Sustainable Fashion - Issues to be addressed
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DK:Lab Sustainable Fashion – Issues to be addressed
DK:Lab Sustainable Fashion – Issues to be addressed
Colophon Sustainable Fashion
Colophon
- Issues to be addressed
© 2010
Designskolen Kolding / Kolding School of Design
Aagade 10
6000 Kolding
Denmark
www.designskolenkolding.dk
Laboratory for Design, Innovation and Sustainability
Head of development Mette Strømgaard Dalby
Editor Mette Fersløv Schultz Teachers
Translation Marianne Baggesen Hilger Textile engineer and associate professor Joy Boutrup,
Graphic Design OddFischlein fashion designer Silvio Vujicic and textile designer and
Photo Anne Mie Dreves /Stefan Maria Rother /Jens Christian Hansen /Sacha Maric associate professor, Ph.D. Vibeke Riisberg.
Stylist Bettina Milling Bakdal
Printing Zeuner Grafisk Students
Paper Amber Graphic Adam Gefen, Angela Buur, Anna Katharina Thomsen,
Fonts GT Regular / GT Bold / GT Heavy Anna Kirstine Borg, Anne Bretschneider, Anne Woidemann
Christensen, Bruno Peter Heinrich Kleist, Camilla Skøtt
Christiansen, Carina Sveistrup Mikkelsen, Hellene Jørg-
ensen, Katja Brüchle Knudsen, Katrine Terese Nielsen,
Kristoffer Guldager Kongshaug, Laura Locher, Lea Zaar
ISBN 978-87-90775-04-9 Østergaard, Linea Lund Hjorhöy, Louise Ravnløkke Munk
Pedersen, Maja Lindstrøm Hansen, Maria Rokkedahl
Sustainable Fashion is published by the Laboratory for Design, Innovation and Sustaina- Nørholm, Marie Louise Udby Blicher, Mathilde Louise
– Issues to be addressed
bility at Kolding School of Design. The objective of the Laboratory is to develop new teach- Maalouf Christensen, Mette Löwén, Niviaq Binzer Kris-
Sustainable Fashion
ing methods and modes of communication as well as provide spaces for experimenting, tensen, Randi Samsonsen, Rosa Tolnov Clausen,
alternate ways of thinking and working with bold ideas across the educational sector, the Sarah Mi Svendsen, Tanja Lund.
business sector and cultural institutions. The Laboratory is funded by The European Fund
for Regional Development through Vækstforum / The Region of Southern Denmark. We kindly thank
Ms. Reiko Sudo, textile designer, Director of NUNO,
Mr. Ikeda and Ms. Nakajima of TEIJIN.
DK: Lab
Without their support and inspiration the project
100 % Polyester would not have been possible.
4
Table of Content
DK:Lab Sustainable Fashion – Issues to be addressed
P06
Sustainable Fashion – Sustainability as a Mindset
By Mette Strømgaard Dalby,
Head of Development, Kolding School of Design
P12
Teaching sustainable design to textile and fashion students
- from a micro and macro perspective
By Vibeke Riisberg
P24
ECO CIRCLE polyester project
By Joy Boutrup
P34
Fashion and Sustainability
By Kate Fletcher
P 42
Sustainable = Fashionable
By Lene Hald
P52
– Issues to be addressed
Considerate Design: Empowering fashion designers to think about sustainability
Sustainable Fashion
By Sandy Black and Claudia Eckert
P66
The role of the designer
By Line Hangaard Nielsen
DK: Lab
P90
100% Polyester – the TEIJIN ECO CIRCLE PROJECT
- Student designs
5
6
DK: Lab Sustainable Fashion By Mette Strømgaard Dalby, Sustainable Fashion
– Issues to be addressed Head of Development, Kolding School of Design – Sustainability as a Mindset
By Mette Strømgaard Dalby,
Head of Development, Kolding School of Design
Sustainable Fashion – Sustainability as a Mindset
Sustainable Fashion By Mette Strømgaard Dalby, Sustainable Fashion
7
DK: Lab – Issues to be addressed Head of Development, Kolding School of Design – Sustainability as a Mindset
Sustainable Fashion
– Sustainability as a Mindset
I love fashion, darling! A lot of us appreciate the way ers do not doubt the significance of these aspects the small steps that, when put together, can create
By Mette Strømgaard Dalby,
Head of Development, Kolding School of Design
fashion enables us to play with identities. One day in relation to the creation of a modern identity and large changes through streamlining, rationalisation
we wear a 1950s inspired dress looking like some- communication of that identity. However, it is hard- and minimising of resources. Radical innovation,
one from the TV show ”Mad Men”, the next day we ly vital, and not many would permanently trade their on the other hand, is something entirely different.
