Microfibers have become almost an organism within the environment of the oceans, because of their large amount in the water, damaging not only the quality of water and air, but all the diversity that surrounds it, since of all the waste found that is of human origin in the oceans, 85% are microfibers. In this case, the design and manufacture of garments play an important role in the emission of microfibers into the environment.
Photography: @sami_oliver_nakari | Stylist: @robypeach | Mua: @roscino–makeup | Model: @francesca_cobucci | Agency: @urbanmodelmgmt
Many of the current problems related to the environmental impacts of plastic items stem from a lack of thought and action at the design stage. Sustainability in clothing is of great importance to public knowledge, it's an issue that we should all care about, and if so, why not stop being a bystander?
In the Fast Fashion industry, the manufacturing process increasingly includes garments that are made of 100% synthetic materials, which seem to be harmless, but when they are washed, they release small particles or fragments of plastic. Because, YES, a lot of clothes are really plastic, but in garment form; and that is not the whole problem of fast fashion. The problem is also the way in which the clothes are actually made, because if they are of poor quality and the cuts and union of the parts are not being strong and on the contrary are weak, there are even more microfibers that separate and spread, with the friction of the movement. These particles are so small that there is no sewage filter to stop them reaching rivers and seas causing severe environmental problems.
Photography: @sami_oliver_nakari | Stylist: @robypeach | Mua: @roscino–makeup | Model: @francesca_cobucci | Agency: @urbanmodelmgmt
This leads us to look more seriously at Fast Fashion as an enemy to the fashion industry and the environment, since all its clothes are made of synthetic materials that, being garments whose life span is short and are made in a massive way, end up in garbage polluting and releasing thousands of microfibers in their washing.
Our Solution: Sustainable Fashion - Waterproof Clothing
The designer Jehsel Lau in 2015 incorporated materials and techniques designed to ensure that the union of the parts that make up the garments are durable. The living example is the Aequilibrium collection presented for Alta Roma in Italy, where its fabrics are compact and thick, with interwoven and pressed threads, which allows the garment to stay clean longer without constant washing, thus avoiding the release of microfibers to the environment, with water and grease repellent fabrics, so they do not get dirty easily, thus helping to save water in their washing and saving energy.
Photography: @feddegarza | Stylist: @haute__a__porter | Model: @jehsellau
Photography: @feddegarza | Stylist: @haute__a__porter | Model: @jehsellau
The collection is currently on sale for Haute à Porter.
Finally, what we can see, is that textile design directly influences the release of these particles polluting the air and seas in the wash.
That is the message that highlights the importance of sustainable design for the fashion industry and that as a responsible society we should encourage and consume responsibly.
References:
Fernández V.(2016). Las microfibras de la ropa contaminan los océanos. de Geoinnova Website: https://geoinnova.org/blog-territorio/microfibras-contamina-los-oceanos/
Nahir. (2019). MICROFIBRAS. LAVAR LA ROPA CONTAMINA LOS OCÉANOS. de Esturirafi Website: https://www.esturirafi.com/2019/04/microfibras-contaminacion-oceanos.html
UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH. (2020). Wearing clothes could release more microfibers to the environment than washing them. By Eurekalert Website: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/757330
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