SUSTAINABILITY

The month of March is annual celebration of sustainability awareness.

WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY?

Sustainability means meeting our own needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable clothing speaks about fabrics derived from eco-friendly resources, such as sustainably grown fiber crops or recycled materials.

There are many forms of sustainable fashion. Some individuals – usually younger – prefer to experiment with and renew their wardrobes often; using “Second hand & Vintage”, “Repair, Redesign & Upcycle” and “Rent, Loan & Swap” would possibly be of most interest. For people who prefer newly manufactured clothes without history and who has a consistent style, “On demand” and “High quality & Timeless design” are likely to be most attractive.

What do we look for when we’re choosing sustainable fabrics?

Cotton and linen are two of the most common and most used fabrics. TENCEL®, a cellulose fabric or Piñatex the vegan leather alternatives, featured in Vogue in 2017, are good examples of materials that haven’t been produced in harmful ways.

Another recycled fabric is Econyl. This fibre regenerates industrial plastic into a new nylon yarn that is exactly the same quality as nylon. Qmonos, a synthetic spider silk, has recently been developed through the fusion of spider silk genes and microbes. The fibre is said to be five times stronger than steel, while being very lightweight, more flexible than nylon, and entirely biodegradable.