Special Edition Spring 2022: Designing for the Future
What it means to be a sustainable fashion designer
Sustainability, or the practice of supporting human, ecological and economic health, is a big buzzword these days because it is seen as one of the most important issues regarding the future of the planet. “Sustainability presumes that resources are finite, and should be used conservatively and wisely with a view to long-term priorities and consequences of the ways in which resources are used,” according to University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Sustainability webpage.
The fashion industry is the second-biggest producer of waste worldwide, second only to the oil industry. Because of this, a call for slow fashion and sustainable practices over fast fashion has swept the industry.
So what does it mean to be a sustainable designer?
Carrie Zirbes ‘23 (Fashion Design & Sustainability Studies) is a sustainable fashion designer in the St. Kate’s community.
“If you want to be a fashion designer and you care about the world, you have to focus on sustainability,” Zirbes said. “Otherwise, you’re just producing toxins and garbage and it all ends up in a landfill. “Sustainability to me means knowing where your materials are coming from. You have to count the hands that touched, you need to know where it was produced, if it's cotton, you need to know where it was grown, how it was grown, who grew it. You need to follow the whole process of all the steps.”
The collection Zirbes is currently working on is sustainable and made from materials she already owned or were donated to her. She is ensuring that every material she uses is getting a second life.
“It's just the idea of overproduction, mass consumption. here's so much already in the world, and we don't need to be using new things,” she said. “So that's kind of what I'm focusing on just for this line. I also have a couple of zero-waste patterns, so that there was no waste, no scraps or anything in the pattern process. And then I also have a couple of remade and upcycled looks”
For her future career, Zirbes wants to work in sustainable-product development. They talked about how it can be hard for designers to know where their fabric and materials are coming from, and where to get sustainable materials. She would work like to with designers or brands to focus on the most sustainable way of product development and production.
“So I'll really see what the community needs and I'm just going to keep working within the community and collaborating and seeing where there are holes in the production in the local scene,” she said.
The fashion industry is heading in the right direction when it comes to sustainable practices. Consumers are becoming more aware of the detrimental effects of fast fashion and thrifting is on the rise. Many new designers have their focus in sustainability and are leading the fashion industry towards a sustainable future.
