Posts Tagged ‘ecofashion’
4.27.11 Source4Style Report
April 28, 2011
Source4Style heads to Peru, talks Premium Level Member features, and plans for a new site redesign
Sustainable Design Innovations at London Fashion Week’s Estethica
April 23, 2011
Video Fashion News joins Summer Rayne Oakes on a journey through the Estethica exhibit at London Fashion Week to get the first glimpse at the latest trends in sustainable fashion design.
Video Fashion News joins Summer Rayne Oakes on a journey through the Estethica exhibit at London Fashion Week to get the first glimpse at the latest trends in sustainable fashion design.
TEXTILE TALK: OH SO MOSO – SERIES 1.2
April 22, 2011
Textile Talk Series 1.2 takes a closer look at the technical properties and textile challenges of bamboo-based fabric.
Bamboo as Textile: Challenges, Quality, Processing and Technical Properties. See what’s in store in the coming weeks here.
What designers need to know about bamboo
All fabrics are not created equally.
Take bamboo fiber as an example. Before the 2009 FTC bamboo backlash, the fabric, (which was principally being sold in bamboo viscose form), was being marketed in most cases as “bacteriostatic, biodegradable, natural, hypoallergenic and breathable.” Before getting into some of the descriptors, however, let’s talk about the processing techniques.
There still is some discrepancy and misunderstanding on how bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla pubescens), the plant, is processed into a fiber or fabric. This has been due to unclear processing techniques and in some cases – “proprietary processing” muddled with snappy marketing leftovers circa 2008. Bamboo is largely processed as a regenerated cellulosic rayon fiber (Figure 1), which uses solvents and other chemicals to break down and bleach the woody fiber. A less common, more costly practice is a mechanical process combined with enzymes that create bamboo linen (Figure 2), which has fabric properties more akin to a traditional bast fiber like flax or hemp.
Bamboo as Textile: Challenges, Quality, Processing and Technical Properties. See what’s in store in the coming weeks here.
What designers need to know about bamboo
All fabrics are not created equally.
Take bamboo fiber as an example. Before the 2009 FTC bamboo backlash, the fabric, (which was principally being sold in bamboo viscose form), was being marketed in most cases as “bacteriostatic, biodegradable, natural, hypoallergenic and breathable.” Before getting into some of the descriptors, however, let’s talk about the processing techniques.
There still is some discrepancy and misunderstanding on how bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla pubescens), the plant, is processed into a fiber or fabric. This has been due to unclear processing techniques and in some cases – “proprietary processing” muddled with snappy marketing leftovers circa 2008. Bamboo is largely processed as a regenerated cellulosic rayon fiber (Figure 1), which uses solvents and other chemicals to break down and bleach the woody fiber. A less common, more costly practice is a mechanical process combined with enzymes that create bamboo linen (Figure 2), which has fabric properties more akin to a traditional bast fiber like flax or hemp.
Figure 1. Photomicrograph of rayon fibers. A close inspection of rayon fibers reveals fibers with a smoother surface to it’s bamboo linen counterpart, which is mechanically processed. (Wet mount, 10x objective, transmitted brightfield illumination).
Figure 2. Photomicrograph of linen fibers. Fibers are ripped apart to obtain fiber for textiles and are broken down enzymatically. Cell walls are still visible. (Wet mount, 10x objective, transmitted brightfield illumination).
Rayon processing, though chemical in nature, has improved over the years. It has been documented that some manufacturers use a lyocell-type process (closed-loop rayon processing in which chemicals are recycled), but closer analysis needs to be assessed for each manufacturer. Additionally, it is important to consider that the facility has appropriate wastewater treatment facilities and worker health and safety standards.
There has been some discrepancy on how bamboo is processed…due to unclear processing techniques…muddled with snappy marketing leftovers circa 2008.
