I conducted a survey to understand peoples thought on designers encouraging sustainability within their work in the fashion industry. A total of 32 people completed my survey.

The first two questions asked about age and gender to help me understand the variety of people that were completing my survey.

The most popular age range was 21-30, with 15-20 not far behind and more females completed my survey than males.

My next question aimed to understand the current views of sustainability within the fashion industry and if people think the industry is promoting it well.

This showed that most people think the industry are doing an ok job but they really need to engage with the wider community more and make more people aware of sustainability within the industry as well as outside of it.

My next question was open ended and asked ‘How do you think designers could promote sustainability within the Fashion Industry?’, these were a few suggestions.

• Higher end brands could put more effort into implementing it into their production i.e. Gucci or Calvin Klein
• Upcycle/Recycle clothes, have a system for recycling clothes eg in stores you could get like £5 off purchase if you recycle your clothes there??
• Social Media and advertising to promoting a more sustainable approach and show their use of sustainable materials, responsibly sourced and manufactured in safe environments where workers earn fair wages
• Have a bigger focus within the industry to use more sustainable materials and methods
• Fashion designers need to be pioneering sustainable techniques and ensuring those techniques become the standard
• Push and market the sustainable garments they sell over others and make it a priority to try and reduce fast fashion and single wear items
• Being open with their sustainability goals and what they are doing to achieve them

My next question asked ‘Do you think Fashion Designers are highlighting the issues of sustainability in their work?

This result was split 50/5o both ways which was very interesting.

I then wanted to understand how people think fashion designers highlight sustainable issues in their work for example fabrics or social media e.c.t.

I expected fabric to be the highest of the choices as the use of sustainable materials is often at the forefront of fashion brands ethos.

My last two questions of the survey were open ended to gage an insight to people views on fashion designers who they think are delivering a sustainable message and what could the industry do more of to draw attention to sustainability.

Fashion Designers included:

• Addidas
• Stella McCartney
• Patagonia
• Isko
• Vivienne Westwood
• H&M
• Gucci
• Levi
• Alexander McQueen and now Sarah Burton

Suggestions of how the industry could draw more attention to Sustainability included:

• get big brands to heavily embrace it
• Celebrities help
• Source materials from a reputable sustainable source and cut back on fast fashion
• Make affordable clothing from natural fibres and materials and Advertise their support of fair wages and working conditions for manufacturers.
• To really mean it and not jump on the bandwagon
• Sustainable fashion week
• Advertisement
• Bring attention to the processes behind the product. For example – X amount of liters of water to make 1 tshirt – Y number of cotton plants per pair trousers – Z number of miles travelled from factory to store
• Offer more incentives to those designers who manage to be sustainable in all of their designs.
• Larger campaigns to make people aware

I think by conducting a survey, I have generated greater research into people views of sustainability within the fashion industry. I have also understood areas that I need to conduct further research on such as designers and ideas of how the industry could draw more attention to the issue.

Actively questioning the harm the fashion industry has done and is doing to the planet since the 1980s Katherine Hamnett engages in activism. She uses fashion as a way of making society take notice of the damaging effects the industry has on the environment.

In 1983, she produced slogan t-shirts which soon became her signature item after wearing one which quoted ‘58% Don’t Want Pershing’ to a meeting with Margret Thatcher. This was a direct message to Thatchers decision to allow US Cruise Missiles to be stationed in Britain (Browne, 2016). In 1989 she produced a collection which she hoped would encourage the fashion industry too reflect on the impact that cotton farming had on the environment and the farmers which was named ‘Clean up or Die’.

In 2011 she launched a label named Katherine E Hamnett which showed the commitment to organic cotton, certified factories and advanced dying and water treatment facilities. In 2012 a stand to the industry was shown through a collaboration with the Environment Justice Foundation which was sold through H&M and was named ‘Save the Future’.

In 2006, designers started to lead the way with sustainable designs which we covering the catwalks.

Galahad Clark in 2008 showcased a collection based on an Eco Design Matrix which combined ‘efficiency, aesthetics, functionality, environmental consideration and recyclability’.

Christopher Raeburn drew a design code for resourcefulness and started a Re-Made label in 2008 using repurposed objects to create unique and interesting designs.

M&S in 2007 set out commitments to limit their impact on climate change by using renewable energy, committing to fair trade cotton and encouraging energy conservation through the introduction of ‘wash at 30’ labels.

However, whilst brands and designers like these were making a difference, cheap and fast fashion was accelerating and a link between global warming and waste was made.

You can watch some of the featured items such as the ones explained here via this link.

If fashion contributes to our happiness and necessities then we need to find a way to harmonize the industry with nature. Thought and thought-provoking designs need to be better than what they are today and changing how fashion is designed and made needs to become just this.

