I’m more of a functional clothing person than a fashionista. I generally work with technical fabrics, many of which are synthetic (a topic l will possibly debate another time). I design clothes with specific end use mostly to be worn in the great outdoors. Sustainability has been a familiar topic in my world for many years and it's a topic that has long been on the agenda at the performance fabric fairs and trade shows I regularly attend.
The Future Fabric Expo is for me a bit of a sidestep into a slightly different world, but it's definitely a sidestep worth taking.
This year it felt like the conversation around sustainability had really stepped up a gear. There was a real recognition of the bigger picture with discussions not merely identifying that 'something needs to be done' but genuinely focussing on solutions.
There were some interesting new fabric and yarn developments on show, and innovation is key as we strive to replace planet negative materials with planet positive ones. But it takes time to test and scale new innovations so that they can be widely used. So in the meantime its important to look for the interim solutions, the ‘best’ alternatives - of which there were also plenty on display.
My biggest take-away I think was this: As apparel producers we have to be the experts.
We all have our part to play in reducing consumption, buying less (buying better) valuing our clothes, caring for them and keeping them in use for as long as possible.
But ultimately the power to provide the ‘right’ kind of clothing is with the designers, makers and producers.Whether a consumer has £10 or £100 to spend on an item of clothing they should be able to walk into a store safe in the knowledge that their money isn’t negatively impacting the planet, or the people that live on it!
As industry professionals it is OUR RESPONSIBILITY to make this a reality. We have to be educated about the materials and processes and the people involved in the clothes we make, to understand which are the best options available to us now, and to make conscious decisions about design, materials and production whilst continuously striving to improve.
Solving the climate crisis and all the social and environmental problems that are connected to it is a huge task. But I came away yesterday feeling that at least in the apparel sector there is a genuine feeling that we can use our specific knowledge and expertise as a force for positive change.