The Future of Fashion Is Mushroom Leather, Bloomberg
When you think about how high-end fashion items are manufactured, you might conjure up images of factory pollution, mistreatment of animals and poor labor conditions (and you’d be right). But François-Henri Pinault, CEO of Kering — the luxury group behind Yves Saint Laurent, Gucci and others — is taking major strides to fix the supply chain. In the last four years, his company has invested in alternatives to leather, embraced the use of recycled textiles, worked to reduce plastic use and even links CEO bonuses to sustainability achievements. “It’s the new moon,” says Pinault. “The new frontier is the sustainability frontier.”
The Paperfuge: A 20-Cent Device That Could Transform Health Care, Wired
A team of Stanford bioengineers has developed a device that costs less than a quarter to make and can help save lives around the world. Dubbed the Paperfuge, it operates like a traditional centrifuge to spin bio samples and help diagnose diseases like malaria, but it requires no electricity and fits inside a doctor’s pocket. The device embodies “frugal science” — the idea that affordable yet powerful tools can transform global medicine.
New Court Aims to Redefine Young Adult Justice in Chicago, Christian Science Monitor
For young people charged with nonviolent crimes, a criminal record can mean diminished job prospects, continued poverty and a seemingly inescapable life of repeat offenses. But a pilot program in Chicago aims to break this cycle by letting perpetrators make amends to those they’ve wronged and contribute positively to their community instead of serving time. Ultimately, if the offender completes the program successfully, his or her record can be wiped clean.
Tag: fashion
How a Classic Denim Company Is Greening up the Fashion Industry, Why One Judge Went out of His Way for a Convicted Criminal and More
In Its Quest to Decrease Water Use, Levi’s Is Open Sourcing Production Methods, FastCo.Exist
3,781: The number of liters of water required to produce a pair of jeans and grow the cotton they’re made with. To reduce its H2O usage, Levi’s developed a process that consumes 96 percent less water (think: transitioning from roomy boyfriend to super skinny cut). Even better? Instead of sequestering its eco-friendly methods in a top-secret lab, the producer of the classic 501 is sharing its techniques with industry competitors.
A Federal Judge’s New Model for Forgiveness, New York Times
Checking the conviction history question on a job application can make it next to impossible for the formerly incarcerated to gain employment. When issuing a 15-month-long prison sentence to a woman for faking an auto accident in order to collect insurance money, New York judge John Gleeson didn’t mean to issue the lifelong punishment of unemployment. Which is why, 13 years later, he handed her something unusual: a federal certificate for rehabilitation.
The Powerful, Young Gallery Owner Shaping L.A.’s Art Scene, OZY
The Leimert Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, which boasts the city’s second highest property crime rate, is also the unlikely home of Michelle Papillion’s art gallery. Showcasing the works of emerging African-American artists, Papillion is out to do more than just bring awareness to creatives that aren’t widely recognized and celebrated; she’s working to beautify the community around her.
MORE: To Reduce Drug Abuse, These Members of the Criminal Justice Community Advocate for Legalization, Not Criminalization
Meet the ‘Entreprenurses’ Behind a Clothing Line That Benefits Low-Income Families
Two nurses working in a neonatal intensive care unit have dubbed themselves “entreprenurses.”
To help the babies and their families at the Broward Health Medical Unit in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Amanda Dubin and Kelly Meyer started a baby clothing company that helps needy families. Luc&Lou donates a onesie to a needy family for each one they sell and also supports nonprofits that benefit low-income families with newborns.
The design feature the tiny footprints of a 29-week-old infant that Dubin and Meyer cared for in the NICU. On one of the onesies, the footprints form the yellow rays of a sun and on another, a purple butterfly. “We were giving back to these little babies, and we wanted to really do it on a larger scale,” Meyer tells the Sun Sentinel.
Dubin says that they were inspired by the fighting spirit of the preemies they care for. “If they can do what they do, we can do anything.”
Now, Luc&Lou onesies go home with every “welcome to the world” package the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Broward County gives to low-income mothers of newborns. Sales from Luc&Lou products also benefit Fort Lauderdale’s Jack & Jill Children’s Center.
Meyer and Dubin have sold about 400 onesies so far and aim to expand. “We will always be nurses,” Dubin says. “That’s who we are. But we want to go bigger so we can help more people.”
MORE: How Texting Can Improve the Health of Babies Born to Low-Income Mothers
Do You Really Know Where Your Clothes Come From?
