Aidan Brennan

Hal Butler

Elu (Zhao) Chen

Label (Zhehao) Chen

Shuqing Fang

Solomon Gibbs

Anisa Ibrahim

Seho Kim

Xiaoyu Li

Jin Liang

Maggie Liu

Noa-Nomad Marr Ross

Minny McKeown

Jack Oulton

Aditya Pradeep Kumar

Frank Pugh

Sunita Rai

Eleonora Razzoli

Wonjeong Ryu

Nicholas Skeens

Estelle Tan

Patrick Tuft

Zoey (Jingyi) Yu

Zimo Zhao

Milla (Mengyu) Zhou

Yasmina Akhavan Kharazi

Poppy Brocklehurst

Sanna Claesson

Elodie Curtis

Lilian Djalo

Selina Dreijer

Charlotte Dunn

Olivia Hockney

Leila Howorth

Jiangnan Huang

Sally (Yingyi) Huang

Tobias Jeans

Emma Leng

Koco (Wanye) Lyu

Daisy Mountford-White

Julia Nordahl

Line Olsen

Matthew Pearson

Wasi Rathore

Sophie Robson

Elise Elizabeth Schieler

Asaina (Asalya) Usmanova

Yunjie Wang

Nymph (Kuangxinzi) Xu

Lorissa (Lingyi) Yu

Alan (Wenbo) Zhang

Raquelle (Xiaoyang) Zhang

Serena  Sebastian Bebi

Ari  Aarav Bhatia

Lingwei Cai

Giovanna De Faria

Mengling Fan

Phiddel Grieson

John Hynes

Ji Jihae Jung

Amy Lay

Miao Li

Ivy Mellon

Scarlett Eleanor Meurisse

Shumaita Misbahul

Rebecca Ockendon

Elle Geonyoung Park

Sofija Purkovic

Yuwen Qiu

Shin Hyungyu Shin

Susan Yunxin Sun

Meng Tong

Neil Zhao

Zhou Zilin

George Adamson

Ahmad Alwohaibi

Clara Bampton

Michael Beak

Tom Thomas Beynon

Ben Benjamin Brody

Matt Glanville

Molly Harrison

Clea Henry-Gabriel-Calixte

Ryan Charles Honza

Gabe Gabriel Joffe Thornton

Jeonghwan Kim

Nicolas Megnou

Jamie Ollason

Sofia Paredes Heidemann

Oscar Porteous

Armando Sabado Magno

Pablo Soria Alomoto

Anna Willows

Matt Yuan

Adrian Aviles

Ryan Kei Leung

Seven Xiaoqing Zhang

Jonah Barakat

Finn Barker-Flower

Adélaïde Marie-Adélaïde Barrault

Verity Capstick

Karina Frances Edmonds

Abbie Green

Paulina Jankowska

Abi Abigail Kerner

Minxi Li

Lang Liu

Angel Luo

Sofia Mori

Elle Jenson Neyens

Thomas Nichols

Aya Rector

Alex Risbridger

Kenan Slevira

Konnie Stafford

Nancy Tempest

Kelly Quynh Vo

Yuta Yang

Mingxin Zhang

Amelie Bartholomew

Aria (Arjoe) Bhowmick

Laura Ida (Laura) Emmins

Arjun Harnal

Katarina Henderson

Yasu (Hwekang) Hwang

Oluwalani Jegede

(Othniel)

Eddie (Edward) Le Roy

Yafei Li

Yutetsu Matsunaga

Tran Nguyen

Nick (Nicholas) Oliveira

Sechan Park

Daria Rudenko

Adrian Schmidt

Simona Stankovic

Anita Theodorsdottir

Lola TRUE

Eric Wu

Yue Wu

Ishan You

Fashion Revolution: Visit Website

Fibreshed: Visit Website

Slow Factory: Visit Website

Sustainable Angle: Visit Website

Future Fabrics Expo: Visit Website

Fashion Act Now: Visit Website

Maison 0: Visit Website

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS): Visit Website

Cloth Cultures/British Textile Biennale: Visit Website

The Or Foundation Visit Website

Iro Iro Zero Waste Visit Website

Read:

Beckert, S. (2017). Empire of Cotton: A Global History. Vintage, New York, NY

De Castro, O. (2021), Loved Clothes Last: How the Joy of Rewearing and Repairing Your Clothes Can Be a Revolutionary Act, Penguin Life

Hoskins, T.E., (2014). Stitched up: The anti-capitalist book of fashion. London: Pluto Press.

Hunter,C (2019) Threads of Life. Hodder and Stoughton, UK

Smelik,A (2023) Polyester: A Cultural History, Fashion Practice, 15:2, 279-299,

Tham,M. and Fletcher, K. (2020) Earth Logic: Read Here

Fashionary (2019) Textilepedia.

