Eco Outfitters

If you’re perusing this website, the chances are you living your life quite aware of the impact you make on the environment and our planet – be that quite low or rather high. As a recycling company, we are a little obsessed with reuse, recycling, lowering waste, the environment and so forth – this extends to organic too. With all of this in mind, we recently started thinking about clothing and fashion – including school uniform – and the impact that can have on the environment. We did some research, and our findings were quite shocking. The UK produces an unbelievable amount of textile waste! We were also surprised at just how much better organic cotton is for the environment than conventional. For example, it has been estimated that only 0.1% of applied pesticides reach target pests on conventional cotton, with the remaining 99.9% left to take its toll on the environment. Please have a read through our article and explore for yourself all of the statistics we found on this fascinating subject.

It’s a little known fact that us Brits wear just 70 per cent of the clothes that we have stored away in our wardrobes, which leaves us with a total of 1.7 billion unused items. On average, a consumer keeps their garments for three years, but even more shocking than this is the fact that something might be frequently worn in the first year, and then phased into the stockpile of unworn clothes later on. That is why the average British closet is so overstuffed: we don’t wear all of the clothes we own.

The spending habits of the average person in the West have changed dramatically over the last hundred or so years when it comes to buying clothing. Between 2002 and 2003, for example, people in the US spent, on average, four per cent of their income on clothes, whereas back between the years of 1934 and 1946, clothing used up 12 per cent of people’s incomes. The current average expenditure per item in the USA is $14.60. Don’t go thinking that we are all consuming less though. On average, just one person in the UK will produce 70 Kg of textiles waste per year – that is a lot of clothing. Cheap, fast fashion means we are spending less yet buying more.

So, what will happen after you clean out your closet?

The best way to rid your wardrobe of unwanted clothes is to donate them to a charity shop, as this generates revenue for the charity.

Donated garments are sold in charity shops, but any clothes that aren’t sold will be resold to the used-clothing industry. These clothes are sorted into piles based on potential markets (type, condition of the clothes, and fabrics). The sorting process is actually quite labour-intensive because it is often done by hand. After sorting, the clothes will be distributed all over the world, but in fact, most of them end up in countries such as Poland, Ghana, Kenya, and Benin. So, what begins as a charitable donation can end up as a trading commodity.

Although this process is good for the charity, it could be argued that this process destroys the textile industries of importing countries. In fact, as a result of this issue, over 30 African countries have actuallyprohibited import embargos of used clothes.

Destinations of end-of-life clothing (Wrap)

From the sorting process, there will also be unwearable garments left over. These are sold to “shoddy industries”.

These industries disassemble garments into shreds, fibre or rags. It is a mechanical process that breaks down clothes with carding machines into fibre components; producing less material than before. These materials are then used as a stuffing in coffins, mattresses, and upholstery. An innovative company, IRIS Industries, is currently using these shredded materials and converting them into furniture or countertops.

Clothing statistics in the UK

• The average UK household spends more than £1,800 (£1,700 purchasing clothes + £130 on laundry) per year
• Every household emits around 1.5 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide = indicator of global warming potential) from their new and existing clothing – a carbon footprint that is equal to 6,000 miles travelled in an average modern car
• 90 per cent of the water footprint of UK clothing is made overseas
• The CO2e emitted by us washing and drying our clothes in the UK equals 10 per cent of the amount of CO2e emitted from cars across the country.

The following table shows a summary of the waste, water, and carbon footprints associated with clothing in the UK each year:

As we all know, aluminium cans can be recycled and formed into new cans, but what about clothing? In fact, just three per cent of our old garments are sold for recycling and reclamation into textiles. It is a very complicated and difficult process, as synthetic fibres are melted (a chemical process) and respun to the same length as virgin fibres, with no loss in quality. This process creates nylon and polyester. Making rayon uses less energy than producing new synthetic fibres (80% less GHG).
The recycling and reclamation of wool or cotton clothing is even more complex, and it is sadly necessary to combine them with virgin fibres to achieve a marketable quality.

Clothing Life Cycle: Creation, Disposal & Reuse.

Textile waste around the world

China:

The demand for textiles keeps rising worldwide, especially in China – the country which produces much of the material that ends up in landfills.
According to Xue et al. (2014), around 3.5 to 4 per cent of the world‘s waste materials are waste textiles in China’s cities. Furthermore, it is predicted in “The Twelfth Five Year Plan” that the production of waste textiles will exceed 100 million tonnes in China. This  means that 70 million tonnes of chemical fibres and 30 million tonnes natural fibres will be used.

