Reebok's launch of their latest running shoe: Fast Flexweave.

A bunch of workout clothes along with a pair of Reebok Classics (which were mistakenly sent to me in a 9 1/2 instead of the 6 1/2 I needed) arrived at my apartment a few days earlier along with a message to come prepared to partake in an intense workout.  

Upon arrival at Industria Studios, we were shown to our very own locker, complete with nameplate, where our shiny, new shoes awaited inside.

---CLICK HERE TO READ MY COMPLETE REVIEW FOR INNOVATION IN TEXTILES---

Interview with Asta Skocir, Co-Founder of AlgiKnit

Back in November, I shared a link to an article I wrote for Knitting Industry & Innovation in Textiles about a conference I attended at the United Nations called Fashion & Sustainability: Look Good, Feel Good, Do Good.

As a follow-up to my growing interest in sustainability, check out my latest article for Knitting Industry Creative, a sister site which recently launched, about new developments in bioyarns.

KIC will be a little less wonky and aims to reach the industry’s creatives; engaging with established designers, up-and-comers, students, and other creative professionals.  I'm very excited to be part of this new venture!

AligiKnit, the New York based biomaterials research group is on a mission to rescue the planet from the enormously harmful effects of the fashion industry. They have developed a compostable yarn from kelp, which can be knit into zero-waste, fully-fashioned garments or transformed into a textile for applications in footwear.

Among their many achievements, they’ve been keynote speakers at MAGIC, invited to exhibit at The Clinton Global Initiative, are winners of the National Geographic “Chasing Genius” award and are grant recipients from the London-based RebelBio Accelerator program.

I sat down with co-founder and F.I.T Professor Asta Skocir to learn more about AlgiKnit’s plans for becoming leaders in sustainable manufacturing...

---CLICK HERE TO READ MORE---

p.s. you can follow Asta at KnitGrandeur and on Instagram and Twitter

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News | The Weekly Edit 2.17.18

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No One Wants Your Used Clothes Anymore - Bloomberg

• The Gist:  To assuage some of the guilt for compulsively buying cheap, trendy clothes consumers think they're being good stewards of the earth if they "donate" them.  Sadly, the secondhand or second-life apparel market is a ruse.  

• Companies that once were able to take old clothes and turn them into items such as disaster relief blankets are being shut out of business by Chinese manufacturers who can produce new goods in better materials and for less money.

• My thought bubble:  Touting sustainability isn't the answer. I'm not exactly sure what is but seems like we're approaching the tipping point of radical change in both the fashion industry specifically and the consumer goods market in totality.

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It's 2018, Ralph Lauren. Why Do You Think This Look is Still Cool? - The Washington Post

• My thought bubble:  OMG!!! and OUCH!

• Seriously though, it would be silly for me to critique a critique especially one by Robin Givhan whom I have long admired.

• Givhan has ALWAYS been a reality check on the fashion industry and she has a concise and precise way of talking about clothes but what makes her a journalist and not just someone who writes about fashion is that she foregoes the fluffy, flourishing descriptions of the clothes themselves and instead frames her critiques within a much larger cultural context.  She doesn't talk about "zeitgeist" in terms of trendy shoes or restaurants, she's much more cerebral and she nails it every time.

• This one is DEFINITELY worth the 3 minutes it takes to read.

• You be the judge:  Head over to VOGUE to check out all the looks for yourself.  (Remember he's in See-Now, Buy-Now mode so what he showed is Spring 2018 but during Fall 2018 Fashion week)

HAVE A HAPPY WEEKEND!

News | The Weekly Edit 2.3.18

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#MeToo Drives National Uptick of Sales in Black Dresses - Glossy

AFP/Getty Images via BBC

• My thought bubble:  I'm a political news junky so it's been quite delightful in the Trump era to be able to marry 3 of my main interests: fashion, journalism, and politics without feeling like I'm reaching too much to intellectualize the industry. The "Semiotics of Dress" (yes, an actual academic field of study) highlights the interdependent relationship between the designer, the wearer, and the context in which clothing is created. Whether intentional or not, designers often reflect the political environment of their times. From Coco Chanel boldly proposing pants for women to bra burning in the 60's to the slogan T's of Vivienne Westwood and Katherine Hamnett to the ousting of John Galliano from his namesake company for his anti-Semitic rant (although also forgiven and now at the helm of Margiela) to Hillary Clinton's white pantsuit in honor of the Women's Suffrage Movement to today's LBD #MeToo moment. In its capitalistic, commercial incarnation a piece of clothing is just a scrap of fabric but in its purest form, can also be a vehicle for expression and dare I say, even change.

