Fashion Factories Undercover (Documentary) - Real Stories

Turning The Art World Inside Out (HD, with subs)

This is one of the most inspiring and motivating films that I have seen in a very long time. The struggle between creativity and mental illness is very real for so many people.

From Sex Worker to Seamstress: The High Cost of Cheap Clothes

How Second Hand Clothing Is Killing Senegal's Textile Industry

The Genius of Design 5 - Objects of Desire (2009)

DESIGN TALKS (Japan) Happiness

FASHION & SUSTAINABILITY, Sass Brown

BBC Three - Secrets of the Superbrands (Fashion)

Triangle Returns

Would You Still Buy That Dress After Watching This?

It's been a year. What progress have we made?
It is impossible to gain a clear perspective, but overall it seems progress is slow and laden with obstacles.
Question is, will we forget about this in time to come? I hope not.
Read about it, think about it:
http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/activities/all/WCMS_218693/lang--en/index.htm
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2013/may/30/rana-plaza-bangladesh-forced-labour-supply-chains
http://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2014/04/24/zakia-uddin/after-rana-plaza/
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-south-asia-27141385
http://www.fidh.org/en/globalisation-human-rights/15179-one-year-after-the-rana-plaza-catastrophe-slow-progress-and-insufficient
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/rana-plaza/

A Whole New Cloth: Politics and the Fashion System

In fashion, despite more than 400 eco labels, an incremental ‘do less harm’ approach has addressed the symptoms, but not the principal cause, of our difficulties: an economy based on perpetual growth in a finite world. 

Read on...

Spend, Don’t Mend.

Advertising and consumerism dull our capacity for empathy.

By George Monbiot, published in the Guardian 26th November 2013.

Guilt is good. It’s the feature that distinguishes the rest of the population from psychopaths. It’s the sensation you are able to feel when you possess a capacity for empathy.

But guilt inhibits consumption. So a global industry has developed to smother it with a 13-tog duvet of celebrities and cartoon characters and elevator music. It seeks to persuade us not to see and not to feel. It seems to work.

Incidental Reading: George Monbiot's Anti-consumption

Not quite sure what to make of this, but Monbiot sure makes a dicey issue even more complex...and criticizes the UN, no less...

Population is just a sidekick to the real big baddie – consumption 

Beyond the headlines from the UN population report lies a clear message: consumption is still a far bigger threat to the planet

Choice Quotes:
"It seems to be a reliable rule of environmental politics that the richer you are, the more likely you are to place population growth close to the top of the list of crimes against the planet."

"What this means is that even if all the measures I've mentioned here – education, contraception, rights, redistribution – were widely deployed today, there will still be a population bulge, as a result of the momentum generated 60 years ago. So what do they propose? Compulsory sterilisation? Mass killing? If not, they had better explain their programme."

Read more here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2011/oct/27/population-consumption-threat-to-planet

Let's stop hiding behind recycling and be honest about consumption

We have offshored the problem of escalating consumption, and our perceptions of it, by considering only territorial emissions

"At a reception in London recently I met an extremely rich woman, who lives, as most people with similar levels of wealth do, in an almost comically unsustainable fashion: jetting between various homes and resorts in one long turbo-charged holiday. When I told her what I did, she responded: "Oh I agree, the environment is so important. I'm crazy about recycling." But the real problem, she explained, was "people breeding too much".

I agreed that population is an element of the problem, but argued that consumption is rising much faster and – unlike the growth in the number of people – is showing no signs of levelling off. She found this notion deeply offensive: I mean the notion that human population growth is slowing. When I told her that birth rates are dropping almost everywhere, and that the world is undergoing a slow demographic transition, she disagreed violently: she has seen, on her endless travels, how many children "all those people have".

As so many in her position do, she was using population as a means of disavowing her own impacts. The issue allowed her to transfer responsibility to others: people at the opposite end of the economic spectrum. It allowed her to pretend that her shopping and flying and endless refurbishments of multiple homes are not a problem. Recycling and population: these are the amulets people clasp in order not to see the clash between protecting the environment and rising consumption.