Laitala, K., Klepp, I.G., & Beverly, H. (2018). Does Use Matter? Comparison of Environmental Impacts of Clothing Based on Fibre Type.

Listen:

Sustainable Fashion in Africa with Adebayo Oke-Lawal, Abrima Erwiah and more: Listen Here

Common Threads Podcast: Listen Here

Black Material Geographies Listen Here

Tran Nguyen

One of the Americas indigenous animals is buffalo, therefore this is a food source and biproduct would be bone, skin (leather), and fur. This should all be utilised with a lack of waste.

Due to colonialism, there was a rapid decline in the buffalo population as they were slaughtered. This leads us to the current idea of post colonial traits within society. The idea of fast food culture, and extreme consumerism that results in toxic cruel animal farming for leather and fur purposes. Not only that, but the demand for faux leather, that actually is extremely unsustainable for workers rights universally and the earths poor state itself.

Key points - No waste methods and small businesses that have traditional ways, cultural/functional significance within communities for animal derived material, post colonialism, modern day slavery and lack of workers rights, toxic faux leather/fur effects, sustainable alternatives like kombucha leather, vintage reuse, repair systems, biomaterial, mushroom leather as mushrooms are a fungus that regrow fast.

'By 1883 nearly every single buffalo on the Great Plains had been killed. In 1840, there was an estimated 35 million buffalo on the plains. By 1890, there were less than 1,000.'

Native American spiritual and functional culture within communities from then and now along with the effects of the colonial slaughter of bison.

The current day demand for faux furs and leathers, whilst simultaneously causing more environmental and workers rights issues.

Linking these ideas to colonialist traits within wide society aka consumerism and taking away from small business/community/planet welfare/worker welfare, and the desire for quantity over quality, waste within animal farming (disposing of valuable materials where for example the natives would not only have bison as a food source but also a textile and sacred source).

Illustration, zine, target audience maybe younger people to enable them to learn and not be unknowing so our children can know about these things earlier on. A story in the perspective of an animal, or a person.

SUSTAINABLE ALTERNATIVES -

Businesses now to look up to who are sustainable in sourcing animal derived materials (Like vintage for example, or no waste methods), Communities who practice traditional methods to this day within the Americas maybe?, Businesses or individuals who specialise in biomaterials using vegetarian agaragar, kombucha leather, mushroom leather (mushroom is good especially as it is fungus so it mass grows fast.)

Notes - Caring for the material you do use, not wasting

-The company designs plastic granules from fishing nets thrown into Newlyn harbor, 60 tones a year. These granules are transformed into printing filaments or used for injection molding.

-The mold is printed in 3D, allowing to keep the unique shape of the tab. These small accessories are already all the rage among consumers, who find them more practical and easy to attach.

Feels exclusively for the purpose of business, discards core values and properties of what is understood about fashion in order to maximise its business and money making potential.

It is the most accessible method of production, producing the least accessible products and/or outcomes. Costs nothing, or very little to produce in respect to both design and production.

2) Def: (of a proposition) having truth or falsity determinable by recourse to experience.

"Paco Rabanne used NFTs of its highly-conceptual archive pieces to fund its physical archive restoration"

• an example of the NFTs sole purpose to generate money rather than to contribute to a fashion identity

As synthetics have played mroe of a role in production, the standard of their productions has generally declined, with the intent of exploiting the characteristics of synthetics (easy and cheap to produce, work with etc), thereby making synthetic garments possess less 'substance'.

An extreme example of this is virtual fashion which has no material properties whatsoever, intangible, and has no 'existance' in the real sense of the world.

Balmain launched a Web3 hub at Paris Fashion Week. Called Balmain Thread, the NFT-based membership programme was developed in partnership with MintNFT. The goal was to bring together the brand’s NFT projects to date, and to open access to exclusive products and experiences to members of the community.

https://consciouschatter.com/podcast/2023/5/2-episode-294-jeff-garner-prophetik-making-toxic-free-fashion

https://www.wired.com/story/gadget-lab-podcast-603/

they are energy intensive, do not biodegrade and are not easy to recycle. 

Synthetic fabrics like Lycra symbolized the US emergence from years of depression and war and contrasted with communist scarcity.  

Polyester has shown to affect immune systems, especially those of children. Children are vulnerable tom chemicals; their immature immune and liver detoxification systems cause them tom be much more sensitive than adults to such things as bleach, dyes, and toxic compounds. 

Cheap synthetic Fibers are not only harmful because they enable low quality clothing that ends up in waste, but also perpetuate the fashion industry’s dependence on fossil fuel extraction during climate emergency. 

Worst performing brands that have no transparency about their use of synthetics, nor any numerical information about the use of synthetics on their websites, including Primark, boohoo, Burberry, and Nike. 

