Orange Peel Yarn, Rose Petal Silk and Soy Cashmere, The New Sustainable Fabrics.
Sustainability in luxury fashion is so hot right now, so it should come as no surprise that the industry is getting creative with how and where it sources high-end and performance fabrics.
According to Edge Fashion Intelligence, 64% of the 32 billion garments annually produced are ending up in landfill.
We now recognise the damage traditional plastic-based polyesters cause to the environment. The carcinogens present in the manufacturing process are washed into our water supply and can be hazardous air pollutants and skin irritants.
Fortunately, a revolution in material innovation is in the works.
Orange peel, soy and algae– are just some of the natural materials being used to create sustainable fabrics. Here are three of the most exciting.
1. Orange Peel Yarn
Byproducts of the food industry, fruit peel and stones, are attracting the attention of textile manufacturers.
Italian company, Orange Fiber, uses cutting-edge technology to transform orange peel into high-quality textiles.
Orange Fiber uses waste from the industrial production of orange juice in Italy, to create a silk cellulose yarn that can be woven alone or in combination with other yarns.
Orange fibre fabrics are light, have a subtle iridescent sheen and are primarily used in high-end clothing; and in 2017, the brand collaborated with Salvatore Ferragamo to create their first collection, made from over 5,000 meters of woven, orange fibre fabric.
2. Rose Petal Silk
Silk is still regarded as one of the most luxurious of fabrics, but large scale silk production very much remains a labour intensive process and is often reliant on silkworms.
Due to concerns around ethics and sustainability, some brands are turning to plant-based alternatives.
Bite Studios, uses rose petal fibres in their silk material clothing.
This cellulose fabric is made from natural waste from rose petals and bushes; then stripped and processed to produce a luxurious soft, spinning fibre that is similar to silk.
Another advantage of rose petal silk is that rose is a natural skin toner, so the fibres help with skin inflammation and prickly heat issues.
3. Soy Cashmere
Today, affordable, casual cashmere has permeated the high street. With increased demand, comes increased pressure to reduce costs. Goats herders are now required to have more goats, which means more grazing and the resulting degradation of grasslands. As a result, undernourished goats with coarser hairs are produced, reducing the supply of high-quality cashmere (and a not so fun time for the goats).
Simplifi Fabric have produced an eco-friendly fabric made from the hulls of soy beans, that is as luxurious, soft and delicate as real cashmere.