If you sell clothing, linens, or other textile products, you’re responsible for making truthful disclosures about the fiber content. If your product isn’t made directly of bamboo fiber (i.e., bamboo linen) — but is a manufactured fiber for which bamboo was the plant source (i.e., rayon or viscose) — it should be labeled and advertised using the proper generic name for the fiber, such as “rayon”, “bamboo rayon” or “rayon made from bamboo.”
What’s so technical about it?
Bamboo’s natural porosity as a plant has given it a unique ability to absorb and wick away moisture. Multiple testing laboratories, both international and abroad, show positive results, though it is important to note that these tests will vary on how fabric is manufactured and processed. We encourage suppliers and designers to run independent third-party tests on moisture-vapor transmission and other performance features.
Bamboo as a bactericide?
One of the popular properties in bamboo-based fabric that designers and manufacturers alike were praising was an undisclosed “antimicrobial agent,” often referred to as “bamboo kun.” It is largely known now that after rayon processing all bacteriostatic activity is no longer present.
For years, however, the hunt for the mysterious “bamboo kun” was on. Internet sites praised its properties but no one questioned what it actually was or where it came from. In bamboo plant extract studies, 2,6-dimethoxy-p-benzoquinone was isolated and identified. This is most likely the bactericide colloquially known as “bamboo kun.” This particular quinone is clearly naturally-occurring in the plant prior to processing. Various sources show evidence that if bamboo is burned into charcoal and spun into the rayon fiber during final processing, the antimicrobial properties are still retained, but further studies are encouraged to confirm those reports.*
It is unclear but the quinone may be the reason why some still tout bamboo fabric as “hypoallergenic.” If this is the case, it is not advisable to promote bamboo fabric as such considering that the benzoquinone derivative has been shown to cause allergic skin reactions in guinea pigs and humans. Though there have been no reported incidences regarding allergies to bamboo-based clothes and only 2% to 5% of the population will develop an allergic sensitivity to one or more compounds found in plants, effects of the chemical on the body should be taken into account if shown to be present.
*Note: Antimicrobial properties, if they are to be used as a marketing angle, should be validated by a certified, independent third party testing facility.
Tune in next Friday, April 29th for Oh So MOSO Series 1.3: The Market – Inter- and Intra-market demands, claims and standards. See what’s in store in the coming weeks here.
And let us know if you’d like for us to set up a group webinar on this Series of Textile Talk: Oh So Moso.
Summer Rayne Oakes talks Source4Style’s Vision to make Sustainable Design Possible
April 22, 2011
In the latest episode of The Green Room, BBMG’s Mitch Baranowski chats with Source4Style Co-founder/CEO, Summer Rayne Oakes about the vision behind Source4Style and what to expect on the platform in the coming months.
In the latest episode of The Green Room, BBMG’s Mitch Baranowski chats with Source4Style Co-founder/CEO, Summer Rayne Oakes about the vision behind Source4Style and what to expect on the platform in the coming months.
TEXTILE TALK: OH SO MOSO – Series 1.1
April 15, 2011
Textile Talk Series 1.1 gets to the bottom of bamboo and sustainable development
Bamboo’s Big Picture: Use, Forest Management and Sustainable Economic Development. See what’s in store in the coming weeks here.
Moso’s quick growth and versatility have brought it into the international spotlight. Within the last decade, international agencies put Moso as a “high priority” plant for research after acknowledgement of its commercial value and that resources for scientific study are severely limited.
Hailed as the most important bamboo species in China as well as the third most important plant species for timber production, Moso has become big business. The Chinese government has moved to increase the acreage of the plant to address both consumer demand and timber resource deficiency.
