(Fashion’s current favorite word: Sustainable. This hangtag seems to be following a lot of brands around. The new year brought about changes which were long due in the world of fashion. Consumers and brands are slowly realizing the utter havoc Fashion can wreck. Environment specialists have called this the second most polluting industry in the world. Even though statistics are yet to completely gauge the enormous damage this industry causes, the ball park figure makes an overwhelming impact: 150 billion garments are sent to landfills every year. Shocking? Not so much. Despite the alarming data that has been made available to the public, apparel and fast fashion brands seem to be treating it like just another day.
Many brands seem to also be responding to this problem. Numerous vegan, sustainable and cruelty free options have given birth to more responsible and Ethical Sustainable Fashion. Listed below are sustainable methods and technologies that brands are adopting for a greener tomorrow.
High Tech to Dye For
One of the worst aspects of producing fashion is centered around the dyes that are used. Only a few people realize that the dyeing process is usually a higly polluting process that involves many chemincals, water usage and waste. Companies like “Air Dye” based out of California have come up with a new ‘AirDye’ technology that uses 85% less energy and 90% lesser water than conventional dyeing. This method takes the water out of the equation completely and reduces the energy and emissions dramatically. This happens because extreme heat is required to dry the textiles after they are soaked in.
AirDye starts its processes by using synthetic fibers for all its materials, which are made from recycled PET bottles. By using dispersed dyes, they are applied to a paper carrier. AirDye uses heat to trasnfer dyes from paper to the bare surfaces of the textiles, and colors them at a molecular level. The paper used here is recycled and the dyes used are inert (they can go back to their original state to be reused).
Scientifically Designed Materials
The advent of science lets us explore scientifically designed materials that are not only cruelty free and save animals’ lives, but also save the planet too. New and upcoming brands like Musto have created clothing that offers lightweight and sustainable alternatives to down feathers and does not compromise on comfort, flexibility and warmth. This clothing is aimed at adventurers and most of their Sustainable Jackets and Coats are made of materials that are the lightest materials known to man.
High Tech Vegan Leather
One of th most popular technologies making fashion sustainable is also saving the lives of many animals. You might be thinking that “vegan leather” is euphemism for “plastic crap” but many new companies are now making many more innovative vegan leather from 100% natural materials in the laboratories. The resulting product is collagen, a protein that gives skin its elasticity and can be made into a product that very closely imitates leather. These pieces imitate leather is the thickness, texture and the feel of leather while maintaining it’s sustainable qualities.
Published by: Ryan Williams/ 2020-02-28