In a similar way, we have managed, with the help of a misleading global accounting system, to overlook one of the gravest impacts of our consumption. This too has allowed us to blame foreigners – particularly poorer foreigners – for the problem."

How I wish he had written about how that conversation with the rich lady ended!

Another choice quote: 

"Unsurprisingly, hardly anyone wants to talk about this, as the only meaningful response is a reduction in the volume of stuff we consume. And this is where even the most progressive governments' climate policies collide with everything else they represent. As Mustapha Mond points out in Brave New World, "industrial civilisation is only possible when there's no self-denial. Self-indulgence up to the very limits imposed by hygiene and economics. Otherwise the wheels stop turning".

The wheels of the current economic system – which depends on perpetual growth for its survival – certainly. The impossibility of sustaining this system of endless, pointless consumption without the continued erosion of the living planet and the future prospects of humankind, is the conversation we will not have."
Read more here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/georgemonbiot/2013/apr/12/escalating-consumption

Interview with Nin Castle of Goodone

Nin Castle Interview for Urban Times from Ion Products on Vimeo.
http://urbantimes.co/2012/07/nin-castle-making-a-sustainable-statement/

TEDGlobal2012: Leslie T. Chang: The voices of China's workers

from: http://www.ted.com/talks/leslie_t_chang_the_voices_of_china_s_workers.html

http://blog.ted.com/2012/09/12/meet-two-chinese-factory-workers-lu-qingmin-and-wu-chunming/

The New Luxury

Clothing of the Future: Predictions from the Past and Present

Gotta love Ecouterre articles that spur a research trip into Youtube. To think that 80 years ago, fashion experts' predictions were to be so spot-on!

Innovation is predictable, perhaps? We now think of technology as a daily essential and it seems perfectly alright to merge technology with next-to-body items we use and carry every day. It is also intriguing to think about the potential of wearable technology to enable user-experience to reach higher levels.

 

It's interesting to think about all these advancements in the context of 'costume' and not so much in terms of practical everyday applications, though perhaps a breakthrough is soon to come. And it always helps to have a sense of humour when wearable technology crosses the ludicrous line.

Now to incorporate sustainability and eco-design into the futuristic mix...

Greed is Not a Virtue by David Korten | Common Dreams

"We humans are living out an epic morality play. For millennia humanity’s most celebrated spiritual teachers have taught that society works best and we all enjoy our greatest joy and fulfillment when we share, cooperate, and are honest in our dealings with one another.

But for the past few decades, this truth has been aggressively challenged by a faith called market fundamentalism - an immoral and counter-factual economic ideology that has assumed the status of a modern state religion. Its believers worship the God of money. Stock exchanges and global banks are their temples. They proclaim that everyone does best when we each seek to maximize our individual financial gain without regard to the consequences for others.

In the eyes of a market fundamentalist, to sacrifice profit for some presumed social or environmental good is immoral. The result is a public culture that proclaims greed is a virtue and sharing is a sin..."

Continue reading...http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/04/06-0

Making and Re-making: a somewhat Photo-fanatical post

Pin-cushion with built-in pockets for bobbins, bobbin-cases, and feet, made from a shrunken beanie

Yes. Lots and lots of pictures. And an embarrassing confession: I keep my trusty little Panasonic camera on hand at all times, but am probably not as trigger-happy as an "aspiring blogger" should be.

And processing/editing/uploading/actual blogging takes a while too (held up by procrastination, of course).

Anyway, a little history of what went down not too long ago...

We did attempt to hold crafting/making sessions at the Richmond Library meeting/function room several times in February 2011, but sadly, the turn-out was rather low. Let's imagine a little tear rolling slowly down my cheek...was it bad timing, short notice, or Facebook being not quite the best way to organise events?