China has 26 million tonnes of textile waste annually, but utilises less than 2.6 million tonnes (that is 10 per cent) without even been reused.

But what about other countries?

Germany:
Germany collects and recycles 800,000 tonnes (42%) of waste textiles annually; 40% of these are second-hand clothes, and 25% are used as scrubbing clothes.

Japan:
Japan creates about 1 million tonnes of waste textiles every year, but only 120,000 tonnes (12%) are collected and recycled because they are unable to expand on their textile waste collection services.

USA:
It seems that people in the USA generally accept second-hand clothes than others. The USA creates 1.2 million tonnes of textile waste annually, which equates to 15% of total US clothing sales. More than 50% of this used clothing is donated to charity, and 226,000 tonnes of waste textiles are reused or recycled.

United Kingdom:

The below examples explain the different stages from upstream to downstream in the supply chain of clothes.

The impact of resources used in production:

Starting from the first stage in the supply chain, from raw material to end product: garment supply contributes 1/3 of the waste footprint; 3/4 of the carbon impact; and the water footprint.

Useful life of clothes:

Approximately 30 per cent of clothes in the average UK wardrobe are unused and worth a total of £1,000 per household, amounting to a massive £30 billion worth across the UK. If we wear items of clothes up to an extra nine months, it will reduce waste, carbon and water footprints by around 20 per cent to 30 per cent, and will reduce the cost of resources by £5 billion (20 per cent).

Environmental impacts of laundry:

Laundry produces 1/4 of a household‘s carbon footprint. If every household washed clothes at a lower temperature, less often, and in larger loads, it would save every home £10 a year and cut its footprint by 7%.

Reuse of clothing:

At present, just 50% of clothes items are reused, with 2/3 of these going overseas. However, statistics show that 2/3 of the UK public purchase or receive second hand clothes, which reflects a willingness to reuse.

Landfilling:

Britons are sending 1/3 of clothing to landfill that would otherwise generate £140 million for local authorities, charities and other organisations.

But what about clothing brands themselves?

ZARA:

Global production covers the worldwide flow of raw materials, all components, and finished products. These characteristics are essential for a fully integrated supply chain. Zara, the big fashion retailer, is a good example of an efficient global firm. The following procedure monitors the geographical integration of the fashion production network of Zara. Zara is one of the largest international fashion companies belonging to Inditex, one of the world’s largest distribution groups. Zara itself has over 2,000 stores strategically located in 88 countries, and its logistics hub is in Zaragoza (northern Spain). Inditex don’t produce goods, but it is Zara‘s main supplier in India, China, and Bangladesh. Recent figures show sales reaching 18,117 million Euros, with 46 per cent of sales being in Europe (excluding Spain). It also has 6,683 shops in 88 markets; 137,054 employees, and a net profit of €5,510 million in 2014.

Relevant data of Inditex

These shops are receiving goods twice a week, including new items adapted to local demands. This is because capital intensive and value added intensive stages are performed internally (designing, purchasing raw materials, cutting, ironing, labelling, distribution, etc.), and less value added tasks such as sewing and labour intensive tasks are outsourced. The following figures indicate the regular weekly cargo movements to and from Zaragoza airport.

Weekly cargo received regularly at the Plataforma Europa in flights to Zaragoza airport

Weekly cargo sent regularly at the Plataforma Europa in flights from Zaragoza airport

This example looks at just one company, but what about the other big fashion retailers such as Nike, Adidas, H&M, and Marks and Spencer? Now you can imagine the level of cargo movement all over the world that occurs just for clothes.

Historical background of organic cotton

Until the early 20th century, the cultivation of cotton was organic, but the increased demand of a ‘cosmetically perfect produce’ caused theincreased use of synthetic fertiliser and pesticides, which means that genetically modified cotton has emerged and rapidly grown to dominate the market.

Global chemical fibre production from 2000 to 2014, by fiber type (in 1,000 metric tonnes)

After more than half a century of the expansion of these unorganic crops, people have now begun to recognise the environmental impactsof these practises. In 1985, the first international regulations on pesticides were introduced. New ‘organic pioneers’ launched cotton as a rational crop on specialised organic farms. This is known as the first reawakening of ‘organic cotton’. Since 1992, environmental awareness has become more intense within the fashion industry and the public in general, with some companies and apparel designers launching eco-friendly ranges. In 1994, a crisis in the market almost led to the death of the unorganic industry, especially in the USA. According to Ton, in 2002the production fell by a staggering 50 per cent, hence the awareness of organic growing. In the early 2000s, a rekindling of sustainability and all the related products emerged, resulting in a huge expansion in design, range and quality of organic business. The Government, media and the general public became increasingly aware of the environmental impacts of human behaviour. This in turn boosted the organic cotton industry. Nevertheless, the demand of organic cotton fluctuated and in turn influenced the revenue of production.

