“Shed Me” Clothes Reduce Need for Laundry by Shedding Like Snakeskin
by Brit Liggett, 01/20/12
Katie Ledger wants you to make like a serpent and molt—the layers of your clothes, that is. Inspired by the way a snake sheds its skin, London College of Art student envisions garments with layers that slough off without the need for frequent laundering. In addition to slashing the heavy energy burden that washing and drying entail—an average laundry cycle uses up to 40 gallons of water and 5,500 watts of electricity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy—Ledger’s “Shed Me” project imagines clothes that change color and even style with the removal of each successive layer.
Wool’s Carbon Footprint Up to 80% Smaller Than Previously Thought
The carbon footprint of wool has been grossly overstated, according to a consortium of Australian woolgrowers, scientists, and carbon specialists known as the Wool Carbon Alliance. The group, which claims that recent advances in methodology have resulted in estimates up to 60 to 80 percent lower than previously indicated, wants to challenge existing notions about wool carbon using “current and relevant” science. “We are finding that the wool fiber production systems, based on renewable grass and natural vegetation, complement current demands to reduce carbon emissions,” announced Martin Oppenheimer, chairman of the alliance, on Tuesday. “Wool is part of the natural cycle of water and carbon that can impact climate in a positive way.”
World’s Largest Garment Made From Golden Spider Silk Goes on Display
Before anyone asks, no, it’s not bulletproof. But that doesn’t mean that the glistening yellow cape—the world’s largest garment made entirely from spider silk—isn’t a massive feat of engineering to be marveled (it is and you should). Now on public display for the first time at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the textile gets its unearthly gleam from the undyed filaments of the golden orb spider, a species of arachnid commonly found in Madagascar. Girl power can be taken literally in this instance: Only the females produce the coveted silk.
Aussie Designer Spins Camel Hair Into Yarn to Stem Widespread Slaughter
Camels may have helped early Australian settlers navigate the harsh outback, but they’re now viewed as little more than methane-belching pests that trample vegetation and wrestle with cattle for food. First introduced in the 1800s by Afghan migrant workers, camels have swelled in ranks to 1.2 million, making the continent host to the largest population of wild dromedaries on the planet. But where the Australian government, which has been recruiting aerial marksmen to cull the animals, sees catastrophic damage, Helen Durrant spies an opportunity. The Northern Territory-based designer spins camel wool into yarn, which she then hand-knits into hats, scarves, and other accessories to prove that camels have more to offer than meat and carbon credits.
Khadi: A Handspun Cloth From India That Galvanized a Local Movement
Photo by RaajMa
KHADI \ˈkä-dē\
n 1 a: A coarse cotton, wool, or silk hand-spun in India on a spinning wheel called a charkha. b: Versatile in its ability to be dyed with limitless natural colors and patterns. c: Can be spun in a range of thicknesses, from lightweight shirting to thick upholstery. 2 a: A symbol of a national pride movement, allegedly …
What Should Emerging Designers Know About Sourcing Eco-Textiles?
THINK GLOBAL
While you can still find locally manufactured materials in the United States, Canada, and Europe, they’re generally isolated in small pockets with limited options.
Sourcing materials internationally, on the other hand, can yield a number of great finds from handwoven silks to khadi cottons. Global sourcing does come with its challenges, however. There is the consideration of customs duties and …
Japanese Scientists Create World’s First Renewable, Bio-Based Polyester
The days of Tony Manero-esque leisure suits may be over, but polyester’s heyday has only just begun. From dress pants to scarves, the controversial synthetic is as ubiquitous as ever, standing in as easily for wool as it does for silk and at a fraction of the cost. Yet the health and environmental hazards that petrochemicals pose are well-documented. Scientists at Toray Industries in Japan, however, have created samples of what they claim is the world’s first fully renewable, bio-based polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fiber—the stuff that polyester’s made of. Plant-based disco flares? We just might be able to get on board with that.
Laplam: A Recycled Plastic That Resembles Oversized Bubble Wrap
LAPLAM \lä pläm\
n 1 a: A new material made from air-infused layers plastic—60 to 80 percent of which is recycled—with an appearance reminiscent of bubble wrap. b: Developed by a lab research team at Italian packaging manufacturer Tecnopack. c: Available in a range of saturated colors, the material is commonly used for furniture and women’s fashion accessories. d: Under the direction of …
Clothing Among Top Culprits of High Household Water Usage, Says Study
Buy all the water-efficient appliances you want; a household’s indirect water usage, embodied in the consumption of goods and services, is far more significant, according to a paper published in the latest issue of Building Resources and Information. Agua is involved in everything we use or wear, from that state-of-the-art toaster to your favorite Rolling Stones T-shirt. “Water is required to obtain raw materials, in the manufacturing process, in transportation and to sell the item,” says Robert H. Crawford, a lecturer in the Faculty of Architecture, Building and Planning at the University of Melbourne and the study’s primary author. “Every item or service purchased by a household has a long line of resources and water usage.”
