SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND THE PROMISING “GREENING” FUTURE OF THE FASHION VILLAGE

Desserto-Visual-Atelier-8-Vegan-Cactus-Leather

Fashion items made from sustainable materials are gradually “dominating” the apparel market trend as an inevitable change of the billion-dollar industry.

Following in the footsteps of models on the catwalk, a series of collections have been massively launched into the market and brought to the community as a testament to the strong development of the fashion industry. Contrary to the enormous scale and profits of the fashion village, nature has to “struggle” to receive millions of tons of waste annually and continuously provide resources for the production process. However, there is always “light at the end of the tunnel” when we still have the opportunity to “green” the frivolous fashion game with sustainable materials that promise to take over the “kingdom” of material trends in the world—garment industry. Let’s also ELLE take a look at some of the desirable sustainable material inventions that have helped the fashion world step closer to sustainable values ​​in the future.

COMTEX – SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL FROM SHRIMP SHELL AND COFFEE COFFEE

Graduating from Parsons Academy and having worked for big names like Alexander Wang and Peter Do, designer Uyen Tran has always been “burning” with the idea of ​​a biological project that can solve the waste problems for the fashion industry. home page. “The world is running out of raw materials, so I want to repurpose these wastes into a new, accessible biomaterial in everyday life to help people better understand the problem and contribute to the future. Make a change”, shared the designer from Da Nang.

 

(Photo: Comtex)
(Photo: Comtex)

Inspired by familiar materials that few people think about, shrimp shells and coffee grounds, she created Tomtex – this complex and flexible bio-material that can replace animal skin and easily create new products. Patterns through 3D printing or crafting with clay. Comtex material also possesses practical water resistance thanks to the beeswax layer on the surface.

SOYBEAN PROTEIN FIBER (SPF)

Said to be one of the world’s most eco-friendly materials, soybean fabrics are, as their name suggests, woven from the very residue of soybean residue through a process that uses the minimum of chemicals. Toxic chemicals. Although it first appeared in 1941 under the great invention of Henry Ford, it was not until 2003 that soy fabric became famous and received public approval when concerns about the garment industry and the environment have peaked.

SOYBEAN PROTEIN FIBER
SOYBEAN PROTEIN FIBER

Containing proteins derived from soybean pods, this material has high elasticity, excellent pleating ability, and excellent breathability. Therefore, soy fiber is gradually becoming popular in the production of sportswear and tight clothing for women.

SEQUIN FROM ORGANIC AND RECYCLED PLASTIC

Sequins are an integral part of the design as it creates the glitz and glamor of fashion outfits. But, the fact that a design, whether traditional or haute couture, requires hundreds of thousands of microplastics that affect the environment will make you think again about “favoring” them. Aware of that, some famous designers like Iris Van Herpen have used sequins made from plastic waste for their latest collection to reduce sequin consumption in apparel. However, some experts believe this is not considered an effective method when plastic is not reduced but only converted from one state to another.

Realizing the importance of environmentally friendly materials after training courses in many countries, Elissa Brunato has launched Bio Iridescent Sequin, which is 100% derived from cellulose and is biodegradable in garden soil. With iridescent rainbow colors from the unique nanostructure and no color dependence, this is perhaps a breakthrough alternative to the vibrant sequin designs of the fashion industry in the future. 

UNIQUE INVENTIONS COME FROM CACTUS PLANTS

Desserto-Visual-Atelier-8-Vegan-Cactus-Leather
Desserto-Visual-Atelier-8-Vegan-Cactus-Leather

After 2 years of research and development of ideas, two Mexican boys – Adrián López Velarde and Marte Cázarez have contributed significantly to the process of “greening” the fashion industry when launching vegan leather materials made from Cactus. By grinding and drying cactus leaves in the sun, then mixing them with several non-toxic chemicals, the leather material is biodegradable and gives a “real” feel. No different than animal skins have been made. 

With a shelf life of up to 10 years and production costs equivalent to conventional leather goods, this will be an effective solution to meet the demand for sustainable materials of fashion houses.

VEGETABLE LEATHER MATERIAL MADE WITH APPLES AND APPLES

Realizing the tragic trade-off when more and more animals are killed to serve the luxury and frivolity of the fashion industry, Beyond Leather has gone to find inspiration from the leftover materials in the production process. Juice and cider production in Denmark. Specifically, the core and peel of apples, discarded, are now fully utilized by grinding and mixing with natural rubber. They are then applied to a textile made from cotton or wood fibers to create a finished product with a flexible 3-layer structure. Not only does it emit 85% less CO2 than the traditional leather manufacturing process, but the material also effectively solves the problem of food waste.

SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND THE PROMISING "GREENING" FUTURE OF THE FASHION VILLAGE

SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL COMPOSITION FROM USING MECHANISM MECHANISM

With the vegan wave “dominating” the trend of garment materials, it is believed that artificial leather will partly solve the problem of ethics in fashion. However, due to being made of synthetic fibers, decomposing them is also a problem no less than ordinary plastic materials. So, six years ago, two companies MycoWorks and Ecovative Design, found a technology to make leather from mushrooms by taking advantage of mycelium – a plant with a structure similar to tree roots. As they grow, they intertwine to form a membrane that mimics natural skin. In particular, this process takes only a few short weeks compared to the years of keeping animals in captivity to get the skins.

A bag design made from mycelium by fashion brand Hermès.

GUCCI JOINED THE SAME DEMETRA RECYCLED FABRIC 

Officially participating in the recycling race, on the occasion of the brand’s 100th anniversary, Gucci has launched a new design of sneakers made with recycled Demetra material. Produced in Italy’s fashion house’s factory, Demetra was developed based on the original tanning method but with softer and more durable properties. In addition to being resistant and adaptable to many types of weather, this material is also used flexibly for many different product lines of the fashion house, such as Gucci Basket, Gucci New Ace, and Gucci Rhyton.

 

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