The increase in forest area is not necessarily ecologically benign. Mixed Moso forests are often converted to pure Moso plantations (homogenous stands of bamboo). Compared to a pure Moso plantation, traditionally mixed forest trees grown on sloping mountain areas where felling (cutting of trees) results in soil erosion. Standard management techniques for plantations consist of two brush cuttings per year to clear the forest floor and topsoil tillage every one or two years. This can result in both soil erosion and a rapid depletion of soil nutrients in which the area must be eventually fertilized to avoid deterioration, though that is not at all ecologically or economically feasible. Plantations that employ better sustainable management and harvesting techniques to maximize efficiency and minimize eventual ecological degradation should be encouraged. Continue Reading
Bamboo’s Big Picture: Use, Forest Management and Sustainable Economic Development. See what’s in store in the coming weeks here.
Moso’s quick growth and versatility have brought it into the international spotlight. Within the last decade, international agencies put Moso as a “high priority” plant for research after acknowledgement of its commercial value and that resources for scientific study are severely limited.
Hailed as the most important bamboo species in China as well as the third most important plant species for timber production, Moso has become big business. The Chinese government has moved to increase the acreage of the plant to address both consumer demand and timber resource deficiency.
The increase in forest area is not necessarily ecologically benign. Mixed Moso forests are often converted to pure Moso plantations (homogenous stands of bamboo). Compared to a pure Moso plantation, traditionally mixed forest trees grown on sloping mountain areas where felling (cutting of trees) results in soil erosion. Standard management techniques for plantations consist of two brush cuttings per year to clear the forest floor and topsoil tillage every one or two years. This can result in both soil erosion and a rapid depletion of soil nutrients in which the area must be eventually fertilized to avoid deterioration, though that is not at all ecologically or economically feasible. Plantations that employ better sustainable management and harvesting techniques to maximize efficiency and minimize eventual ecological degradation should be encouraged.
Moso’s “eco-friendly” positioning in the market has been centered on its properties as:
- A natural (nonsynthetic) fiber
- A quick growth plant (it is a grass after all), and
- A “renewable” plant after its three to five year harvesting period.
(Oh So Moso – Series 1.3 will discuss Moso’s eco-friendly positioning in the market).
The China-India Entente
Trade in bamboo-based products in developing nations like China and India is being positioned as a sustainable development strategy for rural communities. The Philippines, Republic of Korea, Malaysia and even some African nations have also begun looking to bamboo as both a cash crop and a means to alleviate areas that have been overlogged.
Whether this becomes a viable tactic is highly questionable. Poor management will result in degradation. Fair labor standards and practices while harvesting the plant are largely undisclosed or at least not entirely transparent. Much of the bamboo currently used is harvested by those living at or below subsistence level and mainly by women and children.
Bamboo is the single most important forest product used by the rural communities in several countries of the Asia-Pacific region. It is also an important source of cash income for the rural poor. Bamboo is a labor-intensive, multipurpose commodity. This is particularly why bamboo-based development can lead to the creation of new jobs and income generation, especially for women in rural communities.
China is by far the largest supplier, producer and manufacturer of bamboo-based products, a vertically-integrated system that has been building steam for nearly two decades. In a research report from the Economist Intelligence Unit, China is predicted to close the gap in economic size with the U.S. by 2020. Labor-intensive production, such as bamboo extraction and manufacturing, will continue to shift to low cost labor, though average wages are not expected to rise dramatically.
With the second largest reserve of bamboo after China, India has also recently become interested in the plant’s economic promise, referring to it as the new “green gold.” The Indian government has plans for implementation of a $115 million project that will promote bamboo cultivation and trade through a National Mission on Bamboo Trade and Technology Development. Currently India takes advantage of only 1/10 of its bamboo producing potential. Maximizing production of bamboo in India was expected to create eight million jobs and lift five million families out of poverty and earn $3.6 billion in 2007, though recent numbers have not been found to be verified. Projections are expected to reach $5.7 billion by 2015.
These numbers remain optimistic reports and the reference to “green” gold is speculative. The vital method to channel the raw material to a finished product and into an end user market is still considered largely absent. Current reports show the person extracting the plant only gets 20% of the cost, 19% is given to the trade commission, and 61% goes directly to transportation. Additionally, most bamboo in India is being extracted from at least 60-70% of protected forest areas.
