A craze for sustainability has roared throughout the streets in the 21st century. It was difficult to make people from the 1990s understand the importance of using sustainable materials, but now, sustainability has become one of the biggest strategies that can be useful in many ways, especially in the creation of fashion. Sustainable fashion (best known as eco-friendly fashion) has been created to benefit people and the planet, and has become one of the main keys to creating usable fashion and has become part of the fashion industry itself. Many still do not understand the benefits of sustainability and ask, “What is sustainability and how can sustainable materials be used in the development of fashion?” The information about sustainable fashion has been answered in many ways, from good perspectives to bad ones. To know what is within a sustainable closet you must know the types of fabrics that are being used, have designers know the best ways to use sustainable materials and to find a way to introduce their products to customers, so they can be sold, and the most important thing people must know to become a part of the sustainable move, how to use it.
In fact, what is sustainable fashion? Many have asked the question and the question is answered in many different ways; even designers cannot agree on what sustainable fashion is. Frida Giannini, Gucci creative director, defines sustainable fashion as “Quality items that stand the concept of sustainability, symbolized by a timeless handbag that you wear again and again, and can pass on” (Friedman). Oscar de la Renta, designer and brand founder, states, “Sustainable fashion implies a commitment to the traditional techniques and not just the art of making clothes” (Friedman). Both have their own idea of what sustainability is and like them everyone has their own opinion as to what it can be.
First of all, you must know what types of fabrics are used in the clothing you buy. If you want to be sustainable, you cannot use materials that can harm creatures, people, or the planet. Many ways that fabric construction can harm are: “pesticides that farmers use to protect their crops can harm wildlife, contaminate the other products and food” or “the chemicals used to bleach and colour textiles can damage the environment and people’s health” (“New Strait Times”). Allowing people who create the clothing work in terrible conditions can also be harmful and be a negative method of sustainability. The main fabrics that can be known as “sustainable” are: natural fibers, such as, cotton, jute, flax, hemp, ramie, wool, silk or manufactured fibers like Lyocell (“Wikipedia”). “Organic can also be a component for sustainability. An example is cotton, which grows in the United States,” as said by FIDM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandise) Instructor Ruch. But as told by Intelligent Life Magazine, sustainable fabric is not organic or natural. They say organic is not sustainable because “the plant is less productive, which will make farmers obtain more land from wilderness and forests,” and they also say cotton is not one either because “it has large quantities of pesticides, fertilizers, and water used in its production” (“Intelligent Life Magazine”).
Following the types of fabrics used will be designers becoming sustainable and how using sustainability can create a chaotic or a successful accomplishment to their brand. For a designer to be sustainable is not as easy as it seems. To become a sustainable designer, they must “use natural, sustainable materials to make their clothing; and sustainable, renewable forms of energy to power their factories” (“Wikipedia”). They must also be one hundred percent sustainable with everything they do, because if they do not work the entire time with sustainability in their mind, they will not be branded as sustainable. Many times a sustainable designer can be discriminated by who they work, like designer Stella McCarthy, who has been eco-friendly and cruelty-free, had been judged for partnering up with Adidas – who uses kangaroo skin in some of their shoes – to create “Adidas by Stella McCarthy” as told by Ann Donehue, journalist for Hollywood Reporter. Designers can be discriminated against but can also become a great success in fashion that is sustainable. An example of a successful designer is Linda Loudermilk, who uses earth-based textiles in her products; her key fabrics are sawashi (a blend of Japanese paper and kumazasa herb) and EcoSpun (plastic bottles refined into polyester strands blended with other fibers like wool or cotton). Loudermilk has also founded the Loudermilk Institute which is “a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the quality of sustainable goods” (Donahue).
