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The ‘S’ Word Fashion Textiles+ Sustainability:

Communicating People Profit Planet through Clothes

RMIT 09

Dr Joan Farrer RCA

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Why the ‘S’ word

And what is it?

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Time Line

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Green Wash

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5Could ethics means Status?

•selective consumption is the new class distinction

•Light green consumer products

•recognition of tribe through objectsand brand values

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Transparency?

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EMOTIONAL WARDROBE

CONSCIENCE CLOTHING

MOST OF ALL … FASHION COMMUNICATES

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It is this…..

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9Half of the worlds 6.5 billion people have no access to clean water

and this

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and this…

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What does she know about sustainability relative to fashion textiles + design?

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Design

1978- Deryck Healy International London based design consultancy across disciplines body and space

1982- East Central Studios Ltd Owner of an International fashion textile design and

colour consultancy working with all links in the production chain from fibre to yarns to fabric to garments to retail. Global clients + production chains

1993- Consultant for industrial fashion textile + home retailers, Local Government + NGO’s in design and sustainability.

2004- Full time academic

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European Clients - Fibre Makers ICI Dupont Courtaulds British Mohair spinners IWS Irish linen, Monsanto

Fashion collections for experimental new fibres fabrics + finishes, Including Tactel, Tencel, TeflonApplied product research + development presentations for clients and Trade fairs –Premier Vision Indigo France Interstoff Germany

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Yarn + Knitted Fabric development

Seasonal trends for yarn design, fabric and colour including, Grignasco, Zegna Smedley, Next PLC, BritishCrepe, IWS, Charnos, Marks+Spencer, British Home Stores, Marubeni Tex, Renown, Macy’s NY, Expofil France, Pitti Filati Italy, Interstoff

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Fashion Textile Product + Concept Design Consultant UK Industrial Retailers

1993 to 2004

Head of Womens Knit Design

Mens & Womens colour and fabric prediction

Yarn and garment product development

( Far East EU and UK)

Product and brand development for major UK clothing retailers

Product and brand development for major UK food retailers clothing divisions.

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Burton Mens wear + Top Shop Mens + Womens consultant designer

and forecaster,

Burton Group best selling sweater

£19,000,000 turn over in one style in one season

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• garment R+D producing prototype and 1st sample ranges with UK + world wide suppliers

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Tesco PLC non food division all Stores World Wide clothing concept ranges-Future Brand USA

Spring Summer Autumn Winter Christmas Resort wear and giftsHigh volume clothing ranges concept development mens womens childrens wear, high value home wares and accessory lines

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Interior Concepts Lifestyle Products- Future Brand USA

British Airways Club Lounge, colour, fabrics, accessories

Molton Brown Luxury Body Spa product range for 5star licencee Hotels and airport franchises- concept re-brand, colour, packaging, marketing tools

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Marks + Spencer PLC Head of Womens Knitwear design

Yarn and fabric development Garment range development

Autograph for M+S with Future Brand USA Autograph concept leading designers creating ‘shops within a shop’ and product development

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Teaching-95 to 2005 Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design School of Fashion

Central Saint Martins UALRAE writing staff research in the schoolMA Fashion Course director acting .5 and visiting lecturer in MA TextileFutures MA industrial design, BA fashion

+ fashion journalism + promotionStudents include: Galliano: McQueenMcCartney: Tristan Webber WW, Petar

Jensen MW, Richard Nicol MWShelly Fox Knit, Johnathan Saunders,Mathew Williamson Print Senior

Research Fellow Sustainable and Smart Fashion textiles

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2005 to 2007-Royal College of Art the worlds only post graduate university

Research Leader and Strategist in the School of Fashion and Textiles

School Research co-ordinator and Bid writer

School staff Research Mentor

RAE (PBRF) writing staff research in the school

Research Council Peer Reviewer

MA Fashion, MA Textiles

MPhil + PhD supervision and lecturing

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Royal College of Art PhD part time

1995-2000 an ecological assessment of the lifecycle of wool from cradle to grave and beyond highlighting the social, economic, and environmental cost of production and disposal of one wool fibre. The balance of people, profit, planet = sustainability

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The Sustainable Textiles Research Project

Detailed international supply chain risk assessment of pesticide and carcinogenic dye stuff use, forced labour and fair trade.