Check the tag on the back of your shirt. More likely than not, it will say Made in China, or if you are the kind of consumer who cares about supporting local business, maybe you will see Made in America. But don’t pat yourself on the back just yet, because those words may not carry that much weight.
Zady, an online retailer that targets conscious consumers, is launching a movement to establish a “Sourced In” tag for clothing brands sold in U.S.
“Transparency is the first step to taking responsibility,” Maxine Bedat, the cofounder of Zady, says in an email interview about her “We the People” petition to the White House. “What we can achieve if we band together is higher quality product, the lowest environmental impact, and clothing that we actually want to wear not just today but for years to come.”
Currently, companies can get away with claiming a product was made domestically even if only the final touches were done on U.S. soil. Zady and its partners — which include everyone from environmentalists and industry insiders to everyday people who support the revival of domestic manufacturing — believe the government must set a new standard. They are calling for new standards for clothing tags that would disclose which countries were involved in every step of the supply chain, from the farm to the factory.
Globalization blurs the lines of the already confusing Federal Trade Commission rules that govern what can be considered “Made in America.” The Zady petition plainly states that since the supply chain of supposedly American apparel happens in a range of countries not spelled out on our clothing tags, “the current mandate from the Federal Trade Commission to label products with ‘the country of origin’ simply will not do.”
In the 1960s, 95 percent of clothing worn in the U.S. was, in fact, made in America, but that number now stands at less than 5 percent. Bedat explains that those statistics, combined with eye-opening figures about industrial water pollution from the textile industry to chemicals in our clothing, make now the time to provide consumers with greater trust and confidence.
“As representatives of the U.S. consumer, the government needs to play its part and step in and regulate,” Bedat says, adding that the private sector (in particular, the fashion industry) must take responsibility for the consequences of their dirty supply chains. “Nonprofits can serve as watchdog groups shining light on the abuses in the industry. And finally all of us, as consumers can vote with our dollars for the values we believe in.”
Editors’ note: Maxine Bedat is a NationSwell Council member.
5 Simple Ways to Make Your Wardrobe More Earth-Friendly
For the eco-conscious consumer, buying clothes can seem like a necessary evil. They’re a necessity, but it’s well-known that the fashion and textile industry can be an environmental disaster, from its use of animal furs and leathers, usage of toxic chemicals and exploitative use of labor.
And while there are fashion brands that use organic cottons or recycled materials and claim to be “sustainable,” it’s hard to say they are 100 percent green. For example, a shirt made of, say, fair trade hemp is arguably more ethical than something cheap at the mall, but it still takes energy to create this shirt, not to mention the carbon that is emitted as the garment makes its way to the store and then later on, to someone’s closet. Then, when this shirt gets old or out of fashion, best case scenario is that it’ll take up space at the local Goodwill, but most likely, it’ll end up in the landfill.
MORE: 6 Common Environmental Culprits That Need Regulation
This is not to say that shopping isn’t fun or necessary. But we can all try to be more conscious of our sartorial choices. Here, five things you might want to consider:
1. Shop secondhand or wear hand-me-downs. The idea is to create as little waste as you can, so thrifting or shopping in your sister’s closet is a great option. And if you’re fashion conscious, there’s always vintage. For example, in Cleveland, Ohio, the minds behind Navy PR have opened a lovingly curated pop-up vintage store featuring undamaged luxury items under $100. Owner Mary Peffer tells EcoWatch, “Incorporating vintage and upcycled apparel into your wardrobe eliminates waste and sends a message to mass retailers that consumers respect our Earth.”
2. Extend the life of your clothes for as long as possible. That includes laundering your clothes with care by using cold instead of warm or hot water, as well as hang drying since it’s gentler to clothes than tumble drying (bonus: it uses less energy). Also, for any rips or holes, try repairing the item yourself or getting it fixed instead of buying something new.
3. If you’d like something new, shop smart. Yes, it’s more expensive than secondhand, but high-quality basics made with organic dyes and sustainable fabrics are much better for the planet than cheap, trendy pieces that fall apart after a few washes. Here’s a list we made of the top eco-conscious brands, and a quick internet search will give you plenty of other options. However, as we mentioned above, having a green label does not mean it’s completely environmentally responsible. So not only should you shop smart, but you should only buy something when you actually need it instead of simply when you want it.
4. Give your clothing a second life. As we previously mentioned, the average American trashes about 65 pounds of textiles a year. In 2012 alone, 14.3 million tons of textiles were generated (5.7 percent of total municipal solid waste). So when you’re cleaning out your closet, recycle or donate your clothes and accessories. Several brands, including Nike and Patagonia accept their own items for recycling and H&M takes any garment, regardless of manufacturer.
