In Fashion Design 2023
The Fibers We Like：
The FIBERS WE LIKE are “eco-friendly” fibers, which means that their production process has a low impact on the environment and meets at least half of the below criteria:
A note on ‘synthetic’ fibers：
Sustainable synthetic fibres and fabrics are sourced in one of two ways: from recycled petrochemical feedstocks (such as plastics recycling); or either in part or whole, from a natural source such as fungi or sugar (sometimes called ‘bio-based synthetics’).
Through research and development in fibre technology and work on commercialisation, the fashion industry is embracing these alternatives. Companies are racing to find the most technically superior and cost-effective method to replace virgin fibre.
The Fibers We Avoid：
The FIBERS WE AVOID have one or several of the below notably negative environmental impact. We consider these impacts serious enough to try to discard these fibers from our wardrobe:
A note on ‘natural’ fibers：
Before we begin, let’s clear up one common misconception. Often, so-called “natural” fibres are neither natural nor necessarily sustainable. As we’ll learn below, conventional cotton production is one of the most environmentally harmful agricultural activities around. And that’s before we even look at how cotton is transformed into cloth. Be mindful of brands greenwashing by claiming their clothes are “all natural” when that doesn’t necessarily mean they are taking any steps to source fabrics that are made with people, the planet, and animals in mind.
Recycled Fibers
Recycled Wool：
Recycled wool is also very sustainable option. Apart from diverting used wool garments from landfills, it saves a considerable amount of water, reduces land use for sheep grazing and avoids the use of chemicals for dyeing. Recycled wool contributes to a reduction of air, water, and soil pollution.
Few certification labels exist to ensure consumers that wool is really recycled, such as Global Recycled Standard (GRS).
▲Organicbasics, knitted crewneck sweater
Recycled Textile：
A lot of researches are currently going in that direction: making textile from textile waste. As we generate so much textile pre-consumer as well as post-consumer waste, it makes total sense to re-use it instead of throwing it away. However, due to the difficulty to separate fibers blend and other technological challenges, this type of textile is not yet easily available.
We found the following great and sustainable brands and trademarks using such technology: Circulose®; NuCycl™, Liva Reviva, Textloop™.
Recycled Cotton：
Recycled cotton prevents additional textile waste and requires far fewer resources than conventional or organic cotton. This makes it a great sustainable option.
Cotton can be recycled using old garments or textile leftovers. The quality of the cotton may be lower than of new cotton. Recycled cotton is therefore usually blended with new cotton.
The production of recycled cotton is still very limited.
▲Wawwa, recycled blanket
Recycled Nylon：
Recycled Nylon has the same benefits as recycled polyester: It diverts waste from landfills and its production uses much fewer resources than virgin nylon (including water, energy and fossil fuel).
A large part of the recycled nylon produced comes from old fishing nets. This is a great solution to divert garbage from the ocean. It also comes from nylon carpets, tights, etc.
Recycling nylon is still more expensive than new nylon.
▲Outerknown, Palomar crop top
Recycled Polyester：
Recycled polyester, often called rPet, is made from recycled plastic bottles. It is a great way to divert plastic from our landfills.
There are 2 ways to recycle polyester: For mechanical recycling, plastic is melted to make new yarn. This process can only be done a few times before the fiber loses its quality. Chemical recycling involves breaking down the plastic molecules and reforming them into yarn. This process maintains the quality of the original fiber and allows the material to be recycled infinitely.
▲Patagonia, fleece cardigan
Sustainable Plant-based Fibers
Linen：
Linen is a natural fiber which stems from the flax plant. It uses considerably fewer resources than cotton or polyester (such as water, energy, pesticides, insecticides, fertilizers).
Flax can grow in poor soil which is not used for food production. In some cases, it can even rehabilitate polluted soil. Flax plants also have a high rate of carbon absorption. For these reasons, we consider linen to be a sustainable material.
▲People Tree, sleeveless dress
Hemp：
Hemp fabric comes from the plant with the same name. It is one of the fastest growing plants and it doesn't need much water, energy, pesticide, or fertilizers. The plant is very good for soil, it can be grown for many years in the same place without exhausting it. This is why hemp is considered to be eco-friendly.