Informed CSR plan (corporate, social responsibility for the company triple bottom line which is people, profit and the environment) for investment. R&D collaborations to establish a ‘No Worry’ Brand

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Marks and Spencer (£1billion turn over) risk assessment global supply production and disposal analysis for CSR= FIRST RETAILER TO ENTER THE Footsie4good DOW

INDEX to attract international pension fund investment

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EPE European Partners for the Environment Clothing + Textiles supply chain analysis- Resulted in EU Green supply chains for

institutional buyers (adopted in Auckland 07)

• 30 industrial, institutional, Government +commercial research partners

• Pan European multi stake holder project for sustainable textiles in the Work Wear Sector www.epe.be

• Papers given at workshops in Brussels, Paris & Design council. Organised a London symposium

• World summit for Sustainable development WSSD Johannesburg Oct 2002

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‘Environmental map’‘Environmental map’

Groundwater pollution

decreasing quality of fibres

Groundwater pollution

decreasing quality of fibres

Lack of water -problems of decreasing

quality of fibres

Lack of water -problems of decreasing

quality of fibres

In the EU Consumption and disposal of textiles 5

million tonnes P.A.

In the EU Consumption and disposal of textiles 5

million tonnes P.A.

Thousands of Km travelled by road and sea all textiles

Thousands of Km travelled by road and sea all textiles

Cost of energy has doubled in the EU in the last 5 years

Cost of energy has doubled in the EU in the last 5 years

1 000 000 containers per year

shipped into Europe

1 000 000 containers per year

shipped into Europe

Globally, 25% of all insecticides used for

cotton

Globally, 25% of all insecticides used for

cotton

Pesticides detergent and animal welfare issues in

wool production

Pesticides detergent and animal welfare issues in

wool production

High waste disposal costs, landfill, incineration or

re-export

High waste disposal costs, landfill, incineration or

re-export

Health concerns about textile dyes

and finishes

Health concerns about textile dyes

and finishes

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IIED 2003-04

International institute for Environment and Developmenthttp://www.iied.orgBest practice case studies

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World Summit Sustainable Development High level International dialogue to promote sustainable trade in textiles and clothing

Contributions from 25 delegates, including WTO textiles, Eco-Tex Ecology Institute, Euratex, European Commission DG10 and Institute for World Economics to a policy document for the World Summit for Sustainable Development WSSD Johannesburg October 2002.

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WWF- Sustainable Trade in Textiles and Clothing Lobbying Document

The end of the MFA in 2004 ensured that China became the worlds largest exporter and provider of textiles and clothing -de stabilizing global and local trade

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Ethical Fashion Forum Fashioning an Ethical Industry

Co author and steering group member for a European Wide initiative to clean up the fashion industry-

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People

Profit

Planet

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Issues…

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What has fashion to do with such important issues?

Fashion & Textiles Designers have been leading communication of these issues to the masses for centuries…

People / Profit / Planet

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Status Quo? Profit / Mid 1800s England / Fashion the domain of Wealthy Classes / Dictated by Social Standards & Aristocratic desires / Economic Revolution

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Challenging the Status Quo Activism through fashion / Nudity / Fun / Sexual Freedom / Liberation / Rebellion

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Status Quo Planet / Brave New World? / 1984 / Emergent Ecological Philosophies / Acknowledgment of ‘Ozone’ layer damage / Intellectual stimuli to ‘create’ change

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Orta

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Fashion + Modernity Arts + Humanities Research Board

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Did you know? Exhibition Fashion textile sustainability issues through Fibre Types

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Farrer-Sustainable FashionTextiles Berg Publishers

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New Zealand, Research & Fashion Textiles Sustainability

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• New Challenges

• Different rules of engagement

• Research Culture?

• New experiences good and bad…

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Who’s Research?