One of the most common, but most dangerous synthetic fibres, it is petroleum-based and made using dihydric alcohol and terephthalic acid – both of which are incredibly toxic and still present after manufacturing. This can lead to issues such as dermatitis, and respiratory infections, and has even been linked to a reduced sperm count and breast cancer.  

Rayon (also known as Viscose) 

Often seen as one of the ‘better’ fibres, this cellulose-based fibre is not as natural as its wood-pulp origins would indicate. The chemicals required to transform the tough fibres into a fabric are processed using carbon disulphide, ammonia, acetone, sulphuric acid, and caustic soda. Factory workers exposed to these chemicals are at an increased risk of strokes and nerve damage – not to mention the surrounding community when the waste is put into water systems. When worn, and absorbed by your skin, these chemicals can cause nasty side effects such as headaches, nausea, and insomnia. Rayon is also a huge contributor to deforestation, wasting around 70% of the tree in the production process.  

Acrylic 

Petroleum-based again, it is highly flammable and contains a chemical that is labelled as a carcinogen and a mutagen. On top of this, it can also cause rashes, headaches, nausea, kidney problems and breathing difficulties when regularly worn.  

Nylon 

Again, made from petroleum and treated heavily with chemicals, it is often used for underwear fabric. It does not absorb sweat and causes headaches, allergies, and dizziness. Often treated to be ‘anti-crease’ or ‘water-resistant’, you should also try to avoid fabrics with specific treatments as these are all performed with chemicals.  

Spandex 

Made using strong chemicals such as dimethyl sulfoxide, if worn for extended periods it can cause allergies, impetigo, and folliculitis. 

- “around 60 percent of our clothing consists of synthetic materials or a mix of natural and synthetic.” 

- “A recent report in Nature magazine ballparks the amount anywhere from 640,000 to 1,500,000 microfiber pieces released per wash” 

- “Acrylic fabrics are most generous - around 700,000 fibres are released from an average six kg wash load” 

- “Microfibers can act as sponges for harmful chemical pollutants, including carcinogenic dyes, can attach to. Once ingested, these chemicals cause gut blockage, injury, and changes to oxygen levels” 

- “new filtering technology is not widely deployed. Older / smaller treatment plants are less efficient in removing microfibers. This is true for Europe and North America and is an even greater challenge in developing countries where over 95 percent of the wastewater gets dumped without any treatment.” 

- “The city of Iquique is home to one of the most important trading ports in South America where importers and buyers converge daily in the tax-free commercial zone known as Zofri. Chile is the No. 1 importer of second-hand clothing in South America.” 

- “importers have no real gain from selling most of the product they bring in. Instead, importers rely on locals to dump it somewhere the government will not find it.” 

- “QUOTE: the cheapest option for them to get rid of the waste is to practically gift it to low-income people so they solve the problem for them. “ 

These synthetic fibres are mostly made of polyester, which is a plastic and is a by-product of petroleum. Polyester is strongly linked to hormonal disruption and even the formation of breast cancer cells. 

This health risk is not only suffered by the consumers, but factory workers also face this health hazards. The process of changing petroleum into polyester is a long, toxic, and nasty process and these workers, some of them children. They mostly work in terrible conditions, and they face this debilitating health issues. 

Animals have been used for their skin and fur to produce clothing garments for thousands of years dating back to when fur was necessary to survive against environmental factors such as cold nights. 

Mankind used animal fur as a survival technique, to protect from the cold weather conditions and potential harm. Warmth and durability using those fabrics could not be substituted at the time, but these garments were considered sacred so in many cases the garments were passed down from generation to generation. 

Sourcing animal fur and leather was difficult as it required hunting techniques and the correct knowledge of how to use the skin to produce garments which soon turned into a sign of wealth 

Germans were the first to gain control of the fur market as they had access to the finest Russian fur market, particularly ermine which was the most extravagant symbol for royalty and nobility. 

Between the 17th and 18th centuries, Western European manufacturers of fur became incredibly rich 

Until the 19th century, fashion designers were hardly seen as celebrities. However, in the late 1800s, French designers Paul Poiret and Jeanne Paquin used fur with regularity and their status boost from the use of fur meant the fur market increased when it was just starting to slow down. 

What is COROZO?

Corozo is a 100% natural product similar in look and consistency to elephant ivory. Also known as tagua, corozo comes from the seed of a palm tree that grows predominantly in South America. It provides excellent durability and scratch resistance while its porous nature makes it an excellent material for dyeing.

Due to technological advancements, clothing and accessories were able to be mass-produced.

The ethics behind animal use for clothing garments continues to be questioned and fur remains to represent a status symbol that indicates wealth. Companies are still advocating against it, introducing sustainable garments which win consumer votes as it practices ethical codes, which relieve consumers of guilt when purchasing items.