Hemp has very similar properties to linen. They are often difficult to differentiate.
▲8000 Kicks, Explorer V2 shoes
Organic Cotton：
It is grown from non-GMO seeds and without the use of pesticides, insecticides, or fertilizer. Unlike conventional cotton, organic farmers use ancestral farming methods, including crop rotation, mixed farming, or no-till farming to preserve the soil. Organic cotton uses up to 71% less water than conventional cotton according to some sources.
Several organizations have established certifications for organic cotton such as GOTS, USDA-NOP, Organic Content Standards, IVN, and Naturland. Certification is the only proof that a product is truly organic.
▲Nudie Jeans
Ramie：
Ramie and stinging nettle, or European nettle, are plants used to produced a fiber similar to linen. They are not very common but they are considered sustainable.
Nettle clothing is cool in the summer and warm in winter. Yarn producers use this property by twisting the yarn lengths closed for cool summer clothes to reduce insulation while using a low twist for winter clothes to keep the hollow fibre open to allow for a constant temperature. Quite clever, isn't it?
Natural Rubber：
Natural rubber, therefore, comes from a renewable resource, the harvesting of rubber doesn’t harm trees but actually helps the tree to flourish. It protects forests from being cut down as it gives value to the exploitation of the tree.
Rubber from FSC®-certified forest is even better as it ensures the good environmental management of the forest. There is also a Fair Rubber Association label, ensuring a better living for natural latex (rubber) producers. Rubber is also easy to recycle & biodegradable.
▲Etiko, natural rubber thong sandal
Sustainable Animal-based Fibers
Alpaca：
Alpacas are mainly bred in the Peruvian Andes. Alpacas are much more eco-friendly than cashmere goats, because they cut the grass they eat instead of pulling it out, which allows for the grass to keep growing. Additionally, Alpacas have soft padding under their feet, which is more gentle for the soil than goat or sheep hooves.
They need very little water and food to survive and produce enough wool for 4 or 5 sweaters per year while a goat needs 4 years to produce just one cashmere sweater.
▲Alpaca Collections, alpaca cardigan
Silk：
Silk is a protein fiber spun by silkworms and is a renewable resource. Silk is also biodegradable. For these reasons, we consider silk a sustainable fiber. However, chemicals are used to produce conventional silk, so we will always consider organic silk to be a better option.
Because conventional silk production kills the silkworm, animal rights advocates prefer “Peace Silk”, Tussah, Ahimsa silks which allow the moth to evacuate the cocoon before it is boiled to produce silk.
▲The R Collective, rescued silk dress
Sustainable Wool：
We have found the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), which ensures that farms use best practices to protect the land, and treat the animal decently.
Certified organic wool guarantees that pesticides and parasiticides are not used on the pastureland or on the sheep themselves, and that good cultural and management practices of livestock are used. Certified organic wool is still pretty rare on the market. GOTS seems to be the only organization certifying organic wool.
▲Swedish Stockings, organic marino wool tights
Sustainable Cashmere：
As we can see in the related section, conventional cashmere has very significant consequences for the environment.
The good news is that there are a few sustainable cashmere options addressing these environmental problems and give us the possibility to buy cashmere without a guilty conscience: Sustainable cashmere® by Chianti Cashmere.
Sustainable Leather：
Conventional leather is heavily criticized for the environmental impact of the tanning process. But leather can also be eco-friendly. There are not many options in the market yet, but they do exist. These include Ecolife™ by Green Hides, which creates eco-friendly, chrome-free leather in Italian tanneries that recycle and purify wastewater.
The Leather Working Group is also promoting sustainable environmental practices within the leather industry.
Responsible Down：
The main issue of conventional down is the live-plucking of birds which is cruel and painful to the animal.
For those wanting to use down and enjoy its durability, its lightweight, and warmth, we recommend looking for certified responsible down (Responsible Down Standard) or recycled down.