Some designers are approaching fashion with a resourceful mindset and will only work with materials which are readily available. Even with the fashion industry being very competitive, competitors such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma are working together and sharing resources to ensure that the businesses do not contribute to the degeneration of nature. Other companies share the journey of their products and believe in transparency and traceability of products.

Designers such as Alexander McQueen are weaving ecological thinking into their design practices whether it be biomimicry or through perspectives of human and nature within different locations.

‘Everything I do is connected to nature in one way or another’ – Alexander McQueen

There are two distinct movements which are happening now:

1. It reflects on and reacts to increasingly urgent concerns about environmental change and the welfare of the worlds most vulnerable people.
2. It responds to market forces and capitalizes changes in the economic, technological and political landscapes.

The pace of fashion is increasing hugely, from cheap and fast shipping rates, free trade agreements for fast delivery of raw materials and the ease and speed of internet shopping.

The idea of the Fashioned from Nature Exhibition is to exhibit the ‘simple but profound truth that fashion is made from nature. Nature provides the source for each garment that we choose to wear as our second skin. Fashion is made from nature and is dependent on it. Land, water, air and people, form fashion’s supply chain, from growing to manufacturing, transportation and delivery into our hands and our everyday lives’. – (Fashioned From Nature, 2018)

Fashion is a significant contributor to climate change as fashion is made from nature. Its industrial processes use huge amounts of water, chemicals and fossil fuels which in effect degrade the land and diversity of nature and its animals as well as producing 1.9billion tonnes of waste each year.

Fashion contributes to biodiversity and ecosystem degradation in a number of ways.

1. In order to make cellulosic fabric, approximately 120 million trees (1/3 are ancient or endangered) are cut down annually
2. Fashion uses water for cotton growing, fabric dyeing and garment production. An average of 8,183 liters of water in needed to grow enough cotton for one pair of jeans. And 72 chemicals are released for 1 ton of fabric which uses 200 tons of water.
3. Toxic Chemicals are used in creating raw and finished materials and more chemicals are used in cotton than any other plant. There are 8,000 chemical in 1 piece of clothing
4. Oil based fibers such as polyester release 3 times more carbon dioxide in its life cycle than most other materials.

During the 20th century, technological advancements led to faster methods of travel, more commercial interaction, expansion of man-made fibre and new fibre with new characteristics, uses and qualities.

With new technologies came new Tv and Radio programs which led to the interest in the countryside and the nature within it. Britain created an identity of ‘Englishness’ which was reflected in fashion by the use of tweed cloth and garments such as knitted sweaters and waterproofs which was then associated with British Style.

New fashion remained firmly in coutures control throughout this era. The fresh talent that emerged were inspired by street, subcultures, lifestyles and politics. This helped each designer create an identity which then led to the creation of Fashion centers such as Milan, London, Paris and New York. The high quality ready to wear fashion paved the way for the youth in the 1960s which led to the development of designers such as Mary Quant and Ossie Clark. This expansion led the fashion industry to spread amongst high- street stores and was what increased the scale of the industry and the impacts fashion was having on the environment.

Due to the development of fabrics, new high performance fabrics were created and allowed for greater fit, comfort and were easy to look after. Cotton was rebranded by Coco Chanel as Britains best quality fabric when an evening wear collection was made out of it. In contrast to this, denim emerged and soon became high fashion. People would buy denim and manipulate it to create different looks, but 10 years later consumers were expecting instant gratification which led to significant change in the value of clothing and placed fashion over durability and longevity.

Designers started to use advertisement to their advantage, and made consumers know what fibre they were using to determine the luxury of the clothing. For example, Jaeger in 1933, used a drawing of a goat in its natural habitat and qouted ‘the cashmere goat’ which encouraged customers to make informed choices about what materials they were buying. In the 1970s and 80s, British knitwear designers paved the way in fashion. Hand Craft was revolutionized and it drew on traditional pattern and colors. Alongside this, the creation on linen also emerged, leading to draping techniques and loose fitting clothing. Leather, which was once seen as a wealth symbol and had high longevity, soon became as short and the trend in the 1960s and 70s.

The production of viscose began in the early 1900s but this led to more man made fibres being woven and knitted into fabrics. In tandem to this was the development of man-made plastics which was seen as an affordable substitute for rare materials such as turtle shell and ivory. The versatility of plastic was recognized in all areas of fashion and designs were seen as sleek and uncluttered.

The next creation was nylon, polyesters, lycra and PVC which expanded the development of fashion creations and new qualities which led to new ideas and designs. But there was public concern about pollution increase and after many years of development a cellulosic fibre made from sustainably grown plantation, named Tencel was produced. This aimed to recover 99% of non toxic solvent.