However, some critiques ask; is it is more sustainable? It can be argued with the chemicals used to replicate the texture and look of the faux leather, may cause more harmful emissions to the environment when produced in factory settings. There are arguments for both sides, but both draw to a similar conclusion which is the use of animal skin or the production of replicas is damaging the environment

Gelatin is not vegan. However, there is a product called “agar agar” that is sometimes marketed as “gelatin,” but it is vegan. It is derived from a type of seaweed. 

Use the leftover pieces from laser cutting lab as Embroidery beads.

We collected many small scraps. These scraps usually come from vector cuts. Many of these scraps are left under the machine bed of the laser cutter.

We think these scraps can be assembled into very high-tech clothing accessories. After some processing (such as drilling and polishing), they can be used for embroidery like beads. They can also be used as accessories like zippers.

 Petroleum-based fabrics create demand for environmentally harmful fossil fuels, these fabrics make up 60% of what we wear so a shift towards a means of production which requires less waste could dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of the fashion industry. It is for this reason that we believe gelatine to be a more ethical resource than petroleum. However, agar-agar comes from the meat industry meaning it is not necessarily an ethical product, furthermore, this means it is not suitable for vegetarians, vegans or certain religious groups. 

Leather Offcuts

Jorge Penades

-       Jorge Penades, tries to combat the wasteful leather industry.

• According to the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, 35-40% of leather is discarded during manufacture due to naturally occurring imperfections.

-       So large quantities of offcuts available

-       There’s a lack of recycling methods for leather offcuts.

-       Structural skin- combines leather offcuts with glue.

-       Leather goes through industrial shredder, cut into strips, transferred into iron moulds, compressed and left to set.

-       Once solid, top layer shaved off, reveals marble surface.

-       Shellac applied to give it a finish.

-       Waste product of the fish industry

-       According to seafood processing by-products: trends and applications, 1/3 of all harvested fish are discarded and many parts of the fish are underutilised/  thrown away

-       Thinner than cowhide but just as durable

-       Lees van de ven identified opportunity in fish skin, wanted to create a more circular economy that takes into consideration full life cycle of the product

-       Skins churned and soaked, removes scales and separates the natural oils (kept for fish supplements etc), tanning process and dried.

-       Company currently developing natural tanning and colouring process

-       Salmon leather up to 9 times stronger than cow leather

-       The skin interlocks as a Criss cross structure

-       Producing 1kg of beef= 2661kg CO2 emissions

-       1kg of fish (all species) = 349kg CO2 emissions

-       fish leather doesn’t use the resources or leave the carbon footprint associated with raising cattle & doesn’t use endangered species that could threaten biodiversity

-       beef cattle raised for 18 months before slaughter, requires 47,589 litres of water over its life

-       many people argue leather just a by product of meat industry but cow hide makes up to 10% of a cows value, so supplements the overall profit of the cow

-       a lot of leather comes from animals killed primarily for their skin

-       most comes from developing countries where there are little to no animal welfare laws

-       cows transported long distances, where may die from malnutrition/ disease/ exhaustion, and killed Infront of each other

-       toxic combination of chromium salts and tanning liquor thrown out into water supplies, poisons water

-       tanning process hazardous to workers

-       chromium is a toxic metal, can cause cancer and other respiratory problem.

-       formaldehyde (used to preserve leather) Is a known carcinogen.

-       particulate matter emissions can easily enter lungs and cause respiratory problems.

-       synthetic materials used in place of leather; reduced amount of chemicals used in process.

-       need to create closed loop supply chains, companies ensure materials are recycled and reused as much as possible, using leather scraps.

-       “the only skin you’ll find me in is my own”

PETA

-       Gruesome methods of skinning exotic species ‘slitting snakes open with razor blades’

-       Vegan activists may state that animal leather is a complete no-go

-       But a lot of vegan alternatives use material such as PU or PVC which are poor quality and not very sustainable

-       Waste derived leathers prove to a clear winner over leathers

-       Fish skin from salmon is a true waste product

-       Dogs bludgeoned and killed so their skin can be turned into leather accessories

-       most of the world’s leather comes from China

-       no penalties for abusing animals for their skin

-       PETA went undercover into an Asian facility that killed 100-200 dogs a day

-       The owner told the investigator that at that time, they had 30,000 pieces of semi processed dog leather in stock.

-       Products made from dog leather are exported all around the world to unsuspecting customers, there’s no easy way to tell where the leather you’re wearing is really from

Leather alternatives

-       Pinatex, pineapple leaf fibres, previously discarded as waste, funky fruit leather.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=279845379319838  making yarn from pineapple fibres

-       Mylo, mushroom leather, made from mycelium (the root structure of mushrooms)

-       Cactus leather, made from prickly pear leather.

