Eco

Eco

Rising consumer awareness over food safety, quality, animal welfare and environmental issues led to a boom in the organic food market. Where the food industry led, fashion is soon to follow and interpret in its own way. There is a growing market for truly organic clothing, but also for apparel which simply promotes sustainability and eco-friendliness. Early estimates put global retail sales of “sustainable apparel” at $3bn in 2007.

Smart textiles

Fabrics with added easy-care and well-being properties for performance-enhanced garments.

Invisible finishings, nanotechnology and micro-encapsulation create textiles with water and stain-resistance, antibacterial, deodorising or thermo-regulating properties, which require low maintenance and less laundering for simplified lifestyles and ecological benefits.

Sustainable and renewable fibres

Man-made fibres derived from alternative sources to non-renewable fossil fuels.

Depleting finite resources has driven the industry to explore renewable or regenerated materials, such as bamboo, cornstarch, milk protein, soya and coconut shell, which alongside ecological benefits, have inherent properties such as antibacterial, breathable, moisture wicking and a soft, smooth handle.

MA Textile Futures

A postgraduate textiles degree at Chelsea College of Art and Design, London.

This course has pioneered an interactive and interdisciplinary way of working that allows designers to explore their own unique vision of future textiles; embracing science, technology and responsibility for sustainable design.

Closed-loop recycling

The process of recycling industry waste and discarded garments into new yarn, which closes the loop of a product’s lifecycle

Innovative developments within fibre reclamation, such as the EcoCircle scheme by Japanese fibre company Teijin, enables polyester fabric to be broken down to molecular level to create virgin-quality fibre, requiring less energy and CO2 and reducing the need for new fibre production.

Ethical

The joy of cheaper clothing has been sullied by guilt about environmental destruction and abused workers. Stores have stepped up to the plate with organic apparel and ecologically-friendly environments, while keeping the fashion on-trend. It seems that every retailer now sells an organic range, while other stores, such as Howies in London, promote an all-encompassing eco store experience.

Eco-sport

The past decade has seen a sea-change in the approach to environmental issues in the sportswear industry. Performance and style aren't the only priorities. Now organic, recycled and renewable materials are all commonplace as brands place an increasing emphasis on sustainability - with several even putting it at the heart of their strategy.

2007 - Fashion goes sustainable

Trade show organisers, retailers, manufacturers and consumers all became obsessed with eco. As the fashion world finally realised consumers prefer to spend money on goods which can claim to be organic, eco-friendly, cruelty-free or fair trade, the market boomed. For example, the launch of Anya Hindmarch’s eco-friendly shopping bag caused a near riot in Hong Kong, as people fought to go green in style.

Organic baby and kidswear collections

New parents are some of the biggest consumers of organic products, especially food and clothing. The market has grown significantly in the last few years and continues to do so

Eco aware

Anya Hindmarch's "I'm not a plastic bag" launch in 2007 propelled the trend of reusable bags. Hindmarch's ethical totes brought awareness to environmentally responsible fashion and helped create the sector.

Eco-aware

What: A combination of both attitude and material; ethically responsible manufacturing techniques are as important as the sustainable recyclable materials used.

Why: Good for the planet and our children's future, but also a massive selling point. Wood is being used as the material of choice over new plastics.

Eco chic

Eco ethics are driving knitwear into the 21st century, with organic fibres, natural dyes and recycling all being integrated into high-end, design-led knitwear, allowing brands and designers to redefine green looks as the "future of luxury".

Natural ingredients

The natural world has been a beauty product treasure chest for centuries, but this decade’s cosmetic scientists have figured how to tap into even newer properties in natural ingredients, They’ve plundered the forest, the kitchen and the ocean to bring us hi-tech-but-natural products based on plankton, green tea, sea fennel, royal jelly, nettles, marigold, chocolate, milk, apples and grapes.

Self-healing material

A rubber-like material that can self-heal when gently pressed together.

Upcycling

A sustainable design approach to reusing waste, where the longevity of the original product is extended and value-added.

Why: While recycling can often lead to downcycling - where the quality of the reprocessed material becomes poorer - the upcycling method enhances the product through reassembly or embellishment, which adds value or emotional attachment while also helping reduce landfill waste.

