Green at the Seams, November 12

Changing the Face of Fashion
Posted on Thursday 12th November 2009

As I have been researching the fashion industry’s strides in green production, I started to wonder whether it was important to draw a line between eco-friendly options and ethical options. Is one more important than another? Must or should the two go hand and hand?

The question is complicated, and for the most part, depends on the personal stance of the consumer. However when you break down the aspects of sustainability, you find that it doesn’t simply mean being green. Sustainability implies something beyond environmental consciousness because it also includes ethical labor wages, work environment standards, and proper animal treatment. A sustainable project also seeks to create a cycle that can maintain itself by taking overuse and depletion of resources out of the equation.

This mentality shapes socially and ethically accountable fashion into green fashion, which is possibly how it should always be. Because the terms have recently become everyday lingo, some smudging of the print has already occurred. Asking the industry to make the farm-to-store process more transparent would at least educate us all on our role in the vicious cycle of clothing production. What we’ve come to believe as a society of consumers is that the clothing we choose to wear only affects us individually. With a transparent process, though, the hundreds of hands involved in the creation of an item are illuminated rather than forgotten.

MADE-BY is a foundation that combines the concerns of NGO’s, fashion brands, and fashion producers in order to broaden the presence of sustainable fashion in the market. Brands adopt principles that those participating in the foundation have deemed necessary to improve sustainability in production. An extremely market-changing aspect of the strategy can be found in the Track&Trace part of MADE-BY brands. Downloadable from the website is a complete explanation of the ins-and-outs of how they do it, but in short: “Every link in the production chain enters production information into the database and forwards it to the next link.” The database that holds the information for each item is visible by the consumer through a code found on the “blue button” tag placed in the clothing. Tracing clothing through the chain from the grower to the sewer holds producers accountable and keeps consumers informed. Honesty is key in sustainability, and in the furthering of green fashion.

One of the first green fashion initiatives started in the ‘70s with the fair trade movement. Since one of the incentives of fair trade is to educate growers and all parties involved in sustainability, everyone (and everything) benefits. Consumers suddenly have a grasp on details they may have never even considered a part of getting dressed. When things get personal for us, we become interested. Growers gain insight into consumers interested in sustainable businesses like theirs. These basic building blocks make fair trade clothing both green and ethical.

Brewing Justice by author Daniel Jaffee gives a clear examination of the fair trade industry by delving into the true operations of a Mexican cooperative called Michiza. Fair trade cuts out the middlemen involved in conventional trade, making business more direct operations. The book discusses the hardships and difficulties involved with fair trade and does not try to mask the economic complexities involved. But in the end, Jaffee concludes that the integrity and authenticity found in fair trade ought to be strengthened.

Even Wal-Mart has started to notice that the sustainability movement isn’t going to dissipate anytime soon. In fact, when former CEO Lee Scott came on board the goal was to rethink horrendous labor practices. In the process, it was also decided that green business had to be a part of the plan as well.

Higher labor standards have often brought eco standards to the table, as a closer look at either one usually reveals that they are not-so-separate issues. In fact, when Social Accountability International looked at the labor laws in leather production, it upped the growth and processing standards to accommodate both the safety of the workers and the environment.

Companies like Gap and Timberland have also taken green fashion forward by starting to adjust all aspects of production. By joining Organic Exchange and MADE-BY, these industry pioneers have coupled the two seemingly separate movements into one.

Sustainability is working to bring back the appreciation for “face value” production. If we trace our clothes through the hands that made them, we create a virtual map of every person involved in the process. When fashion-forward ideas mean green-ethical ideas, the industry will change. And when we realize the change we could effect by choosing awareness over ignorance, the face of fashion will look entirely different.

Green at the Seams, October 22

Adorit — Fair Trade Eco Fabric Boutique
Posted on Thursday 22nd October 2009

Emma Inns is a 29 year-old entrepreneur and fashion-lover. She lives in Ottawa, Canada and owns Adorit, her own boutique, but that’s only part of her story. Because of her passion for ethically-produced, fair trade fashion, she has created a niche in the Ottawa market where sellers and buyers come together for a great green cause.

