As a result of the article, H&M quickly came out and said that they would stop mutilating and throwing away unsold items at the New York store. The store said their policy is to donate the clothing to charity.

affordable sustainability

With all the news about the slashed clothing, not much attention was paid to another bit of H&M news. Last week they announced that with their spring line they would introduce items made from sustainable fabrics. The company’s new eco-friendly Garden Collection will have dresses, shirts, and other offerings made from organic cotton or linen, recycled plastic bottles and Tencel.

Clothing made from sustainable fabrics is often quite expensive, but H&M’s Garden Collection is keeping in line with the store’s “affordable fashion” pricing. The most expensive item are two spring dresses that go for $49.95. Many of the items are under $20.00. For example, the tunic above is only $14.95.

We think this is a great start–a major retailer offering eco-friendly fashion for a great price. Of course, we’d like to see H&M review the entire life cycle of their clothing to ensure they are only making as many garments as will sell, implementing water- and energy-saving processes, and then properly managing unsold inventory to ensure it’s reused or recycled.

While we’re at it, the entire fashion industry should consider their sustainability practices.  And as consumers, we must vote with our checkbook and buy from retailers who are making an effort to create a more sustainable world.

Will you buy any of H&M’s Garden Collection?

photo credit: h&m

Colorep's Larry Levy (left), Robert Tagliapietra, Bonnie Julian, and Jeffrey Costello

After the show, the media also thought the new collection was a hit. Here’s a sample of what they had to say:

Costello Tagliapietra “went back to their roots with a marked focus on lovely drapes and lush color—with an added dollop of Earth-friendly fashion technology this time around.”
-Style.com

“Comfortable, gorgeous, eco-friendly designs? If that’s not beautiful, we don’t know what is.”
-Vogue

“The comfortable yet form fitting dresses — inspired by colors found in the natural environment — were breathtaking; reminiscent of grecian goddesses, curve-complimenting, and the idyllic attire for a warm Summer night.”
-Treehugger.com

“Everyone’s trying to do their part to ‘go green,’ but this season Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra turned out a collection of eco-friendly clothes, without sacrificing beauty and design…”
-Womens Wear Daily (WWD.com)

“The color palette was dazzling…CT used sun-bleached shades of orange, mustard, violet, moss green and taupe to spectacular effect — the colors grab one’s attention, but it is the dresses’ construction that keeps it….But perhaps the coolest element of many of the dresses was their fabric. In an enviromental-friendly choice, CT used exclusive fabrics from AirDye, a new technology that dyes and prints textiles without using any water.
”
-The Plain Dealer

Overall a small, simple collection, but the lush palette was entirely unique.
-NBC New York

“The colors were organic and intense. The innovative fabric of this season is AirDye”
-Second City Style

“…at Milk, Costello Tagliapietra, known for its gentle silhouettes and masterful draping techniques, thought about sustainability by debuting the ingenious AirDye technology which allows fabrics to be dyed without water.
”
-The National Newspaper, U.A.E.

“The sunset-hued fabrics, gorgeous and dyed with a special technique that uses no water and creates no toxins / waste.
”
-NylonMag.com

“Jeffrey Costello took photos of the lake and sunset in Brooklyn, and then he and design partner Robert Tagliapietra worked with Air-Dye to print the digital artwork on fabric without using water. The result? Absolutely stunning, colorful, earth-friendly fashion.”
-ThinkThruFashion

Now that we know what the media and the bloggers have to say, what you think of the collection?

Most plastic bottles we consume are made from a material called PET (polyethylene terephthalate). You likely have several iterations of PET in your home now: from water and soda bottles to detergent containers. In fact, any bottle marked “1” for recycling is PET, making it the most recycled plastic in the world.

Given the abundance and cost effectiveness of raw materials, using recycled PET for clothing is becoming increasingly popular in the green textile industry. But how do old bottles become clothing? The process is relatively simple: Once a PET bottle is recycled, it’s sent to a processing plant where it’s washed and shredded into flakes. The cleaned flakes are melted down and shaped into long, thin fibers. The fiber is then spun into yarn. The end product is 100 percent recycled polyester. By using recycled polyester instead of new petroleum, energy consumption is reduced by 60 percent, without causing additional harm to the environment.

No other fabric in the world is produced with less environmental impact.

Recycled polyester can be manufactured into a myriad of different fabrics, but because of its antimicrobial properties, wicking power, and breathability, recycled PET is most often made into active wear or t-shirts. Patagonia and Nau are leading the charge in recycled PET active wear. Our friends at A Lot to Say proudly adopted recycled PET for their all of t-shirts, and added AirDye to the process to further reduce their environmental impact.

photo credit: holeymoon/flickr

I spoke to the lead designer, Acharee Apibunyopas, about her inspiration for the new collection. Acharee said that the world we are living in now reminds her of the 1960s. The U.S. is engaged in unpopular wars, there’s a social movement (this time it’s about the environment instead of civil rights), and the recession has everyone feeling down. At the same time, she says, “We want something bright and to feel like a free spirit again. The fashion and design industry can provide that outlet. When you are wearing a swim suit or shirt from this collection, you can’t help but feel happy.”

Naturally, these designs can be used in a variety of fabrics and applications. Of course, we’d love to see brands use AirDye® technology so the color and designs last forever.