have on a pair of jeans, a small black dress or some- access to food with the possibility to acquire a fash- Here, one creates a completely new foundation
thing completely different. The point is that I recog- ionable garment – although I too have read the ef- for speaking about and doing things; one exam-
nise the fact that fashion is important and essential. ficient self-branding of the fashion people telling ple could be the Internet’s influence on our ability
Fashion reflects our time, gives the user the oppor- stories of how, back in the day, one would eat oat- to communicate globally; or the Cradle-To-Cradle
tunity to play with different identities and in some meal for three weeks just to be able to purchase this mindset, which consciously focuses on not creating
cases, although few, fashion can be equated with an season’s must-have bag. waste and instead, having everything enter an eter-
artistic experience. However, the majority of fash- nal cycle of recirculation. This is a vision of consider-
ion – and the various fashion brands – is primarily Where am I going with this? Well, if fashion is not able proportions: wanting to eliminate the concept
commercial; that is to say a business that someone outright vital, we should carefully consider the way of waste and instead, refer to industrial and natural
has to live and make money on. When everything the fashion industry impacts our already damaged recycling, respectively. In the industrial cycle, the
comes together in an artistic vision, a craftsman planet. In other words, we must take action and a materials have to be able to be disassembled into
prowess or a technical skill, fashion is definitely a closer look at one of the most polluting industries individual components, whereas the natural cycle
wonderful thing. worldwide. We must innovate the way the fashion can easily create a decorative abundance of ma-
– Issues to be addressed
industry conducts its business, both when it comes terial and then disintegrate into harmless individual
Sustainable Fashion
However, at the risk of being lynched by all the to production, choice of materials and disposal. parts that re-enter the cycle of nature. For instance,
world’s fashion editors, I will state that fashion is not Kate Fletcher, author of the trendsetting book the flowering cherry tree, which for a short period
vital. When looking at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, ‘Sustainable Fashion and Textiles - Design Journeys’, of time produces many beautiful flowers, only to
where the physiological needs for obvious reasons puts it this way: ”Business as usual or, more to the have them wither away – but this “waste” is mere-
(survival) form the basis, there is quite a long way to point, fashion as usual is not an option”. ly a natural element in an eco-system. The point is
self-realisation and the need for free, individual ex- that one solution is not better than another. The in-
DK: Lab
pression through clothes, accessories and gadgets. In general, there are two kinds of innovation: incre- tention is not to commune with nature like we did in
20th and 21st century sociologists and consum- mental and radical. The first kind can be identified as pre-industrial times. Indeed, what is appealing about
8
Sustainable Fashion
– Sustainability as a Mindset
the Cradle-to-Cradle mindset is that traditional dog-
By Mette Strømgaard Dalby,
Head of Development, Kolding School of Design
ma about ”good” and ”bad” is abandoned. In oth-
er words, natural cotton is not necessarily the most
eco-friendly material, and polyester is not by defini-
tion eco-hostile just because it is synthetically pro-
duced. In order to produce 1 kilo of cotton one uses
an average of 8000 litres of water, whereas one is
able to produce 1 kilo of polyester using hardly any
water. On the other hand, polyester fibres are made
from oil, and particularly the petrochemical industry
is known for its huge global impact politically, social-
ly and environmentally.
My reference to cotton and polyester is not coinci-
dental: From the world’s total textile fibre consump-
tion of 59.5 million tonnes in 2005, cotton makes up
24.4 and polyester 24.7 million tonnes. Thus, these
– Issues to be addressed
two textile materials comprise the vast majority of
Sustainable Fashion
the world’s total textile production, and another sus-
tainable way forward could be to begin contemplat-
ing more diversity and hence less vulnerability in
relation to exploitation of the soil, crop failure, etc.
in the case of cotton, and less dependency on fossil
fuels in the case of polyester. With reference to the
DK: Lab
H.C. Andersen tale The Woman with the Eggs, it is
never wise to put all one’s eggs in one basket!
9
Sustainable Fashion
– Sustainability as a Mindset
Discussing sustainability and textile production is The results are presented in this publication, and we References
By Mette Strømgaard Dalby,
Head of Development, Kolding School of Design
indeed a complicated matter, which requires re- hope they speak for themselves – also in relation to Kate Fletcher Sustainable Fashion & Textiles
search in order to be able to understand the com- the exciting and challenging design problems with- – Design Journeys – Earthscan, 2008
plexity. The Cradle-to-Cradle mindset can help us in the entire area of sustainability. It is a far cry from William McDonough & Michael Braungart Cradle-to-Cradle.
understand that one has to consider the entire life the ”long-haired” eco-clothes made from hemp Remaking the Way We Make Things – North Point Press, 2002
cycle of the product, not just from cradle to grave that we saw in the 1970s to the modern versions of
but from cradle to cradle. In this respect, polyes- sexy, sustainable fashion. We hope that in the long
ter is an interesting material in that all polyester has run, sustainability will become an integral part of a
the potential to be recycled. Because polyester, like designer’s mindset, so we will no longer have to ad-
many other synthetic materials, has been perceived dress the issue of sustainability as something quite
as a replacement and second-rate material, it also unique.
presents an interesting challenge design-wise.
Apart from the student suggestions for sustainable
This material and aesthetic challenge was presented fashion items, the publication includes a number
to a number of fashion and textile design students at of articles by experts of sustainability from Den-
Kolding School of Design during a course in autumn mark and abroad, practitioners as well as theoreti-
2009. Based on the new polyester recycling Eco cians. Kolding School of Design and the Laboratory
– Issues to be addressed
Circle concept by the Japanese company TEIJIN, for Design, Innovation and Sustainability – which is
Sustainable Fashion
the students were asked to develop a complete de- also part of the Danish Fashion Zone – hope that this
sign concept, which encourages consumers to re- book will help attract attention to the important is-
turn used clothes for recycling. At the same time, sue of Sustainable Fashion – because in the end it is
they were to work with laser cutting, transfer print indeed a question of design.
and direct print onto the material. The assignment
for the future designers was to adopt sustainabili- Finally, I would like to give a warm thank you to the
DK: Lab
ty as a mindset and focus on making aesthetics and writers, teachers and students.
sustainability come together naturally.
10Sustainable Fashion By Mette Strømgaard Dalby, Sustainable Fashion
– Issues to be addressed Head of Development, Kolding School of Design – Sustainability as a Mindset
11
DK: LabDK: Lab Sustainable Fashion By Vibeke Riisberg Teaching sustainable design to
12
– Issues to be addressed textile and fashion students
By Vibeke Riisberg
- from a micro and macro perspective
Teaching sustainable design to textile and fashion studentsFoto: Sacha Maric, © Exhibition Professionals.