How long have you been in fashion? What brought you here?

I was always that kid who wore the craziest outfits to school and was always combining things to create funky one of kind “Emma” outfits as my mum used to call them. I officially opened Adorit in 2007 and that is when I really got into using old pieces, and creating new ones… that are all unique and one of a kind.

What is the background behind Adorit’s beginning?

I had always dreamed of traveling. […]In 2000 I went to India for [one] and half years, then returned to Canada inspired and wanting to go back to Asia as soon as possible to help the people there in some way. I decided studying would be a good idea so I went to school for tourism and got a job right out of school doing Eco tours in China. I worked there for a season and really didn’t feel totally fulfilled and was soon offered a new position in Tibet. I fell in love with Tibet and it’s (sic) people and began thinking about ways to help the people there.

Along with a friend [I] decided to do micro-loans for some of the villages in Tibet and create work opportunity programs to help with poverty in Tibet. After three years of goods being created and sold to different members of travel groups, we saw that things were really taking off and we needed to create a bigger market for our products. I again returned to Canada and set up Tashi Delek, which sold all fair trade Tibetan goods. Fashion was always a huge part of my life and after a summer of selling only Tibetan stuff, I realized I needed to branch out.

That September there was a little shop that came up for rent in Ottawa’s central Byward Market. I decided to do it. I researched and found a bunch of local people who were doing all recycled and reclaimed fashions. There was a shop located where we were before and they had carried a couple lines that fit with the Adorit concept so we continued to carry them. The last part was to get some eco-fabrics in the shop such as organic cottons, hemp and PET, which is recycled water bottles. After two years, Adorit has continued to grow at a steady pace. We are always bringing in new designers and I really feel that Ottawa has a great community for likeminded people who are all very supportive of what I am doing, and therefore made Adorit a success.

How has Adorit made a difference in Ottawa? In the lives of the designers you represent?

Adorit tries to give designers with small collections a chance to get their stuff out there, get a feel for what people like and what they want to see more of. Each of our designers is very unique in their experience … but a bunch of them have gone on to take part in Ottawa Fashion Week as well as getting their collections into other stores locally and around Canada. Some have begun to take their designs on the road and have been very successful doing art and fashion events to get the word out about their fabulous collections.

What is the mission behind the store?

To help improve the lives of people around the world, especially in Tibet, and bring attention to how important recycling and remaking is to helping heal our planet.

Why Tibet?

I was blessed with the experience of living in Tibet and working there for a few years. After a short amount of time there I knew I had to do something to give back to the people of Tibet. There is so much suffering due to the political situation. [… People there] live their lives based on compassion and peace. It would be almost impossible to have the experience I did in Tibet and not fall in love with every aspect of that incredible place.

Who typically comes into the store?

The shop is divided into three sections: (1) Canadian recycled designers, (2) fair trade goods and (3) …vintage .I try to make Adorit an attraction for all ages and all budgets. Each section attracts a different group of clientele, from students to young and older professionals, to anyone who likes to wear things that no one else has. and of course … those who have a mission of only consuming on an ethical basis.

Personally why is environmentalism important to you?

The environment is very important to me and I have always been aware of environmental issues here in Canada as well as globally. In fact, when I was 16 years old, I chained myself to a truck along with others to save the great temperate rainforest Clayoquot Sound of British Columbia, Canada. I feel very strongly about how important action NOW is, to help save our planet. I think that everyday each and every person must do something good for the planet and these little things will all add up and help heal the earth from the state it is in at present.

Are there ways you strive in your day-to-day life to be conscientious?

I bike or walk to work everyday, I recycle and I am vegetarian, to name a few things. I am also in the process of turning Adorit into a carbon neutral business and I am always looking for new ways to decrease my impact on the planet and it’s (sic) people.

Why is fair trade eco-fabric something you are passionate about?

