Green is the new black

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama included $80 billion in his federal stimulus package for greater energy efficiency and cleaner technologies. Currently, Congress is halfway toward passing a bill to cap greenhouse gas emissions. Much like what is taking place in the political sphere, green initiatives are now in vogue in the fashion industry.’

When London-based designer Anya Hindmarch debuted her limited edition ‘I’m NOT a Plastic Bag’ reusable shopping tote in 2007, green consumerism grabbed headlines.

Such celebrities as Ivanka Trump, Keira Knightley and Lily Allen donned the bag, making ecological awareness trendy as both a mindset and a fashion statement.’ ‘

Prior to Hindmarch’s big splash, Boston University alumna Anne Salvatore Epstein launched her environmentally conscious clothing line Beau Soleil in New York City in 2005, with the goal of offering fashionable, quality and affordable eco-friendly attire to women.’

‘Reduce, Recycle, Renew’ is her company’s motto. Epstein said she became aware of the clothing manufacturing process’s detrimental effect on the environment when she worked with Marc Jacobs, which motivated her to start Beau Soleil to fuse organic materials with fashionable designs.’

Epstein said the fabrics she uses for her line are developed at an eco-friendly mill south of Shanghai, China.’

‘I use organic cotton woven into sweatshirt fabric for dresses,’ she said.’ ‘It’s a fun thickness and texture that achieves a sporty look and feel. I also use organic cotton blended with bamboo in a jersey fabric to get a t-shirt thickness to allow for more flowy silhouettes.”

She said she uses organic cotton and bamboo-blended yarn to create sweaters and leggings, which, she said, have sold well.’

Epstein said though her use of organic cotton does increase the prices of her products, her business has survived despite the down economy.’

‘I’m lucky to have great stores who believe in carrying my product and a loyal customer following who understands the Beau Soleil style,’ she said.’

GREEN FAD’

Some major national companies have also started to offer eco-friendly clothes.

Levi Strauss Jeans now has its ‘Levi’s ECO’ line – jeans for both men and women, made from organically grown and dyed cotton.’ ‘

School of Management senior Cassie Locsin, president of the Boston University Fashion and Retail Association (FAB), said she thinks every store, both big and small, should have organic options because they are better for the environment. Locsin, who has interned for Valentino, said it is encouraging that more designers are now starting to pay attention to the organic fabric movement and are making such options available to the customer.’

However, she said organic clothing still faces obstacles to gain a larger share of the market.’

‘Most people shop based on price and style,’ she said. ‘And organic clothing is usually not a leader in either of the two.”

Levi’s ECO jeans, for example, sell for over $70, while many of their other styles cost around $40.’

FAB recently hosted a fashion show, in which BU students, among them College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Emily Gasda, were given a chance to showcase their designs.

Gasda said all of the fabric she used in her collection were recycled or second-hand, which allowed her to keep costs down, experiment and be good to the environment as well.’

Though Gasda said she is shooting for a smaller scale, more artistic venture rather than trying for a ‘big break’ in the fashion industry, she said she would definitely use as much organic fabric as possible in all stages of her designs.’

‘I do not have any reserves about using organic fabrics,’ she said. ‘I try to avoid newly manufactured fabrics in my designs as much as possible, for monetary and environmental reasons.”

Gasda said she hopes to be able to add organic clothing to her wardrobe in the future.’

NEW ECO-FRIENDLY TECHNOLOGIES

It’s not just organic cotton on the rise in the clothing industry. Large-scale research companies, like NatureWorks LLC, have begun to utilize new organic methods for creating new fabrics.’

In 2003, NatureWorks introduced its Ingeo fiber-the world’s first man-made fiber crafted from renewable plant resources instead of oil. The Ingeo biopolymer, also known as PLA, is created by applying new technologies to the processing of natural plant sugars to create a ‘proprietary polylactide polymer,’ using the stored carbon found in plants as a result of photosynthesis, according to NatureWorks’ website.’

