UPCYCLED OUTFIT
OBJECT PRODUCTION
2014
Made for a student-run charity fashion show, this dress was created from salvaged fabric samples from an architecture firm's material library. Utilizing material that often goes overlooked and underappreciated, all the various textiles on the dress were from these samples. The shoes were hand crafted from reclaimed olive wood and earrings made from guitar picks.
SUSTAINABILITY
The production of textiles made of natural fibers has a great environmental impact, leading to the depletion of natural resources, water scarcity, and emission of greenhouse gasses. It also relies heavily on the labor of exploited and underpaid workers. Synthetic production of textiles, such as polyester and rayon, lead to greenhouse gas emissions and also present the issue of synthetic materials, that take years to degrade, entering landfills and oceans.
Sustainable textile initiatives are focused on recycling used textiles, recycling synthetic materials from other industries (such as water bottles), and upcycling bio waste products (such as orange skins). Right now less than one percent of all materials that are used in clothing are recycled back into clothing.