Ms. Bell the beading maestro in action

Even so, many thanks to Allison and Jackie (and Charani, for those few short moments) for coming by to keep me company while some of these projects were underway...perhaps one day Restructors will be able to hold crafting/upcycling/making jam sessions in real style...we can only hope!!!

Complete: little girl's multi-functional reversible pinafore/skirt with strap/sash options, made from remnents & scraps

Incomplete: reversible and dual-direction convertible hooded shrug-jacket with adjustable cuffs, turns into a scarf, also made from remnents and scraps

On a side note, documentation can be such a tiring process, isn't it? The creative working process needs to be evidenced in order to be exhibited, and the creation of evidence is another layer of labour unto itself. Thank goodness for this tree-saving online channel which renders the need for hard-copy printing unnecessary.

What is crucial about this documentation of processes is being able to show in a tangible form all the labour, diligence and thought that contribute to end-product creation.

Second-hand bright purple polyester tank top, approx. size 16, before destruction

Especially in the case of upcycling old/second-hand/discarded garments, where personally I feel a strong need to justify the act of destruction (cutting it up) and reconstruction, through the evidence. And this evidence must not only show experimentation and exploration, but also project a thoughtful and considered process which effectively involves eco-design and sustainability concerns.

Reconstruction stage: ombre-dyed second-hand Thai Silk scarf attached to tank, followed by attachment of finger-knitted acrylic yarn cording as trim, sewn on by hand...

I have to stress that by no means is this a perfect or flawless process, and honestly there is a huge amount of stress to produce an end-result with certain levels of wearability and aesthetic quality. Already, considering cradle-to-cradle fabrication standards, attaching silk to polyester/acrylic could be a big mistake. However, the deterioration of the silk fabric with wear and tear, contrasting in texture and sheen against the polyester over time, would be an intriguing process in itself...

Jackie models the reconstructed but incomplete tunic

The result is an asymmetrical garment that appears to have a different weight on the left and right side, resulting in one sleeve seeming longer than the other. Not having a discernible front or back (which was the intention) could make for an interesting, albeit disorienting, experience for the wearer...and the drape effect was a pleasant surprise.

Does it work? Is it too bulky? Is it ugly? Should more be done?

Another question: was this truly zero-waste? Not exactly. More like "minimal waste"; as in the process of unpicking the side seams and sewing on the silk scarf, some bits had to get trimmed off.

The doubts (one of many) lingering with this garment at present is when to stop; whether or not to insert drawstrings into both the sleeves so as to be able to adjust their length and the overall proportions of the garment itself.

What do you think?

Another line of exploration I have been trying out is arguably a process of "re-fabrication", which is essentially geometrically organised collaging of cut-up fabric scraps from sample books and remnents to form a whole new piece of material to work from, largely inspired by quilting, which was one of my late paternal grandmother's greatest skills.

Good collage or bad collage?

The issues here, outside of colour coordination headaches: combining synthetics with naturals (potential care/maintenance problems galore), construction (lots of bulky seams), and TIME. This process is experimental, excruciatingly slow/tedious and gets increasingly difficult as the size of the composite expands.

I am not even sure this is the best possible configuration of shapes, and probably never will be. The possibilities at this stage are already endless. And then, after these 2D shapes are sewn together, what 3D garment can be sculpted from this quilted piece? More possibilities...

Excellent Excerpts from Cradle to Cradle; Part 1

Yes, I have finally finished the book! Check out these selected brain-pinching bits particularly relevant to fashion people. The key lies in your inclination for change, methinks, and whether or not you believe this kind of deep-seated foundational change is worth the preliminary sacrifices of time, effort, and resources.

Also, as a designer, what sort of world do you want to leave to your children and other descendants of the human race (and other living things), and do you really care enough to commit to and undertake this depth of seriousness and responsibility in your fashion design and business practice?

Food for thought indeed.

