The Shelf Life Of A Garment

The annual Eco Chic Sweden green fashion show will debut in Shanghai this month. What experience and inspiration will it bring to the local fashion industry?

Before the exhibition, the the Bund pictorial reporter visited many environmental protection brand designers and experts in Stockholm and listened to their possibilities of analyzing environmental fashion. It was really inspiring and expecting.

The first time to come is the Mathilda Tham, who studied sustainable fashion design for many years.

B: Reporter

Dr. M.T:Mathilda Tham

B: fast selling fashion brands encourage people to buy more clothes with endless new and low prices.

On the other hand, these brands are now launching organic cotton products.

So how do we see the relationship between fast fashion and environmental fashion?

M.T: first of all, large clothing giants start to favor organic cotton, which is a good thing.

Because they bring great power to suppliers.

In fact, H&M has become the most important buyer in the organic cotton market.

Moreover, fast marketing brand launched organic cotton products, will undoubtedly enable more and more extensive consumers to buy.

You know, the total number of goods produced by H&M every year is 500 million, which is only the 2005 statistics.

The super low price and super fast renewal rate that the fast selling brand is relying on really creates many problems.

As we all know, the workers who make these cheap clothes can only get very little wages, and the huge industry itself has caused a great burden on the environment.

I think there is no inherent contradiction between the two concepts of fast fashion and environmental protection. We can maintain the freshness of wardrobe by renting and rematching.

The root of the conflict is that we regard clothes as expendable consumables.

Low prices mean a lack of respect for the craft of designing and making garments.

B: the word "environmental fashion" seems to be more frequently mentioned in the popular clothing market.

But not in the luxury sector.

M.T: the simplest explanation is that every move of the public fashion giant is under the eyes of the media, consumers and NGO organizations.

So these companies will be ashamed of themselves and have to do better.

Luxury brands (with few exceptions) are very few customers, so they can often be placed outside radar.

However, in terms of brand promotion, the concept of environmental protection and sustainability has increasingly become an advantage and a place to be proud of, rather than a compelling obligation, so luxury brands are also making efforts in this regard.

In fact, in the fashion industry, environmental protection has always been achieved in quality control, rather than designers.

Today, as designers become more and more aware of the possibility of sustainable fashion in creativity, the high-end fashion industry will also make contributions in this respect.

Finally, after years of logo fanaticism and fakes, luxury brands are redefining "luxury goods", which is a good opportunity to integrate environmental protection and humanitarian concerns.

B: therefore, before the "environmental fashion" was produced, it was first designed.

M.T: I have summed up a "fashion life cycle", including the following links: concept design production pportation marketing retail use scrap.

The study also found that in the various fields including the clothing industry, the environmental impact caused by 80% products, services and infrastructures was determined in the design stage.

Therefore, some people asserted that designers should be responsible for environmental pollution.

However, instead of letting designers blame themselves and feel ashamed, it is better to work hard to solve problems.

At the design level, focusing on environmental protection is like acupuncture treatment, not as simple as sticking a band aid on the wound.

The environmental protection design is embodied in the minimization of resource consumption, namely, the use of less environmentally friendly materials (such as organic cotton, hemp fiber, Leisel fiber, bamboo fiber, etc.) and processes; two, the use of more "light" design, creative use of resources, as far as possible not to waste materials, because the use of fewer materials, pportation will be more convenient to save energy; three is to reduce washing.

In fact, 85% of the total energy consumed by a garment in its life cycle is caused by washing.

So clothes that do not need frequent washing are relatively environmentally friendly.

In Sweden, designers have introduced sweaters without washing, and I have heard of a life-long wash shirt. Of course, it is only a concept product; four, it is reused, that is, to inject new life into old clothes and old materials, and to adopt a longer shelf life design.

A company called Hand-Me-Down has launched a jacket and bag with a shelf life of 10 years. There is also a Terra Plana environment-friendly shoe that is made of waste car seats, military uniforms and carpets. It is very cool. Five, it is changed from linear design to circular design, that is, when designing, the cycle of clothing is taken into account. For example, the technology developed by Japanese Imperial company to decompose materials into molecular structure and form new materials, and the "Cradle to Cradle" plan, advocates the concept of eliminating waste through design, rather than reducing, minimizing or avoiding waste generation.

B: as you mentioned before, "clothes" and "fashion" are actually two different concepts.

So, do you think that the concept of "fashion" is not very environmentally friendly at all?

M.T: in simple terms, clothes are used to keep warm and protect the body. Two fashion is for making friends.

The former emphasizes the material level, while the latter emphasizes the symbolic level.

If we equate fashion with waste and unthinking consumerism, this is indeed a concept that is inherently unsustainable.

However, if we regard fashion as a creative, imaginative and resourceful industry, there will be no conflict.

In fact, people who are really interested in fashion tend to be "sustainable" because they know how to create, and often make clothes look new through reusing and remodelling.

Those who are not confident enough to have close relationships with fashion need to catch up with fashion by buying new clothes constantly, thus affecting the environment.

I think a new concept will become more and more popular in the fashion industry, that is to say, when you sell the product, you will also provide some services, such as teaching you how to rematch the clothing of the season, modifying the size and fastening buttons for customers.

B: how do you refine the concept of environmental protection to your daily life?

Share your wardrobe with us, and what principles do you uphold when you buy clothes in peacetime?

M.T: I rarely buy new clothes. I usually buy second-hand clothes.

If I buy cotton clothing, I will choose organic cotton.

I only buy clothes that I like very much, that is, clothes that I know I will be able to wear for a long time.

There are some old clothes that I still liked very much in the wardrobe in the middle of 1990s.

In addition, I throw them into the washing machine only when clothes really need to be washed. I always choose low water temperature and dry with natural air instead of drying.

According to survey data, only 40% of clothing in people's wardrobe is always worn.

Because people always buy clothes that they think they will wear, and often buy clothes for some special occasions and needs. For example, clothes purchased for holidays once a year are often left behind.

B: so for most ordinary consumers, is "restrained shopping" the best way?

M.T: I think people should find a suitable way of sustaining life, which is very important.

For some people, it's fun to change clothes and rent clothes with friends, and keep their closets fresh.

Others prefer buying second-hand clothes.

Others are particularly fond of organic cotton, wool and linen garments.

However, there is a way for everyone to watch their closet from time to time to see what new styles can be made from old clothes.

Besides, when you buy new clothes, you should be filled with joy (rather than guilt), and sincerely praise its exquisite workmanship and design.

B: have you noticed a phenomenon that, with the popularization of the concept of "environmental fashion", sometimes it will become a "label", like an "charity", an excuse, a market tool?

M.T: This is indeed a very bad practice. It will lead to many problems, which will eventually confuse consumers and lose confidence in "environmental protection".

However, more and more environmentally-friendly brands are beginning to get used to telling people the true origins of a garment, and the appropriate monitoring mechanism is essential.

Many green clothes now have environmental labels, which include the source of fabrics, the energy, water, chemicals and moral principles involved in the production process.

To label such a label, it is necessary to apply for it first, and then verify it by third independent agencies and pay a certain fee before obtaining it.

In addition, some large enterprises, such as Marsha, Nike, Tesco and so on, will now voluntarily announce their environmental protection plans to the public, including increasing the use of fair trade fabrics and organic cotton, as well as recycling and tracking plans for products.

Although this can also be regarded as a way of public relations, but since personally promised, it is natural to dare to accept the supervision of the public and public opinion.