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Our position on the use of synthetic fabrics like polyester
Dear WilliamZHL,
Sorry for the long delay, it is very very busy running the company and I am just returning from a visit to China where the problem you discussed is bigger and more serious than ever due to the race by western-corporate luxury fast-fashion streetwear brands to exploit the huge, poorly-informed Chinese millennial and Z-generation consumer market in what is currently a mad blitz that is affecting the entire global industry, and frankly, not for the better.
Our position on petrochemical based synthetics such as polyester, which is simply another name for plastic is clear. We believe it needs to be completely eliminated from fashion and textile industry use immediately.
If you are not aware of the current contamination situation caused by our industry's use of these materials you need to be informed and I will try help you to do so in this post.
First let's start with reading my essay entitled "The Fabric of our Civilization" in published in Many of Them magazine over 3 years ago, which already began to hammer on my colleagues including the Japanese previously mentioned and others, and the explosive of use of plastics in fashion and textiles in the past decade, both at the high and low end of the industry. I posted the article for SZ readers in July of 2014. You can, and should read it now, here…
That article however, was written before a major article in the Guardian came out reporting on the 2011 scientific ,research discovery by Dr. Mark Browne then working in Ireland, who tested ocean water samples from around the world and found that they were all contaminated with invisible plastic micro-fibres, which very likely were coming from the massive use of polyester textiles, with cutting-room dust and fibre run-off in washing, going into the world's effluent and eventually the seas. Even more alarming, was the blatant reproach by big members of our industry who claim to be green, environmental and sustainability-concerned to Dr. Browne's research, findings and attempts to get more funding for that research. They literally slammed the door shut on him. This contamination is so diffused everywhere that it means that all ocean life is contaminated with internally ingested tiny plastic particles that are now in the food chain that we too ingest. If you have not seen this article yet, you need to. Here is the link….
Patagonia's shining example: "The president stole your land. But we poisoned your water."
One of the worst culprits in this incredible story is Patagonia. Who while they claim to be so environmental and are suing the president and running a massive pr campaign about his anti-environmental policies to make themselves look great to environmentally concerned consumers, are at the same time blocking and covering up their own highly probable role in being a major contributor to the polluting of the entire planet's water with their massive use of polyester fleece that is fundamental to their core products. While they have touted the fact that much of the polyester they use is "recycled" and therefore "green," the tragic facts now clearly show that recycled or not, plastic is plastic, and used in fabric it is running off in both production, wear, and washing operations into the world's water systems. In the end, all water is connected on earth. And they know it- and they have taken the strategies used by the asbestos, tobacco, fossil fuel, and nuclear industries to deny, delay, block and evade responsibility, as indicated clearly in their actions and statements reported several years ago in this treehugger.com piece here, which you should also read…
BUT the news has gotten worse. Inspite of corporate fashion's attempts to block further research by Dr. Browne, other labs have since followed his courageous lead and have now examined the world's tap and drinking water and found the same ubiquitous and insidious contamination. In the best case, we are now looking at some 70-85 percent of the world's tap water is now full of plastic micro-fibres. Think about it. If you have brushed your teeth, drank or washed your dishes recently using tap water, the plastic from that tap water is now probably inside you and your organs. How much can our bodies biologically deal with increasing levels of plastic molecules ingested and remaining inside us? We have no real idea yet, albeit we do know that many of these plastic have dioxins already proven to be cancerous and very dangerous to human health. So fashion has not only poisoned the oceans , it has now poisoned our drinking water, and it is poisoning us. And don't think buying bottled water will save you, read the full story published this year in September again in the Guardian here….
How bad it really is, a summary by Orb Media:
For an up to date overall summary from big pieces of plastic creating islands in the seas too big to measure to micro pieces now in your gut, you should take a look at Orb Media's online page of links and stories here…
So I am sorry SZ people and elsewhere, my position and my company's position has nothing to do with pleating, fake lies of safer polyesters and synthetics, or even the lousy, cheesy, cheap feel of the stuff the minute your skin touches it, no matter how esteemed the designer name on the label may be. My issue is that our use of the stuff has now totally poisoned the water on earth, and our bodies are now facing an entirely new enemy from within that is formed from petrochemical molecular structures that are potentially very cancerous to us and building up inside our organs and tissue. Knowing this, what kind of fools are we now to proceed to use these kinds of materials? What kind of designer or brand would be so negligent, irresponsible and dangerous to the entire human and natural community on this planet to go ahead and continue to use anything with polyester or any other plastic component in its product? While it is true industrial forces have made it almost impossible to source non-plastic materials, components and packaging any more. My company and my design vision are fighting this to the end. We are eliminating all plastic in all of our products as much as we can and our clothes contain almost none at all. And we are fighting with each and every one of our suppliers to follow our lead and stop the plastic tap from running. We are using our growth and increasing purchasing leverage to demand suppliers to develop and sell us non-plastic alternatives at every point.