Cotton production worldwide (in thousand tonnes)

From here, the production worldwide of organic cotton increased almost by 3000% between 1999 and 2007, and it is predicted that the demand will continue to grow, despite the fall in supply.

Supply and demand of organic cotton

In 2001, global retail sales of organic cotton stood at $245m, rising in 2008 to – representing only 0.1% of the total clothing market worldwide (all fibres).

Why do people prefer conventional cotton?

So, why do people still prefer conventional cotton, even though itdamages and pollutes the natural ecosystem?

“As an example, it has been estimated that only 0.1% of applied pesticides reach the target pests, leaving the remaining 99.9% to impact the environment . Pimentel (1997) showed that the environmental costs of using pesticides in the US alone may be as high as $9 billion a year, and also calculated that for every $1 spent on pesticides, the achievable profits of $3–5 were counteracted by environmental costs of $3“

A Value Chain Analysis of the Organic Cotton Industry in India

This section presents the value chain of organic cotton industry in India in April 2007. Each stage will distinguish between organic cotton,certified organic cotton, and a conventional cotton T-shirt.

The farming stage

As you can imagine, the farming stage is the most crucial stage in organic cotton fibre production. At this stage, direct costs of normal cotton crops involve the purchasing of equipment, farmland (fixed cost) and labour, and raw materials such as seeds, water, and chemicals (variable costs). Additionally, organic products need indirect costs such as promotion and politicising.

Using India as an example, many farmers don’t have an educational background, and this makes experiences difficult to share. The worst ‘costs’ to conventional cotton farmers are the effects on health and wellbeing. Much of the time, farmers use pesticides to prevent pests, weeds, and diseases during production. According to People Tree agricultural chemicals can take up to 60 per cent of a farmer’s budget,  and, as a result, in Punjab, between 1990 and 2007, 40,000 farmers committed suicide, because they could not pay back loans which they had taken out.
On the other hand, Indian organic cotton tends to use up to 65% less labour for pest management, although more labour hours are used for weeding and applying fertiliser. The variable costs are between 13 per cent and 20 per cent lower. Hence, incomes are ten to 20 per cent higher in organic production. India is the second largest producer of cotton worldwide, producing of the world’s cotton.

The ginning phase
This process removes seeds from cotton fibres and there is no difference between organic and conventional cotton production at this stage. To get a full organic certification, the mill (producers) have to process and store organic cotton separately from non-organic crops. This process also creates by-products such as cotton seed oil and cattle feed, which is produced after the seed is separated from the lint, thus this could also be sold under an organic certificate.

The yarn manufacturing stage
This stage in production has sub-processes such as leaning, mixing, carding, combing, drafting, twisting, and winding. Again, there is no difference between methods for organic and conventional cotton.

The fabric manufacturing/knitting stage
The aim of this mechanical process is to create a fabric from the yarn. There is no difference between organic cotton knitting and conventional cotton knitting, except for certified organic cotton, which does not allow oils to be used that contain heavy metals or other contaminating materials in the knitting process.

The fabric finishing stage
This is the final stage before the cotton garment is cut and stitched; it involves dying, printing, and mercerising amongst other processes. There are no regulations or standards of finish in regards to organic cotton products, which is why independent organisations have their own standards and methods of finish. It could be argued that finished fabrics are not properly organic.

Garment cutting and stitching
This is the final production stage before finished clothes are sent to distribution retailers. Like before, there is no difference between organic and conventional cotton at this stage. This process produces a serious fabric wastage, which causes the price of organic cotton to rise, due to the higher cost of the raw material.

Conventional and organic cotton are separated when stored because normal cotton sometimes contains formaldehyde, which could contaminate the organic products and therefore render them inorganic.

The retailing stage
Using an example from July 2007, an organic t-shirt could be bought for $4.71 (£3.30) and a conventional cotton t-shirt for $3.17 (£2.22) from UK intermediaries such as Poeticgem.

There are different categories of retailers who are offering organic cotton:

Category C: Such as H&M or Marks and Spencer; organic products are not their core range. They buy organic fabric and fibre and process it to their own standards. This means that the product is only certified at the farming stage. For example, a t-shirt costs around £21 (£9.50 more expensive than a normal cotton T-shirt).

