In the today’s world of fast fashion everyone is facing a problem of disposing of old fashioned, out of trend and used clothing. And the world is facing a huge problem of disposing of this so-called fast-fashion. It is big threat to our environment. Everyday huge amount of textile waste is thrown away from big fashion houses, garment industries. This truck of debris of textiles is discarded every second. Yes, you read that correctly. So it is time to move towards sustainability……
What is ‘Sustainable’ fashion?
Sustainable fashion refers to environmental impacts of production, wearing and caring for and the disposal of clothing.
We use resources from nature, use water and chemicals to produce a garment. You buy and wear the garment. Many of us have clothes in our wardrobes that we hardly ever wear because they no longer fit or have gone out of style. We throw it away or donate it when you’re done…. But then what happens? Generally it goes to landfill or is burned out.
Sustainability in fashion can be achieved by-
Recycling- breaking down an object or material and creating entirely new one
Reducing- minimum use of sources, minimum textile wastage, human resources and
Reusing- textile wastage, old/scraped clothing
What is Upcycled Fashion?
Upcycling means to transform clothes, accessories, and textile waste into new products. Upcycled items could be post-consumer waste (items that have been purchased, worn, and discarded) or dead stock (items that did not sell) or textile waste from industries.
Upcycling is a way of processing an item to make it better than the original.
Idea of upcycled or refashioned apparel is the most sustainable thing designer can do in fashion. As upcycling is the refashioning wearable product from unfit, torn or stained, already existing clothing which I think is more challenging!!!
Benefits to Upcycling Fashion
Protecting environment
Upcycling reuses materials, clothing, large amount of textile waste that may otherwise end up in the landfill.
Reducing Waste
By giving consumers an alternative option to simply throwing out their used clothes, upcycled fashion brands are helping to reduce this type of waste.
Saving natural resources
Upcycling fashion with the existing one will save natural resources require creating a new one.
Lower production cost
By reusing and refashioning will reduce the material cost.
Why it is a big challenge to fashion designers?
I think it is easier one to work with new fabric and create a something new in a pattern. But while playing with old garments, avoiding stained, torned pieces with limited space for layouting is a very big challenge to designers to create something new. Designers work with whatever fabric is available to them at the moment. So, unlike mass-produced fast fashion, pieces are often one-of-a-kind.
Upcycled pieces are one of the unique eco-friendly fashions. Wherever the origin, upcycled textiles are reconstructed to increase their value.
For upcycling brands and designers it is essential to work in more efficient way with leftover materials such as vintage textiles, scrapes from textile industries, upholstery scraps and to give a new life.
Designers have to work in creative and innovative ways – producing original often one-of-a-kind items from what many consider to be waste such as from worn-out jeans and old T-shirts.
Designers have the challenge to see waste as a raw material source and a key element for their design explorations. They have to see waste as a resource that is available around us in abundance and uses it in traditional craft techniques to revive and redefine things in a new light.
Designers can create employment opportunities for weavers/ artisans thus contributing towards transforming social and environmental standards in the fashion industry.
Designers can add value to waste by using different techniques like weaving, patchwork, embroidery and knitting. Combining scrap with handcrafted techniques and playing with colors to make high-quality textiles and products requires a different outlook for a designer.
Today fashion industry is the big threat to the environmental pollution. As the world moves towards more eco-friendly and sustainable solutions, it is the designers and fashion brands can find a long-term solution. There are number of fashion brands and textiles studio that upcycles fashion waste and turns it into elegant fabrics for apparel and home furnishing. It collaborates with design houses and artisans to repurpose fabric waste into meaningful textiles. Upcycling clothing will be the best and challenging solution towards sustainability.