But where are my colleagues? How can Yohji, Comme, Issey, Uma, Rick, Ziggy, Moncler, Prada, Demna, Gosha, Balenciaga, Vetements, Givenchy, Alessandro, Gucci, Off-White, LV/Supreme, Kanye, Hussein, Ann, Raf, Shayne, Olivier and zillions of others with all their money and power sit there and do nothing? Every time I just touch their clothes - I feel it, my hand recoils, my skin sweats, the poly is in there--- as much as I admire their talent and respect so many of their life's work and design aspirations-- I must ask myself "why the fuck are you still using this shit?"
And as the corporate luxury fast fashion streetwear blitz is now in full assault on the 400 million plus Chinese millennial and Z-generation customers with more of the same than ever before in human history--- I walk away disappointed, saddened, and feeling alone on an island in a sea of plastic, and a world of fools, just racing to kill themselves, and me as well.
Stop using plastic in fashion. And for God's sake, stop buying it.
I hope this clarifies my position.
In haste, back to work.
Best wishes,
Geoffrey
P.S. I will have more on this subject in an upcoming article in Less Magazine coming out soon from Denmark.
"The Blind Leading the Blind" 1568, Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Tempera on canvas. Museo e Galleria Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples. Bruegel's visualization of the parable is among the most famous compositions from the entire history of painting and perfectly summarizes the state of the fashion and textile industry today.
WilliamZHL
I realized some Japanese fashion designers like Rei Kawakubo or Issey Miyake really love to use synthetic fabrics like polyester. I know Mr. Samll is strongly against using synthetic materials. I'm just curious that why those highly regarded deisngers choose to use a lot of polyester? Is it because of the cost (unlikely for the price they are selling for)? Or there're advantages of polyester that natural fabrics don't have? I've heard that years of research made synthetic materials today much better quality and less pollutive, is that true? I personally would prefer what GBS is doing but just curious about those questions, and would love to learn more about it. Anybody who can share some knowledge would be appreciated!
I realized some Japanese fashion designers like Rei Kawakubo or Issey Miyake really love to use synthetic fabrics like polyester. I know Mr. Samll is strongly against using synthetic materials. I'm just curious that why those highly regarded deisngers choose to use a lot of polyester? Is it because of the cost (unlikely for the price they are selling for)? Or there're advantages of polyester that natural fabrics don't have? I've heard that years of research made synthetic materials today much better quality and less pollutive, is that true? I personally would prefer what GBS is doing but just curious about those questions, and would love to learn more about it. Anybody who can share some knowledge would be appreciated!
Dear WilliamZHL,
Sorry for the long delay, it is very very busy running the company and I am just returning from a visit to China where the problem you discussed is bigger and more serious than ever due to the race by western-corporate luxury fast-fashion streetwear brands to exploit the huge, poorly-informed Chinese millennial and Z-generation consumer market in what is currently a mad blitz that is affecting the entire global industry, and frankly, not for the better.
Our position on petrochemical based synthetics such as polyester, which is simply another name for plastic is clear. We believe it needs to be completely eliminated from fashion and textile industry use immediately.
If you are not aware of the current contamination situation caused by our industry's use of these materials you need to be informed and I will try help you to do so in this post.
First let's start with reading my essay entitled "The Fabric of our Civilization" in published in Many of Them magazine over 3 years ago, which already began to hammer on my colleagues including the Japanese previously mentioned and others, and the explosive of use of plastics in fashion and textiles in the past decade, both at the high and low end of the industry. I posted the article for SZ readers in July of 2014. You can, and should read it now, here…
That article however, was written before a major article in the Guardian came out reporting on the 2011 scientific ,research discovery by Dr. Mark Browne then working in Ireland, who tested ocean water samples from around the world and found that they were all contaminated with invisible plastic micro-fibres, which very likely were coming from the massive use of polyester textiles, with cutting-room dust and fibre run-off in washing, going into the world's effluent and eventually the seas. Even more alarming, was the blatant reproach by big members of our industry who claim to be green, environmental and sustainability-concerned to Dr. Browne's research, findings and attempts to get more funding for that research. They literally slammed the door shut on him. This contamination is so diffused everywhere that it means that all ocean life is contaminated with internally ingested tiny plastic particles that are now in the food chain that we too ingest. If you have not seen this article yet, you need to. Here is the link….