▲Outerknown, responsible down jacket
Semi-synthetic Fibers
Lyocell (Tencel ®)：
Lyocell is a manufacturing process of rayon which is much more eco-friendly than its relatives modal and viscose. Lyocell is made in a closed-loop system that recycles almost all of the chemicals used. “Lyocell” is the generic name of the manufacturing process and fiber. Tencel® is the brand name of the lyocell commercialized by the company Lenzing AG. Tencel® is made from eucalyptus from PEFC certified forests. Eucalyptus trees grow quickly without the use of pesticides, fertilizers or irrigation.
Loncell is another rayon developed by Aalto University in Finland, similar to Lyocell but considered to be even more sustainable.
Orange Fiber：
Orange Fiber is an innovative fabric made from orange skins that comes from the juice industry wastes.
Orange Fiber is the world’s first brand to produce sustainable fabrics from citrus juice by-products. The innovative process has been patented since 2014 in the main citrus juice producing countries all over the world.
▲Orange Fiber & E. Marinella, pocket squares and lady silk scarves
Piñatex：
Piñatex comes from pineapples and has entered the sustainable fashion world as a sustainable and cruelty-free replacement for leather. It’s essentially a food byproduct, made from scrap pineapple leaves that are otherwise burned. It reduces waste and can biodegrade naturally even when frequently combined with wood-based PLA.
Just note some Pinatex brands also cover it in non-biodegradable resins which sort of defeats the point.
▲Piñatex, bag
Sustainable Viscose：
Conventional viscose is usually not very sustainable because its production involves a lot of chemicals, heavily harmful to the environment when they are released in effluents.
However, we can find few available sustainable options in the market which worth mentioning such as ENKA®, Eastman Naia™, EcoVero™.
Cupro：
Cupro is an artificial cellulose fiber made from Linter Cotton (or Cotton wastes). In order to obtain the ready to weave yarn, the extracted cellulose is soaked in a bath of a chemical solution called «cuprammonium », hence the Cupro Name.
All the process is made in closed-loop. The large quantities of water and chemicals used in the production of Cupro are therefore constantly reused until they are completely exhausted. The chemicals used are free of toxic or dangerous compounds for health and the environment.
Unsustainable Fabric
Cotton：
Cotton is mainly produced in dry and warm regions, but it needs a lot of water to grow. In some places, like India, inefficient water use means that up to 20,000 liters of water are needed to produce 1kg of cotton. In the meantime, 100 million people in India do not have access to drinking water.
99.3% of cotton grown globally is not organic, therefore means uses chemicals and is genetically modified seeds. Cotton represents 10% of the pesticides and 16% of the insecticides used globally.
Wool：
Wool as such is a renewable natural fiber, so it could have been considered an environment-friendly option. Unfortunately, the extensive sheep farming practiced to meet the global demand has had disastrous consequences on the environment. Overgrazing means that the vegetation does not have enough time to grow back before it is consumed. The soil becomes weak and vulnerable to erosion and desertification.
Leather：
Leather is a controversial fiber. First of all, it is not an animal-friendly option, since it is made of dead animal skin. But environmental and social concerns related to leather are mostly linked to the tanning process: Toxic chemicals are used (chromium in 75% of cases) to transform the skins into wearable leather. Those substances are often dumped into rivers, polluting freshwater and oceans.
Cashmere：
The main environmental issue stemming from cashmere is the fact that goats pull the grass out by the roots when they eat instead of cutting it. As a result, the grass does not grow back, leading to land desertification. This, combined with an overpopulation of goats, results in a real environmental threat. Mongolia is now suffering the consequences of this overgrazing through cashmere goats.
Down：
The main sustainability issue with down is that part of the world’s supply of down feathers is directly taken (“plucked”) on live birds. This practice has been largely denounced due to the suffering of the animal. It is now banned in some countries but still authorized in others.
Polyester：
Polyester is the most common fiber in our garment. We can find it in 52% of our clothes. Polyester is a synthetic fiber derived from petroleum, a nonrenewable fossil fuel. As we know, the transformation of crude oil into petrochemicals releases toxins into the atmosphere that are dangerous for human and ecosystem health. The production of polyester also highly energy intensive.