5. Buy local. Even if your community’s designers and artists don’t create their products with the environment in mind, it’s much better to support them rather than a chain store that outsources their labor overseas or doesn’t care to protect the planet.
DON’T MISS: Here’s How to Restore American Fashion Manufacturing
What Should I Wear? The Top 10 Innovations in Sustainable Fashion
Not to get all fashion police on you, but the clothes and accessories we wear everyday might not have been made with the most ethical or sustainable practices.
A lot can happen to a simple item of clothing before it gets hung on a rack, from violations in labor laws, to animal cruelty and also environmental pollution.
However, these following companies prove that fashion can have a heart.
In a massive global study called Sustainia100, researchers narrowed down the top 10 most sustainable fashion projects in the world. EcoWatch reports that the research team took in considerations such as materials used to the amount of water and energy needed to create their products.
MORE: The Top 5 Ways to Fight Global Warming
And if “eco-friendly” fashion immediately conjures images of potato sack pants and open-toed sandals, you’ll be happy to find that music-and-fashion trendsetter Pharrell Williams backs one of the chosen brands.
Here are some of the top brands (in no particular order):
Levi Strauss & Co.
The All-American jean brand has a Water<Less line that uses up to 96 percent less water in the finishing process for some products. So far, Levi’s has made 13 million of these products, saving over 172 million liters of water.
Bionic Yarn
Finally, a use for those pesky water bottles. We previously reported that this company creates yarn for clothing from recycled plastic found in ocean debris. As EcoWatch puts it, Bionic Yarn, “[is] so cool, even Pharrell Williams is on board.”
I:Collect (I:CO)
This international textile recycling company sorts through castoffs to determine if they’re rewearable, reusable, or recyclable. We’ve mentioned that San Franciscans are already tossing everything from dirty socks to never-worn impulse buys to hundreds of I:CO collection bins scattered around the city. These unwanted items are then used to make insulation material, flooring, packaging or even Teddy bear-stuffing.
Atlantic Leather
This Icelandic tannery takes the unwanted skins from perch, salmon, wolffish and cod from fishing industries and turns them into gorgeous leather goods. The resulting shoes, handbags and clothes are so uniquely colorful and textured, you won’t even notice you’re wearing dead fish.
Click here to see which other planet-friendly fashion brands rounded out the top 10.
And if fashion’s not your thing, Sustainia also ranked the top 10 planet-friendly innovations around the world in buildings, cities, food, health, technology, education, resources, transportation and energy.
DON’T MISS: Can I Recycle This? 5 Things You Should Always Recycle (and 5 Things You Shouldn’t)
Here’s How to Restore American Fashion Manufacturing
In case you haven’t heard, American manufacturing is making a comeback, and the fashion industry is no exception. For more than 75 years, Ohio Knitting Mills was one of the largest knitwear manufacturers in the U.S., producing private-label garments for stores such as Sears and Saks Fifth Avenue, and designer labels like Van Heusen and Jack Winter. At its peak, this business, owned and operated by the Stone-Rand family, employed more than 1,000 workers — an economic beacon for Cleveland. But amid the rise of garment outsourcing in the U.S., the factory closed its doors at the turn of the century, ending a well-known mainstay in American fashion manufacturing. But Steven Tater, a designer who met the family in 2005, wasn’t about to add Ohio Knitting Mills to the history books, alongside many other factories that have been shuttered across the U.S. Armed with a trove of creative works bequeathed to him from the Stone-Rand family, Tater has revived Ohio Knitting Mills and its brand.
MORE: Making “Made in America” Cool Again
Over the past few years, Tater and his team have put together a small sewing factory in Cleveland, where they have used patterns from the Ohio Knitting Mills archive to create their own knitwear line. These garments are produced completely in their Ohio factory. From developing and dying yarns to designing styles and patterns; and from knitting the fabric to cutting, sewing and finishing the garments, the Ohio Knitting Mills is an all-in-one design and manufacturing company. Last year, the business created its first collection of men’s sweaters, and it already has retail accounts at stores in big cities across the U.S., as well as in Tokyo. Now Tater and his employees are looking toward the future. “One of the most important lessons we’ve learned on this journey is manufacturing makes communities,” Tater says. With that in mind, he’s turning to their community for help. “In order for us to become a fully operating knitwear factory, and to produce our new collection, we have to buy yarns and other raw materials to fill our orders, as well as add some special sewing machines and hire some folks to help us make our sweaters.”