Sustainable Fashion By Vibeke Riisberg Teaching sustainable design to
– Issues to be addressed textile and fashion students
13
DK: LabTeaching sustainable design to
textile and fashion students
Introduction
Teaching sustainable design is a complex subject described this way: “Designers often understand an Kolding School of Design has upgraded its general
with no definitive answers. It demands the teach- intellectual problem through acting and/or creat- curricula to focus more intensively on sustainability,
er’s reflection of the didactic approach in order to ing, which can be described as a micro perspective and the students’ own commitment to working with
find ways to engage students in an enthusiastic and with origins in the arts and craft tradition. Today, the sustainable design solutions in BA and MA projects
pleasurable learning process. In 1992, Textile Engi- course is offered to second-year fashion and tex- has significantly increased over the past ten years.
neer Joy Boutrup and I set out on this task initiating tile students and is approached from a micro per-
By Vibeke Riisberg
our first course in sustainable textile design. Since spective but also introduces elements of a macro This is good news because more than ever we need
then, we have developed and adjusted the course perspective. Starting simultaneously with a material to address the problems of how to create a more
in collaboration with colleagues, mainly Annette An- based design process and lectures on material sci- sustainable future. Design is key to this process, be-
dresen who joined us in 2002. During the years, we ence, environmental issues are presented gradually cause its inherent nature is to create visions for the
have also established valuable knowledge exchange during the course introducing the principles of Cra- future. Designers also have an ethical responsibil-
through our international network. dle-to-Cradle thinking and ways for making a sim- ity, since many of the products we create function
plified Life Cycle Assessment. This holistic way of as the driving force of consumption in Western so-
The initial course was to a great extent informed by working seems to give life to creativity and also to cieties, which often act as role models to the rest of
a macro perspective looking at the design system: prevent a loss of perspective in the overwhelming the world. As Graedel et al. already pointed out in
the manufacturers, the production line, the use of amount of information and challenges” (Leerberg, 1995, designers can help save valuable resources:
resources, pollution etc. However, it soon became Riisberg, Boutrup, 2010). But at the same time it is important to focus on how
clear that these types of facts worked counterpro- to change our current ways of consumption in order
ductive to the creativity of our students. Thus, we We believe that the course provides the students to avoid ending up leading an ascetic lifestyle with
changed perspective and decided to emphasise up- with embodied experience and knowledge that no aesthetic products to enjoy. In our teaching we
coming and new, available technology that might gradually opens up to an understanding of the more emphasise that a product which nobody wants to
bring about a more sustainable future. We also abstract macro perspectives of sustainability. During buy cannot be sustainable. Any production, howev-
– Issues to be addressed
made stronger efforts to present the dawning ef- the last few years, we have noticed that more and er ecological, consumes resources, which are wast-
Sustainable Fashion
fects of design networks like O2 and to find exam- more students continue to work with methods and ed if the product is taken directly from production to
ples of manufactures striving to develop sustainable ideas generated during the course. E.g. during one disposal. The end consumer, cultural aspects, price,
products and services. In this way, focus was shift- semester, several students used their spare time to etc. must be taken into account, as well as sustaina-
ed, and we acknowledged that design students are elaborate on projects from the sustainable design bility, functionality and the product fulfilment of con-
better off learning about sustainable issues in bodily course in order to be able to participate in the com- sumer needs and wants.
ways than through negative facts and abstract mod- petition ‘Innovating Sustainable Fashion’ arranged
DK: Lab
els. In a recent article, co-authored by Malene Leer- in connection with the COP 15 meeting in Copenha-
berg, the progression of our pedagogical efforts are gen 2009.
14Teaching sustainable design to
textile and fashion students
By Vibeke Riisberg
– Issues to be addressed
Sustainable Fashion
Waterproof cape, biodegradable – the first prototype and one
of the final outfits at the COP15 fashion show. ‘The Rain Protection
DK: Lab
Project’ was created by Camilla Skøtt Christensen, Lea Parkins Ben-
jaminsen and Randi Samsonsen.
15
Foto: Sacha Maric, © Exhibition Professionals.Teaching sustainable design to
textile and fashion students
‘The singing cicada’s final song’ – a summer collection of compostable textiles
created by Nora Olafsdatter Krogh, MA graduation project 2009.
By Vibeke Riisberg
– Issues to be addressed
Sustainable Fashion
DK: Lab
16Teaching sustainable design to
textile and fashion students
“We will have to be
By Vibeke Riisberg
more sensitive to the
effect of things on us
and to be aware of the
implications that come
with possessions”
– Issues to be addressed
Sustainable Fashion
Anni Albers, textile designer, Bauhaus teacher
DK: Lab
17“We touch things to assure ourselves of reality”
Teaching sustainable design to
textile and fashion students
Anni Albers
By Vibeke Riisberg
Extending curricula
In 2008, Kolding School of Design set up a ’Labo- ion items to a great number of international fash-
ratory for Design, Innovation and Sustainability’ ion companies. Eurotex has a production of organic
with the objective of bringing together the dynam- cotton in India, and one element in the assignment
ics of education, innovation, research and the busi- was to work on how organic cotton might acquire
ness world. Soon after, it was decided to extend ’added value’ through design. During the course,
the curricula in sustainable design, and among oth- the students worked in groups, each creating a col-
er initiatives we introduced a new course offered to lection of 1:1 outfits based on a common idea for a
third-year fashion and textiles students. Our inten- more sustainable fashion concept.
tion was to give the students a broader global per-
spective on the design profession by connecting a The outcome was first presented to Eurotex and
design assignment in sustainable fashion with know- since to a wider audience at an international semi-
ledge of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and nar on sustainable fashion at Trapholt Art Museum.
global production. On both occasions, the students received positive
– Issues to be addressed
responses to their projects, but during the following
Sustainable Fashion
I was happy to accept this challenge, and together internal evaluation, it became clear that too many
with my colleague, Fashion Designer Ulla Ræbild, set complex issues had been presented in too short a
out to describe a four-week project with the Dan- period of time, thus leaving both the students and
ish company Eurotex Apparel as partner. Eurotex teachers frustrated. Therefore, we decided to rein-
has its headquarters in Kolding, production facilities vent the course and split it in two modules – one
in China, India, Bangladesh and sales offices in Den- focusing on CSR and global production, the other
DK: Lab
mark, the UK and South Africa. Eurotex does not restricted to design for recycling working with only
have its own brand but provides ready-to-wear fash- one material: polyester.