Rayon：
Rayon is a fiber from regenerated cellulose, generally derived from wood pulp. Rayon is usually made from eucalyptus trees, but any plant can be used (such as bamboo, soy, cotton, etc). To produce the fiber, the plant cellulose goes through a process involving a lot of chemicals, energy and water. Solvents used during the process can be very toxic to humans and to the environment. Viscose, modal, lyocell and bamboo are different types of rayon.
Other Synthetic Fibers：
Acrylic, polyamide, nylon, polypropylene, PVC, spandex (AKA lycra or elastane), aramide, etc, are all different types of synthetic fibers that are derived from petroleum and therefore have a very similar impact on the environment as polyester.
Bamboo：
Bamboo is usually sold as an eco-friendly textile. This is partially true, as the bamboo plant is potentially one of the world's most sustainable resources. It grows very quickly and easily, it doesn’t need pesticides or fertilizers, and it doesn’t need to be replanted after harvest because it grows new sprouts from the roots. However, to turn bamboo into fiber, bamboo is processed with strong chemical solvents that are potentially harmful to the health of manufacturing workers, the consumers wearing the garment, and to the environment when chemicals are released in wastewater.
Vegan Leather：
Vegan leather is usually made of PVC or polyurethane, which are synthetic fibers that have a similar environmental impact to polyester. It is certainly better for animal welfare, but it is not an eco-friendly option. However, some plant-based substitutes of leather exist, such as the pineapple fiber.
Sustainable Fabric Suppliers
ECONYL® regenerated nylon is a product of Aquafil, a global leader in the synthetic fibres industry and a pioneer in quality, innovation and sustainability.
▲ACE, backpack
MICROSILK™ is a silk-like biosynthetic fiber made by the company Bolt Threads. Microsilk™ is made through a process of fermenting water, yeast and sugar with spider DNA.
▲Adidas x Stella McCartney, tennis dress
Dupont™ Sorona® is an eco-efficient performance fiber made in part from annually renewable plant-based ingredients.
▲Tunatutu, loungewear
Re.Verso™ is re-engineering wool, cashmere, and camel using pre-consumer waste in Italy to create new, regenerated fashion materials.
▲Stella McCartney, cashmere knitwear
REFIBRA™ is a new generation of ecological fabrics made of upcycled cotton scraps from pre & post consumer cotton waste and Lenzing™ Lyocell fibers coming from wood pulp.
▲Timberland, T-shirt
SEAQUAL® YARN is almost identical in physical properties to virgin polyester and contains approximately 10% Upcycled Marine Plastic (from plastic marine litter). The remaining 90% is post-consumer PET from land sources.
▲Paul & Shark, sweatshirt
Mylo™ is a leather-like material made from mycelium, the underground root structure of mushrooms.
▲Lululemon, yoga collection
PYRATEX® are luxury knit fabrics produced from either vegetal, upcycled, or biodegradable fibers. These fibers originate from different plants, giving the fabric its unique body-caring properties.
▲Asics, yoga clothes
S.Café® technology, with a low-temperature, high-pressure and energy saving process, combines coffee grounds onto the yarn surface.
▲+MD, base layer top
COOLMAX® EcoMade fibres are made from 97% recycled resources such as PET bottles. It gives new life to plastics once sent to landfill.
▲Mark Todd, ladies grip silicone knee breeches
EcoVero™ is Lenzing’s new generation of viscose based on three pillars: the use of certified, controlled sustainable wood sources; more ecological production processes; and supply chain transparency.
▲Gap, smocked midi dress
Piñatex® is a sustainable alternative leather made out of the waste parts of a pineapple plant. It’s one of those ideas that’s good for people and for the planet.
▲Hugo Boss, sneakers
Orange Fiber fabrics are formed from a silk-like cellulose yarn that can blend with other materials.
▲Salvatore Ferragamo, neckerchief
Paper No 9: free of plastics and complex polymers, is natural, non-toxic, recycled paper material that features a variety of textures such as distressed leather, metallic, and stone.
▲Clutch Bag
LYCRA® EcoMade is an elastane/spandex fibre made with pre-consumer recycled materials. It offers the same lasting comfort and fit as the original LYCRA® fibre.
▲Mallee, jeans
Comments