I am passionate about fair trade first of all because I have visited sweatshops and (seen) unfair work practices around the world and am appalled at the conditions in which these people live and work. I have spoken to a few of these slave workers and listened to their horrible stories of mistreatment, working horrendous hours in horrible work environments. These peoples’ suffering is what drives me to do what I am doing and if I can [inspire] one person a day to [become] interested in learning more about fair trade then I feel I am trying to help the change manifest itself.

How can people get their hands on affordable eco-fabric? Is it possible right now?

At Adorit, we carry items that start at $5 and go up to $500. It is very possible no matter your financial situation; Adorit makes it possible to find something you love no matter what your budget.

Why should consumers support eco-fabric and stores like Adorit?

I feel it is extremely important for a couple different reasons — first, [they support] local businesses. This is the best way to keep your local communities thriving, especially in a difficult economy. Whether you can afford to spend $5 or $500, it doesn’t matter. Going out and supporting local is what matters the most. The second is [that] shopping at Adorit [support people in becoming individuals…] At the same time you are buying all ethical goods.

What are your thoughts on sustainable clothing becoming more mainstream?

I think it is great that more big companies are converting to using organic cottons as well as fair trade and sweatshop free practices. The world would be a much better place without sweatshops and slave labor both on a humanitarian level and an environmental level. I really feel that the more big fashion icons that turn to recycling and fair trade the more pressure others will feel to go this route…

Which designer/clothing line would you most like to see go green?

I would love Betsy Johnson to go green. I love her stuff and feel like it would make the green fair trade transition very smoothly.

What is your favorite sustainable/green lifestyle item to you splurge on?

Smashbox cosmetics and vintage lamps.

Do you ever redesign clothing or rework accessories in order to reuse them?

When I get free time, which is quite rare, I remake jewelry, clothes and bags. Sometimes just by changing the buttons on a coat you can recreate it into something incredible. Other times you need to put a bit more love into it and go crazy with remaking something.

Any other green inspirational words you’d like to share?

I learned in Tibet that if you live your life with love and compassion as your guide, all things will fall into place. I truly believe this is the truth.

Green at the Seams, October 5

Lessons from London Fashion Week
Posted on Monday 5th October 2009

London Fashion Week has just ended. Alongside some hot names like Antoni & Alison, Christopher Rauburn and Lola Rose, the Estethica exhibition is showing some of the newest and best designs from long-standing green brands to the latest sustainable designers. For its seventh season, Estethica is illustrating some of the fashion industry’s greatest strides in green fashion.

The British Fashion Council is backing the group of designers and manufacturers working to produce dynamic and competitive fashion lines that leave less of a footprint on our world. One such designer is Mark Liu. His new way of looking at textile design permeates the line Zero Waste, where, by using a specialized cutting technique, 15% of the material in each item is salvaged during production. For this week, Liu’s line Unicorn will present the designer’s organic fabrics and pre-consumer waste designs. These embody what he calls “the key to a brighter future.”

The options only get more fabulously interesting from there. The North Circular is an online company that will launch in October from a group of models who have partnered with a group of knitting grandmothers and friends to create eco knitwear. The concept seems far-fetched, but has caught the attention of the press and other Estethica designers. By using only ethically-produced wool from the sheep sanctuary Izzy Lane’s in North Yorkshire, the team of knitters made sixteen designs in five colors for their The North Circular Collar and Necklace, The Knights and Chunky Diamond lines.

Goodone will also show this week. The completely recycled line was birthed from the desire to rethink common production practices. Since 2005, the two founders, Nin Castle and Phoebe Emerson, have collaborated in sustainable projects such as Noki House of Sustainability, HEBA Women’s Project, and The Hemp Trading Company. An exciting step for the company, Goodone will be featured in a documentary being filmed by Japan’s NHK broadcast network that will showcase the company’s philosophy and designs.

