After lots of thought, and research I decided I wanted to concentrate more on the recycling aspect of waste, and how it can be portrayed through fashion. I was interested how to recycle old clothes into New Fashions, and researched some tips for turning old clothes into new fashion?
Before considering this theme i wanted to rent out the book titled ` Gone tomorrow : the hidden life of garbage` by Rogers, Heather, 1970. I wanted to explore the hidden life of garbage and what impact that has on today's society? The book I rented focuses on the theme of the 2002 film of the same title. Heather Rogers takes the public on a tour down the 'waste stream', the journey taken by our domestic rubbish after it leaves our homes. Along the way she reveals just how bad we are at recycling and illustrates the increasingly vexed questions of how we can dispose of the detritus produced by our civilization. I was really interested how people recycling has affected our civilisation and therefore wanted to explore a similar aspect but through the world of fashion.
When looking deeper into the theme of recycling I then researched into Tucson Recycle. This company, features an authorized list of recyclable materials, which the City collects from the blue recycling barrels and neighbourhood recycling centres each week. These commodities are delivered to Waste Management Recycle America, a local materials recovery facility. There, the materials are sorted, baled and shipped to manufacturers, to be made into new products.
I thought the term made into new products was something to consider and how I could perhaps develop this further into ideas…?
General imagery....
When researching, last year the designer `Preloved` showed their flirty Fall/Winter 2010 collection on the runways of LG Fashion Week.
Preloved take old clothes and recycle them to make new, fashionable clothing. Their fall collection had a librarian chic look to it. When viewing the images it looks like there were a multitude of patterns and plaids mixed and matched in their garments.
The models were accessorized with funky cat’s eye shape glasses. And Sheath tunic style dresses and high-waisted pants, shorts and skirts dominated the show. The colour palette stuck to darker shades like black, brown and navy. And hot pink and white accent colours brightened things up. A black leather jacket and matching leather skirt wowed the crowd. Whilst the majority of the looks were knit and tweed giving the garments a cosy look. Thigh high knit leg warmers were also worn with almost all of the shorts, skirts and capris. Creating a unique fashionable statement.
I thought this piece of research was really interesting and creative. Lady gaga is known for her elaborate designs and when considering recycling as a fashion statement i was intrigued how she made the term a stylish yet unique.
Green is the new black: Eco-Friendly Wearable Art
This is where art, fashion, sustainability and activism meet and have a big party. The materials used in these shows may vary. Some may recycle clothes/textiles and items such as buttons, zippers and so on from donated, damaged or otherwise discarded pieces of clothing.
In some shows, designers may create amazingly wearable pieces out of amazingly non-clothing recycled items that were on their way to a landfill. Other times, the designer may be working more toward wearable art, making a statement. Though you see them year-round, April is a very popular time for these shows, in honour of Earth Day.
In some shows, designers may create amazingly wearable pieces out of amazingly non-clothing recycled items that were on their way to a landfill. Other times, the designer may be working more toward wearable art, making a statement. Though you see them year-round, April is a very popular time for these shows, in honour of Earth Day.
london fashion week
When researching London fashion week there is news for UK fashionistas on a budget. The recent announcement is Tesco, Britain's biggest retailer, promises a collection of upcycled dresses made from Tesco's waste textiles.
The collection for Tesco is called From Somewhere to F&F, which stands for Florence & Fred, Tesco's fashion label. The dresses are being produced "in a pioneering 'green' factory in Sri Lanka as part of a wider long-term consultancy project."
Orsola de Castro says of this ground breaking collaboration, "I wanted to create a diffusion collection that is classic From Somewhere but also capable of reaching as many potential customers as possible. My aim has always been to make reclaiming and up-cycling widely available, so the collection for Tesco looks at shapes that are flattering, can take you from day to evenings and are comfortable and beautifully cut."
Before working with Katherine Hamnett, Tesco has made inroads into ethical fashion on an organic cotton collection a few years back. Unfortunately that collaboration did not have a happy ending and was halted due to differences between designer and client. We wish From Somewhere better luck with this initiative and hope the upcycled collection is a bit hit in the supermarket aisles of the UK.
Articles
I thought whilst researching furhter into this theme, i could scan articles for more in depth facts and stories. When looking through my nanas article `WI Lives`i i was reading about how style icons wowed the audience at their very own catwalk event at London's Fashion and textiles museum, demonstrating their design flair and nimble fingers. More than 50 entries created by WIs were on show, with 35 women modelling their take on the iconic little black dress. It was in the name of the fast fashion campaign, showing how you can make gorgeous but environmentally friendly clothes from old outfits- even a wedding dress-or recycled material such as food packaging and bin bags.
