Category Archives: Fashion Design

Beyond Green

Title: Beyond Green
Location: Amsterdam
Link out: Click here

Designer Winde Rienstra will be exhibiting in the Green Gallery

“This year the symposium again includes a Beyond Green Gallery with presentations on innovative projects by young designers and grass-roots organizations, and exhibition stands manned by numerous companies connected with fashion, textiles and sustainability. A swapshop will also take place where visitors can exchange (closed purse) vintage items. The Beyond Green Gallery will be coordinated by I&A, Ingrid Horsselenberg & Annouk Post.

The symposium will be held in English, and is aimed principally at the students and staff of Dutch fashion and design institutes. It will be held from 10am to 5pm on 9 November 2009 in the World Fashion Centre (Koningin Wilhelminaplein 13, 1062 HH) in Amsterdam.

Press can register via the AMFI-Amsterdam Fashion Institute: m.m.van.de.beek@hva.nl (also for more information about Beyond Green)” (Beyong Green)

Here is the line-up of speakers:

Kate Fletcher, author of Sustainable Textiles: Design Journeys (2008), will be speaking on the topic of “Fashion and Sustainability,” Adriaan Beukers, a full-time Professor on Composite Materials & Structures at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at Delft University of Technology and a part-time professor for Engineering with Composites at the Materials Department of the Leuven University, as well as co-author of the books Lightness (1998) and Flying Lightness (2005) will be speaking on “Light Weight,” Fashion Designer Mark Liu on “Zero Waste,” and Carolyn Strauss of slowLab will be speaking on “Slow-Design-Slow Fashion.”

There will also be a “Green Gallery,” divided into four parts, the Information Space, the Showroom, the Exhibition, and the Swap Store.

Here is the list of designers who will be presenting their innovative work in the Exhibition:

Marie Ilse Bourlanges
Wieteke Opmeer
Marianne Kemp
Nanna van Blaaderen
Refinity by Fioen van Balgooi
Marina Toeters en Jesse Asjes
Malousebastiaan
Conny Groenewegen
Malu Berbers
Winde Rienstra
Jeroen Wand
Woesvan Haaften
Amber Dekker

Start Time: 10:00am
Date: 2009-11-09

Source: Hiphonest and Behond Green

The Uniform Project

The Uniform Project Trailer from The Uniform Project on Vimeo.

The Uniform Project

The Uniform Project is an “exercise in sustainable fashion,” where one woman has committed herself to wearing the same black dress for an entire year.

Already half way through, the project has raised $27, 525 for the Akanksha Foundation.

Follow Sheena through the dailies as she challenges traditional notions of uniformity, raising important questions surrounding necessity and sustainability. You can be a part of the project by donating $$ or by donating

Donate old accessories, contribute your own designs, or collaborate on an ensemble. Click here to learn more.

Social Alterations featured on Fashioning an Ethical Industry

As followers of SA likely already know, this online lab was developed as a result of my research, ‘Social Alteration: Sustainable Design Solutions through Socially Responsible Design Education’ at Athabasca University. A few months in, SA has grown to include the work contributing writer and collaborator Nadira Lamrad, as well as contributing writer Katrine Karlsen, and has already created the SA Fibre Analysis as our first piece of free downloadable curricula.

I’m excited to report that Fashioning an Ethical Industry has added this work to the student project/dissertation section of their site! Thank you for your support!

Click here to check it out, as well as to learn more about these inspiring student initiatives:

22 magazine

Louise Boulter

University College for the Creative Arts (Epsom)

BA (hons) Fashion Promotion and Imaging

What is ethical wear?

