responsiblefashion

Fashion waste recycling

12 April, 2023

An urgent issue every fashion designer must confront

March 18th was Global Recycling Day, highlighting the challenge of waste recycling, which is deeply connected to the fashion industry. As a matter of fact, recycling is crucial for a circular economy and circular fashion too.

These international days aim to raise awareness on important matters. Unfortunately, we celebrate something but tend to forget the issue the day after.

Fashion industry & waste

As widely highlighted in our previous posts, the fashion industry is part of the waste problem. According to Earth.org, of the 100 billion garments produced each year, 92 million tons end up in landfills. To give a prompt idea, this means that the equivalent of a rubbish truck full of clothes ends up in landfill sites every second.

Waste colonialism

Waste is a global issue. In fact, that is the byproduct of our economic system – capitalism. A structure based on overproduction and exploitation. However, the civilised global north found a way to get rid of it. Because we don’t want to see our garbage. Also, in front of problems, we prefer to close our eyes.
So, how does the global north get rid of waste? By dumping the problem in the global south! In case you missed the news, please, read what happens in the Atacama desert in Chile. Or in Ghana, Africa.
As we can see, Northern countries, the rich and civilised ones, are still perpetuating colonialism. Specifically, waste colonialism.

Recycling waste

“Global Recycling Foundation” promotes the idea of considering waste as an opportunity:

“Every year, the Earth yields billions of tons of natural resources and at some point, in the not too distant future, it will run out.
That’s why we must think again about what we throw away – seeing not waste, but opportunity.”

Waste recycling in fashion industry

First, in order to reduce waste, we need to consume less, much less! But also, we must find solutions for the tons of discarded clothing already shipped to Africa and Chile.

Most importantly, we expect every fashion designer and every company to do their bit and hold themselves accountable. Recycling and upcycling must become part of the plan for the fashion industry. Now!

There’s no time to waste!

Mulesing free: what does it mean?

10 April, 2023 / 2 Comments

And why should fashion care about it?

Mulesing is a cruel practice used in merino sheep farms. Actually, it’s a word we weren’t familiar with. But we realise that addressing fashion that respects people, nature, and animals requires much attention.

While placing our Fall/Winter 22-23 orders, we looked through the Plantation 1982 line sheet to pick our favourite clothes. And so, we had the chance to read about this technique.

“The merino wool used for this pullover is mulesing-free, to help improve animal welfare.” – so the line sheet said.
One of the reasons why we particularly appreciate Japanese brands like Plantation is that they provide detailed information not only about the design but the material, too. Indeed, they explain why the designing team selected a specific fabric highlighting all the characteristics.

After reading about this particular merino wool, we researched a bit and discovered a horrendous way of getting this material from sheep.

mulesing free merino wool

Mulesing: what is it?

Especially in Australia and Asia, sheep are bred to have wrinkly skin to get more wool per animal. But the wrinkles retain urine and moisture, attracting more parasites that can eat the sheep alive. To prevent this kind of parasitic infection, ranchers perform “mulesing.” They force the sheep onto their backs, block their legs and rip off the skin from the backsides without any painkiller.

This mutilating practice is brutal torture! So we must stop it and find other ways to get the wool.

What is the alternative?

The good news is that the solution already exists: mulesing-free wool. It is a careful shearing practice which respects animal welfare. Therefore the sheep do not undergo any mutilation or antiparasitic treatment harmful to the animal, operators and final customers who get in contact with the wool.

No mulesing: responsible fashion

Fashion designers are responsible for finding respectful ways of making their garments. They must hold themselves accountable for how they conceive and produce their clothing. And find alternative ethical approaches for the fashion industry.

Perhaps we cannot grant sustainability – no one really can! Even those who wave the eco/green buzzwords. But we do our best to select specific quality materials and meaningful garments. And so, fashion in respect of people, the planet and animals.

Timeless: a mindful buying approach

11 March, 2023

Why now?

Timeless is a concept that has become quite popular in fashion nowadays. Why? And most of all, why now? Let’s dig deeper into this.