18The ECO CIRCLE project
Teaching sustainable design to
textile and fashion students
Why did we choose to focus on polyester and fibre blends. Add to that waterproof coatings, trim- The Japanese company TEIJIN has developed a
recycling? First of all, we did so because polyester mings, zippers, buttons etc. made in other materials new method for recycling PET, which is environmen-
accounts for the largest share of fibre consumption (e.g. metal), and you end up with a complex product tally attractive because it reduces oil consumption
in the world, namely about 40%. Second of all, it is that is impossible or very difficult to recycle. and CO2 remarkably compared to the production
made from oil – a limited non-renewable resource. of virgin polyester.2 TEIJIN has also set up a closed
Thus, the sustainable perspective of recycling is If you manage to recycle part of the garment, the loop system called ECO CIRCLE based on member-
evident given that the process does not consume resulting material is of a much lower quality than ship by companies who are committed to return-
more energy or pollute more than virgin materials. virgin materials and thus makes recycling less at- ing the polyester garments for recycling at TEIJIN’s
Finally, polyester offers the designer a great tractive from an economical point of view. But it is plant in Japan. In 2009, there were about 110 mem-
By Vibeke Riisberg
number of aesthetic possibilities to create beauti- possible to change this situation – at least for some bers worldwide, one of the most well known being
ful garments – just think of Issey Miyake’s ‘Pleats types of garments – if the designer chooses a single the sportswear company Patagonia. In the future,
Please’ collections and other Japanese designers material for the whole garment, e.g. polyester. more recycling plants will be constructed on other
like Yoshiko Hishinuma and Reiko Sudo.1 We wanted to make this perspective tangible to our continents minimising the transportation distance.
students by applying TEIJIN’s ECO CIRCLE concept But since there are no laws that command recycling
Today, hardly any of the garments we find in the as a framework for the new sustainable design mo- of polyester, the TEIJIN initiative needs the support
shops are made from only one material; most are dule offered to our third-year fashion and textile of companies, designers and consumers alike in or-
constructed of several fabrics in different fibres or students. der to expand.
The ECO-Circle® complete recycling system
– Issues to be addressed
Sustainable Fashion
Partner
Recyclable products Users
Member Member Used products collected and
Design for easy recycling for Manufacturers, Manufacturers,
the whole life cycle of each retailers, etc. retailers, etc. transported to Teijin plants
product is required
Teijin
DK: Lab
Regenerated into new
polyester fibre
19Teaching sustainable design to
textile and fashion students
“... more than ever
we need to address
the problems of how
By Vibeke Riisberg
to create a more
sustainable future.
Design is key to this
process, because its
inherent nature is
– Issues to be addressed
Sustainable Fashion
to create visions for
the future.”
DK: Lab
Vibeke Riisberg
20Teaching sustainable design to
textile and fashion students
By Vibeke Riisberg
– Issues to be addressed
Sustainable Fashion
The Square Project – a collection of unisex and transformable garments, which can be worn in several ways.
DK: Lab
The project was created by Anna Ebbesen, Benedicte Holmboe, Elin Sjøgren, Ruth Enoksen, Siff Nielsen,
Tina Gabrijelcic and Mette Gliemann.
21The assignment
Teaching sustainable design to
textile and fashion students
For the ECO CIRCLE project we collaborated with To inspire the students, Reiko Sudo most kindly sent Thus, we may conclude that by introducing TEIJIN’s
Silvio Vujicic, a talented young fashion designer liv- us a number of poetic statements. She also helped ECO CIRCLE concept to our students, they gained
ing in Zagreb, Croatia. Silvio has visited Kolding establish the contact to TEIJIN, so the students new knowledge of sustainable system thinking –
School of Design many times as a most appreciated could actually work with a fabric made of recycled the macro perspective – and through their design
guest lecturer always eager to educate the students polyester. This ECO CIRCLE fabric, also used for the projects learned new exiting techniques to manipu-
and himself, especially regarding new textile tech- pleated NUNO bag designed by Reiko Sudo, is con- late and decorate polyester along with draping and
niques.3 Together, we planned the course taking structed as a plain weave that can be used for many shaping different polyester fabrics into 3D form –
advantage of our different fields of expertise. purposes because of its medium weight. the micro perspective. The students worked with
great enthusiasm and produced a wide range of
By Vibeke Riisberg
We agreed on one core issue for the assignment, The fabric has a crisp hand, which is well suited for spectacular garment expressions – all included in
stated as a simple “Dogma rule”: Make garments that shibori, pleating and laser cutting and turned out to this book. We would like to thank our students; we
are 100% polyester. This also included sewing thread, react well with our range of disperse dyes. Since we are proud of them. Their projects show how poly-
linings, trimmings, buttons, zippers, press studs etc. had a limited amount of the ECO CIRCLE fabric avail- ester garments designed for recycling can be both
so the garment could be easily recycled. In addition, able, the students also used other fabrics made of beautiful and fun.
we asked the students to come up with a concept to 100% polyester.
stimulate the collection of used garments. We also hope this project has inspired TEIJIN and
Coda would like to express our gratitude to Mr. Yuichiro
The first day of the course we dedicated to lectures When evaluating the course it became clear that Ikeda and Mrs. Reiko Sudo. Without their support
on sustainability and recycling, perspectives on poly- three weeks is a very limited time for this assign- and inspiration this project would not have been
ester, its history and properties, including inspiring ment. Nevertheless, all the groups managed to for- possible, and we look forward to continuing the col-
examples of fashion designers using polyester in dif- mulate short statements for stimulating the users to laboration when we begin the next course in Sep-
ferent textile techniques and TEIJIN’s ECO CIRCLE return the garment for recycling and produced out- tember 2010.
concept. During the next three weeks, the 30 stu- fits in 1:1 scale. In addition, all students made a fab-
dents worked in small teams, and the teaching took ric sample library of the different textile techniques
place most of the time in the workshops and at the introduced during the course.
– Issues to be addressed
students’ desks.
Sustainable Fashion
1 — Reiko Sudo, Textile Designer, Director of the Japanese company NUNO was the key note speaker at the international
seminar ’Textiles, Ornament, Light and Interior Space’, Kolding School of Design, spring 2009. During Mrs. Sudo’s
visit, our idea for the ECO CIRCLE project became realistic, since she offered to help establish the contact to TEIJIN.
2 — For more details, please refer to Joy Boutrup’s article.
DK: Lab
3 — Silvio always experiments in unexpected ways and the results are stunning, beautiful garments that thoroughly
combine textile techniques and 3D form to a coherent whole. See: http://www.silviovujicic.com/english/main.html
22Teaching sustainable design to
textile and fashion students
Vibeke Riisberg is an Associate Professor at Kolding School of Design. She is
trained as a textile designer and holds a PhD in design from Aarhus School of Archi-
tecture. She has worked with issues of sustainable textile design for many years.
