Research Documents

Issue

  1. https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/video/activism-sweatshop-fast-fashion-improving-the-life-of-a-bangladeshi-garment-worker-activist-kalpona-akter
    1. Bangladeshi garment worker gives a talk about the unethical standards in working for a fast fashion garment factory. She was only paid around $6 a month and was physically abused by her supervisor.
  2. https://books.google.com/books?id=-31aDwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=fast+fashion&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiAj9uhsLrgAhWKxFkKHdIjCCMQ6AEINDAC#v=onepage&q=fast%20fashion&f=false
    1. An online M-commerce app designed to provide brands the opportunity to foster their sustainable image. Bringing sustainable fashion brands to the attention of customers who are not accustomed to it or would not usually seek it.
  3. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/fashion/luxury-brands-focusing-on-a-sustainable-future.html
    1. Luxury fashion brands headed towards a more sustainable future and possibly creating a universal logo to put on all garments that have been ethically made. Not only fashion being sustainable, but also jewelry as well.
  4. https://nypl.kanopy.com/video/responsible-corporations-primark-rbs-drugs-industry
    1. Short film about the fast fashion brand “Primark” and exposing the poor conditions of the garment workers. In response to the protests, Primark tries to fix their ethics.
  5. http://www.organicclothingalliance.com/Toxic-Chemicals-in-Fast-Fashion.html
    1. A thorough list of toxic chemicals used to treat clothing. Some cause health implications and birth defects to those who handle them

 

Idea

  1. https://ethical-hedonist.com/2018/09/05/five-sustainable-fashion-fabrics-of-the-future/
    1. “Econyl is a form of nylon that is made entirely from waste products. It is made from a range of post-consumer waste including abandoned fishing nets, carpets and rigid textiles and aims to be a green alternative to the original product which is made from a derivative of oil.”
  2. https://fashionunited.uk/news/business/10-sustainable-textile-innovations-everyone-should-know/2018090738711
    1. “Hemp fabrics kill bacteria, making them naturally anti-microbial, have the best heat capacity ratio compared to all other fibres, merge easily with dyes and do not discolour easily. Extremely versatile and keep the wearer of nettle clothing cool in the summer and warm in winter.”
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_Zyds7gZ9o
    1. Lab grown textiles using non-toxic chemicals for a more eco-friendly approach. This lab company also create bio-leather and spider silk.
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2DA0Xqtttg
    1. Tech company creates a textile dyeing machine that uses CO2 instead of water. Cuts down on water waste because not a single drop of water is used. Instead, liquid CO2 is used to dye the fabric
  5. https://books.google.com/books?id=Ik6kAgAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=sustainable+fabrics&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjwh8GNvbrgAhVErlkKHd-1AlYQ6AEINDAC#v=onepage&q=sustainable%20fabrics&f=false
    1. Rainfed cotton offers an alternative to diverted and irrigated water supplies. However, this type of cotton often tends to produce irregular fiber qualities. 

 

 

Intervention

http://www.organicclothingalliance.com/Toxic-Chemicals-in-Fast-Fashion.html

This is an extensive list of toxic chemicals used to treat fabric. It also explains the hazardous effects that it imposes on those who wear it. The process of treating fabrics is done with most textiles that are not labeled as sustainable. Chemicals such as benzene and carbon disulphide are used in the production of making different types of synthetic fabrics can cause side effects including aplastic anemia, acute leukemia, bone marrow cancer, convulsions, and respiratory paralysis. This are a small percentage of the common chemicals used to treat textiles. It is reported that “over ten commonly and widely used chemicals in clothing affect fertility and reproduction in humans.” It is also noted that “one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer” in correlation to exposure.  

 

https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/video/activism-sweatshop-fast-fashion-improving-the-life-of-a-bangladeshi-garment-worker-activist-kalpona-akter

This article and talk discusses the unethical treatment of the garment workers in Bangladesh, the second largest apparel producer in the world after China. This is a problem because the garment workers, who are young women, are abused physically and mentally. They are forced to handle these dangerous chemicals, as previously discussed in my first resource, and their wages are criminally low for the hours/work that they put in.

