Examples of carbon-friendly couture went under the spotlight at a collaborative event on 1st March, organised by the InCrops Enterprise Hub (University of East Anglia (UEA)) with fashion students from London's Kingston University. Designers, scientists, branding experts and environmentalists came together at the 'Sustainable Luxury' event in London to exchange ideas about the future of fashion – and how the industry can reduce its carbon footprint.
The fashion industry has a high environmental footprint and is responsible for a huge amount of waste. According to waste industry reports, more than one million tonnes of textiles are thrown away every year, of which only 25 per cent are recycled. The 'Sustainable Luxury' event, hosted jointly by InCrops, Kingston University and the Materials Knowledge Transfer Network (Materials KTN) was organised to showcase new 'bio-materials' which can be used for making environmentally-friendly luxury goods - from clothes, shoes and accessories to home and car interiors.
A range of futuristic fabrics, garments, and designs were unveiled at the industry-focused event. Work on show came from Kingston University's Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture and included a wood-chip corset from British designer Stefanie Nieuwenhuyse, which made waves at London Fashion Week in September and was modelled by singer Pixie Lott in Vogue. Other designers included Hoyan Ip, who works with organic materials (such as orange peel) breaking down and decomposing, and Fay Gascoigne who has created award-winning scented jewellery from biodegradable plastic.
The event featured the results of an InCrops-sponsored MA Fashion project at Kingston University, which encouraged students to explore the theme of 'Sustainable Luxury'. The course was designed to introduce designers to low carbon principles in product manufacture, based on efficient use of natural and renewable products.
Keynote speakers included brand sustainability expert and former Gucci Group director of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Burak Cakmak, and Ian Burn, marketing manager at Camira Fabrics.