From Chapter 4: "Waste Equals Food", pg 105 - 108

In the early 1990s the two of us were asked by DesignTex, a division of Steelcase, to conceive and create a compostable upholstery fabric, working with the Swiss textile mill Rohner. We were asked to focus on creating an aesthetically unique fabric that was also environmentally intelligent. DesignTex first proposed that we consider cotton combined with PET (polyethylene terephthalate) fibers from recycled soda bottles. What could be better for the environment, they thought, than a product that combined a "natural" material with a "recycled" one? Such hybrid material had the additional apparent advantages of being readily available, market-tested, durable, and cheap.

But when we looked carefully at the potential long-term design legacy, we discovered some disturbing facts. First, as we have mentioned, upholstery abrades during normal use, and so our design had to allow for the possibility that particles might be inhaled or swallowed. PET is covered with synthetic dyes and chemicals and contains other questionable substances - not exactly what you would breathe or eat. Furthermore, the fabric would not be able to continue after its useful life as either a technical or biological nutrient. The PET would not go back into the soil safely, and the cotton could not be circulated in industrial cycles. The combination would be yet another monstrous hybrid, adding junk to a landfill, and it might also be dangerous. This was not a product worth making.

...The team decided to design a fabric that would be safe enough to eat: it would not harm people who breathed it in, and it would not harm natural systems after its disposal...it would nourish nature.

The textile mill that was chosen to produce the fabric was quite clean by accepted environmental standards, one of the best in Europe, yet it had an interesting dilemma. Although the mill's director, Albin Kaelin, had been diligent about reducing levels of dangerous emissions, government regulators had recently defined the mill's fabric trimmings as hazardous waste. The director had been told that he could no longer bury or burn these trimmings in hazardous waste incinerators in Switzerland but had to export them to Spain for disposal. (Note the paradoxes here: the trimmings of a fabric are not to be buried or disposed of without expensive precaution, or must be exported "safely" to another location, but the material itself can still be sold as safe for installation in an office or home.) We hoped for a different fate for our trimmings: to provide mulch for the local garden club, with the help of sun, water, and hungry microorganisms.

The mill interviewed people living in wheelchairs and discovered that their most important needs in seating fabric were that it be strong and that it "breathe". The team decided on a mixture of safe, pesticide-free plant and animal fibers for the fabric: wool, which provides insulation in winter and summer, and ramie, which wicks moisture away. Together these fibers would make for a strong and comfortable fabric. Then we began working on the most difficult aspect of the design: the finishes, dyes, and other process chemicals. Instead of filtering out mutagens, carcinogens, endocrine disrupters, persistent toxins, and bioaccumulative substances at the end of the process, we would filter them out at the beginning. In fact, we would go beyond designing a fabric that would do no harm; we would design one that was nutritious.

Sixty chemical companies declined the invitation to join the project, uncomfortable at the idea of exposing their chemistry to the kind of scrutiny it would require. Finally one European company agreed to join. With its help, we eliminated from consideration almost eight thousand chemicals that are commonly used in the textile industry; we also thereby eliminated the need for additives and corrective processes. Not using a given dye, for example, removed the need for additional toxic chemicals and processes to ensure ultraviolet-light stabilization (colourfastness)...We ended up selecting only thirty eight...(for) the entire fabric line. What might seem like an expensive and laborious research process turned out to solve multiple problems and to contribute to a higher-quality product that was ultimately more economical.

The fabric went into production...regulators came on their rounds and tested the water coming out of the factory...(and) could not identify any pollutants, not even elements they knew were in the water when it came into the factory...the water coming out of the factory was...even cleaner than the water going in...(Meaning that the water could then be cycled into use again in the factory.)

...The process had additional positive side effects. Employees began to use, for recreation and additional work space, rooms that were previously reserved for hazardous chemical storage. Regulatory paperwork was eliminated. Workers stopped wearing the gloves and masks that had given them a thin veil of protection against workplace toxins. The mill's products became so successful that it faced a new problem: financial success, just the kind of problem businesses want to have.


And the fabric product that resulted from this project can be found here:
http://www.climatex.com/index.cfm?ID=4C48A819-9A4A-38E1-4EB9B92F6AE5C449