Her recent research deals with developing new solutions for adjusting daylight in
office buildings and user centered design in order to create better “healing” envi-
ronments in hospitals
By Vibeke Riisberg
Bibliography
– Issues to be addressed
Albers A. 2000 (1943): Designing. In B. Danilowitz (ed.). 2000. Leerberg, Riisberg, Boutrup (2010): Design Responsibility and Sus-
Sustainable Fashion
Anni Albers: Selected Writings on Design. Wesleyan University tainable Design as Reflective Practice: An Educational Challenge.
Press: Middletown: pp. 17-21. Sustainable Development, July/August 2010, Volume 18, Issue 4.
Braungart M. & McDonough W. (2002): Cradle to cradle John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
– rethinking the way we make things. North Point Press NUNO: http://www.nuno.com/home.html &
Fletcher Kate (2008): Sustainable Fashion & Textiles, http://www.nunoworks.com/
Design Journeys. Earthscan TEIJIN ECO CIRCLE: www.ecocircle.jp/en
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Graedel, T.E. et al. (1995): Green Product Design. http://www.teijinfiber.com/english/products/specifics/eco-circle.html
AT&T Technical Journal (November/December): 17-24.
23ECO CIRCLE polyester project
By Joy Boutrup
ECO CIRCLE polyester project
Fashion and textile design project with recycled and recyclable polyester
By Joy Boutrup
– Issues to be addressed
Sustainable Fashion
DK: Lab
24Sustainable Fashion By Joy Boutrup ECO CIRCLE polyester project
– Issues to be addressed
25
DK: LabIntroduction source. Since the production of polyester started in
ECO CIRCLE polyester project
The following article contains the background and the mid 20th century, the production methods have
basis knowledge introduced in the course ‘100% undergone several changes towards less waste of
Polyester’. In order to understand the aim and im- resources, better catalysts and fewer by-products.
pact of the ECO CIRCLE concept, several facts The two schematic flow charts show the older meth-
regarding polyester have to be understood, and the od of polyester production (DMT method) and the
different methods available for the designer in order newer, more economical and less polluting method
to obtain colours, structures and surface features (PTA method), respectively. Both methods are still
have to be trained and mastered. in use.
By Joy Boutrup
Definition, history and production As can be seen from the flow charts, the recent
Within the textile field, “polyester” is the general method consists of fewer steps and has fewer
term applied for synthetic fibres of PET, an abbrevi- sources of raw material. The energy and resource
ation of polyethylene terephthalate. This material is demands are also much lower. In the meantime,
also widely used in other objects outside the textile other types of terephthalates have been introduced
field such as bottles for beverages, fibre reinforced in the plastics industry as well as in the textile field.
composite materials, transparent sheets, buttons, These new types, called PTT and PBT, are softer and
zippers etc. more elastic than PET. As of yet, they only hold a
small share of the market; the main bulk is still PET.
The material was first synthesised in 1941, and the These newer types of polyester are made by using
first fibres were developed by a joint enterprise by alcohols that are partly produced by fermentation
I.C.I in Britain and Dupont de Nemours & Co. in the of sugar or starch, thus making the fibres halfway
USA. The market share of polyester fibres has grown bio-synthetic. In view of the high market share of
steadily since it was first introduced, and since PET in textiles feasible methods for recycling the
1999, polyester fibres have had the largest mar- material will have a high environmental impact. This
ket share in the world’s total textile consumption. impact will be especially important in relation to the
– Issues to be addressed
Its share today (2010), is more than 40% of the to- consumption of non-renewable resources during
Sustainable Fashion
tal consumption of around 52 million metric tonnes production of PET from mineral oil.
of textiles.
Recycling of PET
An ester is a condensation product between an al- The first attempts at recycling PET fibres were to re-
cohol and an acid. PET polyester is made from an use them for filling blankets e.g. by collecting used
alcohol called ethylene glycol and an acid called textiles, opening them and separating them into fi-
DK: Lab
terephthalic acid. Both components are derived bres. In that context, there were no high demands
from mineral oil and thus not from a renewable re- regarding purity or strength of the material.
26ECO CIRCLE polyester project
DMT line of production: PTA line of production:
By Joy Boutrup
Air Coal Water Salt Air Salt
Mineral oil Mineral oil
or naturalgas or naturalgas
Carbonmonoxide Hydrogen Nitrogen
Ammonia
Methanol Nitric acid p-xylene Ethylene Chlorine Alkali Acetic acid p-xylol Ethylene Chlorine Alkali
Catalyst
Terephthalic acid
Pure Terephthalic acid Ethylene glycol
Dim ethylterephthalate DMT Ethylenglycol
Terephthalic acid di-glycolester
– Issues to be addressed
Sustainable Fashion
Polyethyleneterephtalate PET Polyester Polyethyleneterephtalate PET Polyester
DK: Lab
27DK: Lab Sustainable Fashion By Joy Boutrup ECO CIRCLE polyester project
28
– Issues to be addressedThe next method was to collect, clean and melt cycling. Until now, the project only comprises TEIJIN
ECO CIRCLE polyester project
Shibori process,
Maria Rokkedahl Nørholm & Anna Kristine Borg used beverage bottles and extrude the melted pol- polyester, but one can hope that more companies
yester as fibres. The bottles have often been used will follow suit in near future.
several times before being collected for recycling,
which means that the polyester is often damaged, Properties and techniques
i.e. reduced in strength. The cleaning and melting Polyester is a thermoplastic material, which means
process is energy demanding, and the final fibres that it can be shaped by means of heat. It has no up-
are less durable and not as strong as new polyester. take of moisture or water, the material is not hygro-
In textile production these fibres have to be mixed scopic and the surface is hydrophobic. This attribute
with new polyester in order to obtain an acceptable is an advantage in regards to some purposes, but for
By Joy Boutrup
quality. The main applications for these fibres are in others the almost non-existing moisture uptake in gar-
knitted fleece materials for insulating jackets. ments can cause problems with proper transporta-
tion of body evaporation if insufficient air is enclosed
in the textile structure. Some companies have de-
“No aspect of our lives seems veloped combinations of polyester with hygroscop-
ic materials in order to regulate the moisture uptake,
untouched by textiles” Kathryn L. Hatch and some have even developed fibres with special
properties regarding shape and ventilation for sports-
wear e.g. TEIJIN in cooperation with Nike1.
