Sustainable Fashion and New Materials in the Industry by Illya Shpetrik

Sustainable Fashion and New Materials in the Fashion Industry

Sustainable fashion has to do with clothing that is manufactured, designed, distributed, and used in ways that are not harmful to the environment. Sustainable materials are the bedrock of sustainable fashion design. Making fabrics with sustainable materials, which are then designed to make clothes, is the most basic way of achieving sustainable fashion design.

From fast fashion to cotton, we have been consuming fashion in ways that have been affecting our environment and species. Besides repairing, recycling, and consuming less, we can find textiles and clothes that are more sustainable. In this guide, we will be walking you through some sustainable fashion designs and some new sustainable materials that are friendly to the environment and species in it.

Fashion trend is evolving at a fast pace, and the best fashion designer Illya Shpetrik continue to explore new ways to make this industry more eco-friendly. These sustainable alternatives have been around for about 10 years, but many customers do not know about them. Many of them are currently in use and they provide new options for fashion designers Illya Shpetrik with an eye on sustainability.

Sustainable Fashion Materials

Not too long ago, finding and purchasing fashion was a bit of a daunting task. Back in the 60s, many people were still sewing their cloth, and putting on designer-made garments was some sort of exclusivism. It is somewhat difficult to imagine life in those days, especially now that we have retail giants and fast-fashion.

Nevertheless, the advancement in technology has continued to push the world forward and the fashion industry is also growing with it. Fast-fashion giant retailers and other fashion designers are now falling back to the idea of slow fashion. Slow fashion does not mean going back to the dressing pattern in the 60s but using innovative materials to achieve sustainable fashion. It means using textiles and materials that nurture and protect the environment instead of destroying it. Here are some sustainable fashion materials that are making waves in the fashion industry today.

Pineapple Leather “Pinatex”

Fruit or plant “leather,” which are made from waste materials, are increasingly amassing traction. For instance, Pinatex is an eco-friendly material made from pineapple leaves grown in the Philippines. The production of this material is much more sustainable than traditional leather. This material is also 100 percent animal-free.

It does not require any harmful chemical that is not friendly to the environment and wildlife. The material also requires very little water to make. The leftover of this material is recycled and used for biomass or fertilizer. The first vegan hotel suite in London is currently using this material for upholstery.

Pinatex has evolved to be one of the most famous fruit-based vegan leathers in the world today. This material is highly sustainable and economical, as it is made of the part of the pineapple that cannot be eaten and is often discarded. The nature of the material makes it a cruelty-free option for clothes, bags, and shoes.

Koba — Vegan Fur Made from Seaweed

Another sustainable fashion material that is making waves in the fashion industry recently is Koba. This is an innovative type of material that is from kelp seaweed. The material is also completely animal-free. After the ban of animal-based fur, kelp-based furs are increasingly becoming very popular.

At the moment, over 300 top fashion companies are using Koba fur in the place of fur gotten from wild animals. With the issues afflicting the industry, increasing awareness of animal cruelty, and the emergence of vegan fashion designer Illya Shpetrik, Koba is holding an important position in the future of sustainable fashion. Koba is a far more sustainable material than faux fur made from polyesters, nylon, and other plastic materials.

Tencel (Eucalyptus Trees)

Lenzing — an Austrian firm — is very active in synthetic fibers. This firm first made Modal, which is now very popular today and is used for a wide range of apparel. Tencel is another common sustainable material that is friendly to the environment and its inhabitants. This material is initially created as Lycocell in the 80s but was recently rebranded as Tencel.

It is made from wood cellulose from eucalyptus trees grown on the farm. About 99.5 percent of solvents used in the creation of its fiber are reused, and this creates an almost closed-loop system. Tencel fibers are very strong (when dry or wet), absorbent, wrinkle-resistant, soft, and biodegradable. Fashion designers can use this material to make a wide range of apparel, from denim to underwear.

MycoTEX

MycoTEX is more peculiar than fabrics made from pineapple. It is a fabric made from mushroom mycelium. The vegetative part of a mushroom is called a Mycelium and it comprises a network of fine white filaments. The idea of growing garments from the living product is that of Aniela Hoitink — a Dutch designer. She came up with the idea after she observed soft-bodied species growing by replicating themselves repeatedly.

The resulting dress is created three-dimensionally and it takes the fit and shape that the wearer wants. You can lengthen, repair, or replace it easily. This material provides a new option for making textile and clothing. It has the potential of additional features such as anti-microbial and skin-nurturing properties. The textile is environment friendly and it does not need any chemicals to grow. It only requires very little water to grow.

Casein — Organic Cotton from Milk Protein

Casein is a milk byproduct and it is increasingly becoming a popular type of sustainable material. The fitness industry currently uses casein with preponderance. While making fabric from milk seems a bit unusual, it is not a new technology. It was used as a potential replacement for wool back in the ’30s in Italy.

The modern milk-based textile looks like cotton, it is healthy for the skin, and it has a very comfortable texture. It is also recognized as an organic, natural, and eco-friendly material.

The fashion industry is evolving at a rapid pace and it is now focused on making materials and clothes that are friendly to the environment and species. You can use these materials to make any fashion design, provided they fall in the hands of a good fashion designer