-       Waxed canvas/ cotton,

-       Cork

-       Recycled rubber, old tyres, fire hoses

-       Apple, discarded apple skin and cores, paper like feel, bonus texture

In short, there are four types of natural silk produced around the world: Mulberry silk, Eri silk, Tasar silk and Muga silk. Mulberry silk contributes around as much as 90% of silk production, with the mulberry silkworm generally being regarded as the most important.

Cons

• Durability. While a strong material, Silk is likely to show the effects of regular wear and tear much more readily than other fabrics. ...

• Affordability. As we mentioned above, silk is an incredibly luxurious fabric – and it comes with a price tag to match. ...

• Sun and Water Damage

Natural silk burns with a flame and gives off an odour similar to burning hair when exposed to fire. Artificial silk melts and shrinks, giving off a pungent odour when burnt.

Raw silk fabric is also known as “Sericin”. It is a smooth and delicate form of fabric that can easily be woven into different types of fabric. It is a type of silk fabric only with a nubby texture. This is due to the uneven yarns which are a part of its weaving process

Mulberry silk is the most luxurious natural silk available on the global textile market and it is also the most expensive type of silk to buy. Products made from 100% Mulberry silk are among the most luxurious silk goods available.

Silk is made from harvested cocoons of silkworms. For each single silk shirt, 1,000 silkworms are boiled, steamed or baked alive. The process of making silk is wildly unsustainable. In fact, it is the single most environmentally unfriendly textile out there.

Cost:

On top of being one of the costlier fabrics, silk fabric is also costly to maintain. Dry cleaning services are not very easy on the pocket and this fabric requires special attention and care. Sun Damage: Although silk fabric is pretty strong and durable, long exposure to sun rays can cause the fibre to weaken.

However, conventional silk is not made ethically as it requires boiling live silkworms while still in their cocoons, and child labor is not uncommon in this industry. It's also not sustainable because sericulture is very energy and water-intensive, and a lot of chemicals are added to the fabric.

Can silk be made without killing silkworms?

Ahimsa Silk, also known as peace silk, cruelty-free silk and non-violent silk, refers to any type of silk that is produced without harming or killing the silk worms. (It is also, erroneously, called vegan silk. As an animal product, however, it is not vegan.)

synthetic silks:

Natural silk is more expensive than artificial silk because it's harder to produce. In fact, faux silk fabric costs around ten times less than natural silk.

The correct option is A Rayon. Rayon is a synthetic fibre manufactured from the cellulose of wood pulp or cotton. They possess the feel and texture as of natural silk. Hence, rayon is also known as artificial silk.

Silk is made from harvested cocoons of silkworms. For each single silk shirt, 1,000 silkworms are boiled, steamed or baked alive. The process of making silk is wildly unsustainable. In fact, it is the single most environmentally unfriendly textile out there.

Banana silk is a textile with a natural shine made from the stems or stalks of banana plants. The specific species of banana is called Abaca and named “Musa Textilis,” which bears inedible fruit. Not only does it have a lustrous shine, but it is also a durable textile, making it very

animal fur:

Common furbearers used include fox, rabbit, mink, leopard, beaver, ermine, otter, sable, jaguar, seal, coyote, chinchilla, raccoon, lemur, and possum.

Top-quality mink, sable, marten (Canadian sable), fisher, bobcat, lynx, and chinchilla are some higher-priced furs. Popular furs in the middle price range (say, $5,000 to $10,000 for a full-length coat) include good-quality mink, fox and beaver. Muskrat, possum, raccoon, and good-quality shearling may cost half that.

Mink is one of the world's most popular fur choices with good reason. It's soft, plush, lightweight and durable, and comes in more natural colors than any other fur. These colors include pearls, blues, lavenders and browns, and the fur is short but very thick and strong

Fur farming has been banned since 2000 in England and Wales. The import of any new fur is also banned. The reason for this was largely to protect the welfare of the animals who were being farmed for their skins and coats. Often the conditions were terrible, with animals mistreated and suffering.

Full-grain leather

Full-grain leather is the most durable and long-lasting type of leather. It is made from the top layer of animal hide, which is the strongest and most durable part of the leather. Full-grain leather is resistant to moisture, wear, and tear, and can withstand the test of time.

When properly cared for, genuine leather can last for years. Many premium leather crafters even guarantee their work to last for decades, even up to 100 years. This is because genuine leather is simply built to last thanks to natural durability.

Cowhide leather is noted for its strength and durability due to its strong fibers and natural oils. It is resistant to wear and tear, making it excellent for goods that require durabilities, such as furniture and vehicle upholstery.

Most leather produced and sold in the U.S. is made from the skins of cattle and calves, but leather is also made from sheep, lambs, goats, and pigs. Other species are hunted and killed specifically for their skins, including zebras, bison, kangaroos, elephants, crocodiles, alligators, ostriches, lizards, and snakes.