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• Quote to remember:  “We now live in a culture with increased demand for products that identify with wearers’ beliefs and interests,” said Katie Smith, retail analysis and insights director at Edited.

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• Politics or not you really can't go wrong with another Little Black Dress in your closet.

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What's a Rip-Off When Everything Looks the Same - Racked

• My thought bubble:  No one really owns color blocking as a general concept but we're in the age of "Storytelling" and there's something very specific about Outdoor Voices and their brand message. In addition to the silhouettes themselves, Bandier chose the name Me/We (Me Over We) which seems like a pretty obvious riff on OV's message of encouraging group activity rather than competitive sport.

• If you've ever walked into a Bandier store you know that they carry a lot of brands. The store environment has tightened-up since it first launched but as a multi-brand shop, they have an arsenal of "references" from which to draw upon. OV is known for their kits; essentially a clean crop top and color block leggings which seem to have a distinct identity despite their simplicity. We/Me has their own very similar version of this concept and it seems like a shameless ploy to attract the OV customer and take some of their market share.

• EVERY company copies. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.  It's disheartening to realize that most ideas are just recycled, watered-down versions of something else. It's less a result that designers don't have an original idea, rather more so that they work for a big machine and have little creative control. It never ceases to amaze me how so many companies fall prey to the same uninspired decision-making process.

• Perhaps if there was a way to successfully litigate the rampant knock-offs, there would also be less crap in our landfills. 

• I truly wish the terms of the settlement between Aquazzura and Ivanka Trump for her blatant copy of his very successful "Wild Thing" sandal was made public. I hope the compensation was gratifying for Aquazurra but publicly shaming these companies may be the best way to thwart this problem going forward

• You decide:  Ultimately, I think it comes down to copying their ethos vs. individual items which in my opinion is the real crime.

Bandier

Outdoor Voices - Slashback Crop

Outdoor Voices
(note the side panel color block is referenced in Bandier version above)

Bandier's Me/We legging
photo via Racked

Outdoor Voices 7/8 Springs Legging

• I think Ty Haney founder of Outdoor Voices said it best on her Instagram

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HAVE A HAPPY WEEKEND!

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Going Graphic

Monse Resort 2018

Oscar de la Renta Resort 2018

Victor Alfaro Resort 2017

The above sweater was made in a wool/cashmere blend and knit in Italy.  I know this because Victor is a client of mine and I have great respect for his eye and aesthetic.  The below sweater is what we call a knock-off.  Good styling and decent photography makes this $30 "mixed fiber" (whatever that means) sweater an easy click.  How do I know this seemingly simple, black and white sweater is a knock-off?  Because of the same exact combination of elements: the same boxy proportion, the same blocking position, the same mix of a chunkier gauge rib with a finer gauge rib, the same rib structure, the mock neck, and most tellingly, the same slit on the cuff which is definitely a design decision based on someone's particular design POV.  Forget the fact that there's a difference in the quality of materials, the fit and workmanship; consumers need to recognize that without someone else's vision and creativity none of these fast-fashion brands and retailers would exist.  Yes, everyone should be able to participate in fashion and by that I mean have access to affordable, stylish clothes but there's simply too many same-same players churning out too much same-same product.  As long as customers continue to feed the beast, companies will continue to mindlessly pump more stuff into the world; most of which will end up in a landfill in a year or two.  We're not making them think so why should they do anything differently?  #BuyLessBuyBetter

Pretty Little Thing 

Time To Be Thankful...and "Think-Full"

While we're all being sloths on the couch recovering from our food comas, it seems like the perfect time to remind people that while we should all be grateful and happy for the good things in our lives, there is still much work to be done to make things even better.

I'm excited to share my first published article for Knitting Industry and it's sister site Innovation In Textiles where I report from the United Nations in NYC about fashion and the massively deleterious effects its having on our planet.

"Sustainability" is the buzzword du jour, and not to be a total buzz-kill, but before you load up your Amazon shopping carts on Black Friday, I encourage you to read my piece and think twice. Perhaps a donation to Greenpeace in a loved one's honor might be enticing instead?

Here's a little morsel for you to chew on with dessert:

It takes 913 gallons of water to make just one measly cotton t-shirt. That's enough drinking water for 1 person for 900 days! Yup. True fact. Need another? 1 in every 6 people on the planet is employed by the global apparel industry. It's no longer acceptable for anyone to say that fashion is frivolous. Its tentacles are literally everywhere.

Click --- HERE --- to read on

Sphere Within Sphere by Arnaldo Pomodoro

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