When designing women’s apparel, there are more factors to consider other than that of illustrating which silhouette best fits one’s body shape. Selecting fashion fabrics to use for construction of a new collection is more than just picking out color swatches from the fabric store. The efficiency usage of synthetic materials compared to natural materials can be controversial at times; however, researchers are trying to find solutions that better enhances our environment and its surroundings.
Synthetic fibers are sometimes viewed as bad because they are destroying our environment; however, this is not the case. Both natural and synthetic produced fibers will have an impact to the environment as well as effecting people with its development process. In the reading, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, it points out that even though conventional synthetics are “natural” they are associated with substantial impacts to the environment. Some of these negative effects deal with problems in the landfilled, dealing with greenhouse gasses, and the flow of energy.
Using synthetic materials in designing not only helps reduce the amount of water consumed when producing cotton fabrics, but it also influences ecosystem-inspired concepts of diversity throughout our environment. With the guidance of research, we have been given additional options in the way textile production is manufactured. There is a way to replace the use of conventional cotton with organic or “low-chemical” cotton including that of flax and hemp. Research shows that these examples can help reduce pesticides and water usage. In the video, Charline Ducas from Textile Exchange, she referenced a term called crailar. Crailar is a technological development for the use of hemp and linen. She briefly explained that this development would become profitable, saleable, and in demand soon because it has the same feel as cotton. Sustainable Fashion and Textiles provides a statistic that exemplifies this development, 80 percent of cotton and polyester represents the usage together which impacts the market worldwide. Consumers not only want what is fashionable, but they want what is comfortable as well, and this percentage demonstrates that.
Producing textiles naturally or synthetically will use up quantities of water, especially with cotton growth. One very important difference between the two is that organic production is more than agriculture practices, but is being integrated into a “tool for social change.” In the video, the speaker mentioned that by everyone coming together and helping with eco-efficiency we will create a value chain. Researchers are finding that with the use synthetics, alternatives are evolving to better our environment. Organic production is not the easy way out. More farmers are adapting to this process with the outcome being costly and the development being slow, but it reduces the amounts of chemicals used and they are willing to take this chance. It’s all about creativity and providing apparel with synthetic based materials that maximize our environment, while leaving a positive long-lasting impact to our future, is why I selected to work with synthetics.