The industry had huge reliance on non-renewable energy sources, the manufacturing of fibers and chemical dying of cloths which was impacting hugely on the environment. Concerns with threats for the environment led to more establishments of campaign groups which included the Marine Conservation Society, WWF, Greenpeace and many more.

The 1800s bought around new methods of transport, cheaper books, museums with history collections and greater opportunities for people to learn about natural history and enjoy the countryside. Transport such as trains allowed people to visit places such as the seaside and other areas of natural beauty, as well as visiting exhibitions which showcased raw materials and manufactured goods.

Fashion continued to be led by the Royal family and elite groups during this time but by the end of the nineteenth century, celebrities started to influence others as well. The fashion trade started to boom from advertisement in newspapers and magazines, and many dressmakers and milliners were expected to know the current trends and recreate them.

Charles Fredrick Worth started to change the industry by offering clients original designs. The business offered garments and accessories as well as ready to wear items which could be viewed seasonly in fashion collections. The growth of read-made clothing was facilitated by the falling cost of the textile industry and improved methods of pattern cutting and the introduction of a sewing machine led to cheap labour. This was the start of a business strategy which focused on cash sales, fast turnovers, low costs and bold advertisement. Stock began to be popular as people had fashionable garments to wear to every occasion and could purchase it and wear it the same day but, the scale to meet the physical, social and cultural needs escalated leading to the demand for raw materials was much higher.

Cottons of all qualities were produced to meet requirements of the ready made industry along with the demand needed for lace and embroidery. The pineapple cloth was a new fibre to the industry and was exhibited in the Great Exhibition to show the potential of use of using it in fashion. Along with this, glass was spun to produce fine threads in an attempt to have less reliance on silk which the royals soon took a liking too. However, silk was now becoming a man made material which followed with the production of viscose and rubber. Rubber was soon used for waterproof coats and Viscose for elastic in shoes but one of the most integral finds was coal tar which ‘transformed the color palette of textiles’. But coal tar did have its hindrance, it didn’t react well will body heat causing swelling, sickness and rashes which led to the return of natural dyes but combing them with synthetic dyes to create a faster and healthier process.

Bugs and Birds began to be used to decorate clothing or create accessories. Bugs such as Buprestidae, Mackech Beetles and Fireflies were worn dead or alive to create mesmerizing pieces. On the other hand birds were imported to ornament a dress, create fans and dress hair. Things such as this shows our complicated relationship with nature and how we manipulate it to make things useful, beautiful or rare. Furs started to become easier to work with, with modernized techniques, but people started to disagree with the cruelty and bloodsport of animals to create such things.

This led to the start of protecting species, animals and land by using acts to do so. Groups were formed to help with these different acts and formed a lot of pressure in order for the acts to be put in place, but air and water pollution was beginning to increase with the continuation of industrialization. The textile industry was polluting rivers with chemicals, soap and oil making them look like rivers of ink. An act was put in place to stop waste of all kinds entering rivers, with local authorities enforcing the legislation, but some accepted it was a price to pay for the industry to develop.

During this time, trade, exploration and wars between Europes nations opened new sources of raw materials and new territory to be documented.

In the early modern period lighter fabrics were fashionable and with them having little quality or durability to them it promoted more purchases. The excitement for new and refreshed silks was initiated from the royals who couldn’t wait to discard old garments and advertise the latest patterns and colors. ‘To be wasteful was against the laws of God and nature. Expensive silks were kept and reused long after their patterns went out of fashion’. Many clothes were repaired, trimmed, handed to relatives, passed to servants or even taken to a second-hand market. Certain parts of a garment were unpicked and re-used such as lace, embroidery, beads and threads.

From the early seventeenth century fibre such as animal, silk, wool and plant produced textiles which were dyed and decorated in different ways. But silk was proving to be difficult to manufacture and weave with the British Climate and therefore started to be imported in from other countries. The most sustainable textile development was Wool and with its excellent properties, tailoring became easy and the mans wardrobe developed. Linen was similar to that of wool and is thought to have come from Flax but the manufacturing of this couldn’t meet British demands and was regularly imported. To retain its whiteness, bleaching processes were used combined with buttermilk from the diary industry. This fabric was used for underwear, liners, gowns and waistcoats. Cotton was also employed and was used mainly for household furnishings, but it soon entered the clothing industry and The East India Company created many weights, colors, textures, patterns and purposes of it meeting the needs of everybody. Alongside these fibre, Whalebone was often used to stiffen fabrics and shape a women body. Other creatures provided skins for fur-lined garments and hats and using the whole body was important for value and showing you weren’t creating waste. Accessories were also an important part of a humans wardrobe, with them being made from ivory and pearl.