 

https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/CBD-Fiber-Selection-FS.pdf

This is an examination of how natural fibers and synthetic fibers compare in their environmental impact. Neither is better than the other. Actually, the best option would be to use recycled fibers. In the table on the last page, it shows common synthetic and natural fibers used in clothing and their impact on the environment. For example, although organic cotton may sound ethical, it causes a large amount of pollution loading from the dyeing process.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/02/fashion/luxury-brands-focusing-on-a-sustainable-future.html

This article discusses luxury fashion brands taking a new direction in having a sustainable future. They discuss possible coming up with a universal label to identify clothing that was ethically made. This would be an interesting approach to also include in non-luxury brands, so that consumers who are not aware of the implications associated with the fast fashion industry are exposed to it and can learn more about it.

 

https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2018-04-03/fashion-environmental-impact-of-your-favourite-textiles/9382382

This article is a broader scope about different textiles used in the fashion industry and how they impact the environment. It reflects on the fabrics used in the fast fashion industry as well as other conventional fabrics used throughout the fashion industry. The article discusses why certain fibers such as synthetics, wool, cotton and linen negatively impact the environment.

 

https://www.newsweek.com/2016/09/09/old-clothes-fashion-waste-crisis-494824.html

This article discusses the expendable mindset associated with fast fashion and how toxic that is for the environment. It explains how we are on the brink of collapse due to our cheaply made clothing and how if we continue this cycle, our environment will face detrimental effects. Things such as the increase of the amount of textiles being produced and harsh chemicals used to treat them examined in this article.

 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-environments-new-clothes-biodegradable-textiles-grown-from-live-organisms/

I found this article to be interesting because it depicts designers experimenting with biodegradable textiles grown within live organisms. By using alga-based fabric, designers can use other plant-based dyes to create a new aesthetically pleasing piece.

 

Idea

For my invention, I am thinking of creating a garment or a textile that is recycled from either paper or plastics. I thought of this idea because when researching the topic of fast fashion, many of the resources I read mentioned the water pollution that is associated with the textiles used. Both the process of treating/dyeing the fabric while the garment is being made and the washing of the garment from the consumer contributes to the pollution of the water supply. In order to combat this, I want to create a textile or a garment that reduced this problem.

 

I am debating on whether to experiment with using recycled materials, such as plastics and paper or find natural fibers to create an ethical textile that does not pollute the water supply when washed. In terms of already existing inventions like this, there have been textiles made from clear plastics, but the chemicals used to remove the stickers from the bottle is very dangerous. I want to create a process that eliminates these chemicals in order to create a recycled fiber that can be made into fabric. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyF9MxlcItw

 

My idea is an adaptation from an already existing idea, but I want to refine this process to make it even more sustainable and effective. If I were to make a garment out of recycled plastics and/or paper, then the object wouldn’t necessarily be a ready-to-wear piece but a wearable piece of art. If I were to do this, I would want to take the ideas that I took note of at the Cooper Hewitt museum. Many of the designs and inventions that I enjoyed had a specific color pallete and were had a minimal graphic design approach. I could possibly dye the recycled paper with different plants/fruits and vegetables to create those colors.

 

Another idea for my object would be to take recycled scrap fabrics and sew them together to create a graphic design for a scarf or a ready-to-wear item. The idea is pre-existing, but I think I could take a different approach and make the pieces very bold and unique.  

 

