Christian Smith

Outline

The State of Fashion

Fashion and the Environment

The way Forward

We only have one…

The state of fashionGlobal fashion and luxury sector generated revenues of $1.334.1 billion in 2008

UK fashion industry directly contributed some £21billion to the UK economy in 2009 and some £16billion through other industries

In the UK, it employees nearly a million people and is the 15th largest industry alongside food and beverages

Between 2002 and 2006, there was an increase of 33% in the amount of clothing bought

Fast Fashion

“…the culture of "fast fashion" encourages consumersto dispose of clothes which have only been worn a fewtimes in favour of new, cheap garments whichthemselves will also go out of fashion and be discardedwithin a matter of months.”

(Select Committee on Science and Technology, 2008)

More visits, more sales

Topshop and Esprit now restocking their stores with new products every four to six weeks

Zara, new stock enters as often as twice a week while some fashion houses may offer as many as 18 collections a year

Inditex - Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oyosho, Uterqüe and Zara Home

The waste

average person goes through about 35kg of textiles a year, most of which is clothing and is thrown away within a year of purchase

in 2005 this resulted in 1.2 million tonnes of clothing going to landfill

Under Pressurerise of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) from mere producer and supplier countriesrise in oil prices and unrest in the Middle East has made it more problematic to transport goods around the world

has also increased the price of oil based materials on which the industry has a remarkable reliance beyond transportation costs

polyester and nylon women’s tights, zips, flip flops, fake fur and sneakers

viscose is a plant based material made mainly from wood pulp but the high water use combined with the emissions from the chemical processes needed to dissolve the cellulose and create the filaments make it an equally damaging material

A very Thirsty industrythe textile industry is the third most water intensive industry in the world

the cotton industry evaporates 210 billion cubic meters of water while at the same time polluting 50billion cubic litres

This figure represents 3.5% of global water usage for crop production

60kg of water is used to create a cotton t-shirt, from cultivation of cotton through to production

An additional 45kg is discharged as waste per kg of output

Does not take into account the use of water once owned by the consumer.

The aral SeaAral sea now just 15% of its original sizeloss of water also affects the livelihoods of all those using the sea, which was at one time home to 24 native species of fish providing 40,000 tonnes of fish a year surrounding biodiversity severely damaged with only an estimated 15-20% of the Tugai Forests remaining –home 29 plants species endemic to central Asia

Aral Sea now(ish)

A pair of jeans and a shirtJeans Shirt

1 kg of final cotton textile, one requires 11,000 litres of watertherefore 2700 litres for 1 cotton shirt.45% is irrigation water consumed (evaporated) by the cotton plant41% is rainwater evaporated from the cotton field during the growing period14% is water required to dilute the wastewater flows that result from the use of fertilisers in the field and the use of chemicals in the textile industry

This is where we are!

Alternatives/DiversificationFlax - The plant from which cellulose linen fiber is obtained. Linen is used in apparel, accessories, draperies, upholstery, tablecloths, and towels.Nettle - This plant grows in almost all types of soils and it requires very little fertilization because the minerals are not leached out of the ground. Can be more finely woven than cotton and can have the gloss of silk. The fiber is hollow and this makes it possible for nettle fabric to breathe and be insulating at the same timeLenpur - novel textile fiber from a renewable resource: cellulose carefully selected from the branches of special trees. main differences in Lenpur compared to other cellulose fibers is its softness, its absorption capacity, its ability to release dampness (as a yarn or fabric), its deodorant properties, and its absorption characteristics

Alternatives/DiversificationMilk - liquid milk is dried and its proteins extracted. The separated proteins are then dissolved in a chemical solution and placed into a machine that essentially whirls the fibers together. The fibers can then be spun into yarn and woven into fabric. Milk fabric holds dye, is breathable and it captures the moisture to make skin tender and smooth like after taking a milk bath.Banana - The raw materials come from the stem that farmers leave in the garden after a banana harvest. The tree stalks and leaves are removed and processed into a pliable fibre. Different layers of the stem yield fibers for specific uses: the outer layer's fibers are generally used for tablecloths while the third layer makes the finest, silkiest fabric, suitable for kimonos and saris.Fish Skin - Fish skin is regarded as industrial waste: after it’s separated from the filet for consumption, it normally gets thrown out. But now the skins are dried, bleached and eventually turned into leather. Fish skin is extremely versatile—it’s lightweight, warm, durable, thinner and softer (yet stronger!) than cow and goat skin.

Alternatives/DiversificationFlax - The plant from which cellulose linen fiber is obtained. Linen is used in apparel, accessories, draperies, upholstery, tablecloths, and towels.Lyocell/Tencel - is naturally derived from cellulose which is extracted from managed trees. It is one of the softest and most elegant fibersavailable.Hemp - A long and very strong ‘base’ fiber, hemp fiber has been used for thousands of years to manufacture clothing. Its rapid growing qualities and resistance to most pests make it an ideal organic crop. Hemp has natural anti-mildew, UV protection and thermodynamic as well as hypoallergenic properties.Pineapple - Pineapple fiber or Piña is a strong white or creamy cobweb-like fiber drawn from tall leaves of an indigenous pineapple plant. The fiber is hand stripped from the leaves in lengths of about 18 inches to 3 feet, sun-bleached, hand knotted and spun. As piña fiber recovery is only about 1%, it can take six months to gather enough fiber to produce two pounds of spun piña.

Alternatives/DiversificationBamboo - Bamboo is the fastest growing wooden plant in the world; it grows in many different countries and climates. Its quick growth (up to 3-4 feet a day) and its resistance to bugs and sickness make it an ideal eco crop. However, there is a lot of debate on whether the processing of the bamboo plant into fabric is truly sustainable. Bamboo fabric is made of 100% bamboo pulp fiber. The fabric is naturally antibacterial and eco-friendly. It breathes easier, is cooler than cotton in warm weather and has been said to feel like a cross between cashmere and silk.

Soy - An eco-friendly fabric made from a by-product of soybean oil production. It’s a sustainable textile fiber made from renewable and biodegradable resources. It’s part of an effort to move consumers away from petrochemical textile products and turn waste into useful products.

Blue sky thinking

Catalytic Clothing - explores how textiles can improve ambient quality and came up with the world’s first air-purifying dress,

And jeans

Wearable Technology

3D Printing

A message from kate moss

Thank You

Contact:

christian@inclusi.co

Website:

www.inclusi.co