Sustainable fashion

[Patroklus]

Have you guys heard of cloned leather? A few years ago a group even cloned some human skin and made a tiny jacket out of it.

http://www.tca.uwa.edu.au/index.html

I dislike some of their rhetoric, like "victimless leather", but the concept is really exciting. Growing skins and textiles in labs should be nearly infinitely sustainable and, eventually, probably cheaper than growing them naturally.

[xmattyx]

shifting back to this thread cause it's more suitable for the topic.
wanted to reply to the issue of durability. it's actually fascinating how some of the synthetic materials have so far developed.

Agreed. Only three years ago I was stuck buying pieces of junk from Payless, but now there are a plethora of options that are looking better and lasting longer. The durability of the Novacas Leo boots increased geometrically from SS10 to FW10. A year from now I hope to get a pair of side zips in Kombucha leather.

Note: Sustainability and ecofriendliness aren't primary concerns for me, actually (although that changes daily). I avoid purchasing any animal derived product and the two spheres often coincide.

[Ahimsa]

It's very true how much better Vegetarian Shoes are now. An employee at IF Boutique actually asked me where I got mine.

Recycled leather is actually done, and was done quite well by the shoe company U Roads. However, they seem to have vanished due to a changing hands in licensing ownership/company ownership, etc.

And now to actually contribute something useful...









"UMASAN is a holistic, vegan high end label that is dedicated towards the new health generation."

Some of their clothing is made from protein fiber. "Protein fiber is an eco-friendly fiber made from tofu manufacturing waste. The fiber is made entirely of soy protein (which is a by-product from the manufacture of tofu)."
Because just eating tofu wasn't good enough.

[genevieveryoko]

random coincidence that i should stumble upon these "upcycled" leather jackets...not all of them are as cute as this biker, but they're quite reasonably priced

http://olgaroad.com/products-page/the-cypress/c01

[xmattyx]

It's very true how much better Vegetarian Shoes are now. An employee at IF Boutique actually asked me where I got mine.

Was this recently? I was at IF a couple of weeks ago and I talked to one of the SAs who told me someone had come in with "vegan shoes that looked like Paul Harnden--they were excellent."

edit: He actually had asked me about my boots--Novacas Leos--which started the discussion.

[Ahimsa]

random coincidence that i should stumble upon these "upcycled" leather jackets...not all of them are as cute as this biker, but they're quite reasonably priced

that actually reminded me of http://platinumdirt.com/ who make clothing and accessories from recycled car upholstery.

Was this recently? I was at IF a couple of weeks ago and I talked to one of the SAs who told me someone had come in with "vegan shoes that looked like Paul Harnden--they were excellent."

edit: He actually had asked me about my boots--Novacas Leos--which started the discussion.

Not really recently but a few months ago. The guy I talked to had an accent which I believe to be...German?

[xmattyx]

Not really recently but a few months ago. The guy I talked to had an accent which I believe to be...German?

Ha! Small world. May I ask what shoes they were?

[Ahimsa]

Ha! Small world. May I ask what shoes they were?

Of course you may. They were the http://www.vegetarian-shoes.co.uk/me..._/13737_p.html

They look more grey in person and are very supple.

[Ahimsa]

Let us not forget Noir and their diffusion line Bllack Noir. I might also add that it is considered luxury in reference to the previously mentioned questions about eco-luxury.



I'm also surprised no one has brought up the Eco-Fashion book by Sass Brown yet. She was kind enough to have posted about it on this forum http://www.stylezeitgeist.com/forums...ght=sass+brown

[Ahimsa]

Gunas, the eco-vegan-luxury step up from Matt and Nat.

[Ahimsa]

Ahimsa, thanks so much for sharing all this great info! i remember that post on Sass Brown's book, but unfortunately I've never had a chance to see it or read it. Please keep on sharing stuff you know (both lines and books), it's really nice to have someone around who is more familiar with this niche!

I actually came out of lurking because I saw this thread and realized I finally had something to contribute, so thank you.

Here's an interesting one: Barabara i Gongini



What actually pointed out her eco-ness to me was the Oakazine about her.

[Prezens]

Interesting. I recently stumbled across the designer Barbara Gongini mentioned earlier, and she was on stocked in an online store which considered itself an avant-garde store, stocking the likes of Obscur and Zam Barett. I wouldn't have thought she was this eco-orientated though, which I guess shows how incorporable sustainability can be, at the higher ends of the spectrum.

I think at this stage though, considerable eco-friendly efforts would have to be driven by an innate passion for greenness, as the industry isn't at a stage yet where the option of eco-friendly materials sits side by side as an a convenient substitute. Essentially, you get a feel that designers like barbara gongini, whilst they may be on the rise, come from a school in which eco-friendliness is not a new bright idea per se, but more of a core philosophy surrounding their vision of a brand.

Having said that, I think there's actually alot of potential for artisanal designers to incorporate eco-friendly materials into their work, probably even more so than large scale factory production clothing, as such designers are naturally more focused on the fabrics used in their garments.

I don't think there needs to be major changes to make positive changes (although in the long run that would be nice), rather simply changing the way people consume would help. I suppose in a way it is the outcome of the conclusion of the postmodern citizen - constantly consuming in order to create an identity. People are cycling through visual identity after visual identity, using cheap fast-fashion to mark that out, and in the process ethics and sustainability go out the window.

I totally agree with this, and this takes us back to the issue of fashion vs style. In general, the most fashion forward people tend to be more preoccupied with developing their style by buying pieces that fit their aesthetic, rather than revamping their wardrobes to match with the current trends, as the mainstream so often do.
Having left the uni environment just a few months ago, I have seen on a very large scale students shuffling through "looks". Its crazy, to the point that for most young people, being "stylish" involves being able to pull of the current trend, rather than one who looks good in what they have decided to be their style. And whilst this is inevitable, as there's all that discovering one's identity crap going on in one's adolescence, I think the degree to which visual identities change season by season is probably one of the root causes of the "mindless consumerism" faust and others have referred to.
If more people become concerned with developing their style as opposed to "being fashionable", they will almost certainly invest in more long term/higher quality items at a higher price, which should considerably curb the rate at which cheap and wasteful/disposable clothing is churned out, which of course is the other way to implement more sustainability into clothing as a whole.

[Ahimsa]

The infamous (in my circles anyway) Pangolin backpack.
"Handmade Fair trade backpack Pangolin. Urban backpack made of recycled inner tubes of trucks."



*Also to note, Le Labo fragrances are all vegan.

[xmattyx]

I have the first season of the men's short peacoat. Very warm and comfortable, although the color is labeled as "charcoal" but it is in fact a dark green. It doesn't really fit with my current aesthetic but I recommend it. My girlfriend preordered one of her new designs so I can't comment on that yet.

[Ahimsa]

I agree with xmattyx ^. I have the men's Whitman and it is fantastic in feel. It's also perfectly well suited for my cold weather (below 0 degree Fahrenheit to around -20). I ordered one of the new season's as well (my current coat is charcoal as well) so I can update upon the quality/construction when that arrives.

I'll try and find you some alternate brands when I get on better internet later today.