Lastly, the shoes from Elisalex Grunfeld de Castro’s line Nina Dolcetti will make a sustainable statement in London this week. Created from pre-consumer waste materials, the designer has taken the environmentally harmful effects of leather tanning and production into consideration. In order to produce the avant-garde styles without exploitative factory production, Dolcetti has given the manufacturing responsibility to family-run factories in East London. Just because the materials are reused doesn’t mean these shoes aren’t fit for high society. As the website states, the styles “confidently walk the line between decadent pleasures and environmental awareness.”

From reusable materials to ethically-treated animals, these designers and manufacturers are changing the face of the fashion industry—this week is just another great step in the campaign.

Green at the Seams, August 12

Sustainable Fashion

Columnist Whitney Kessler
Posted on Wednesday 12th August 2009

Sometimes it is hard to see how our choices affect our world. This statement is especially true of our addiction to fashion. How can we justify overflowing landfills and polluted air? How do we disregard sweatshops and child labor? Clothing has been produced for ages in ways that we would rather not mention, but we claim to know no better.

A huge proponent of sustainable fashion, the organization Earth Pledge notes: “Fashion uses more water than any industry other than agriculture. At least 8,000 chemicals are used to turn raw materials into textiles and 25 percent of the world’s pesticides are used to grow non-organic cotton. This causes irreversible damage to people and the environment, and still two thirds of a garment’s carbon footprint will occur after it is purchased.”

However, the movement toward affordable and responsibly-produced clothing is already visible in fashion today. Consumers have begun to seek greener options and the fashion industry has no choice but to deliver. On one hand, this increased demand forces supply to inevitably follow. On the other hand, the rate and price at which the supply can actually be delivered is debatable. The issue is complicated, but more discussion leads to more interest, which leads to new and improved methods of fashion production. No one can say we have found the optimal system yet, but it is apparent that green fashion doesn’t have to be a contradiction.

Many myths have been distributed on the topic of green fashion, either by the industry itself or by misunderstood fashion forecasting. Meanwhile, not enough information has been publicized on the environmental woes within the industry. Even if the world sometimes feels saturated with information on the environment, the terms used to describe eco-friendly options are easily skewed and twisted.

Read the full story >

Green at the Seams, August 18

Green, the New Red

Columnist Whitney Kessler
Posted on Tuesday 18th August 2009

It makes sense to start our journey of green fashion at the core of daily clothing — underwear.

All too often, consumers assume that green clothing is harder to find and will be more expensive. What consumers need to remember is that when we argue against the way clothing is made, the fashion industry will be forced to answer with a more agreeable product.

I used to buy my underwear at normal department stores. I had very little knowledge of how they were produced and how they arrived at the store. I might not have even wanted to know because then I would have become responsible for my own clothing choices.

Here is what I now understand:
The issue isn’t what underwear is made out of, as much as how underwear is made.

According to Pollution Issues, a website that monitors responsible eco-practices, more pesticides are used to produce conventional cotton than any other crop worldwide.

Read the full story >

Green at the Seams, September 1

Back to school or back to bank

Whitney Kessler, Columnist
Posted on Tuesday 1st September 2009

“Globalization has made it possible to produce clothing at increasingly lower prices, prices so low that many consumers consider this clothing to be disposable. Some call it ‘fast fashion,’ the clothing equivalent of fast food.”

Luz Claudio made this statement in his article “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry” for the Environmental Health Perspectives website. Fast fashion has taken hold as lines from top designers have hit almost every large retailer, including Target and H&M. It’s not that it’s a bad idea for high-end designers to create fashion lines for the masses; the issue is the cycle that Waste Couture promotes.

The quote above is important because green fashion doesn’t just mean organically grown or locally produced clothing. It also signifies the difference between a cheap sweater and one that will last for years, which saves money and reduces landfill waste. For a simple and easy way to advance this attitude in the industry, look to the three R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle.