MORE: Can a Pair of Blue Shoe Laces Kickstart American Manufacturing
Tater has created an Indiegogo campaign to raise $33,400 in order to help Ohio Knitting Mills cement its place in American fashion manufacturing once again. With these funds, the business will not only grow its own eponymous knitwear brand, but Tater hopes they can also help produce knit-based designs for other labels, which until now have almost exclusively produced knitwear overseas simply because the resources didn’t exist in the U.S.. “Today, there is a large need for domestic knitting production,” Tater writes on the Indiegogo campaign. “Supporting this campaign not only helps our company, it also can help other designers to create their knitwear products with us.” If that doesn’t have you convinced, check out the awesome rewards the brand is offering. A vintage houndstooth knitted beanie? Count us in.
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How a Beautiful Model Dazzled New York Fashion Week — in a Wheelchair
On the first day of New York Fashion Week, a beautiful blonde woman named Danielle Sheypuk moved down the runway of Carrie Hammer’s fashion show. Wearing sky-high heels and designer clothes, she was like any other model who catwalked the Big Apple’s annual couture parade — except she did it while sitting in her wheelchair. As Women’s eNews reports, Sheypuk is the first model in a wheelchair to grace NYFW’s runway.
According to the designer, Sheypuk’s catwalk left excitement in the air and the audience feeling empowered. “I made the decision to cast ‘role models not runway models,'” Hammer, who specializes in clothes for professional women, told the publication in an email. “It is so important to me that women have positive body image and are empowered in work and their life. My line makes dresses to fit women. We don’t make dresses that women need to fit into.”
MORE: This Grandmother Is Helping People with Down Syndrome Gain Confidence
Let’s face it: The fashion industry is one that’s often preoccupied with perfection that can project an unrealistic image of women. But Sheypuk, who was born with spinal muscular atrophy and has been in a wheelchair since she was 2, wants to break the mold. “People with disabilities need to see it,” said Sheypuk, who was crowned Ms. Wheelchair New York in 2012 and works as a clinical psychologist. “It’s a confidence booster. It’s like, ‘If she’s doing it, I can do it. Who cares about my wheelchair?'”
Why Barney’s Wants You To Read the Autobiographies of its Spring Models
Barney’s latest ad campaign features 17 models, and they’re all transgender. Gays and lesbians have appeared in ads for other clothing and retail companies, such as Gap and J.C. Penny, but Barney’s is entering new territory for fashion promotion. Transgendered people have been influential in the art world for decades. But the fashion world hasn’t given them as much attention.
Barney’s is pairing the black and white photographs, which were shot by Bruce Weber, with autobiographies of the models. Maxie Neu described her awakening this way:
I am 20 years old. I grew up in a small town in southern Germany. I knew my entire life I was really a girl, and finally I couldn’t control the impulse to be feminine. I began to transition in my teens; I started wearing dresses. My parents accepted what I was doing but were worried about how it would affect my younger sister—and they were also scared about what the neighbors would say. We lived in a tiny village where people are very conventional.
The company has pledged to donate 10% of all sales on Feb. 11 to two LGBT non-profits, the National Center for Transgender Equality and the LGBT Community Center in New York. The ads are slated to run in publications like Vanity Fair and the New York Times.
9 Quirky Start-Ups Tony Hsieh Is Betting On in Downtown Las Vegas
As Zappos’ CEO, Tony Hsieh grew the company to $2 billion in annual revenue while cultivating a workplace that’s consistently ranked among the best in the country. Now he’s using his talents to revitalize downtown Las Vegas. His $50 million incubator, VegasTechFund, invests in companies that have the potential to help the area thrive. Here are nine of the projects he’s betting on and what they’re up to:
1. Mouth: The first online marketplace for artisanal, or “indie,” food.
2. Rolltech: Bowling with Big Data.
3. True & Co.: Perfect-fit bra shopping without measuring tape or fitting rooms.
4. Quarterly Co.: Subscribe to quarterly gift packages from people like the editors of Cool Hunting and Alexis Ohanian.
5. CrowdHall: A platform for virtual town hall discussions, with celebrities, politicians, or friend groups.
6. iDoneThis: A personal, daily productivity email check-in.
7. LaunchKey: Account security with biometrics, not passwords.
8. The S.P.I.R.I.T. Project: Applying technology to help at-risk youths and families in local communities.
9. NSFWCorp: Digital publishers of highly readable investigative journalism (recently acquired by Pando Daily.)