Yesterday: Paris Ethical Fashion Show September 2010: D2 – Social Projects and Bureaucracy
Tomorrow: Paris Ethical Fashion Show September 2010: D4 – Best of PEFS
The session on textiles and new technologies (nanotechnologies, wired clothes, led in cloths etc.) was at the very margin of green washing, unfortunately. Too often, I felt like living through a déjà-vu of one of the many engineering conferences I’ve attended in my life.
‘Technology is the way forward’, ‘we have only started to see what the future might bring in relation to technology’, ‘high-tech will transpire our everyday life’ was a phrase I heard back then, and that resounded this time around over and again, too. The reality – interestingly – will though be both, more mundane on the one hand, and much more futuristic than we might ever imagine. Example? In the early/mid 90s, internet was quite habitual already in the environment I used to move in, back in those days. Among engineers, e-mail was common, chatting habitual, online role games popular. Since it was technologically possible, so why should an engineer not make use of it for their convenience or hobby? Quite mundane really. Who would’ve thought then, that less than 20 years later, online shopping would be fairly normal, social networks be the tool of choice to maintain friendships around the world, and that cyber-terrorism is not only a technological hypothesis but a real threat, that CCTV would be omnipresent and wired into large central control centres.
Reality has, in fact, overtaken even the most futuristic prognosis from only 15 years ago.
With that in mind, LED-decorated dresses, and wire-threaded embroidery seems more like the mundane game of early e-mail. Much more interesting, and pointing at what one day may seriously have an important impact on our daily life, much like internet in the present, is e-scent, presented b< Jenny Tillotson:
Smart Second Skin is a project that does research into clothing that not only analyses the physiological and psychological state of its wearers, but then uses the scientifically proven aspects of aroma therapy to act favourably upon those parameters by setting free tiny quantities of scent essences. Lavender to relax as a rather uneducated example.
Multidisciplinary approaches such as these no doubt will impact on our lives in the future because they make away with the perceived delimitation between the body, the mind and what surrounds us and guides/triggers/impacts our thinking, reactions, our well being. If new technologies will have a direct impact on our lives in the area of apparel and textiles, then it is because they will transcend the border of what their original role – to decorate and hide nakedness – was, and will in this way unnoticeably seep into all other aspects of our lives.
This all is very interesting, but pragmatically, this type of innovation will come along much more naturally than anyone can imagine just now, namely by people just trying to solve a specific problem, and the new technologies offering the most pragmatic and effective solution approach.
Session on Natural Dyes and Colorants: This all leads, somewhat logically, to the discussion of the issues in relation to natural / organic dyestuff, the morning session of the day – and very likely the best session among all sessions offered over the 4 days: pragmatic, market oriented, needs oriented, solution oriented, and yet aware of limitations, challenge as well as options and opportunities. The session importantly, included a thorough introduction into the history and the background of natural colours (which in this context specifically means: vegetable, plant, fruit-based colorants, as well as organic indigo).
World-wide only about 10 or so producers of actual natural/organic dyestuffs do exist, of which over a half was present in this session as well as with a dedicated stand at PEFS.
Much discussion and thought was given to the fact that currently, there is no certification for this type of organic colours – for instance organic cotton could still remain certified organic even though it in fact was dyed with heavily toxic chemical dyes. The issues of mordants and fixants, which are needed to fix the colour to the fabric to prevent loss of quality and fading – was repeatedly mentioned as being an integral part of the discussion of organic, natural dye stuff, as it is still difficult to find non-chemical mordants at all.
For the remainder, rather than going into the details of the session as such, I will present the participating panelists one by one, including contact details of their respective companies where you can source organic, natural dyestuff. If you’re interested in their products, do contact them. All have long years of experiences in their field, and for people having no or only very limited experiences with organic natural dyes, they can even give advice on how their products need to be used .
Organic Indigo – Hacienda los Nacimientos: http://www.elsalvadorazul.com
[Retailed in UK through: Organic Herbs.
The farm, located in El Salvador, is the only producers of 100% organic indigo in the world.]
The farm has a holistic approach to sustainability, and was principally founded in the mid 90s, in the aftermaths of a 12 year civil war, and with the aim to create livelihoods, as well as give training and education to former guerrilla members in order to prevent them becoming marginalised (again).
El Salvador to the day heavily relies on the production of sugar cane – which while financially profitable, has the huge draw back that it only produces work opportunities during the 4 month of harvesting, requiring field workers to fend for themselves for the majority of the year. The farm now offers agricultural-tourism, and organic plant and fruit oils, a species of hibiscus appreciated for making jams, organic Marañón (tropical fruit), and worm cultures (used for the improvement of farming soil).
Their indigo is being used by some of the largest jeans brands in the world for their organic denim ranges.
Red/Pink: Rubia (en: Madder): http://www.rubiapn.nl
Rubia is a dye plant from which colorants that create results in the red-purple-pink colour range can be extracted.
The company of the same name, located in Holland, stroke up a partnership with New Zealand wool, and is the only producer among those listed here that is set up to cope with large industrial order quantities.
Entire colour spectrum, GOTS certified: NIG – http://www.nig-magdeburg.de
A management buy out descending from the former East-Germany research institute for vegetables and plants, NIG offers organic dyestuff for natural fibres, leather, and even plastic and food.
The offer they entire colour spectrum, and are experts in supporting their clients in the exact application of the dyestuff in their production, including issues related to fixants and mordants.
As to my knowledge, they may be the only ones in Europe offering a complete palette of coulours, and that can cope with small, mid as well as large-sized orders.
Primary colours, specifically suited for denim: The Colours of Nature – http://www.thecoloursofnature.com
The Colours of Nature is part of the Auroville project, a whole town set up in the south of India, that promotes an ‘organic’ lifestyle. (not to confounded with ‘ethnic’ or ‘hippie’ or the like).
They have specifically developed a range of plant-extracted organic dyestuffs that is suitable for denims.
Entire colour spectrum: Etno Botanica, Brazil – http://www.etno-botanica.com/
Etno Botanica does research into the extraction of plant, vegetable, soil, tree and fruit based colours that can be extracted from the richness of the Brazilian flora. In order to grow those plants and vegetable that actually can be cultivated, they collaborate with co-operatives of organic cotton growers helping them to develop one more source of income. Their work approach is fair trade, although not certified.
They have a wast knowledge of the dyeing process itself, and can assist small businesses in their efforts to use organic dyes.
Nearly complete colour spectrum: Couleur de plantes – http://www.couleurs-de-plantes.com/
France based company that specialises in natural dye stuffs for food, cosmetics, textiles and fine arts. Quantities are suitable for small and medium producers.
Is retailed – partly online – in the UK, France, and US/Canada (List).
Tomorrow: Paris Ethical Fashion Show September 2010: D4 – Best of PEFS
Yesterday: Paris Ethical Fashion Show September 2010: D2 – Social Projects and Bureaucracy