  1. Clean Clothes Campaign https://cleanclothes.org/about
    1. The Clean Clothes Campaign is an organization that works to improve the hazardous working conditions for garment workers, as well as empowering them to ensure that their fundamental rights are being upheld. This organization also educates consumers about the poor conditions that garment workers are exploited to and mobilizes them to offer solidarity and support. A way that a viewer can get involved in this organization is to donate and to sign the petitions that they promote. The current petition is asking the viewer to take action on pushing H&M their commitment to their workers being paid a living wage.
  2. Textile Exchange https://textileexchange.org
    1. Textile Exchange is a nonprofit organization that works closely with all sectors of the textile supply network in order to transform the industry into one that uses sustainable fibers and textiles. As for viewer participation, the Textile Exchange offers you to become a member and donate to this organization which gives you access to industry experts, networking opportunities, one-on-one consulting, content standards, and the most comprehensive industry reports and tools in order to help you succeed as a sustainable brand.  
  3. Fair Wear https://www.fairwear.org/about/mission-vision/
    1. Fair Wear is an organization that works with garment brands, factories, trade unions, NGOs and governments to transform the garment industry into one that is ethical and fair for everyone. For viewer participation, the organization offers memberships, in which brands that are looking to begin a sustainable journey can join and become apart of an influential network.
  4. Global Standardhttps://www.global-standard.org/the-standard/general-description.html  
    1. Global Organic Textile Standard is a worldwide textile processing standard for organic fibers (ecological and social standards) by certification of the whole textile supply chain. There is not an explicit viewer participation opportunity for this organization, however, the site does offer an extensive amount of information about what qualifies as sustainable textiles/organic textiles.
  5. TRAID https://www.traid.org.uk  
    1. TRAID is a charity working to stop clothes from being discarded by creating 191 clothes charity banks across the UK and bringing those reusable garments to into more communities for zero waste. A way for a viewer to get involved in this organization is to volunteer at the charity shops or to shop their banks and support their organization.
  6. Solidaridad https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/supply-chains/cotton
    1. Solidaridad is a worldwide network organization with partners  from all over to help create a system to distribute more sustainable textiles from producer to consumer. The company offers jobs and partnerships in order to help the supply chain of sustainable materials grow wider.

Final Project – “Tell me the story about how the Sun loved the Moon so much that he would die every night to let her breathe.”

For the Final Project for Integrative Studio 1, we were given the prompt to create a garment, a sculpture, or an installation inspired by a fairytale. I worked in a group with Kasey Riera and Ashlyn Simpson. Together, we chose the story of How the Sun Loved the Moon.

In the story, the writer depicts the Sun as this dominant and exuberant being. “The Sun would bring people joy and warmth throughout the day, yet he craved to live a life of solitude.” The Sun is being described as this entity who doesn’t understand the strength of his own powers. The Moon is painted as a “sad kind of beauty” who was the light in the blanket of darkness. As the Sun grew weary, the Moon would illuminate the sky surrounded by the millions of stars. The stars would watch over her, hoping that one day, they would get close enough to her so that she would no longer feel empty. One day the Sun caught a glimpse of her as he was sliding out of the heavens and he instantly fell in love with her beauty. He wished to see her more than these fleeting moments, but she knew that this would never be. The Moon told the Sun,”Don’t you dare abandon your blessing of light for my darkness.”

Inspired by the very poetic imagery in this story, we wanted to create an ethereal garment that harnessed the characteristics of the Sun and the Moon. We went through many iterations of designs, from starting with a cape with wings, to different kinds of dresses and unconventional silhouettes. One theme in all three of our designs was the depiction of sun rays and a softer moon. For our final design, we derived much of our inspired from the Heavenly Bodies exhibit at the Met. Two garments from this exhibition that stood out to us was a Thierry Mugler pleated dress with shoulders that mimicked the shaped of wings and a gown with pleated wings at the back which folded over one another. We thought that the pleats resembled the lines of sun rays, so we wanted to incorporate that into the design. As for the moon, we knew we wanted to imitate the “sad kind of beauty” as described in the story. Our Professor, Rachel, suggested that instead of pleated the moon as well, we let the fabric fold and crease in a more organic way to give a softer structure. Lastly, when designing the whole garment, we knew that the back would be showing due to it’s radial length, so we decided to create constellations because in the poem, it describes the stars as watching over the Moon and connecting her with the Sun.

To construct this piece, we used gold and gray taffeta fabrics to represent each. We lined each with interfacing to give the fabric a firmer structure in order to holder the pleats. For the Sun, we ironed each 1 inch pleat and then beaded the lines of them with gold, copper and reddish beads. On the back of the sun panels, we drew our own zodiac constellations as a way of putting our signatures on the piece. We also added rhinestones to evoke the glow that they emit. For the moon, we decided to use a gathering stitch to manipulate the fabric and give volume. We also beaded the moon to mimic the craters and phases of the moon in purple and slate gray beads. To combine both together, we hand stitched each panel to a harness we made out of scrap fabric. Lastly, to make to top of the sun stand up, we added wooden rods to help it create the shape we wanted. For the finishing touch, we made a crown inspired by the sun rays. To make it, we used a headband and zip ties spray painted in gold.

 

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