In 2001, the Japanese company TEIJIN introduced a On the other hand, polyester textiles possess good
new method for recycling PET polyester. The details of shape retention, are easy to wash and dry due to
the method are not published but it includes decom- the low absorption of water, do not crinkle or shrink
posing polyester into two main components: ethylene and are not in need of ironing after washing.
glycol and terephthalic acid. Dye and other contami- The hydrophobic nature of the fibre can, howev-
nation are then cleansed from the two components, er, cause the textile to absorb fatty substances and
– Issues to be addressed
and they are conclusively combined into PET poly- make soil and smells difficult to remove. A saponifi-
Sustainable Fashion
ester, which has the same quality as new polyester. cation of the surface with strong alkali can counter-
act the problem.
This new method, called “ECO CIRCLE”, reduces
the energy demand by 84% and the CO2 emission The popularity of polyester in the textile industry
by 77% compared to the production of polyester – and with the consumers as well – is especially due
from mineral oil. It requires and involves a network to the strength, durability and versatility of the ma-
DK: Lab
of companies from all over the world to sign up for terial. Polyester fibres are strong, have very good
and send back garments of TEIJIN polyester for re- abrasion properties and high tenacity.
29ECO CIRCLE polyester project
Transfer print,
Polyester fibres are available in a wide range of thick- The dye can only penetrate into the fibre when the Laura Locher & Anne Woidemann Christiansen
nesses, cross sections and levels of gloss. fibre is softened by high temperatures. The temper-
The properties can be adapted to most textile appli- ature needed for dyeing polyester is above 130° C
cations in home furnishing, apparel and transporta- which is not possible without high pressure. Polyester
tion. For instance, the extremely fine fibres in micro can also be dyed at temperatures around 100° C if a
fibre polyester produce a textile with a softness and so called “carrier” is used. Both dyeing methods are
drape similar to silk, while the thicker fibres can pro- not suitable under simple conditions as carriers are
vide the strength and durability demanded in protec- poisonous and environmentally very damaging (the
tive wear. use of carriers should be banned in near future), and
By Joy Boutrup
the high temperatures cannot be reached except un-
A whole range of different techniques for changing der pressure.
surface, colour, structure or drape are available for
the textile and fashion designers. They are all based There is the possibility, though, to dye and print poly-
on the special properties of polyester. The thermo ester by using brands developed for transfer printing.
plasticity makes it possible to shape the textiles Disperse dyes have special fastness properties;
in pleats, folds and spikes with a hot press or with some are very sensitive to exhaust gases and air
steam. The melting properties of the material makes pollution, and some have the ability to sublime when
it suitable for laser cutting as the heat of the laser will heated. Subliming is the transition from solid state
melt a narrow zone on both sides of the cut and thus to gaseous state without any intermediate state as a
seal the edges. Slits and holes can be cut into the liquid. The gas state can move rapidly into other ma-
fabric, and shapes can be cut out of the fabric with terials, and dyed or printed material will stain when
edges which will not fray in use. for example ironed.
Dyeing and printing The ability to sublime has been used commercially
Polyester can only be dyed and printed with dis- for transfer printing. The dyes are printed onto pa-
– Issues to be addressed
perse dyes. Disperse dyes were originally devel- per, and the dye is transferred by means of contact
Sustainable Fashion
oped for cellulose acetate fibres but have since and heat onto textiles. This is considered to cause a
been adapted to polyester and other synthetic ma- low environmental impact as there is no use of wa-
terial. The dyes are insoluble in water and have to ter after the papers have been printed. The textile
be finely dispersed in the dye bath or print paste needs no washing after the transfer process as only
when used. The name of the dyestuff class is de- pure dyestuff has been transferred. Residues of
rived from this. The dyes normally come with a dis- dyes are on the paper and can easily be incinerated.
DK: Lab
persing agent included, so that an even distribution
of the dyes is made easy for the user.
30Sustainable Fashion By Joy Boutrup ECO CIRCLE polyester project
– Issues to be addressed
31
DK: LabJoy Boutrup is an Associate Professor at Kolding School of Design. She is trained
ECO CIRCLE polyester project
as a textile engineer with specialty in textile chemistry. She has worked with the
structure, properties and application of textiles for many years, both as a research-
er and as a teacher. Her recent research deals with developing new solutions for
adjusting daylight in office buildings.
Bibliography
By Joy Boutrup
Kathryn L. Hatch: Textile Science, West Publishing Company, 1993.
Søren Ellebæk Laursen, John Hansen et al.:
Environmental Assessment of Textiles, Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy, Denmark, 1997.
www.ecocircle.jp/en
www.teijinco.jp/english/rd/rd13_06.html
The disperse dyes have been separated into groups The dye bath can be used again until exhausted,
with different tendency to sublime. Some have very which also helps encourage sustainability.
high subliming fastness and cannot be used for trans-
fer printing; other brands have the ability and are sold The historical perspective on polyester and knowl-
especially for transfer printing. These dyes have per- edge of textile material science is presented in lec-
manently low subliming fastness, and this must be ta- tures; it is rather abstract and presents a macro level
ken into consideration in the further treatment of the of sustainable issues. Much of the information is lat-
material and in the end use and maintenance of the er connected to practice during the conversations
product. The dye will continue to have the property in the workshop, when the students make samples
– Issues to be addressed
to move from one material to another when heated. at the drawing table reflecting on form, draping 3D
Sustainable Fashion
shapes and considering which technique to choose
Experiments have shown that it is possible to dye for surface interest, colour and decoration. Thus, it
with transfer brands as well. The dyes will give an ac- becomes part of the design process in an organic
ceptable colour yield at boiling temperature; very way as textile science is repeated and explained in
dark colours are not obtainable, though. No further relation to the design process at a micro level.