By the 1800s, ‘the processes that supported the fashion industry and its rising demands for raw materials were beginning to have an impact on the environment and some animal populations’. This included things such as destroying areas of natural beauty for manufacturing, decline in species on land and water due to hunting, and the need for water throughout growing and manufacturing of textiles.

For as long as we can remember, nature and the environment has provided inspiration for textile designs. These initial inspirations were started by painters, weavers and embroiders looking at scientific flower books and heading to locations such as Lourve Palace to create what they could see. One of the most admirable floral pattern silk designers in the 1600s was Anna Maria Garthwaite who’s botanical designs became the characteristics of English Silks. Later on, Textile printing allowed for greater intricacy and detail and William Kilburn was able to create more realistic works of art.

In August 2018, I visited an exhibition at the V&A called Fashion From Nature.

The exhibition aimed to explore the complex relationship between fashion and nature from the 1600’s to the present day through ‘350 unique objects, including a pineapple fibre clutch – bag, a cape of cockerel feathers, and Emma Watson’s Calvin Klein dress made from recycled plastic bottles’- Modern Painters (2018, p.162). Everything we wear is fashioned from some source of nature whether it be, the raw materials which they are made from or their design inspiration. From the beginning it was a real eye opener to see fashion being thought in this way; it made you realise how much of a help nature has been in helping develop fashion. Fashions demands threaten the environment greatly and it is becoming a considerable concern in the twenty-first century due to the industry going global.

When walking around the exhibition, it takes you on a journey of ups and downs throughout the centuries and what is happening now and what may happen in the future. The biggest aim of Fashioned by Nature is to reduce fashions consumption of the earth’s natural resources. It introduces some of the solutions being developed today to minimize fashions impact.

The different sections in the exhibition looks at ‘commonly used fabrics (cotton, linen, silk and wool), controversial materials like whalebone and mother-of-pearl, and intriguing alternatives such as spun glass, vegetable ivory and pineapple fibre.’ – Modern Painters (2018, p.162)

What I found the most inspiring was the atmosphere created from other people viewing the exhibition at the same time. The bottom floor had a feel of amazement and awe due to the fine needlework of embroided dresses, lace being created from wood and whale bones being used to create structure. Then as you walked to the top floor-its like a realization kicked in and what we are actually doing is destroying all that you have been amazed about. The top floor contained modern dresses inspired and created from nature but also garments that have destroyed it such as jeans! 

The whole exhibition made me more aware about the effects of fashion on nature as well as giving me inspiration to up-cycle more and think about the effects I create on the world. It has also given me more ideas about how fashion can help with my design work such as exploring 3D possibilities and using nature to create beautiful garments. 

‘ In clothing, it means sourcing and production that do not pollute through the process of manufacture and do not deplete non-renewable resources, whether those are planetary or human. It refers to clothing that can be absorbed back into the environment when it has reached the end of its life’ – Textile View Magazine (2019, pp.6-7)

The fashion and textiles industry employs one sixth of the worlds population and uses more water that any other industry apart from agriculture. The industry uses harmful chemicals, toxins and energy and a lot of them which is one of the largest contributors to global warming. This industry compared to other industries seriously lacks business practices in ethical design and production. From big carpet events with high-profile celebrities to influencers posting their latest shop hauls, people are encouraged to not take responsibility with looking after the planet through the Fashion Industry.

The damage of the planet is of an extremely high focus in all aspects of life, and fashion brands are now taking on the role of trying to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions, waste, chemical and toxin release and so much more. The industry has seen many social and political statements and therefore the eco statement has to be next. Many brands and designers need and are wanting to become more earth friendly, create eco trends, market campaigns, renew business models to be sustainable, innovate new ideas that help the planet and so much more.

I am inspired by this topic and feel the urge to want to help and encourage designers to be more sustainable. The facts are already there and have been researched in detail, but they will not change unless the industry as a whole start to make a move. I find it so ironic that we look to nature constantly for design but yet we are destroying it. This research written on this post, is what made me think of how I could help do my bit for the planet. My current project for my final fashion collection focuses on my local fishing village and my Shetland pony. I carried out beach cleans and was so devastated by how much waste was washing up on such a short small part of the coastline, and this waste included fabrics, jumpers and shoes!!! The industry needs to be more resourceful to the planet, which is why I looked at how the Shetland pony was resourceful in many ways to a human; it can live in all temperatures, it is one of the strongest horses bred and can carry more than double its weight, it can live off seaweed and do so much more! I therefore wanted to create a collection that combined the two, it shall be utilitarian, strong and also show the impact of waste in the ocean.

Here is a link to view my current project.

If more designers could focus on the elements that would make their work more sustainable to the planet, the terrifying facts would decrease, but they won’t unless everyone makes a change!