A dress made of old tights got the judges approval in the `Remade or upcycled` category. Winner Frances Cowper Holzhausen of Wanstead WI, Essex Federation, said : “ Wow, I cant believe it. I had such a wonderful journey doing it, learning and exploring and sharing and so many people were involved because I had to ask them for their old tights`. Alison Baker of Ambergate WI, Derbyshire, adapted her wedding dress, last worn 18 years ago, for the same category. She combined it with a bubble dress found in a charity shop and added buttons from her grandmothers button tin, using the wedding dress to create a full underskirt.
Evelyn Donnelly of WeyBay WI, Dorset, designed the winning entry in the `made from scratch` section. It featured a yellow envelope-style opening made from curtain fabric and a secret mobile phone pocket.
The judges choice for 1Eco-friendly` LBD was by Linda Rowland's, of Belan WI in Powys-Montgomery. Linda's dress, worn by her daughter – in- law Kate, was made with wool from local alpacas, and features a detachable collar.
The show, in December, was an `amazing event`, said Lola, Baroness Young, one of the three judges. “This is about social justice, about environmental justice. It's about being able to have fun and frivolity but not at the expense of the environment.
The show was a last flourish for the fast fashion campaign, which is coming to an end after 18 months working to highlight the social and environmental cost to cheap clothing; from the exploitation of workers to the CO2 emissions involved in manufacturing, dyeing and distribution, as well as the 1.2 million tonnes of clothing that ends up in landfill every year.
I thought this article was interesting to read, as it contained information on how some of the contestants made their won recycle garments and what the cause was for.
after finalising my theme i thought of renting out some books that specilased into this area of work. The books could perhpas give me some ideas on how i could represnt this theme, into my work?
Title: Fashion marketing : contemporary issues
Author: Hines Tony, Bruce Margaret.
This book was based upon contributions from renowned academics and practitioners that address many of the contemporary issues facing one of the largest and most globalised industries.
Title: Second time cool : the art of chopping up a sweater
Author: Ivarsson, Anna-Stina Linden
I rented this book form the library as the book shows you how to create unique fashion styles using old sweaters. The book is advertised for anyone who is interested in designing a wardrobe that expresses individuality in fun and creative ways. Second-Time Cool shows how easy it can be to recycle knitted sweaters and strike a dazzling look. Simply grab an old wool sweater, wash in the hot cycle, pick up the scissors, and follow the instructions outlined in this book. Ideas include appliques, slippers, vests, wrist and leg warmers, stylish tops, bags and purses, and much more. The book helps readers think creatively about what can become what: a sleeve can become a mitten, the center of a sweater a skirt, and a turtleneck a hat. The authors remind readers to look for interesting fashions from the past in second-hand stores. Retro is in: it's all about learning to customize, cut up, and change used clothes with confidence. Also included are: the basics of knitting and crocheting line drawings to guide readers step-by-step instructions on the how-to's of cutting up a sweater to produce a unique style. Instruction pages are replete with full-color photography, while images displaying the end results offer inspiration. The authors are a collective of Swedish designers, expert knitters, and fashion journalists.
Title: Shaping sustainable fashion : changing the way we make and use clothes
Author: Gwilt, Alison, Rissanen, Timo
This is another book that explores how disposal of clothing is environmentally damaging, and how many fashion and textile designers are becoming keen to employ more sustainable strategies in their work. The book provided a practical guide to the ways in which designers are creating fashion with less waste and greater durability. Each chapter included two designer case studies.
Title: Ethical clothing: new awareness or fading fashion trend?
Author: Giesen, Barbara
The book explained and related to the textile and clothing sector to environmental threats (such as pollution, waste and recycling) and the reviews about its historic development against the background of labour issues (including child labour). Ecological and social problems of conventional textile production were also evaluated.
Title: The clothed body
Author:
Calefato, Patrizia
This book was quite interesting to read as I was interested in the meaning of what we wear? It explained how dress is everywhere imbued with symbols that reflect different meanings in different contexts. The book convincingly demonstrated how clothing is analogous to a working language and is simply underpinned by deeper meanings and philosophies.
What we wear is a vehicle for the (often contentious) expression of politics, gender and identity, and clothing is at the root of a complex set of messages many of which are paradoxical. The clothed body explored how semiotics can provide a convincing template for understanding dress in a wide range of contexts.
