Fashion textile industry causes serious pollution to the environment. Fashion is now the second most polluting industry in the world, after oil. Britain alone, for example, produces about 1.7 million tons of textile waste each year.
In order to reduce the environmental pollution caused by the fashion industry, many luxury goods are beginning to use recycled materials or find new materials to make their products.
Re-nylon
The Prada Group has created a new project called Re-Nylon to meet the goals of sustainability and environmental protection.
Prada Re-Nylon recycled Nylon project is the recycling of textile waste, fishing nets, carpets, industrial waste, etc., through a chemical depolymerization process, Nylon waste is returned to the original purity. ECONYL recycled nylon yarns can be recycled indefinitely without compromising material quality.
With the Re-Nylon project, Prada produces 10,000 tons of recycled Nylon, saving 70,000 barrels of oil, 65,100 tons of carbon dioxide emissions and 90% of its global warming impact compared to conventional petroleum-based Nylon.
Recycling is one way for the fashion industry to ensure sustainability, along with finding new materials that are more environmentally friendly.
Innovation and research of organic materials
Hermes has long been criticized for using crocodile skin in its bags. So in March, I teamed up with MycoWorks to launch my Victoria handbag made from mycelium fabric. MycoWorks used mycelium to grow amber leather in place of fabric, a special material called Sylvania.
The living culture composed of fungi and yeast is immersed into the nourishing solution to produce cellulose. Due to the unique honeycomb structure of mycelia, cellulose has excellent strength, toughness and durability after drying, so it becomes a perfect substitute for fabric and leather. For example, MycoWorks’ Reishi mycelium fabric, grown from Reishi, rivals cowhide for strength and durability.
In addition to MycoWorks working on turning mycelium into a leather substitute, Bolt Threads has launched Mylo, a leather fabric made from fungus found in mushroom roots, as an absolutely soft and natural alternative to leather. Stella McCartney, for example, used Mylo for her iconic Falabella handbag, as well as her corsets and trousers.
Whether it is recycling recycled fabrics or exploring the transformation of plant bacteria into fabric substitutes, the rapid change in the fashion industry to adopt new fabrics is key to addressing the sustainability challenges facing luxury goods. The Art School is also exploring the boundaries of regeneration and sustainability.