Patagonia's shining example: "The president stole your land. But we poisoned your water."
One of the worst culprits in this incredible story is Patagonia. Who while they claim to be so environmental and are suing the president and running a massive pr campaign about his anti-environmental policies to make themselves look great to environmentally concerned consumers, are at the same time blocking and covering up their own highly probable role in being a major contributor to the polluting of the entire planet's water with their massive use of polyester fleece that is fundamental to their core products. While they have touted the fact that much of the polyester they use is "recycled" and therefore "green," the tragic facts now clearly show that recycled or not, plastic is plastic, and used in fabric it is running off in both production, wear, and washing operations into the world's water systems. In the end, all water is connected on earth. And they know it- and they have taken the strategies used by the asbestos, tobacco, fossil fuel, and nuclear industries to deny, delay, block and evade responsibility, as indicated clearly in their actions and statements reported several years ago in this treehugger.com piece here, which you should also read…
BUT the news has gotten worse. Inspite of corporate fashion's attempts to block further research by Dr. Browne, other labs have since followed his courageous lead and have now examined the world's tap and drinking water and found the same ubiquitous and insidious contamination. In the best case, we are now looking at some 70-85 percent of the world's tap water is now full of plastic micro-fibres. Think about it. If you have brushed your teeth, drank or washed your dishes recently using tap water, the plastic from that tap water is now probably inside you and your organs. How much can our bodies biologically deal with increasing levels of plastic molecules ingested and remaining inside us? We have no real idea yet, albeit we do know that many of these plastic have dioxins already proven to be cancerous and very dangerous to human health. So fashion has not only poisoned the oceans , it has now poisoned our drinking water, and it is poisoning us. And don't think buying bottled water will save you, read the full story published this year in September again in the Guardian here….
How bad it really is, a summary by Orb Media:
For an up to date overall summary from big pieces of plastic creating islands in the seas too big to measure to micro pieces now in your gut, you should take a look at Orb Media's online page of links and stories here…
So I am sorry SZ people and elsewhere, my position and my company's position has nothing to do with pleating, fake lies of safer polyesters and synthetics, or even the lousy, cheesy, cheap feel of the stuff the minute your skin touches it, no matter how esteemed the designer name on the label may be. My issue is that our use of the stuff has now totally poisoned the water on earth, and our bodies are now facing an entirely new enemy from within that is formed from petrochemical molecular structures that are potentially very cancerous to us and building up inside our organs and tissue. Knowing this, what kind of fools are we now to proceed to use these kinds of materials? What kind of designer or brand would be so negligent, irresponsible and dangerous to the entire human and natural community on this planet to go ahead and continue to use anything with polyester or any other plastic component in its product? While it is true industrial forces have made it almost impossible to source non-plastic materials, components and packaging any more. My company and my design vision are fighting this to the end. We are eliminating all plastic in all of our products as much as we can and our clothes contain almost none at all. And we are fighting with each and every one of our suppliers to follow our lead and stop the plastic tap from running. We are using our growth and increasing purchasing leverage to demand suppliers to develop and sell us non-plastic alternatives at every point.
But where are my colleagues? How can Yohji, Comme, Issey, Uma, Rick, Ziggy, Moncler, Prada, Demna, Gosha, Balenciaga, Vetements, Givenchy, Alessandro, Gucci, Off-White, LV/Supreme, Kanye, Hussein, Ann, Raf, Shayne, Olivier and zillions of others with all their money and power sit there and do nothing? Every time I just touch their clothes - I feel it, my hand recoils, my skin sweats, the poly is in there--- as much as I admire their talent and respect so many of their life's work and design aspirations-- I must ask myself "why the fuck are you still using this shit?"
And as the corporate luxury fast fashion streetwear blitz is now in full assault on the 400 million plus Chinese millennial and Z-generation customers with more of the same than ever before in human history--- I walk away disappointed, saddened, and feeling alone on an island in a sea of plastic, and a world of fools, just racing to kill themselves, and me as well.
Stop using plastic in fashion. And for God's sake, stop buying it.
I hope this clarifies my position.
In haste, back to work.
Best wishes,
Geoffrey
P.S. I will have more on this subject in an upcoming article in Less Magazine coming out soon from Denmark.
"The Blind Leading the Blind" 1568, Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Tempera on canvas. Museo e Galleria Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples. Bruegel's visualization of the parable is among the most famous compositions from the entire history of painting and perfectly summarizes the state of the fashion and textile industry today.
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