Synthetics: the new eco

Synthetic fabrics are becoming an important contender within the environmental debate, driven by technological advancements.

Why: Cradle-to-cradle, synthetics have been found to be less damaging to the environment than some natural materials, but new technologies are enabling synthetics to emulate natural fabrics while retaining high performance and easy-care properties such as less washing and ironing, longer life span and ability to recycle to virgin quality.

Grow your own material

Biotechnology is inspiring new material developments that use biological organisms to grow seamless biosynthetic fabric.

Why: The concept explores a radical vision of the future where fabrics may be cultivated in a laboratory, while addressing ecological and sustainable issues by using food derivatives or by-products of fermentation processes to create cellulose microfibrils, which have a similar structure to cotton.

Biofibres

Natural fibres that are sourced and processed using sustainable ethics and production methods.

Why: As companies take responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their products, a growing commitment to natural, ecological and fair trade production methods - overseen by organisations such as GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards) - embraces eco-friendly fibres, natural dyestuffs and non-polluting practices, direct contact with farmers and product traceability.

Designing with waste

Developing new applications for waste materials that would otherwise end up in landfill.

Why: Innovative and resourceful design is offering up new solutions to waste material and reusing existing resources, which explore inherent chemical and physical properties for diverse applications, such as the use of powdered animal bone for rapid prototyping, or as a sustainable alternative to ivory.

Venturi's Astrolab car

Expect more alternatives to fossil fuels, including solar power and clean waste utilisation. Fuel cells that create electricity from oxygen and hydrogen tick the right eco boxes - their waste product is water.

Abel & Cole, organic food delivery service, UK

Organic delivery services are nothing new, but the website, service and communication that accompany this London-based company is outstanding. Their new ideas could be used not just for food but the whole retail sector. The company’s initiatives like the “Food Waste Manifesto,” “Brain Food” delivery services for offices and “The Farmer's Choice” non-profit scheme which raises funds for schools, are all moves in truly new directions.

California Academy of Sciences, US

This ecological education centre is “exploring, explaining and protecting the natural world”. It reopened this year with new restaurants (Academy Café and Moss Room) that reflect a commitment to innovative ideas. The planted “Living Roof” won an award for sustainable architecture, while the Moss Room has a large wall of living moss emerging from an aquarium— the moss derives nutrients from the fish, while cleaning and recycling the aquarium water.

Eco-luxurious Brazil

“Conspicuous eco-consumption - as opposed to a quieter focus on sustainability - is the way to shape consumer attitudes in Brazil,” Oskar Metsavaht, director of the Osklen brand told WGSN and the country is now leading the way globally in how to transform the sustainable into the desirable. “We’re not saying to consumers to stop buying, say, Prada bags. Keep buying them, but also buy something else that has new values. This is the definition of new luxury.”

The Netherlands

It’s time to go to Dutch again. Led by their capital city, the Dutch are rebranding themselves with wit and creativity. Excellent centres for innovation and design with a serious sustainable focus are now established alongside a fresh fashion industry to rival the Scandinavians.

Indonesia

In Asia the situation for corporate social responsibility (CSR) is changing dramatically and beginning to include environmental as well as social issues. The Indonesian parliament has passed a new law making CSR mandatory. Watch the implications across Asia as they define the law and create a shortlist of companies or sectors this applies to. Although the EU has directives on hazardous substances, only in Asia do we see governments and policy-makers legislating.

Recycling and composting - the Bokashi composting system

The Bokashi system transforms kitchen waste into compostable material - including meat, bones, dairy products, cooked food and cooking oil – through a mixture of bran, molasses, bacteria and fungi that ferment the waste. Currently used in innovative eco-restaurants, the system could revolutionise the impact of waste from the catering industry.

Flour and water - rising food prices refocuses our priorities

If basics such as flour and water become more expensive, consumer priorities will shift from sustainability, ethical production and eco-responsibility to simply getting enough to eat. Higher prices could become "the new normal", rather than a temporary peak, and may mean a greater impact on consumer behaviour.