1. SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES IN THE CONTEXT OF FASHION PRCA - Breakfast Briefing Christian Smith

2. OUTLINE The State of Fashion Fashion and the Environment The way Forward 3. WE ONLY HAVE ONE 4. THE STATE OF FASHION Global fashion and luxury sector generated revenues of $1.334.1billion in 2008 UK fashion industry directly contributed some 21billion to the UKeconomy in 2009 and some 16billion through other industries In the UK, it employees nearly a million people and is the 15thlargest industry alongside food and beverages Between 2002 and 2006, there was an increase of 33% in theamount of clothing bought 5. FAST FASHIONthe culture of "fast fashion" encourages consumers to dispose of clothes which have only been worn a few times in favour of new, cheap garments which themselves will also go out of fashion and be discarded within a matter of months.(Select Committee on Science and Technology, 2008) 6. MORE VISITS, MORE SALES Topshop and Esprit now restocking their stores with new productsevery four to six weeks Zara, new stock enters as often as twice a week while somefashion houses may offer as many as 18 collections a year Inditex - Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Bershka, Stradivarius, Oyosho, Uterqeand Zara Home 7. THE WASTE average person goes throughabout 35kg of textiles a year, most of which is clothing and is thrown away within a year of purchase in 2005 this resulted in 1.2million tonnes of clothing going to landfill 8. UNDER PRESSURE rise of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) frommere producer and supplier countries rise in oil prices and unrest in the Middle East has made it more problematic to transport goods around the world has also increased the price of oil based materials on which the industry has aremarkable reliance beyond transportation costs polyester and nylon womens tights, zips, flip flops, fake fur and sneakers viscose is a plant based material made mainly from wood pulp butthe high water use combined with the emissions from the chemical processes needed to dissolve the cellulose and create the filaments make it an equally damaging material 9. A VERY THIRSTY INDUSTRY the textile industry is the third most water intensive industry in theworld the cotton industry evaporates 210 billion cubic meters of waterwhile at the same time polluting 50billion cubic litres This figure represents 3.5% of global water usage for crop production 60kg of water is used to create a cotton t-shirt, from cultivation of cottonthrough to production An additional 45kg is discharged as waste per kg of output Does not take into account the use of water once owned by the consumer. 10. THE ARAL SEA Aral sea now just 15% of itsoriginal size loss of water also affects the livelihoods of all those using the sea, which was at one time home to 24 native species of fish providing 40,000 tonnes of fish a year surrounding biodiversity severely damaged with only an estimated 15-20% of the Tugai Forests remaining home 29 plants species endemic to central Asia 11. ARAL SEA NOW(ISH) 12. A PAIR OF JEANS AND A SHIRT JeansShirt 1 kg of final cotton textile, one requires 11,000 litres of water therefore 2700 litres for 1 cotton shirt. 45% is irrigation water consumed (evaporated) by the cotton plant 41% is rainwater evaporated from the cotton field during the growing period 14% is water required to dilute the wastewater flows that result from the use of fertilisers in the field and the use of chemicals in the textile industry 13. THIS IS WHERE WE ARE! 14. ALTERNATIVES/DIVERSIFICATION Flax - The plant from which cellulose linen fiber is obtained. Linen isused in apparel, accessories, draperies, upholstery, tablecloths, and towels. Nettle - This plant grows in almost all types of soils and it requires very little fertilization because the minerals are not leached out of the ground. Can be more finely woven than cotton and can have the gloss of silk. The fiber is hollow and this makes it possible for nettle fabric to breathe and be insulating at the same time Lenpur - novel textile fiber from a renewable resource: cellulose carefully selected from the branches of special trees. main differences in Lenpur compared to other cellulose fibers is its softness, its absorption capacity, its ability to release dampness (as a yarn or fabric), its deodorant properties, and its absorption characteristics 15. ALTERNATIVES/DIVERSIFICATION Milk - liquid milk is dried and its proteins extracted. The separated proteinsare then dissolved in a chemical solution and placed into a machine that essentially whirls the fibers together. The fibers can then be spun into yarn and woven into fabric. Milk fabric holds dye, is breathable and it captures the moisture to make skin tender and smooth like after taking a milk bath. Banana - The raw materials come from the stem that farmers leave in the garden after a banana harvest. The tree stalks and leaves are removed and processed into a pliable fibre. Different layers of the stem yield fibers for specific uses: the outer layer's fibers are generally used for tablecloths while the third layer makes the finest, silkiest fabric, suitable for kimonos and saris. Fish Skin - Fish skin is regarded as industrial waste: after its separated from the filet for consumption, it normally gets thrown out. But now the skins are dried, bleached and eventually turned into leather. Fish skin is extremely versatileits lightweight, warm, durable, thinner and softer (yet stronger!) than cow and goat skin. 16. ALTERNATIVES/DIVERSIFICATION Flax - The plant from which cellulose linen fiber is obtained. Linen is used inapparel, accessories, draperies, upholstery, tablecloths, and towels. Lyocell/Tencel - is naturally derived from cellulose which is extracted from managed trees. It is one of the softest and most elegant fibers available. Hemp - A long and very strong base fiber, hemp fiber has been used for thousands of years to manufacture clothing. Its rapid growing qualities and resistance to most pests make it an ideal organic crop. Hemp has natural anti-mildew, UV protection and thermodynamic as well as hypoallergenic properties. Pineapple - Pineapple fiber or Pia is a strong white or creamy cobweb-like fiber drawn from tall leaves of an indigenous pineapple plant. The fiber is hand stripped from the leaves in lengths of about 18 inches to 3 feet, sunbleached, hand knotted and spun. As pia fiber recovery is only about 1%, it can take six months to gather enough fiber to produce two pounds of spun pia. 17. ALTERNATIVES/DIVERSIFICATION Bamboo - Bamboo is the fastest growing wooden plant in the world;it grows in many different countries and climates. Its quick growth (up to 3-4 feet a day) and its resistance to bugs and sickness make it an ideal eco crop. However, there is a lot of debate on whether the processing of the bamboo plant into fabric is truly sustainable. Bamboo fabric is made of 100% bamboo pulp fiber. The fabric is naturally antibacterial and eco-friendly. It breathes easier, is cooler than cotton in warm weather and has been said to feel like a cross between cashmere and silk. Soy - An eco-friendly fabric made from a by-product of soybean oilproduction. Its a sustainable textile fiber made from renewable and biodegradable resources. Its part of an effort to move consumers away from petrochemical textile products and turn waste into useful products. 18. Blue sky thinking Catalytic Clothing - explores how textiles can improve ambient quality and came up with the worlds first airpurifying dress, 19. And jeans 20. WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY 21. 3D PRINTING 22. A MESSAGE FROM KATE MOSS