SUSTAINABLE FASHION.

Now, you may think that creating a Sustainable Fashion Label was what I set out to do. I mean, my tag line is ‘Designed by Sustainability’, right?

Well, I’ll be honest, it wasn’t what I set out to do.

Designed by Sustainability has always been a reflection of the business creating a sustainable life.

I actually always thought sustainability was those people that grew their own gardens and weaved their own clothes from animal hair, I never thought it would be a word I would use in my everyday life. Yet, twice now (once when TNR was a woodworking label, and now that it is a fashion brand) I have found myself naturally evolving into a sustainable brand.

WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE FASHION?

While there is no dictionary definition of ‘Sustainable Fashion’, it can broadly be defined as a way in which clothing is created to reduce the impact on the environment. This is going to look a little different for each clothing brand, so let’s talk about what this looks like for The New Red.

1. QUALITY

The very definition of sustainability is the ability to be maintained at a certain rate or level, and the best way to do that in fashion is with quality products. This starts with the fabric and carries right through to the thread, machine techniques, elastic, interfacing and hardware. All of which I have personally tested, and are sourced through Australian owned businesses as much as possible.

2. DESIGN

The focus on waste minimisation starts from the minute a design idea enters my brain. The main design will be established, then calculated and refined depending on which fabric base it will be constructed from. Each fabric base has a slightly varying width and making small adjustments (especially in allowances like gathers or pleats) can make a huge difference to the fabric waste a garment produces.

3. PREPARATION

If you’re familiar with retail sewing patterns, you may notice that most cutting instructions start with folding the fabric in half, as many pieces are cut on the fold or in mirrored pairs. I will rarely, if ever, do this. The layout of each garment, and each size, is planned individually. This can include details such as at what point the fabric should be folded (eg, not through the middle but at 52cm in from the selvedge) for mirrored pieces, the allowance for cutting mirrored pieces individually and whether offcuts from the previous garment can be used in subsequent garments.

4. UTILISATION

Any material offcuts that are created while cutting a garment are sorted into two sizes; those that are large enough to be used in subsequent garments (eg, pocket linings, waistbands etc) and those that aren’t. When I am cutting a garment, those offcuts are the first thing I check before reaching for any fabric on the bolt.
For those that aren’t, I create new designs to ensure they are utilised. As my range of fabric bases expands, I will be able to include more designs to utilise offcuts and minimise waste.

5. RECYCLING

As much as I try (you may have noticed, but I do try), creating some fabric waste is unavoidable. Any fabric offcuts that cannot be utilised through the above means are recycled through Upcycle4Better – Australia’s largest textile recovery service. Not only do they collect and re-design material, but they also help businesses and schools re-use their old clothing and material to create something new and unique.

As much as I love the term 'Zero Waste Fashion', it is simply not possible to create no waste while manufacturing clothing. Each thread that is cut, each piece of selvedge, each piece of elastic at the end of a roll. So, while I aim for 'Zero Waste', I will continue to make sustainable choices - to minimise my impact on the environment while creating a sustainable life for myself x