additions than the dyestuff are needed for the dye-
DK: Lab
ing process if the water is not alkaline; acetic acid
can be used for neutralising the water if necessary. 1 — www.teijinco.jp/english/rd/rd13_06.html
32Sustainable Fashion By Joy Boutrup ECO CIRCLE polyester project
– Issues to be addressed
33
DK: LabDK: Lab Sustainable Fashion By Kate Fletcher Fashion and Sustainability
34
– Issues to be addressed
By Kate Fletcher
Fashion and SustainabilitySustainable Fashion By Kate Fletcher Fashion and Sustainability
– Issues to be addressed
35
DK: LabMost of us know what fashion is. Many of us know polyester are extracted; and ends up in homes, on
Fashion and Sustainability
what sustainability is. But when it comes to explor- our bodies and in landfill sites continents away from
ing the relationship between the two, we can very where they started out. The journey in between in-
quickly find ourselves on new ground. For the rela- volves the use of lots of labour, water, energy and
tionship between fashion and sustainability is active processing chemicals and produces waste and pol-
and complex and each time we look at the key ideas lution. Indeed in a recent pollution risk assessment
or issues at stake, different aspects seem to come by the UK’s Environment Agency, the fashion and
to light. Sometimes what is emphasized is technical textile industry was rated worst.
information about toxic chemicals or working con-
ditions in mills and factories on the other side of the Thus it makes sense that sustainable fashion acti-
By Kate Fletcher
world. At other times, the fashion and sustainabi- vity is underpinned by a deep awareness of the use
lity relationship seems best understood by looking of resources and how these resources are organ-
at what goes on locally: networks of handcrafters; ized to meet people’s needs. Central to this is “life-
dyes made from species of plant found only in lo- cycle thinking”, an approach that sees garments as
cal hedgerows; our individual laundering practices. a mosaic of inter-connected flows of materials, la-
The truth is, of course, that sustainable fashion is all bour and as potential satisfiers of needs that move
of these and more. It is a celebration of ingenuity, through phases of a garment’s life from fibre culti-
vitality, care, resourcefulness and strong relation- vation, to processing and transportation and into
ships between us and our world, expressed in gar- garment use, reuse and eventual disposal. Such life-
ment form. cycle thinking is inspired principally from the study
of ecology, where each part of a system influences
These sustainability values will help shape the fu- every other, and where overall system effectiveness
ture of fashion and give us a mental picture and sen- is prioritised over the individual parts. When fashion
sory way markers about the direction in which we is looked at from a lifecycle perspective, what is re-
should head. Part of this “shaping” involves reduc- vealed are “hotspots” of harmful impact and oppor-
ing the impact of the fashion sector as it exists today tunities for the greatest whole system improvement.
– Issues to be addressed
- and it is a massive job. For the production and con-
Sustainable Fashion
sumption of fashion impacts hard on ecosystems, For some (though certainly not all) fashion clothes,
communities, workers and consumers in a variety of these hotspots of harm are linked to material choices.
challenging and sometimes surprising ways. Produc- Traditional views of sustainable fashion focus their
ing fashion clothes, and the textiles they are made attention almost exclusively on materials and their
from, is one of the longest and most complicated provenance; on whether fibre is organically grown
industrial chains in manufacturing industry. It starts and fairly traded, or whether materials are from rap-
DK: Lab
in fields with the cultivation of fibre crops like cot- idly renewable sources or from recycled yarn. To-
ton and wool or in chemical plants where fibres like day for example over 20 major brands and 1200
36smaller ones now sell organic fibre products. Yet for with very large quantities of pesticides and synthe-
Fashion and Sustainability
many other fashion clothes, choice of materials has tic fertilisers, water and energy in large farms with
only limited effect on overall product sustainability. no crop variety. The effect is to reduce the fertility
In the case of frequently laundered clothes for in- of the soil; create water pollution; damage the diver-
stance, the overwhelming hotspot of harm is the use sity of plant and animal species; develop pesticide
phase of a garment’s life. Here it is our laundering resistance, leading to ever higher levels of pestici-
choices, washing, drying and ironing behaviour and des being applied in order to control pests; and da-
perceptions of cleanliness that have most influence mage to workers’ health through exposure to acu-
over our clothes’ sustainability. tely toxic pesticides.
By Kate Fletcher
Yet these flows of resources are only part of the Resource intensive fibre, fabric and garment
story. Fashion clothes are much more than the fi- manufacturing including significant use of ener-
bre and chemicals needed to make them. They are gy and petrochemical resources for synthetic fibres
signs and symbols, expressions of culture, newness like polyester; pollution to air and water from pro-
and tradition. They link us to time and space and duction of synthetic and cellulose-based fibres (like
deal with our emotional needs, manifesting us as so- viscose); and for all fibres large water consumption,
cial beings, as individuals. Thus sustainability issues use of toxic chemicals and waste generation.
in fashion are as much about cultural, economic and
social phenomena as material and manufacturing Exploitation of garment workers who experience
ones. They are also about decadence, consumer- labour abuses including poverty wages, excessive
ism, expression and identity and if sustainability is to working hours, forced overtime, lack of job securi-
become a real possibility in fashion, then the sector ty and denial of trade union rights. In recent years,
has to work with these big issues and their difficult working conditions in factories have been forced
implications as well as the more bounded fibre-spe- ever lower in what is called a “race to the bottom”
cific or production focused ones. For in order to as manufacturers compete on price for a place in
make sustainability happen in the fashion sector, the supply chain of big brands.
– Issues to be addressed
there needs to be change at many levels: we need
Sustainable Fashion
both root and branch reform. Damaging effects of fashion trends and
imagery where the drive to constantly “renew”
Making such sustainability-inspired reform to fash- ourselves in the light of changing trends helps feed
ion brings to the fore the sector’s key issues, these short-term thinking, psychological insecurity and ris-
include: ing levels of mental illness; while fashion imagery
is linked to body issues and serious medical condi-
DK: Lab
Damaging agricultural practices where some tions like anorexia, which is now reaching record
natural fibres – most notably cotton – are cultivated levels in young men as well as women.