Read the full story >

Green at the Seams, September 23

Second Time Around – Resale Goes Upscale

Whitney Kessler – Columnist
Posted on Wednesday 23rd September 2009

With over 20 locations mostly located along the East Coast, resale store Second Time Around began as a venture that encourages consumers to recycle designer and high-end clothing. Each store buys and sells clothes, bags, shoes and accessories. I met with Sophie Newman of the New York location in SoHo. She told me about how she became involved in the resale movement and why she thinks it’s one of the best green fashion options.

What is your history in working at Second Time Around?

I met the owner [Jeffery Cassler] about a year and a half ago as I was interested in getting involved in the company and learning how they operate. Living in Boston for six years, I was familiar with the Second Time Around stores [and thought not only, “What a great concept, but a smart business venture as well!”]

The owner and I kept in touch over the next year and specifically spoke about when they were ready to open in New York. I moved here with my previous company […] I left my company in April, and the timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Second Time Around was ready to open in Soho (sic) in mid-June and I accepted the offer to come in and manage the store. It has been a great experience thus far.

How many locations are there?

We have roughly 20 locations right now. We have stores up and down the east coast (sic) ranging from Portland, Maine, to multiple locations throughout Massachusetts. Greenwich, CT, Providence, RI, Georgetown, DC, and most recently […] Chicago.

What is the mission behind the store?

The whole idea behind our store is “resale goes upscale.” Within this idea we offer contemporary, new and designer resale clothing. Our mission is to promote the idea of reusing and recycling clothing, and then reselling the items to our clients at a value that is less than retail.

Does the store partner with any other organizations or stores to promote the three R’s [reduce, reuse, recycle]?

All of our stores partner and work with various charities and local organizations. At our Soho store (sic), we work with Bottomless Closet. We donate unwanted [consignment] “dress for success” clothing to their organization. We also work with The Salvation Army to donate other unwanted goods and items.

How has Second Time Around made a difference for you in its campaign to reuse and recycle clothing?

It’s certainly made a difference as to where I shop. There are few items that I will actually pay full retail for after seeing what great deals you can get on gently used clothing. Full retail prices disgust me.

Personally why is environmentalism important to you? Or is it?

As human beings we are so wasteful in everyday life. I believe people are making more of a daily effort to become greener, but we still have a ways to go before the majority of society is on the same page. Recycling clothing is one way to cut down on […] over-consumption […] as well as a great way for people to earn a little cash and support local businesses. I look at the majority of my clothing in my closet and it makes me happy that most of it has been bought here secondhand. I also consign my clothing here as well, so for me I have a constant green cycle going on which make me feel less wasteful in life.

Read the full story >

Möbius strip blog post

September 13, 2009

So when life gave her tape, she made a cowl. The sculpted scarf, which Sheena wore to the ARS festival on Sept 6th, was created from reclaimed materials Scully found or happened upon. She used a saffron-hued caution tape from Con Edison (dangerously fabulous) and Geämi’s sustainable packaging material (not oil-based) to create the electric piece.

To read more…

Party in Ireland!

The international push for The U.P has begun. Eliza and Sheena have been in London/UK for the past couple weeks promoting and partying with supporters we’ve already gained over there. The press is picking up too! Glamour just did a spread on us for its October 2009 issue. Woot!

As the editorial/research intern, I’m spending all of my Mondays/Fridays/weekends putting together press shorts for the blog and writing posts about our progress. It is incredibly opportune to work for something like this and be at the base level where I can glean knowledge on running a foundation.

Here is my first blog post published on the foundation’s blog. It was a shout out for the party hosted for us in Ireland last night.

http://theuniformprojectblog.com/annoucements/the-uniform-party-in-ireland

the new columnist in green town

For the past month or so, I’ve been working with a team of very talented writers to produce weekly columns for GreenandSave.com. The resource Web site invited writers to pitch ideas and become a part of the project. I decided to go with the green fashion idea as it is something I am interested in exploring. They loved it! Now I’m researching and writing — two of my favorite things — again.

So far I’ve had three columns:

Sustainable Fashion

Green, The New Red

Back to School or Back to Bank

Check them all out and make comments!