I wanted to rent this book out from the library as I knew 'Junky Styling' is a well illustrated publication, showcasing the label's reworked clothing designs. The book included a section with instructions showing fashion students, hobby-sewers, textiles fanatics and anyone with an interest in ecological and recycling issues. It showed how you can reconstruct stylish, individual clothing from things people no longer wear. Annika Sanders and Kerry Seager are co-directors of the fashion label Junky Styling, which was launched in 1997. I found the book interesting as it gave ideas on how I could represent in my project.
This piece of work really inspired me to progress further into fashion textiles and reminded me of the designer/photographer Gary Harvey.
Fashion designers, eco-conscious or not, are picking up on this eco-trend, taking a risk and taking vintage couture design to a higher level. Gary Harvey , for example, he can take a pair of jeans, newspaper, trench coats, army jackets or wedding dresses and turn them into stylish vintage ball-gowns that would make any eco-conscious princess hopeful for a greener and prettier place.
Gary Harvey is the former Creative Director of Levi Strauss and Dockers Europe designer for Levi's. He began designing his environmentally friendly dresses during a freelance fashion campaign. He needed something dramatic for a shoot so he took 42 pairs of Levi's 501's and made them into a dress. He has continued designing eco-fashion since.
His first collection of eco-designs was showcased in February of this year at London Fashion Week for Estethica. Estethica "is the hotspot for ethical fashion, where designers will show collections founded on ecological and organic principles." Take a look at his collection here. He doesn't just recycle clothing to make his innovative designs either. This one dress to the left was made with cans, bottle tops and cardboard boxes.
What else will Gary Harvey come with in the future? Only Gary Harvey knows, but I would like to see him make a dress out of flip flops, curtains, mini blinds or even carpet.
What else will Gary Harvey come with in the future? Only Gary Harvey knows, but I would like to see him make a dress out of flip flops, curtains, mini blinds or even carpet.
I really like some of the above dresses, there unusual and eco friendly when you think that this guy created such beautiful dresses from rubbish, to look at them you wouldn’t really have imagined how they looked before. It would be interesting to be able to experiment with designs and maybe work alongside some fashion students to come up with a ‘small range’ of clothing so that I will have some initial material to promote. It’s always nice to have body and content behind the visual identity of a store.
Newspaper dress, made from 30 copies of the 'Financial Times'. Gary Harvey’s first collection showcased nine of his stunning dresses at the Estethica exhibition at the London Fashion Week (Feb 07).
I think this collection creates a dramatic display designed to change people’s perception of second-hand clothing and create fashion with a conscience. Gary uses material he finds in places like second hand clothing stores to avoid waste, he says of good quality second hand clothing, people "wear it one or two times then discard it because it's suddenly deemed aesthetically unimportant and out of date when there's years of life left in the garment." His collection "was a comment about thinking about the real cost of the garment that you buy, about that cost being natural resources, exploitation of labour, the biodegradable nature of garments”.
London Fashion Week for more eco fashion.
Baseball Puffball Dress, made from 26 nylon baseball jackets. Sports uniforms were originally designed to be hi-tech long lasting uniforms, now they are non-biodegradable and are often discarded at the end of the season.
Denim Dress, made from 41 pairs of Levi 501's. Jeans were originally made to be a long lasting workmen's uniform, since becoming a fashion garment they are discarded long before their use is over.
Other dresses are made from discarded wedding dresses, laundry bags and t-shirts. All of which have an accompanying statement about why that item of clothing was chosen.
It seems that the original colours, textures and shapes of the reclaimed materials did much to inspire the silhouette of the final pieces themselves.
A woven bodice that flares into a crisply edged skirt belies its humble origins: more than 20 checked laundry bags.
In the this book, Sandy Black examines the way the fashion industry is changing to accommodate the environmental concerns of the twenty first century. She exposes the naked truth behind the clothes we wear, exploring alternate practices and assessing their feasibility.
Using case studies of designers from the catwalks and the high street, including Katharine Hamnett, Marks and Spencer and Linda Loudermilk, the book illustrates how these processes are finding their way into the industry, and shows how ethical fashion has moved on from its traditional connotations of hemp shirts and rope sandals.
Fashion and environmental awareness are two concerns that do not comfortably sit side by side. Over the past ten years, high street fashion, led by global chains, has become ever more affordable and disposable. The sourcing of materials, the manufacture and the distribution of clothes have become the dirty secrets of the beautiful industry.
For this project I was really interested in looking into incorporating fashion into the scene. - I felt these images were really helpful and inspirational.
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