For example, in the case of cow leather, the animals have to mature for at least one year. During this year (or more), the cow will also require food, which also costs money. The process of making leather is also quite complex

This is okay if it comes into contact with small amounts of water (such as light rain), but as natural animal leather is a porous material, it will never be 100% waterproof. Too much water exposure will leave the material wet due to leather's permeable properties.

Leather in itself will can last for 100 years before it begins to disintegrate, and most people won't be keeping their bag for that long. However you can expect a good quality bag, made from full grain leather, that is oiled regularly and stored carefully to last upwards of 30 years.

Generally speaking, cow leather is the most durable option. It is thick and hard wearing which is why it is used for items that encounter regular use such as sofas and jackets. A 5,500-year-old cowhide shoe was even unearthed in a cave in Armenia.

Crocodile leather is the most expensive in the world. It's the most sought-after luxury leather used by Italian tailors. Other expensive leathers often used by these same tailors

The crocodile skin trade is legally complicated because it is important that the leather is sourced reliably from farms where crocodiles are treated in humane conditions. Unregulated commercial hunting has resulted in a decline of many crocodile populations so governments have put protection over many reptiles.

Alligators and crocodiles are considered classic leathers and are high quality and high price. Caiman is an inferior product, is much cheaper on a wholesale level, and is more abundant in the market. Although caiman has its place in the market, mislabeling has become such a problem that the buyer need beware

Excessive water can cause your crocodile leather to develop spots and since it dries out pretty quickly can potentially cause cracks

These skins also have an additional bony layer. While this adds to their durability, it prevents the leather from stretching significantly, making it harder to work with. Despite the high costs, owners of crocodile leather wallets and belts claim that these items can last up to forty years.

$336.96 $336.96 (tax incl.) The price refer to one single skin and is calculated measuring the width, which determines the size and the value of the skin. Width is measured in the widest point across the body

Pineapple leather, also known as pinatex , developed by Ananas Anam, is a vegan leather made from the waste fibers of pineapple leaves. The pineapple leaves are sustainably harvested in the Philippines and then processed to extract the long, strong fibers used to create a textile that resembles leather. The leftover fibers from this process are then used as natural fertilizer or bio-fuel, making pineapple leather a truly zero-waste product.

Pineapple leather is a strong, breathable, and flexible vegan material, making it suitable for a wide range of products. It is also eco-friendly, requiring very little water or energy to produce. And, because it is made from a waste product, pineapple leather has a low carbon footprint. However, pineapple leather is not as durable as some other vegan leathers, so it may not be suitable for products that see a lot of wear and tear. Piñatex finished products also contain polyurethane, which means they are also not fully biodegradable, although the non-woven mesh is biodegradable.

mycelium leather:

Mushroom leather is an imitation leather manufactured from mycelium, which is the vegetative section of a fungus. A fungus is part of the group of eukaryotic organisms. It's a vegan-friendly alternative to cowhide leather.

cost of material:

Prices vary for different kinds of leather – whether plant-based, synthetic, or genuine – so consider all of your options, especially if you have a restrictive budget. The current estimated price of mushroom leather lands at about $50 per square foot

properties:

Its dormant spores can regrow — and repair — damaged areas. A new type of self-healing leather has been made by processing the rootlike mycelium of this fungal species, native to Asia. In the wild, it can be found growing on wood stumps and fallen trees

durability:

Our mycelium-based leather has survived over 100,000 Bally Flex cycles – average cowhide leather typically lasts around 10,000 cycles.

disadvantages:

Depending on how the mushroom leather is treated, it does have the ability to be biodegradable. In terms of durability, however, mushroom leather is not as strong as some of the other vegan leathers, so it may not be suitable for products that will see a lot of wear and tear

https://www.voguebusiness.com/sustainability/plant-based-nylon-now-its-fact-not-fantasy

https://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-companies-can-source-nylon-more-sustainably

https://www.aquafil.com/products/textile-yarn/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/nov/28/stella-mccartney-calls-for-overhaul-of-incredibly-wasteful-fashion-industry

https://www.sustainablejungle.com/sustainable-fashion/what-is-rayon-fabric/

https://www.panaprium.com/blogs/i/rayon-fabric

https://ecocult.com/greenwashing-alert-that-natural-fabric-made-from-plants-might-be-toxic/

https://www.houseofu.com/en/blog/what-is-rayon-characteristics-of-rayon-fabric/

https://sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/nylon-a-revolution-in-textiles/

https://www.superiorthreads.com/education/fiber-shape-and-sheen

https://khkgears.net/new/plastic_gears.html

https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/nylon-the-creation-of-a-revolutionary-fabric/#:~:text=After%20several%20years%20of%20experimental,first%20wholly%20synthetic%20fabric%2C%20nylon.&text=Nylon%20formed%20by%20combining%20two,and%20made%20into%20a%20thread

https://www.polymershapes.com/nylon-products/#:~:text=For%20instance%2C%20products%20such%20as,versatile%20material%20available%20for%20applications

https://www.britishpathe.com/asset/83964/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/meet-daredevil-parachutist-who-tested-duponts-first-nylon-parachute-180963527/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/plastic-pollution 

https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2023/11/durable-plastic-pollution-easily-cleanly-degrades-with-new-catalyst/ 