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Gro Harlem Brundland – 1992 Rio conference, Ex Présidente de la Commission des Nations Unies

What is Sustainable Development? It is Dry information

The idea of sustainability was defined in detail by the Brundland Commission for the Environment and Development in 1987 and is the basis of Agenda 21, which was drawn up by the United Nation's Conference for the Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. Sustainability is now a key aspect of advanced environmental policy and politics in general.Sustainability is a form of economic management in which the venture lives off the earnings from the capital base (in this example, nature) and not from the capital base itself. If ventures were to operate constantly beyond their means, their economic ruin would be predestined. Such ventures operate with costs that will have to be covered in the future, in other word at the cost of future generations.

The backbone of these activities should be the three apexes of the sustainability triangle: social justice, ecological harmlessness and economic efficiency.

ECONOMICServicesHousehold NeedsIndustrial GrowthAgricultural GrowthEfficient Use of Labour

ENVIRONMENTClean Air

BiodiversityNatural ResourcesCarrying Capacity

Ecosystem integrity

SOCIALCultural Preservation

Empowerment

Social Mobility

Equity

Participation

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Hamnett pershing

Westwood / Mclaren sex pistols

Examples of Fashion driving political change…

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‘S’ word = people

Banksy = HoodieSavage = BlingTrailer Trash = Heroine Chic

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identity

•religion

•ethnicity

•Employment

•What is it to be an Australian?

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Social Exclusion•jobs

•skills

•place

•age

•gender

•economics

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Hillenaar- Traid + Make Refugee Partnerships

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Profit

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Employment

•how many/what quality/what skills?

•foreign workers ‘vs’ home•women at the bottom of the pile

•self employment and social entrepreneurialism

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• Primark UK child labour

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It was in Mauritius that the first Knitwear company was established less than three decades ago in 1971 which, was the catalyst for dramatic economic change. This newly industrialised country (NIC) replaced a sugarcane economy on the back of the knitwear industry

Fashion industry as catalyst for dramatic economic change

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Evans- Wool seamless knitting

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Figure  1  (Left):  A‐POC illustrates  how  garments are ‘cut’ from the one piece of  cloth  by  the  customer. Producing  garments  using this  method  reduces  their manufacturing  costs  and minimises fabric wastage. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excess fabric absorbed by ‘tucks’

Side Pocket Opening

Full scale prototypeToile cut in Merino stretch knit and joined on an industrial flatbed lockstitch machine

Finn- Fashion design and sustainable production

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R+D collaborative research… Research as an industry

1. EPSRC Designing for the 21Century ‘THE EMOTIONAL WARDROBE’Status: Co-Author/investigator with CSMFrom 01/05 to 12/05 Value £50K

2. EPSRC ‘SMART TEXTILES FOR INTELLIGENT CONSUMER PRODUCTS NETWORK’Status: Steering Group member hosted by CSM, From 04 to 07 Value £50Kwww.smartextiles.co.uk

3. DTI Sustainable Technologies Initiative ‘GARMENT PASSPORT’Status: Bid written, industrial partners in place project through the first and second rounds and into the last 15, problem with budget. Suggested re visit and submit to EPSRC again. (Prof Stephen Scrivener CSM has offered to help re write if CSM can be involved) 3 year projectValue £240K

4. DFID ‘THE BUSINESS CASE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN THE UK FASHION AND TEXTILE INDUSTRY’Status: Bid written and industrial/NGO/ research institute partners in place5. WRAP/DEFRA Textile recycling project TAKE BACK TEXTILESStatus: Bid being written with industrial, Leeds University and Charity partners in place.www.oakdenehollins.co.uk

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‘S’ word = planet

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Globalisation

•population

•urbanisation

•migration

•energy crisis

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Fashion industry contributing to environmental damage

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Fraser- Clothing Transform

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Jones- Rainwear textile + garment technology

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Phase 4? Sustainability What Next?

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62‘Do Hit’ Droog Design Do we need any more stuff?