Tune in next Friday, April 22nd for Oh So MOSO Series 1.2: The Textile – Challenges, Quality, Processing, and Technical Properties. See what’s in store in the coming weeks here.
Textile Talk: Oh so Moso
April 15, 2011
Source4Style highlights a "Textile Talk" three-part series on the business behind bamboo.
Welcome to “Textile Talk” – a series of blog posts that take an in-depth look into textiles beyond the market hype. By coupling on-the-ground interviews with multidisciplinary research, S4 uncovers what sustainability really means when it comes to clothes.
This month is devoted to a 3-part series on bamboo fiber.
It’s known as Phyllostachys heterocycla pubescens to the nerds, Moso to the hipsters, Mao Zhu to the showoffs, and “hairy bamboo” to the smart asses, but to the conscious clotheshorses, bamboo was being hailed as one of the finest sustainable fibers on the market. With more than 2.5 billion people eating, sleeping, sitting, wearing and doing who knows what else with bamboo, it is no wonder why it had quickly become the Clark Kent-turns-Superman of the green world.
From designers taking a “weave-it or leave it” philosophy to entire nations praising it as the next “green gold,” it is no surprise that bamboo has shed its sobriquet of “poor man’s timber.” Some garmentos were even claiming that it would take over the textile industry as the #1 fiber (watch out cotton!) When something this big enters the green scene, scientific scrutiny can be as crippling as Kryptonite.
Welcome to “Textile Talk” – a series of blog posts that take an in-depth look into textiles beyond the market hype. By coupling on-the-ground interviews with multidisciplinary research, S4 uncovers what sustainability really means when it comes to clothes.
This month is devoted to a 3-part series on bamboo fiber.
It’s known as Phyllostachys heterocycla pubescens to the nerds, Moso to the hipsters, Mao Zhu to the showoffs, and “hairy bamboo” to the smart asses, but to the conscious clotheshorses, bamboo was being hailed as one of the finest sustainable fibers on the market. With more than 2.5 billion people eating, sleeping, sitting, wearing and doing who knows what else with bamboo, it is no wonder why it had quickly become the Clark Kent-turns-Superman of the green world.
From designers taking a “weave-it or leave it” philosophy to entire nations praising it as the next “green gold,” it is no surprise that bamboo has shed its sobriquet of “poor man’s timber.” Some garmentos were even claiming that it would take over the textile industry as the #1 fiber (watch out cotton!) When something this big enters the green scene, scientific scrutiny can be as crippling as Kryptonite.
Bamboo provides vital biological and ecological functions that extend into the economic and cultural fabric for many people in the developing world. Being able to define what sustainability is to a designer or what sustainability is to whole communities without undermining cultural and moral values is going to be a true challenge. How we define and market “sustainability” for design lines or trade talks will surprisingly find us asking the same types of questions. After all, if sustainable design and sustainable development is really the humble goal and not just hype, then we need to listen to the science over the deafening bombination of green buzz.
S4 prefaces these queries by delving deeper into the issues in this three part series on MOSO.
Every Friday at 3PM we’ll launch a new part to the series.
Series 1.1 will address the “Big Picture” by covering bamboo use, forest management and sustainable economic development (April 15, 3PM EST).
Series 1.2 takes bamboo down to a design level. Topics will include: textile challenges, quality, processing, and technical properties (April 22, 3PM EST).
Series 1.3 will demonstrate more clearly how the macrolevel converges with consumer market trends, introducting inter- and intra-market demands, marketing claims and standards. Plus: A photo bonus feature showcasing how the textile has been used in design (April 29, 3PM EST).
If you have any questions about bamboo fiber, be sure to tune in here and send your questions our way. If there is sufficient interest, we’ll do a 30-minute informative and interactive live-streaming session on Friday (May 6, 2011).
