Technology is making fashion sustainable, as these six great innovations illustrate
By Charles Morley
The fact that technology is making fashion sustainable shouldn’t be surprising: tech has always been somewhat embedded in the very fabric of fashion…no pun intended. But now more than ever, experts are setting their sights quite ambitiously far ahead in order to dream up the next big thing – and this time, it’s for the sake of future generations.
Far from simply utilising and continually improving technology for the clothing manufacturing process, we’re slowly but surely entering an age where technology and fashion are coming together as one to create clothing and accessories that are far more sustainable. Given the energy intensity of producing most fabric, this is a very welcome change.
While it may initially seem that organic cotton or recycled polymers may be a great foundation for the clothing we wear, when you consider the vast land and quantities of water used by cotton or the horrendously energy intensive and highly polluting process of extracting oil to make plastics, it seems high tech may have a lot to offer.
Here are 6 fascinating ways technology is making fashion sustainable, thanks to some key innovations.
5 Ways Technology Is Making Fashion Sustainable
1. Clothing Made From Food
A German microbiology-student by the name of Anke Domaske had a great idea: she used milk, tea and coffee beans in her ‘Grow Your Own Clothes’ project at uni, and it blew her professors away.
So much so, in fact, that she was encouraged to launch a company called Qmilk which produces fabrics not only for the fashion industry, but also for home and car furnishings. Cloth made from Qmilk fiber is very soft and provides a comfortable fit, but that’s not all: the textile also provides reduced bacterial growth and skin-sensory properties, which make it suitable for any activity in any climate.
2. High Tech to Dye For
One of the dirtiest aspects of producing fashion is definitely centered around the dyes used. Luckily, California’s Colorep has come up with an ‘AirDye’ system that uses 85% less energy and 90% less water than conventional dyeing.
Few people seem to realise that the dyeing process is normally a highly polluting process that involves many chemicals, waste, and water usage, but AirDye takes water almost out of the equation completely, and also reduces the emissions and energy used dramatically, since extreme heat is needed to dry the textiles after they are soaked in dye (and most fabrics then require a post-rinse and yet another dry cycle).
AirDye’s process begins with using all synthetic fibers for its material, which can be made from recycled PET bottles. Using dispersed dyes that are applied to a paper carrier, AirDye uses heat to transfer the dyes from the paper to the surface of the textiles, coloring it at the molecular level. All paper used is recycled, and dyes are inert, meaning that they can go back to their original state and be reused.
The system works on all textiles, be they for upholstery, wallpaper or fashion. So far, only one designer, Costello Tagliapietra, has debuted a fashion range (seen below) made entirely with AirDye methods – but we hope to see more designers on board soon!
3. The ‘Fashion Print’ Takes On A Whole New Meaning
3D printed fashion has already appeared on the catwalks of Paris, London and Milan thanks to innovative designers like Iris Van Herpen, and others.
Yes, 3D printing quite often uses polymers rather than natural materials, but it can be considered to be eco-friendly for two reasons: one, it avoids fabric waste, which is so prevalent in the industry. Any time a pattern is cut, there are metres and metres of unused fabric that simply go straight to landfill.
Secondly, outfits made from 3D printing can be produced on a when-needed basis only, as it doesn’t take long to make them. Normally, designers take orders from buyers, who guess the demand for their clients. If they get it wrong, they could have a whole lot of stock on their hands. But not so if clothing is printed – customers can place their orders, and conceivably have them made for them in-shop while they wait!
4. A Brilliant Idea: Lab Grown Diamonds
Technology is making fashion sustainable in the realm of accessories, too: namely lab grown diamonds and gemstones.
One company leading the way is Lark and Berry, who proudly create high quality lab-grown diamonds using a process called Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD). In this, a diamond seed is placed into a high pressure chamber with a plasma formed with Methane and Hydrogen, and is then heated to upwards of 2200 degrees Fahrenheit.
The gases attach to the seed and the carbon crystal grows for up to a month (longer for higher carat weight diamonds). Once the crystal is formed, it is removed and sent to a diamond cutter to get the maximum size and brilliance possible.
Lab-grown diamonds require far, far less energy to produce than a natural diamond. Although energy is required to produce the high pressure and temperatures required with a lab grown diamond, it is still approximately a third or less of the energy required to mine a diamond, and of course, less energy translates to less fuel and pollution.
Also, many of the most reputable lab-grown vendors are also using large amounts of solar and wind generated power, and of course, lab grown gemstones and diamonds never rip up the Earth, destroying plants and animal habitats, the way mining does.
5. High Tech Vegan Leather
One of the other ways technology is making fashion sustainable is also saving the lives of animals, too.
We all know that ‘vegan leather‘ can often be a euphemism for ‘plastic crap’. But several companies are now making innovative vegan leathers from 100% natural materials in laboratories. For example, Modern Meadow produces leather from yeast cells that are fermented in ways similar to beer making.
The result is collagen, the protein that gives skin its elasticity – and which can be made into a product that closely imitates leather. The pieces vary in colour, thickness and texture, and the fabric can be used for a variety of purposes, including clothing, shoes, handbags, car and plane interiors and even furniture.
Raising cattle itself is so environmentally damaging, but producing leather is even worse, due to highly toxic tanning and dyeing processes, but apart from the environmental harm, there’s also huge wastage in the industry – up to half of a cowhide can be wasted due to imperfections, and with alligator and crocodile skin, it’s even worse, with up to 90% of the material wasted because of the need for a perfect pattern.
Business consulting firm Grand View Research (GVR) has predicted the global faux leather market will hit $85bn by 2025 due to the lower cost of producing animal-free products along with the increasing number of consumers opting for animal-free materials – and that’s a beautiful thing, if you ask us!
