Sustainable material pioneers: what does the future hold? | Guardian Sustainable Business What’s wrong with the materials I’m wearing now? It’s likely that you’re wearing cotton or polyester, two of the fashion industry’s most popular fibres. Cotton depends on large amounts of water to grow, and polyester depends on now-declining reserves of oil and gas. The idea behind sustainable materials is that they are less damaging to the environment to produce, consuming fewer natural resources and creating less pollution. Erin Smith, artist in residence at Microsoft Research explains: We are living in a time when our growing population and consumption habits are no longer going to be supportable at our present escalating rate. But what would we use instead of cotton? Bamboo, linen, hemp, sisal and even nettles are being looked into as alternatives to cotton, says Susan MacDonald, business development director at CottonConnect. However, these alternatives are grown in small volumes, so they’re more likely to reduce dependency on cotton than replace it. Wait, lab-grown leather?
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Parsons Fashion Dean Burak Cakmak Says There's a "Recognized Need for Sustainability" “There’s a recognized need for sustainability, especially if you’re a large business. We’re at a point where there’s nowhere to hide. You can’t make excuses like ‘It’s not within my control,’ or ‘I didn’t know about it.’ “There’s an expectation for all businesses to own up to their responsibilities and they have to go beyond that. “It’s a new set of rules that the industry operates in, so it’s important for design students to understand the challenges they will face as they grow, especially once they start producing more than a few hundred pieces.” —Parsons The New School for Design’s new fashion dean, Burak Cakmak, who previously oversaw sustainability strategies at Gap, Kering, and Swarovski, speaking to Business of Fashion about the “new normal” of fashion education today.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: Eileen Fisher Says "We're All in This Together" “I have always thought of the company as being about more than the clothes. Creating meaningful impact in the world is at the heart of it. Business has the power to make a difference, and can be a movement around social change. “[But] we are all in this together. “It starts by stopping to think about what you are buying and how good it is. “For me, it is about simplicity. —Designer Eileen Fisher, speaking to TakePart on Friday about the role everyone plays in creating a sustainable fashion industry.