Anita Costanzo

Universita IUAV di Venezia

Corso di laurea in Design della Moda

‘Six’

Danielle Fell

Nottingham Trent University

Fashion Marketing and Communications

Graduate

Can El Salvador develop and sustain homegrown design

Carolina Gomez

Chelsea College of Arts and Design

Textile Design

3rd Year

‘Make-Do-And-Mend’

Nathalie Gottschalk

Ma Ethical Fashion Graduate

Consumer Guidebook Nectar

Cathy Gray

University College of the Creative Arts

Work done in 3rd Year – now graduated

FILM CLIP and ‘Ethical Shopping Guide’

Kelly Levell

Arts Institute at Bournemouth

BA Fashion Studies Degree

Installation in response to exploitation of garment workers

Polly Pocock

North Devon School of Art

FdA Fine Art

‘Designing Happiness’

Anna Vening

Chelsea College of Art and Design

BA Textile Design

The Case for Sustainable Fashion: Organic and Sustainable Textile Seminar for Brands and Retailers

“21st Century supply chain management calls for innovative mindsets and specialized methodologies. Escalating oil prices, climate change, consumer awareness, water shortages, child labor, biodiversity, landscape management, transparency, pesticide management – all these elements impact on sourcing decisions, the supply chain and how we deliver product to the consumer.” (OE-MB Sustainable Fashion Seminars)

The Seminar is a unique 2 day intensive aimed to bring textile and apparel professionals working within the industry up to speed on opportunities to create responsible change within their supply chain.

Title: The Case for Sustainable Fashion: Organic and Sustainable Textile Seminar for Brands and Retailers
Location: London
Link out: Click here
Description :

“Some of the important topics covered include:

Environmentally Friendly Fabrics – Understand the Definition, Sourcing and Production Issues,
A discussion on Recycled Polyester and Climate Neutral Clothing,
Responsible Processing – The Good The Bad & The Ugly of Dyeing and Finishing Industry,
Product Integrity – Certification, Labeling, Transparency and Traceability,
Social Compliance – Understand the Different Systems and Learn The Actual Work Done,
Setting Sustainability Strategy – Learn from the Perspective of Leading Brands, Their Pitfalls, Triumphs and Lessons Learned,
Communication Strategy – How Sustainability and Branding Strengthen Each Other?
Fashion and Consumer Trends Towards Sustainability in Europe.

Participants will be encouraged to be critical, ask questions and share experiences during discussions. It would be an excellent place to actively share knowledge and information and to network at every possible level.

It is of our main intention that you will leave this event with:

Practical and in-depth sustainability strategies that can be used by your business,
A roadmap of action – a clear idea of what needs to be done, and how,
A new set of meaningful contacts.

Who would benefit most from this seminar?

If you are involved in supply chain management, buying, designing, fabric sourcing, marketing, CSR or are a professional and manager of a clothing brand or retailer, this seminar will assist you to initiate and develop your sustainable textile and apparel programme.
By attending, you will provide your company with an excellent return on investment as you meet with your peers, expand your knowledge of sustainable textiles, and find new opportunities for innovation, risk reduction/brand protection, and cost savings.

Please contact Nany Trivita Kusuma for additional details or questions” (event description directly sourced through OE-MB Sustainable Fashion Seminars)

Start Date: 2009-11-19
End Date: 2009-11-20

Source: CSF and OE-MB Sustainable Fashion Seminars

Ecouterre launch party @ Kaight

Will you be in New York at the end of October? If so, check out the launch of Ecouterre at KAIGHT.

Here are the event details:

Come sip organic cocktails, nosh on vegan cookies and snacks, browse through racks of sustainable fashion at KAIGHT (15 percent off everything for one night only), and chat about the future of eco-fashion with Ecouterre editors and other readers. If you’re interested in joining the fun, please rsvp@inhabitat.com, tout de suite! Here are the details:

WHAT: Ecouterre Official Launch Party!

WHERE: KAIGHT NYC, 83 Orchard between Broome and Grand, New York, NY 10002

WHEN: October 29, 2009 (Thursday) from 6-9 p.m.