6. Scientifically Designed Materials
Thanks to science, there are plenty of materials that are not only saving animals’ lives, but the planet, too. For example, clothing brand Musto have created a clothing range in partnership with Land Rover called ABOVE AND BEYOND that uses Primaloft® Black Eco, which offers a sustainable and lightweight alternative to down feathers that doesn’t compromise warmth, comfort or flexibility.
Aimed at adventurers, some of their jackets that are made of PrimaLoft® also have Aerogel-lined pockets to protect mobile phones, enabling them to maintain their battery power for longer. Aerogel technology, originally designed by NASA, consists of 95% air and is the lightest solid known to man, meaning it’s cheaper to transport clothing made of this.
They’ve also come up with a reversible base layer T-shirt, whose technology makes it a sweater and a tee, all in one garment. It’s designed to keep you warm if you wear it on one side, and will actually cool your body down when you flip it to the other side.Musto also proudly makes their range in Vietnam by workers who are paid well and treated fairly.
No one could really have envisaged how quickly things would progress over just a few short decades. The only question now being how, if and when all these amazing developments will be used to further matters of universal interest – conservation, sustainability, carbon-reduction, and of course, style!
All images courtesy of the brands mentioned
- 7 Fabulous Interiors Trends For 2021 - Jan 24, 2021
- 10 Paper Fashion Designers Who Will Blow Your Mind - Jan 23, 2021
- The Best Vegan Flats For Any Occasion - Jan 20, 2021
This site uses affiliate links with brands we trust, and if you make a purchase using a link, we may receive a commission.
Did you enjoy this post? Want to show your gratitude? Please support us on Patreon!
14 Comments
Terrafugia: Taking Travel to Land or Air - Eluxe Magazine
Dec 21, 2019 at 6:40 am[…] in 2013 and currently navigating the Research and Development stages, this high tech vehicle has been envisioned as a four-seat, vertical takeoff and landing, semi-autonomous flying […]
Technological Advances in the Sustainable Textile Industry – Jack's Blog
Feb 10, 2020 at 5:59 am[…] https://eluxemagazine.com/fashion/when-technology-meets-sustainable-fashion/ […]
What Does the Future of Shopping Hold in the Fashion Industry? – Etrust Business
Dec 8, 2020 at 1:18 pm[…] ever-more sustainable. Thanks to the development of more sophisticated synthetic materials such as vegan leather, fashion brands will have an increasing variety of materials to work with. This will enable them to […]
What Does the Future of Shopping Hold in the Fashion Industry? | | Pinned
Dec 10, 2020 at 5:20 am[…] ever-more sustainable. Thanks to the development of more sophisticated synthetic materials such as vegan leather, fashion brands will have an increasing variety of materials to work with. This will enable them to […]
What Does the Future of Shopping Hold in the Fashion Industry? | Techno FAQ
Dec 10, 2020 at 2:54 pm[…] ever-more sustainable. Thanks to the development of more sophisticated synthetic materials such as vegan leather, fashion brands will have an increasing variety of materials to work with. This will enable them to […]
What does the future of shopping hold in the fashion industry? – Welcome
Dec 14, 2020 at 6:31 pm[…] ever-more sustainable. Thanks to the development of more sophisticated synthetic materials such as vegan leather, fashion brands will have an increasing variety of materials to work with. This will enable them to […]
Moda endüstrisinde alışverişin geleceği neler getiriyor? | CEO Gelişim
Dec 14, 2020 at 6:33 pm[…] daha sürdürülebilir hale geliyor. Daha sofistike sentetik malzemelerin geliştirilmesi sayesinde vegan derisimoda markalarının üzerinde çalışacakları malzeme çeşitliliği giderek artacak. Bu, […]
What does the future of shopping hold in the fashion industry? – Warta Saya
Dec 14, 2020 at 6:39 pm[…] ever-more sustainable. Thanks to the development of more sophisticated synthetic materials such as vegan leather, fashion brands will have an increasing variety of materials to work with. This will enable them to […]
What does the future of shopping hold in the fashion industry? | Love Africa News
Dec 15, 2020 at 3:17 am[…] ever-more sustainable. Thanks to the development of more sophisticated synthetic materials such as vegan leather, fashion brands will have an increasing variety of materials to work with. This will enable them to […]
What does the long term of purchasing keep in the manner market? | Initiative
Dec 15, 2020 at 11:50 pm[…] Many thanks to the progress of additional advanced artificial resources these types of as vegan leather, manner models will have an escalating wide range of resources to operate with. This will permit […]
What does the future of shopping hold in the fashion industry? - Fabfunny
Jan 5, 2021 at 4:42 am[…] ever-more sustainable. Thanks to the development of more sophisticated synthetic materials such as vegan leather, fashion brands will have an increasing variety of materials to work with. This will enable them to […]
The Future of Shopping Hold in the Fashion Industry - Columnist24
Jan 6, 2021 at 10:03 am[…] ever-more sustainable. Thanks to the development of more sophisticated synthetic materials such as vegan leather, fashion brands will have an increasing variety of materials to work with. This will enable them to […]
The Future of Shopping Hold in the Fashion Industry - AI Global Media Ltd
Jan 6, 2021 at 5:36 pm[…] ever-more sustainable. Thanks to the development of more sophisticated synthetic materials such as vegan leather, fashion brands will have an increasing variety of materials to work with. This will enable them to […]
The Upcoming of Buying Maintain in the Trend Sector - | Initiative
Jan 9, 2021 at 2:28 am[…] more sustainable. Many thanks to the advancement of much more subtle artificial resources these as vegan leather, style makes will have an increasing variety of elements to operate with. This will enable them to […]