They already use 100 percent recycled plastic bottles (rPET) to make their shirts, which reduces energy consumption by 80 percent. Plus, they are a completely American-made line—no sweatshops or monster carbon footprint from shipping tees across the ocean. So how did they attain even greener credentials? As a continued commitment to sustainability, the company recently adopted AirDye® technology for all of their clothing. AirDye doesn’t use any water in the dyeing phase—a step that currently costs the world’s resources 2.4 trillion gallons of water a year.

Last week, the non-profit National Green Energy Council bestowed its first ever green apparel endorsement to A Lot to Say.

Congrats to a well-deserving company. Keep up the good work.

Miss Peaches swimwear is a completely eco-friendly line of ravishing retro bathing suits, dyed using AirDye technology. Capitalizing on AirDye technology’s ability to print different patterns on two sides of a single fabric, all of Miss Peaches’ swimsuits are completely reversible. (What recessionista can resist a two-for-one-deal?) And, because the dye is part of the fabric rather than a layer on top of it, chlorine will have no affect on the color. Ever. Designs include snakeskin / paisley combinations and stripes / plaid. Extra bonus of using two-sided printing? Zero chance of a wet swimsuit being see-through.

Check out Miss Peaches’ website to view their full collection of swimsuits and cover-ups, all dyed with AirDye technology.

Happy sunning!

We’re no Spielberg, so you’ll have to forgive the rough editing. After solving the water crisis, learning QuickTime is at the top of our to-do list—we promise.

Denim is simply a byproduct of cotton and in its natural, un-dyed state is usually an off-white color According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, denim is dyed blue through multiple rounds in large vats of indigo dye, most of which goes to waste and—in some cases—contaminates nearby water sources. In the Tehuacán Valley in Mexico, a major jean-manufacturing center, the runoff from dye has polluted local rivers and streams—turning the water blue and creating a major scarcity crisis in the process.

While no one is giving up jeans anytime soon (least of all Neil Diamond), we can rethink our approach and make small changes to reduce the environmental impact. At the very least, don’t buy stonewashed or distressed jeans: most use harsh chemicals to achieve a worn look. Some mainstream manufacturers, like Levi’s, are opting for organic cotton or hemp to make jeans (which is a step in the right direction, but doesn’t solve the problem of dyeing). If you can, buy used jeans. The most sustainable products are those with long life cycles.

Once you’ve worn out your jeans far past the fashionably distressed stage, recycle them! Denim can be made into anything from pencils to insulation.

Check out ReadyMade’s DIY instructions for turning old jeans into potholders. What do you like to do with your old jeans? We’d love to know who has some really great ideas and spread the word.

We’ve got lots of love for Elle, who had the pluck to call for reduced dependency on water thirsty crops like cotton. Drastically reducing cotton growth is indeed part of the solution, but we think the fashion industry can do even more. Traditional synthetic textile dyeing still consumes 2.4 trillion gallons of water annually, which means that alternative dyeing methods must be part of the solution.

AirDye® is poised and ready to meet the challenge. Our technology reduces water consumption during the dyeing process by 95% on prints and 88% on solid colors and reduces energy by 86% for prints and 64% for solids. AirDye works on any kind of synthetic fabric—from wedding dresses to active wear—and the result isn’t just dramatically more sustainable, it’s a durable, longer-lasting garment.

The fashion industry is uncommonly suited to affect major change in the water conservation movement. A simple paradigm shift toward more sustainable materials and alternative dyeing methods, such as AirDye, could reduce annual water usage by trillions of gallons.

Tip of the hat to Elle for highlighting such an important issue. Also, check out their accompanying slideshow of 13 leading water experts.

With so many companies touting green products, it’s hard to differentiate between true green initiatives and (truly) good marketing campaigns. To help you wade through some of the hype, we’ve put together a quick guide to green fabrics.

organic cotton

Twenty-five percent of the world’s insecticides are used on conventional cotton. While organic cotton offers an appealing alternative because it’s pesticide free, it’s not without caveats. First, cotton of any kind requires a tremendous amount of water to grow—about 715 gallons per shirt. Second, since the United States is only responsible for about 2 percent of worldwide cotton production, organic cotton is typically grown abroad and shipped overseas, resulting in a pretty hefty carbon footprint. Your best bet is to buy from U.S.-grown sources. Check out Brand of the Free for graphic tees made from cotton in Texas.

bamboo

Bamboo, as a plant, is unbelievably sustainable to grow—it’s the process from farm to fabric that’s laden with chemical treatments. The result? A very small percentage of bamboo fabric can be certified sustainable. There’s a small segment of bamboo fabric production that doesn’t use chemicals, but the process is labor and resource intensive and, therefore, much more costly.

hemp

Hemp is naturally a very sustainable crop that requires little water and typically no chemicals to produce, and yields a much larger harvest than cotton. Since hemp produces a coarser fabric, it’s great for tougher materials like jeans and outerwear. However, because of U.S. restrictions on hemp growth, much like organic cotton, hemp is largely grown overseas.

recycled PET fabric

On the synthetic side, recycled PET fabric, made from post-consumer plastics, is a seriously sustainable contender. In its original form, PET is used to make plastic bottles and polyester. Recycled PET can be made into fiber for nearly anything from carpet to clothing. The fabric feels similar to polyester and works especially well with outdoor wear. Check out Nau for a modern, super sleek line of recycled polyester clothing.

The bottom line? Buy local when possible, buy hemp or organic cotton when it’s not, and think of recycled synthetics as a major part of the solution.