The 5 Most Innovative Eco-friendly Fibers
April 13, 2011
The interest in sustainable fabrics is increasing despite the downturn in the economy. Stay on top of the trends and check out some of Source4Style's picks for the Top 5 Most Innovative Eco-friendly Fibers.
Q:
When I hear the words “green” and “fashion” in the same sentence, I immediately think of organic cotton and hemp. From you vantage point, what are some of the coolest innovations in sustainable fibers happening right now?
A:
Organic cotton and hemp have been the mainstays of the sustainable textiles industry, but the market is diversifying rapidly , especially as the definition of “sustainable fashion” starts to expand. We’ve chosen to highlight five cool fabric picks. Most of these fabrics have not hit the commercial market yet – but will give you an idea on where the world of sustainable textiles is heading – or could head.
nanosilver particles embedded into medical fabric
1. SILVER
Silver (yes the metal not the color) is commonly used in the medical and healthcare fields due to its known healing properties, but is slowly making its way into consumer markets, particularly in undergarments and athletic wear. Silver is a conductive element, which means it is naturally antimicrobial, thermally conductive, and electrically conductive. “The silver particles attach to the microbes and short-circuit them. Basically they suffocate,” says Bennett Fisher from Carolina Silver. Silver is generally applied or woven into a fabric in three principal ways and not all silver fibers are created equally. Continue Reading
Q:
When I hear the words “green” and “fashion” in the same sentence, I immediately think of organic cotton and hemp. From you vantage point, what are some of the coolest innovations in sustainable fibers happening right now?
A:
Organic cotton and hemp have been the mainstays of the sustainable textiles industry, but the market is diversifying rapidly , especially as the definition of “sustainable fashion” starts to expand. We’ve chosen to highlight five cool fabric picks. Most of these fabrics have not hit the commercial market yet – but will give you an idea on where the world of sustainable textiles is heading – or could head.
nanosilver particles embedded into medical fabric
1. SILVER
Silver (yes the metal not the color) is commonly used in the medical and healthcare fields due to its known healing properties, but is slowly making its way into consumer markets, particularly in undergarments and athletic wear. Silver is a conductive element, which means it is naturally antimicrobial, thermally conductive, and electrically conductive. “The silver particles attach to the microbes and short-circuit them. Basically they suffocate,” says Bennett Fisher from Carolina Silver. Silver is generally applied or woven into a fabric in three principal ways and not all silver fibers are created equally.
Nanoparticle Finishes
Nanoparticle silver finishes adhere to the surface and can easily come off. It may be touted as a “permanent finish,” but the manufacturer is counting on the silver, which has been chemically bound to the fiber, to outlast the garment, which is not quite “sustainable.” Our bodies can’t easily get rid of metallic silver or silver oxide, so medical professionals normally steer clear of those finishes. Additionally, cheap finishes may permanently discolor the skin a grayish-blue.
Extrusion Process
As fiber is extruded through machinery, manufacturers can put silver particles into the fiber and embed it in the final stages of the process. Silver, however, is often “covered up” with the fiber, which doesn’t make it electrically conductive and is thus rendered ineffective, or at least not as effective.
Embedded Elemental Silver
The safest, most sensible and effective way silver is applied to a fabric is embedding enough pure silver into the material. Silver nitrate goes through a reduction process and embeds the pure silver on 99.9 percent of the surface. From there, silver ions—the invisible healing agents that make silver so effective—are released.
“We put enough silver to build a sheath around each fiber that is 4/10 to 5/10 microns thick,” says Nelson Oakes from Carolina Silver Techonologies. “That ensures that the fiber remains conductive runways like wires in a wall.” The fiber is so electrically conductive he says that if you stick it into a light socket, you’re bound to get shocked and/or electrocuted, which I suggest you do not try. “Approximately 20 percent of the fabric’s weight is pure silver and because it is pure silver, it is often recycled and used into new materials,” comments Bennett Fisher. Both the elemental silver and wastewater from the Carolina Silver factory is recycled.