Most Luxurious Necktie Ever? Scientists Weave Fabric From 24-Karat Gold
Need a gift for the man who has everything? Give him a tie woven from pure gold! Scientists from the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, also known as EMPA, have developed a way to coat polyester fibers with a nanometer-thin layer of the precious metal, making it supple enough to weave. It’s an endeavor 10 years in the making, marking the first time anyone’s managed to keep the shiny stuff permanently bonded to fabric. To fete its accomplishment, EMPA is releasing a limited number of gold ties, tailored in the Zürich tie manufactory Hofmann und Co AG, just before Christmas. Retailing at 7,500 Swiss francs (or roughly $8,450) apiece, each tie will comprise 8 grams of 24-karat gold, plus a sheen that says “I belong to the 1 percent.” Bah humbug, indeed.
iLoad: A Reusable Fabric That Administers Drugs Through the Skin
Pretty soon, the shirt on your back is all you need to cure what ails you. A new high-tech fabric by Schoeller Textil AG in Switzerland promises to convey therapeutic treatments transdermally, or through the skin. Unlike single-use syringes or patches, “iLoad” can be washed and reloaded with new medical agents after each use. With applications in sports and wellness, the system comprises a base fabric with a negatively charged “donor layer” that soaks up the positively charged medical emulsion like a sponge.
Levi’s, H&M, Adidas Debut Apparel Made With Eco-Friendly “Better Cotton”
“Better cotton” isn’t just the stuff of indeterminate pledges anymore. The first apparel products containing the sustainably farmed fiber can finally be purchased from apparel labels and retailers such as Levi’s, H&M, and Adidas, and Marks & Spencer. Momentum for the project has been driven in large part by the Better Cotton Initiative, a nonprofit launched in 2005 to reduce the environmental, social, economic impacts of cotton farming. The Geneva-based organization includes a wide range of stakeholders, from farmers and textile mills to retailers and nonprofits.
Seaweed Dye Offers Greener Alternative to Plastic Screen-Printing Ink
Photo by secretlondon123
That hard, rubbery texture on your favorite screen-printed tee? More likely than not, it’s plastisol, a PVC-derived ink that not only releases harmful dioxins during its manufacture but also off-gasses toxic phthalates into the air and water. To provide a far greener option—both literally and figuratively—Imagine GreenWear is harnessing the power of a marine vegetable you find in your sushi: seaweed. Starting with its fall line, the Fairfax, VA apparel company will be screening its men’s, women’s, and children’s clothes using a dye formulated with seaweed as its base. And because the low-impact dye binds to the fibers at the molecular level, the shirt design won’t crack or peel in the wash like conventional inks.
Is Synthetic Clothing Causing “Microplastic” Pollution in Our Oceans?
Think of plastic pollution in the world’s oceans and visions of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch invariably come to mind. But an emerging breed of “microplastics,” defined as any plastic particle smaller than 1 nanometer—or one hundred-thousandth the width of a human hair—is raising health and safety concerns on shorelines across the globe. Unlike its larger brethren, however, microplastic pollution has a far more insidious cause. And, according to a study published in the November 1, 2011 issue of Environmental Science & Technology, our washing machines are partly to blame.
Scandinavian Scientists Develop Textile That Repairs Its Own Rips, Tears
No need to throw away an old raincoat because a tiny rip or hole. Scandinavian researchers are fabricating a textile coating that automatically seals tears on the surface of waterproof workwear. Developed for EU project Safe@Sea, which is conceiving a new generation of “intelligent” clothing to protect professional fishermen, the technology shows promise even in its early stages. “We have shown that the principle works,” says Susie Jahren, a senior research scientist at SINTEF. “Holes and tears we have made in test pieces in the lab close up all on their own.”
Cocona: Vegan-Friendly Outerwear Insulation Made From Coconut Husks
COCONA\ˈkōˈkōnˈä\
n 1 a:Trademarked name for a lightweight, breathable fiber derived from coconut-husk waste discarded by the food-service industry. b: Reduced to charcoal, combined with recycled polyester, and spun to maximize its surface area for warmth retention and moisture wicking. c: Said to resist odors better than traditional polyester fill. 2: Used in Nau’s insular jacket, a …
Self-Cleaning Cotton Kills Bacteria, Breaks Down Toxic Chemicals
Photo by Jasleen Kaur
Sure, we’ve heard of stain-resistant fabrics, but what about fabrics that actively fight germs and toxic chemicals? Scientists at UC Davis in California have developed a self-cleaning cotton that kills bacteria and breaks down pesticide residues when exposed to light. Ning Liu, a doctoral student in Gang Sun’s group in the Division of Textiles and Clothing, managed to bind a compound known as 2-anthraquinone carboxylic acid (2-AQC) to cellulose in cotton. Exposing the fabric to light triggers the release of reactive agents such as hydroxyl radicals and hydrogen peroxide, putting the kibosh on any lingering germs or organic compounds.
OAT Debuts World’s First Certified-Biodegradable Leather Sneakers
The Dutch label that invented a sneaker that sprouts flowers is gunning for another first: the world’s premier certified-biodegradable leather shoe. OAT’s new “Limited Skin” collection is a series of vividly hued high- and low-tops lined with organic-cotton fleece and soft pique cotton. The leathers, a product of Hulshof Royal Dutch Tanneries in Lichtenvoorde, are tanned using nontoxic agents and 100 percent biodegradable when you bury them underground.
Swedish Student Turns Toxic Textile-Factory Effluent Into Clean Water
One of the least-glamorous aspects of the garment industry are the toxic chemicals used to dye textiles. Although support abounds for less-harmful dyes, along with stronger regulations to process the tainted effluent before it’s discharged, hormone-disrupting substances and their ilk continue to find their way into waterways and drinking supplies in countries such as China, India, and Bangladesh. One research student at Lund University in Sweden, however, might hold the key to an environmentally friendly purification process that leaves only clean water behind.
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