Timeless fashion – just as timeless design in general – refers to classic pieces: items conceived and made to last. But it also includes those pieces that feature such an innovative design that even after many years, they are still forward, always relevant. Evergreen, indeed. Those pieces end up being copied by other brands who feed themselves on the creativity of more advanced designers. And, if your eyes are a little bit trained, you can see where the inspiration of these items comes from.

Timeless fashion

Why now?
Now that the system has collapsed, we seek out ways to survive. Timeless is a good strategy because it gives worth back to clothing and its production system. Also, it opens us up to a more thoughtful way of consumption.

Timeless tells you to buy less but better. It is the opposite of disposable clothing, and the opposite of fast fashion.

However, we always promoted a vision of style that was more than consuming fashion trends quickly. And we did this from the very beginning of suite123, about fifteen years ago.
We mainly selected clothes having a certain stylistic content, never banal, with a good design, and made from beautiful materials. In fact, that is the essence of timelessness: items you can wear forever.

Now we are even more concentrated on this approach. Given the situation we are in, we firmly believe it is a mindful and appropriate choice.

The investment is higher, but it’s the only way to have clothes that last for a long time. A very long time if you treat them carefully. Timeless fashion is one of the steps we need to take to reduce our impact on the planet.

The benefit of being different

11 March, 2023

What if we consider being different more valuable than being better than the others?
Let’s focus our attention on worth rather than on popularity. The actions we take, the choices we make, the interactions we exchange. Also, the things we buy. In all this, value is the key.

“Is it worthy?” – This is the question we need to ask.

Conforming to the standards is not what we want. Fashion, beauty, learning, lifestyle standards and all the ideas of the majority, are not for us. There’s a lot of appearance in that, but there’s no value.

People live as if being part of the majority is the cool way to be. Indeed, they talk like the others, dress like the others, eat what’s popular. Perhaps they don’t have to think that much, and it gives them a sense of belonging and protection.

But, the sense of belonging can be satisfied in smaller communities. Like-minded people can connect to share their vision of the world.

Consider being different offers its own sense of beauty. A rare object, just like a rare person is valuable because it’s scarce, uncommon. And it doesn’t need to be like the other ones. Standardization is not what we are looking for. Little treasures, that’s what we want.

As our beloved Virginia Woolf has pointed out:

“Large groups of people are never responsible for what they do.”

Taking a different path is not easy, it takes courage. But, choosing to be your own unique person and hold yourself accountable is a powerful act.

Responsible fashion means holding ourselves accountable for what happens in the short and long run. It is a conscious choice, serving our eventually awakened collective soul.

The touching point is that being better is a matter of ego, being different is a matter of the heart.

Who has a voice

14 March, 2023

Who has a voice in the fashion industry? And who do you think has a say on sustainable matters in fashion?
One of the many problems with sustainable fashion is that those who have a voice in discussing the topic are exactly the same ones who created the toxic environment. Same faces, same brands, and same interests. That is the trick, unfortunately.

They set up a system based on massive overproduction to be disposed of through crazy budgets to retailers. Outlets packed with discounted items. And a parallel market to reach those retailers who wanted to buy certain brands but officially could not.
Therefore, all the Maisons understood they could increase the budget to retailers, knowing that retailers, in turn, were then reselling through a parallel net, feeding that hideous system.
All the operators knew how it worked, but since they were making a lot of money, it was good. No complain! Like it was acceptable to do the worst things in the name of god-money. Now that the industry collapsed, they’ve started questioning it.

Mono brand retail, department stores, parallel market, off-price stores. How many goods those enlightened CEOs and managers did believe people could buy?
Is the fact that they are not making money as they did enough to let us believe in their redemption?
We could invite Hannibal Lecter to the table, but perhaps, serving only vegetables will not be enough to change his tastes in food.

Who has a voice and influence on the sustainability discussion are exactly those who created the problem.
If we believe we can search for the value of sustainability among the same old faces, listening to their voice, we are wrong.