2. MORPHOTEX
Teijin Fibers Limited of Japan had previously produced Morphotex®. The biomimetic fabric refracts light like the wings of the Morpho blue butterfly, completely eliminating any need for pigment or dyes, which has always been a challenge for sustainable designers who love and want color. All the color seen on the fabric’s surface is created by the strength and angle of the light refraction against the material. Though extra dye is not used in the fabric, the material itself is made out of 85 percent polyester and 15 percent nylon. There is no word whether the manufacturers were using recycled polyester and nylon, which they have available in other products.
3. RUBBER
Natural rubber is obtained by the same mechanisms as it was over a thousand years ago: By making horizontal incisions into trees and letting the sticky white sap drip into containers, which is an inefficient system. Today, the world gets most of its natural rubber from Asia. The continent accounts for around 94 percent of the total output in 2005. New forms of rubber for products – both from naturally-derived sources and recycled/reclaimed rubber – is just beginning to hit the market.
Dandelion Rubber
According to Discovery News, scientists from Ohio State University’s Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and the Ohio BioProducts Innovation Center (OBIC) recently received a $3 million grant to design and build a processing plant that would turn sticky white dandelion root from Russian dandelion (Taraxacum kok-saghyz) sap into a high quality natural rubber that rivals tree rubber in price.
Artificial rubber is far less superior to its natural counterpart, which is why it is important to find new sources of natural rubber. According to Discovery News, the price for rubber has doubled in recent years, making alternative sources of natural rubber more attractive than past efforts, which reach all the way back to World War II, when the Soviets made rubber from dandelions.
Green Rubber
Datuk Vinod Sekhar was recently awarded a Sustainable Design award at Global Green’s NYC fundraiser this past year. Green Rubber, a division of the Petra Group, has successfully figured out how to devulcanise and recycle rubber, a technology that has not been perfected until now. For so long, rubber in materials could only be partially recycled in order to maintain its original properties. According to Sekhar, the cost of a ton of Green Rubber is significantly below current market prices for the virgin rubber compound, which gives it a definite market benefit.
4. NETTLE
We were first introduced to nettle fabric by Norwegian designer, Leila Hafzi, who commonly works with artisans in Nepal. It was there where she saw craftswomen spinning the Himalayan Giant Nettle (also known as Allo), which grows in the mountains. Fabric from nettle has been used for thousands of years, but it fell out of favor as cotton became the fabric-of-choice. Nettle has many properties similar to linen, but it’s long staple can provide for some interesting fabrications if proper technology and scale is brought to the industry. Like many newly-introduced natural, sustainable fabrics on the market, this can initially make a big entrance especially since you can say, “Can you believe that this soft fabric is made out of stinging nettle?” As someone who has seen nettle firsthand, I do believe it’s a great fabric and a good opportunity to diversify the sustainable fiber portfolio – as well as act as a promising sustainable development tool. New nettle fabrics will be making their way onto Source4Style in the coming months so tune in and check out our initial nettle material here.
5. VICTIMLESS LEATHER
Though not a consumer product, the idea of “victimless leather” is no doubt an intriguing one: Can you make a leather-based product without exploiting or killing animals? The “victimless leather” is grown out of cell lines, which when cultured, form a living layer of tissue supported by a biodegradable polymer matrix to form a coat. This is the type of technology Victor Frankenstein would have a field day with or modern day Hiroshi Ishiguro, who manufactures real-life robots with voice recognition and human emotions, may be keen to incorporate into the “skin” of his prototypes.
The R&D of “Victimless Leather” has been conducted in SymbioticA: the Art and Science Collaborative Research Laboratory, School of Anatomy and Human Biology at the University of Western Australia and in consultation with Professor Arunasalam Dharmarajan from the School of Anatomy and Human Biology as well as Verigen, a Perth based company that specializes in tissue engineered cartilage for clinical applications. Check out Source4style’s “Frankenstein Fashion” highlights and alternative leather options for purchase.