Based in Minnetonka, Minn., NatureWorks, a subsidiary of Cargill Inc., is the first company to offer a family of commercially available polymers derived 100 percent from annually renewable resources with cost and performance that compete with petroleum-based packaging materials and fibers, according to Mike Vidnovic of Cargill Corporate Affairs.’

The company has been dedicated to pursuing environmental progress through developing the global market for bio-based plastics and fibers, said Vidnovic.’ ‘

Ingeo, according to the NatureWorks website, is the most environmentally friendly biopolymer, and has been the world’s first polymer to show a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

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THE MOVE TOWARD GREEN’

Still, a biopolymer coup is far off.’

Peter Hawthorne, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development of Cargill, Incorporated, said the primary reasons incumbent materials continue to be used is because the high cost of developing new materials.’

There are also other ‘switching costs’ for moving from currently used materials to new materials, and differences in cost and performance between substitute materials that companies have to take into consideration before making the switch.’

Finally, making the switch to biopolymer depends greatly on whether or not ‘green’ attributes make a significant difference in consumers’ and brand-owners” purchase decisions.’

Hawthorne said the process to launch and develop new fabrics can take up to three years, and that the current use of PLA materials is very small relative to the market as a whole – less than 1 percent.

‘ ‘There is lots of room for growth before the impact is felt across a market,’ he said. ‘It needs strong ‘pull-through’ to drive demand for these new products through the supply chain.”

Even then, Hawthorne said he believes that PLA based fabrics cannot today replace the performance requirements of all fabrics.’

‘Some natural fabrics will continue having strong demand and reasonably green attributes,’ he said.’

SMG Junior Kellen Brink, BU Entrepreneurship Club’ president, said she planned to start an online retail business about a year and a half ago selling organic clothes.’

‘The clothes were all going to be made from organic cotton,’ Brink said. ‘Unfortunately, due to the economy, I was unable to get it up and running.”

According to Epstein, organic cotton is high in demand and short on supply. Her dresses, therefore, sell for over $200.’

‘Organic cotton is expensive,’ she said. ‘Stores have to debate if the customer cares enough to buy eco or not.”

College of General Studies freshman Nick Peine claimed that he would not pay more for an organic t-shirt, even if the price differential was only $5.’

CAS freshman Monica Gendi concurred.’

‘I guess I just don’t feel like buying organic makes much of a difference,’ she said.’

At the first ‘The People Speak’ presentation at Boston University’s Tsai Performance Cetner on Nov. 5, all attendees received organic cotton tees designed by Shepard Fairey that bore the message, ‘Democracy is not a spectator sport.’ College of Arts and Sciences Freshman Enna Belt said she loves her new green-friendly shirt.’ ‘

‘I feel good wearing the shirt because it’s organic and because it’s comfortable,’ she said. ‘The shirts have a good message, and I think organic fabric should be used more often on a wider scale.’

A GREENER FUTURE

Though the fashion industry’s ecological footprint has been and continues to be significant, earth-conscious designers and NatureWorks LLC scientists are now allowing the worlds of environmentalism and fashion to stroll hand in hand.’

The Gap has started to calculate their factories’ environmental footprints, and make more effort to conserve energy and control output and waste, according to Gapinc.com.’

According to a recent article in The New York Times, China (where much of American-brand clothing is made) and the United States account for 40 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Though a few green fashion lines and products may seem like one small step in the larger scheme of solving the world’s pressing environmental issues, the addition of organic cotton and biopolymer-derived fabrics to fashion commerce is one giant leap towards solving the crises of energy and the over-exploitation of the earth said experts and students alike.’ ‘

‘It’s important to realize that it’s important to lower our ecological footprints,’ CAS freshman Belva Dibert said. ‘Even with what we wear, if it’s possible.”

Dibert said college students could try to shop organic when possible so they do their part in helping the organic business and the environment.

‘That, or save water and just don’t do your laundry,’ she said.