WHO: Team Ecouterre and Inhabitat, including Jill Fehrenbacher, Jasmin Malik Chua, Abigail Doan, Yuka Yoneda, Rebecca Paul, Dan Mendes, and of course, KAIGHT founder and owner Kate McGregor!

HOW: Please RSVP to rsvp@inhabitat.com

BSR Conference 2009

Title: BSR Conference 2009
Location: San Francisco, CA
Link out: Click here

The 2009 BSR Conference kicks off tonight in San Francisco with a Human Rights Networking Reception starting at 5:30pm. Of the many interesting panel sessions, including “Integrating Sustainability into Sourcing, Design, and Production of Products” with Amy Leonard and Erik Joule from Levi Strauss & Co’s, Hannah Jones will be discussing Nike’s Considered Design Ethos during the panel “Integrating Sustainability into Corporate Innovation” at 4:30 on Oct. 22^nd.

We’ve mentioned Nike’s Considered Design Ethos before (see Nike Talks Trash and Nike: Considered Design Ethos, Steve Nash and the “Sixty Million Dollar Man”).

Check out this article on Greenbiz to learn more about Nike’s Considered Design initiative.

Description:

“In a world that’s been ‘reset’ by a trio of global crises—the sharp worldwide recession, accelerating climate change, and a collapse of trust in business—the implication and opportunities for business are enormous.

“Now more than ever, innovative sustainability strategies are needed to deliver business value today, and position companies to successfully meet the greater challenges ahead. The BSR Conference is an essential opportunity to learn how to leverage your resources, implement changes, and succeed in a world where business as usual is no longer viable.

“Don’t miss your chance to be part of one of the largest and most influential communities of corporate responsibility leaders, at what Forbes.com ranks among the top 12 influential executive gatherings for 2009. A new, restructured format with more—and more varied—session time than ever before means that you will be able to customize your agenda with the topics, level, and length of sessions that are right for you. Any way you design it, the BSR Conference will deliver a practical and interactive learning experience, unrivaled access to industry experts, and the knowledge you need to lead in a ‘reset world.’” (BSR)

Start Date: 2009-10-20
End Date: 2009-10-23

Source: GreenBiz and BSR

SCHMATTA: RAGS TO RICHES TO RAGS//HBO Documentary

“A cautionary story of labor and greed, Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags follows the decline of the once-robust apparel manufacturing industry in the U.S., while chronicling the industry’s relationship with unions and government. From the “Garmento” to the seamstress, from the designer to the marketing maven, from the small businessman to the financier, Schmatta offers a firsthand account of how the industry helped generations of Americans march out of poverty and right into the golden age of the American middle class. But while Schmatta reminds us of the early days of the garment industry and its heyday, it also probes its troubling decline, which has occurred largely within the last 30 years. In 1965, 95% of American clothing was made in the U.S.A.; by 2009, only 5% is manufactured here.

Director Marc Levin focuses his lens on Manhattan’s Garment District, an eight-block area on Manhattan’s West Side which gave birth to the domestic industrial labor movement, and played a key role in major American political activities. From its immigrant origins in the 19th Century, the labor movement rose quickly against deplorable sweatshop conditions. In recent years, however, the realities of automation, deregulation, globalization and outsourcing – all part of the race to the bottom line – eventually eroded the industry’s unprecedented momentum (more)” (HBO Synopsis)

Click here to read the review by Women’s Wear Daily, “HBO Heads Inside the Garment Center” by Rosemary Feitelberg.

Premieres Oct. 19 th-click here for showtimes.

Source: NLC and HBO

Community News

Community News is a new feature at SA, where we round up some stories, headlines and updates from in and around the community of socially responsible fashion design.