37Fashion and Sustainability
“Fashion clothes are much more
than the fibre and chemicals
By Kate Fletcher
needed to make them. They are
signs and symbols, expressions
of culture, newness and tradition.
They link us to time and space and
deal with our emotional needs,
manifesting us as social beings,
– Issues to be addressed
Sustainable Fashion
as individuals.”
Kate Fletcher
DK: Lab
38Sustainable Fashion By Kate Fletcher Fashion and Sustainability
– Issues to be addressed
39
DK: LabFashion and Sustainability
By Kate Fletcher
– Issues to be addressed
Sustainable Fashion
“… in order to make sustainability hap-
pen in the fashion sector, there needs to
be change at many levels: we need both
root and branch reform.”
DK: Lab
Kate Fletcher
40Kate Fletcher has worked with sustainable fashion since the early
Fashion and Sustainability
1990s. She is an internationally popular lecturer and teacher in sus-
tainable fashion and a leading researcher in the field. She is trained
as a fashion designer, holds a PhD in sustainable fashion and works
as consultant for large retail chains, designers, NGOs and other
through her company Slow Fashion. She is the author of the ac-
claimed book: ‘Sustainable Fashion and Textiles - Design Journeys’.
Passive consumers who “follow” the trends pre- Yet contrary to common expectations, big change
scribed by industry, who are ill informed about, and doesn’t just flow from decisions made at high-level
By Kate Fletcher
distanced from, the creative practices surrounding international meetings or in the boardrooms of com-
their clothes and who lack the practical skills to do pany directors; for single, small actions can have big
anything about it. effects. Nabeel Hamdi in his delightful book Small
Change puts it like this: “in order to do something
Excess and wastefulness linked to consumer- big… one starts with something small and one starts
ism and fashion consumption where we meet with where it counts”.
our desire for pleasure, new experiences, status,
and identity formation through buying far more Acting “small” and “where it counts” brings change
products than we need – many of them clothes. towards sustainability in fashion within the grasp of
Global brands and high street retailers profit from each and every one of us. It starts with us asking
this relationship and for them, challenging consum- questions of companies and suppliers and by chal-
erism remains a taboo subject. Indeed the trend for lenging them to respond to key issues, like the ones
consumption of fashion continues upwards (in the raised above. It involves us looking at garments not
UK, it increased by one third in the last four years) just as items of beauty, or as something to wear, but
and is linked to an increase in speed: high street in their totality – as resources, processes, symbols
chains can turn around collections in as little as and values. For it is in these dynamics that sustaina-
– Issues to be addressed
three weeks; and fashion seasons are now not only bility will emerge in fashion. Sustainability also starts
Sustainable Fashion
biannual, but each of the two main seasons contains closer to home as we question our own behaviour.
three mini collections, opening up new opportuni- As we look at what we buy and why we buy it. As we
ties to consume. consider how we wear clothes and how we care for
them. And as we reach into our sewing baskets and
There is no denying it: fashion and sustainability is- with needle, thread and a large measure of thought-
sues are large in scale and tricky to navigate and it fulness, begin the process of re-skilling ourselves in
DK: Lab
is all too easy to feel overwhelmed and see them the art and practice of creating and caring for things
as too global and too deep-rooted to influence. and not just consuming them.
41DK: Lab Sustainable Fashion By Lene Hald Sustainable = Fashionable
42
– Issues to be addressed
By Lene Hald
Sustainable = FashionableSustainable Fashion By Lene Hald Sustainable = Fashionable
– Issues to be addressed
43
DK: LabDK: Lab Sustainable Fashion By Lene Hald Sustainable = Fashionable
44
– Issues to be addressedSustainable fashion is a concept riddled with com- has been an imperative when the goal has been to
Sustainable = Fashionable
plexity. Although eco-fashion is one of contempo- lift a fashion brand onto a bigger stage, and the rapid
rary fashion’s most compelling practices, the notion changing culture has become an integrated part of
of fashion has traditionally been exclusively con- what constitutes the concept of fashion. Being up to
cerned with the rapid change of trends and the con- date on the latest fashion trends and ideas seems to
stant developing of new product ranges; in many have been required in order to grab the attention of
ways, the complete opposites of what drives a sus- consumers. Fashion has become increasingly more
tainable approach to product manufacturing. affordable and disposable, and the equation of “The
New” and “The Improved” has been constantly
At first glance, sustainable fashion may appear to be made. As a result, high street and global brands such
By Lene Hald
an ill-matched marriage between short lasting trends as Zara and H&M have hollered for greater market
and durability. However, most trendsetters seem to shares.
agree: Fashion is entering the Green Age. Fashion
may be rooted in change and novelty, but it cannot This flowing, fleeting progression of looks and pro-
be reduced to a flippant and superficial industry of ducts seems to have been essential and fundamen-
excessive style. tal; as if nurturing some in-built drive and desire to
adjust to changing fashions. Eco-clothing, on the
Fashion also embodies a much deeper, more in- other hand, has been reduced to the hemp pants,
sightful engagement with clothing that is seen across tie-dye and nostalgic Hippie subculture. Why now
all times and all cultures. And now the industry – – all of a sudden – does sustainability and fashion
both commercial and design-driven – seems to be form an alliance?
making a fashion forward change towards a “green”
vision. Eco-Gen
To keep it short: A new generation is rewriting the
Fa – Fa – Fast Fashion principles of fashion. It is a generation still seeking
Let us start out with the Slow versus the Fast Fash- to adjust to changing cultural conditions, and – as
– Issues to be addressed
ion paradox. If one takes a look at the fashion his- generations before them – still yearning to know the
Sustainable Fashion
tory of the past thirty years, it would be fair to say current way of doing things. But instead of finding
that fashion and environmental awareness have not the answer in Fast Fashion, they turn to sustainabil-
been two concerns that have comfortably been sit- ity, addressing issues concerning biofuels, climate
ting side by side. change and global warming. Upcoming designers
and young consumers alike are focusing on how
During this time span, technological, social and eco- to live their lives with an ethical, social and eco-
DK: Lab
nomic changes – and their impacts on every aspect aware conscience. A growing number of designers
of life – have set a hasty pace. Stylistic reinvention are even going one step further and embracing
45You can also read