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/microplastics-impact-on-fish-shown-in-pictures 

https://www.worldwildlife.org/initiatives/plastics 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-16/almost-1500-tonnes-of-netting-waste-creates-recycling-headache/11497150 

https://www.sustainyourstyle.org/en/working-conditions#:~:text=Health%20and%20safety%20conditions&text=Employees%20usually%20work%20with%20no,blasted%20sand%20in%20unsafe%20buildings 

https://www.hrw.org/topic/economic-justice-and-rights/oil-mining-and-natural-resources 

https://sewport.com/fabrics-directory/nylon-fabric 

https://www.pinterest.se/pin/180707003789039328/ 

https://www.pinterest.se/pin/387591111697453630/ 

https://www.pinterest.se/pin/387591111697453611/ 

https://www.pinterest.se/pin/387591111697443569/ 

https://www.pinterest.se/pin/387591111697443549

www.sustainyourstyle.org

www.britannica.com

www.whowhatwear.co.uk

www.onlinetextileacademy.com

www.textilesphere.com

www.sciencedirect.com

‘Rayon and it’s impact on the fashion industry at its introduction, 1910-1924’ (Keist, Carmen, 2009)

www.sustainablejungle.com

Breaking down EU policy developments for fashion industry :

• aim to shift EU to carbon neutral where textiles are designed to be durable, reusable, repairable, recyclable and energy efficient

• Proposed regulation for eco design requirements (ESPR) for sustainable products

• including digital product passport & taking action to empower consumers for the green transition

• Overarching goal is textile production to last longer and be more recyclable, free of hazardous substances

• Being part of global supply chains, it forces whole industries to change their operations (e.g. cotton industry)

Proposals planned (short term):

• expected in Q1/2 of 2023: regulation on chemicals used, through regulating “REACH” (restriction evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals)

Will address the presence of hazardous substances.

• revision of waste shipment regulation - will reduce problematic waste shipments out of the uk.

Developing criteria flor distinguishing different typed of waste & how best to discard it.

• Revisions of eco label criteria for textiles, to support consumers choose eco friendly clothing and reduce green washing

• Revision of waste framework directive extended producer responsibility (EPR) to provide incentives for producers to ensure products align with circularity principles

• Revision of textile labelling regulation introducing mandatory disclosure of sustainability and circularity parameters on textiles labels

Digital product passport and labelling rules:

• Digital production passports (DPPs), to electronically register, processes, stores and shares information

• Links whole supply chain, from fabrics, mills, manufacturers to consumer

• Adds to a transparent system

• industrial hemp, which was recently approved for growth in the United States through the 2018 Farm Bill legislation

• With both fibers being comparable in performance, the production process of both textiles is juxtaposed, to account for interdependencies among stages with key economic and environmental considerations.

• methodology considers four main data inputs to capture the agricultural activities: fertiliser costs, seed cost, costs combined with fibre yield & pest control cost.

• Industrial hemp is a high yield crop with (on average) 3 times more metric tons of fiber produced per hectare cultivated.

• Less water usage relative to yield

• Therefore, the adoption of hemp enables a reduction in cost associated with agricultural activities of 77.63%, when compared to cotton for medium total agricultural activity cost and medium yield estimates.

• industrial hemp fiber is economically viable and has the potential to be a more environmentally friendly alternative material than cotton within the textile industry.

In reference to ‘Why animal suffering matters’ by Andrew Linzey, we live through institutions and are gauged by them within our own identities. From birth, corporations define elements of our lives in some form or another, influencing our morals via socialisation and isolation tactics. Regarding animals, we all have unique perspectives on their suffering and the role of animals in our society. The fact that this topic is a debate is evidence that we do not truly understand the causality of animal products, as more and more people educate themselves on the cost of their choices.

The treatment and abuse of animals in consumerist society is based upon a bedrock of profit and institutionalisation, as previously stated, corporations understand very well that they require control of the consumers morals in one way or another. The only solution is to raise awareness of the true nature of animal products within fur farms, provoking thought and reconsideration of more sustainable solutions despite how integrated the usage of these products is in society.

As a species we are aware of the nature of animal sentience. The conditions within factory farms are cruel and an expression of mankind’s hubris. The sick irony that we criticise and debate the ethics of god or a deity and then proceed to sentence other beings to short confined spaces before killing them for the sake of pleasure when we look in the mirror.