BusinessWeek

Special Report: Design Thinking

World’s Best Design Schools

Core77

IIT’s 2009 Design Research Conference: It’s all about Synthesis

Reflections from a Better World by Design Conference

Organelle Design’s “Hangeliers”

Design Revolution: An Interview with Emily Pilloton (by Allan Chochinov)

Design Museum lectures (Videos) [it will take some time to download] Vivienne Westwood: Active Resistance to Propaganda

Book Review: Change by Design, by Tim Brown

CSR Asia

Oxfam calls on businesses to do more on climate change

CSR Europe

Body Shop teams up with ECPAT International to stop child sex trafficking

Future ISO 26000 standard on social responsibility published as Draft International Standard

Ecouterre

Portland Fashion Week Showcases Green, Sustainable Designers

Eco-Fashion Struts Its Stuff at Paris Fashion Week’s Ethical Fashion Show, Green Showroom

Ethical Style

E.S.’s 24^th Magazine Issue “Ethical Accessories” is up, check it out.

Michael Kors on Cleaning Out Your Closet

Stella McCartney Calls Other Designers ‘Heartless’

Fashion Takes Action

FTA’s 1^st e-course is available to both members and non-members-click here to sign up.

Hazardous Chemicals in Footwear

There has been a lot of attention given to the use of chemicals used in textile and apparel production in the past. We have heard of pesticides in cotton farming, dyeing and the finishing treatment of jeans. Many retailers have responded to the pressure from NGOs as well as consumers, and the use of organic cotton has grown exponentially since 2006.

There was only a matter of time before the footwear industry would have to take responsibility for the production of shoes. There are many components in a shoe which have been an excuse many footwear retailers have used to avoid the subject. However, large brands like NIKE and Timberland have showed that it is possible to exclude and replace certain chemicals to make safer products.

On September 14th 2009 the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation published the report ” Chemicals Up Close – plastic shoes from all over the world” where 27 plastic shoes purchased in 7 different countries were tested for hazardous chemicals such as phthalates, heavy metals and tin organic compounds. There was found traces of all in most of the tested shoes.

The damaging implications of these chemicals are large, both for people and the environment. Cancer, liver failure, skin allergies and burns have been identified among workers who are exposed to large amounts over time.

“The environmental toxins in the shoes can spread to people and to the environment as the shoes become worn. There is also a considerable risk of them affecting the people involved in the manufacture of the shoes, says Mikael Karlsson, President of the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation.”

For those that work in the footwear industry it is becoming increasingly important to identify these risks and take action in order to achieve a safer supply chain as well as a eco – safe product. If designers and buyers gain more knowledge about the properties of hazarouds chemicals, they can work together with the supplier to develop a eco -safe product.

You can find the report here.

The report refers to the new EU legislation on chemicals, REACH, where some of the tested chemicals are subject to be banned or restricted.

Source: Naturskyddsföreningen

Watch//Read: Thinking Design w/ IDEO’s Tim Brown through Living Climate Change

Social Alterations is happy to report that Tim Brown’s new book, “Change by Design: How Design Thinking Transforms Organizations and inspires innovation” is now available.

Tim Brown is CEO at IDEO, and is responsible for promoting the participatory design theory “design thinking.” Design thinking requires the designer participate in the process, to move “beyond the latest high street products” (Brown, TED: Sep, 09) He believes that designers need to focus “less on object, and more on design thinking as an approach” (Brown, TED: Sep, 09). In this way, the human centred component of design thinking asks designers to consider the design brief outside of pure aesthetics, image and fashion (Brown, TED: Sep, 09).

IDEO has also just launched a new site called Living Climate Change to expand the conversation on climate change through design thinking:

“One of the most important ideas about design thinking is that it creates new ideas that provide new choices for business and society. As we move toward December and the climate change negotiations in Copenhagen I worry that we have far too few ideas to talk about. It is all too easy to argue over what we will have to give up in the search for significant reductions in carbon and yet there is very little discussion about what we might create as we try to resolve the most significant challenge humanity has yet faced.” (Tim Brown, Design Thinking)

Our Invitation To You from IDEO on Vimeo.

For a list of other books related to socially responsible design, be sure to check out our Reading Section.