DESIGN IN A SUSTAINABLE KEY

It seems that talking about sustainability is more fashionable than ever, is a word that we usually hear in any environment or context but this concept has been working since the middle of the last decade. Back in 2012, the first references to this term were beginning to be heard within this industry, and a necessary change began to be named. It could be said that 2020 and the great global crisis that we are experiencing due to COVID-19, has been the turning point, a year in which at last work begins to make this change, create a more sustainable and responsible textile industry .

The fashion industry generates billions of dollars a year in the world. Since 2008 we are living a historical stage that will undoubtedly become part of the history of fashion, we buy more clothes than ever but we buy cheaper. This fact is mainly due to the development of fast fashion, a form of consumption and production that has its origin as a cause of the opening of Asian markets. Producing at very low prices that allowed the increase of profit margins for fashion companies while attracting the consumer with new trends every three weeks turned out to be a perfect match as a business model, but the negative consequences were not taken into account of this fast fashion that is very fixed in culture and consumer society:

• Environmental impact : in recent years the textile industry has become the second most polluting on the planet, being responsible for the pollution of 20% of wastewater and 10% of global carbon emissions. Deforestation, loss of terrestrial and aquatic biodiversity and tons of textile waste.

• Social impact : relocation of production, loss of jobs, dissolution of valuable artisan unions and workshops; as well as exploitation and unhealthy work leading to an increase in inequality and poverty.

It is due to all these consequences that a current of change begins to be generated to ensure both the environment and the people who work in this sector. A current willing to recover ethical values ​​without forgetting about customers and generating profits. In this way, terms such as slow fashion , sustainable fashion or slow fashion emerge . Kate Fletcher, activist, writer, lover of nature and life and entrepreneur was the first to introduce the term slow fashion . She began to argue that it is possible to produce clothes and dress responsibly. Although the trigger to show the importance of sustainable production was the tragic event that occurred in 2013 in the Rana Plaza disaster where, after an 8-storey building collapsed in Bangladesh, 1,135 workers and 2,500 wounded in the textile sector died. Thus began a Fashion Revolution that is commemorated every April 20. But what is sustainable fashion really? If you begin by analyzing the meaning of the word sustainability, this word is defined as holding, supporting and balancing forces. In short, maintaining the balance of a system satisfying present needs without compromising those of future generations. The sustainable fashion , also called ethical fashion or slow fashion, is a school of thought based on design, production and use of clothing or accessories to minimize environmental impact , ensure social welfare and labor rights prioritizing transparency along the entire production process and establish a circular economy that favors economic growth.

Knowing this definition and keeping in mind the objectives of sustainable fashion throughout the production process of a garment or accessory, it is easy to try to design and create with a sustainable key in mind. In this way, it could be said that for a product to be sustainable it must meet the following requirements:

• Zero Waste Products . This word may sound strange, but it is easy to understand. It consists of designing making the most of resources. For example, designing thinking about the composition of the patterns to make the most of the fabric, thus avoiding waste. It consists of trying to design always thinking of the ultimate goal of the product and of producing with the least environmental impact from the beginning of its manufacture until the moment of its disposal.

• Design under the Cradle to Cradle philosophy . A way of producing ensuring the ecological compatibility of the product thinking about its next life, ensuring that it is as biodegradable as possible. That is why it is important that in all creative processes from design, manufacture, obtaining fabrics, product ornaments, dyes, prints, manufacturing, labeling to packaging and transport, they are as sustainable as possible, since everything counts. It is not congruent, for example, to design a garment made of a Lyocell fabric without having a backing and a certificate that the wood and trees from which they come are not treated in a sustainable way; Or sell an organic cotton garment dyed with dyes that are not as natural as possible; In the same way, it should surprise us to receive a garment of natural fabric in a plastic bag. It makes no sense right? It only takes fashion designers and brands to do a little research on materials and resources to see that, today, it is not difficult to think of a sustainable design. There are still many obstacles, but it is our function, of the designers, to offer this type of product to the consumer and to have a sustainable mind.

On the other hand, this Crandle to Crandle philosophy not only aims to create a product that is as eco-friendly as possible, but also refers to the useful life of the garment. 70% of the environmental impact occurs once the garment is in the consumer's cupboards. It is the function of the designer or brand to educate the client about the garments so that they last longer. A clear example is teaching how clothes should be washed and ironed so as not to spend so much on energy resources. Hence the importance of good labeling. Let's not forget that if you design thinking about creating more timeless and older garments or accessories, you are already helping to improve their useful life. Quality and innovation or trends is not incompatible with innovation, creativity, personality and one's own style. Indeed, sustainable fashion is leading the way in innovation with the development of new fabrics.

• Transparency . Knowing who has made the products and where they have been made is vital for a product to be sustainable. Controlling that labor rights and fair trade are complied with throughout the design, manufacturing, transport and marketing process is also a guarantee of a sustainable product.

• Upcycling . To this day, this concept still sounds strange, but it is as easy to understand as it is to think about recycling and reusing clothes. Reusing garments (second-hand purchases), repurposing designs to transform them into a new garment, for example, or recycling fabrics to create new fibers, is also thinking in a sustainable way.

In conclusion, 100% sustainability does not exist. It is sad to make this statement, but today it is a fact and whoever tells you otherwise is lying. You cannot find any garment that meets all the requirements explained in this article. However, ethical fashion is not a utopia but a reality that we will see more and more present in our lives , for this reason we must not underestimate the importance of having a global vision of all aspects of the production and consumption cycle, as it reflects a way of thinking in which all parts of a system are related to each other. In order to move towards a more sustainable industry, it is necessary to improve the entire fashion cycle and not just some of its phases, only in this way, with a slow fashion cycle and an ethical industry, will we be able to produce changes in this exciting industry. Not only do sustainability ideas bring new vocabulary to fashion, they also offer a new way of thinking about the world in which we live, do business and practice design. Therefore, to improve fashion products and make them more sustainable, it is vital to make decisions throughout the production process based on broad and deep thinking. As Gabriela Hearst well said in a recent interview for Vogue, sustainability is a state of mind, a practice applicable to any aspect of our lifestyle, and even more so in fashion.

Sustainability is a process of constant improvement. This change towards a more sustainable fashion and lifestyle can only be implemented if each one of us has the desire to commit ourselves both to the environment and to people, transforming our consumption habits towards responsible consumption and giving it economic value. it deserves.

If you want to read the full article in Spanish, you can do so in issue 4/20 of the magazine FLIS (r) Moda y Derecho al Día. https://www.fashionlawinstitute.es/product-page/flis-moda-y-derecho-al-d%C3%ADa-4-2020