Sustainability is a noteworthy feature of communal and nature centric ways of life. An example of this can be found in Native American culture, where an animal life taken was something that provided shelter, food, clothing, religious importance and medicine to the people. The basic principle of avoiding any waste and showing respect on a spiritual level is in stark contrast to those who would oppose them during the colonisation of North America. The colonisers understood that by treating the sacred buffalo as a trophy, selling its fur, shooting them for sport or to intimidate and harm emotionally, that they would hurt the people who held the buffalo dear - hurting them physically and emotionally. And this illustrates to us just how choices and morals can impact the lives of millions today, as well as foreshadowing what we do on a daily basis, choosing desire and meaningless vanity over purpose and utility like smaller spiritual communities do. Another example of colonial animal slaughter is the near extinction of tigers in India perpetrated by the British Raj. Tigers were trophy hunted and even had head value. This was not only done for the entertainment of colonists, but also to spite the Indian people who have a holy connection with tigers of which’s population is still trying to struggle today many years later. The idea of animals having value is oddly subjective, but loss of life is both environmentally and culturally condemned all over the world.

57 million mink and fox lives are taken to meet the demand for their skin and fur. Their lives are wasted and ended abruptly, and for meaningless wasteful byproducts that only serve us in cosmetic ways. Universally, animals live in squalor and face methods of execution including electrocution, cervical dislocation, poisoning and being gassed. The most appalling element of these methods is that they are accepted methods in the various industries that profit off of animal suffering. Specialists in the field of animal warfare have long since advised and pushed for a universal standard of care and quality of life for animals to be adopted and legally enforced, basic needs like space and interaction with their own kind. But unfortunately more often than not these standards cannot be met due to a lack of concern or knowledge from those who consume the byproduct of this abomination.

As we progress, it is a responsibility for any individual to know the supplier and source of these products, and to look into smaller businesses that source second hand fur. Plastic faux fur is not a preferred solution as it is unsustainable due to the use of materials that feed landfill. And more often than not, slave labour is used to make it in toxic chemical conditions leading to long term health issues for these workers. Even within natural fur production, fur is usually treated with something leading it to be non biodegradable.  With renewed technologies, the biomaterial industry is steadily gaining interest from consumers. For example, Gacha fur who use recycled plastic from oceans, who also work on vegetable derived furs, are guilty free to support and fund as they develop their furs until they are completely sustainable. It is also good to source from small businesses and communities who are ethical in practice and upcycle.

Most Sustainable Woods (And Which Types Of Wood To AVOID) (woodworkingtrade.com)

To produce large quantities of a metal like iron, aluminium, or copper, two distinct operations are required:

·         Extracting an ore (a deposit consisting usually of a huge amount of useless rock and smaller amounts of useful metals) from a mine or quarry.

·         Refining the ore to get the metals away from their oxides (or other compounds) into the pure form that we need.

How Is Metal Made? (austgen.com.au)

Environmental Protection

When the fashion industry uses plastic for concepts and hardware, the waste generated can harm the environment. This concern is an important aspect of social justice and can undermine the right of all members of society to enjoy a healthy environment.

Economic Fairness

The use of plastic in the fashion industry can enable the production of cheaper products, providing economic benefits to consumers. However, this often takes the form of exploiting workers in low-wage countries, which can infringe upon the fair treatment and rights of workers. Furthermore, during these processes, workers may be exposed to harmful chemicals without proper protective equipment. This poses a threat to the health and safety of the workers and can be seen as a violation of their human rights.

Sustainable Consumption

The fashion industry is being encouraged to use sustainable materials to replace plastic. This is based on the principle of social justice that it is important to protect the rights of future generations and to ensure that current consumption behaviors do not threaten future resources.

Digital fashion opens opportunities for increased inclusivity within the fashion industry and consumers.

A diverse range of creators can showcase their work without barriers of race, age and gender.

Possibilities of materials, silhouettes and sizes are endless, as opposed to certain limitations with “real” garments.

This also facilitates individuals to express their identity through virtual fashion and spaces

without physical limitations.

Challenge:

everyone can not access high-quality technology. It can also be complicated to

navigate and expensive therefore for designers who have limited access to technology

or are not as tech-savvy could be excluded from evolving fashion.

(sunita)

Digital fashion can help impact environmental concerns associated with traditional

garment making in the current rapid production, consumption and disposal of clothing

that end up in landfills in the global south whose homes and environments have been

affected by huge landfills. Digital fashion may help increase conscious consumption.

It minimises the need for physical manufacturing/labour, reduces waste and consumption of

resources and moves towards eco-friendly practices.

Challenge:

Digital fashion doesn’t eliminate environmental impact of sustainable

garment production, 3d software and platforms used for consumers to view,

use and buy these intangible garments still require energy and resources.

(sunita)

Challenge:

Not everyone has access to technology, which Secludes people from lower-income countries and backgrounds from getting involved in digital fashion and play.

(sunita)