•choice fatigue

•Consumers customisation

•personalisation

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MA Design for the Developing World?……………

64R e f l

Fig 1. pocket for circuit board and button box. Oct 07

Fig 2. Internal cabling of Red 3 Jacket Oct 07

Fig 3. Fit & movement testing of Red 3 Jacket. Oct 07 Fig 4. Fit & movement testing of Red 3 Jacket. Oct 07

Reilly- City Centered Cycling

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Grow your own house

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Fur & Leather

Human exploitation

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Wellbeing

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Green Walls Kew gardens night flowering plants absorb CO2 emit oxygen by day

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EMOTIONAL WARDROBE

CONSCIENCE CLOTHING

• FASHION SOLVES

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Loughborough UK

what is 'design for behavioural change'?

'Design for Behavioural Change' explores how design (in the broadest sense) can influence user behaviour to reduce the social and environmental impacts of products during use. This is an emerging field of enquiry in design practice and research

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HEALTHSmart inks reacting to bacterial and viral infection for medical uniformsEarly warning systemsPrevention in the spread of disease

Farrer Sustainable +

Smart R+D

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PROTECTION• Scrap the Cap Project

• A collaborative project between

• AUT University, local industry and The NZ Cancer Society

Rudi Gernreich Sun visors 1965Newsletter of the Cancer Society of New Zealand Auckland Division Inc74

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Farrer- fashion textiles and sustainability -Conscience Clothing- Emmotional Wardrobe- Talking Tags- New Dynamics of Ageing

Intelligent textile applications + wearable electronics

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What is the ‘S’ word about?

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this

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and this….

About 80% of the crop is grown under irrigation mainly along the Darling River and its tributaries in northern New South Wales and Queensland.

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IMPORTANTLY IT IS THIS…

The amount of

household waste generated in NZ per annum is

enough to carpet the North & South Island in a

layer of rubbish 40cm Deep…

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BUT MOST SIGNIFICANTLY IT IS

THIS

New Zealand’s population of 4 million has

4th largest carbon footprint in the developed world

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What are the others doing?

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Ultra-lightweight, solar-powered plastic car I The lean, green Globetrotter car will be the future of transportation. Winning him the coveted Young Designer of the Year Award, Ravi’s car design for 2017 is independent of fossil fuels, packed with eco-friendly technologies, and cuts back the weight and bulk of today’s gas guzzlers. His design employs a carbon-neutral, bioplastic body that is 12% petroleum-based and 88% corn- based, which cuts manufacturing energy by 30%. And there’s more: a zinc-air fuel cell, a nano-paper battery, airless tires, nanopaints to absorb solar energy while parked to charge its batteries, and woven seat material. The Globetrotter is, indeed, the ultimate tread lightly automobile for the environmentally-savvy consumer

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Materials - bio plastic Australia

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RMIT and Sustainability

Leapfrog

using what has been done in other countries as a launch pad

the tools exist to incorporate and enhance the curriculum

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A420- Sustainable Management Consultants

Issues Mapping – Social Issues

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Farrer’s Research What is in it for me?

• Communicating cradle to cradle issues for change/information is power

• Design towards problem solving not problem creation

• New Tran disciplinary collaborations for one of the oldest industries

• Empowerment for all customers• Sustainable Innovation

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The New Dynamics of Aging http://www.ahrc.ac.uk/

NZ Cancer Society www.cancernz.org.nz

DFID/EU Labour behind the Label Netherlands Fashioning an Ethical future www.labourbehindthelabel.org

SUSTAINABLE DESIGN NETWORK www.sustainabledesignnet.org

PRODUCT LIFESPAN NETWORK www.productlifespannet.org

LONDON TECHNOLOGY NETWORK www.ltnetwork.org

EMOTIONAL WARDROBE D421C www.emotionalwardrobe.co

EPSRC ‘SMART TEXTILES FOR INTELLIGENT CONSUMER PRODUCTS NETWORK’ www.smartextiles.co.uk

Materials KTN Institute of Materials DTI Smart. Mat www.materialsktn.org

EU RESEARCH NETWORKS