Category E: Such as PeopleTree or Green Apple; organic products are their core range. All stages are certified. A t-shirt is priced at around £31 (£19.50 higher than normal cotton).

Organic VS Conventional Cotton

Value addition at each stage of cotton production

Do you see any difference? Probably not, despite the cotton difference: they look the same, and probably feel the same too.

Life Cycle Assessment

Life Cycle Assessment organic vs conventional

Conclusion

As shown in the previous examples, fast fashion is a common strategy in fashion retailing that produces tight schedules and short product life cycles. Cheaper clothing leads to a throwaway culture, or a situation where we have wardrobes full of clothes we no longer wear. Conventional cotton fits into this strategy well.

On the other hand, organic cotton adds value at each stage of the production process, and yields both environmental and social benefits. As shown in the above figures, organic cotton industries will affect the scope of retailing industries that is at the same time a benefit for the producers (as most of them are in developing countries).

In the long-term, organic farming will lower the pest management costs, which reduces farm debts and helps to increase yields. C&A and H&M lead the industry with long term commitments to organic cotton. Since 2014 the top 10 brands (such as C&A, H&M, and Tchibo) used 39,950 mt of organic fibres. Hence, Category C retailers might become the biggest consumers of organic cotton.
The next phase of organic movement worldwide is Organic 3.0, which breaks organic out of its niche status. Organic 3.0 is based on the principles of Health and Ecology with the adoption of organic farming, a sustainable environment, and animal husbandry carried out with care.

But nowadays there is another problem; the supply is significantly lower than the demand for organic, because the production is not keeping pace. That’s why the next step of organic movement is absolutely necessary, before it is too late.

Fibre 2 Fashion: Textiles environmental Issues

Fibres to Fashion

There are three basic needs that a man possesses food, clothing, and shelter. The global textiles and clothing industry is bound to be huge, as it fulfils the second basic requirement of man. It is worth $480 billion at present and is expected to reach $700 billion, shortly. This is because people are getting increasingly conscious of the way they dress. It has become a means to create an impression and represent their personality. Everybody wants to strike an impression with different and fashionable clothes.

But the sad fact is that the human greed to look appealing and wear glamorous clothes has ended up causing harm to the environment. The textile industry is one of the most pollutants releasing industries of the world. Surveys show that nearly five percent of all landfill space is consumed by textile waste. Besides, 20 percent of all fresh water pollution is made by textile treatment and dyeing.

Pollutants released by the global textile industry are continuously doing unimaginable harm to the environment. It pollutes land and makes them useless and barren in the long run. Surveys show that cotton consumes the highest amount of harmful pesticides and fertilisers. Majority of them fall on land while they are sprinkled on the crop. Similarly, textile manufacturing units release hazardous waste into the nearby land.

A study was conducted to test the amount of metals present in soil and groundwater located near to the textile and tannery industries in Haridwar, India. Results indicated all the metals like Chromium, Iron, Manganese, Copper, Lead, and Cadmium were present in amounts larger than that prescribed as safe by World Health Organisation (WHO). They can cause many problems in living beings.

The hazardous effects of the use of toxic fertilizers in the farms are the highest in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. A case of 1991 caught attention when four US companies based in South Carolina mixed large amounts of hazardous wastes into a shipment containing fertilizers. The wastes contained huge quantities of lead and cadmium. This shipment was purchased by Bangladesh. Before the reality came into limelight, it was used in farms across the country. Children sprinkled these fertilizers in farms without any protection and were negatively affected by its exposure.

he textile industry uses millions of gallons of water everyday. The problem does not rest in the high usage, though! The waste is not treated to remove pollutants from it before it is disposed to water bodies. The waste water usually contains PBDEs, phthalates, organochlorines, lead, and many other chemicals that cause severe health problems and diseases in human beings.

The liquid effluents released by the textile industry are the most disturbing area of concern. This is because the toxic material released through liquid waste is vast in quantity. It consists of chemicals such as formaldehyde (HCHO), chlorine, and heavy metals. Besides, it is disposed into water bodies that reach far away areas and is consumed by a large number of people for drinking or for daily activities. They need to be treated to reduce their toxic content before being released into water bodies.

Air pollution caused by the textile industry is also a major cause of concern. Boilers, thermo pack, and diesel generators produce pollutants that are released into the air. The pollutants generated include Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), sulphur di oxide gas, oxide of nitrogen gas, etc. The nearby areas with human population get affected adversely owing to the release of toxic gas into the atmosphere.

It has become utterly necessary to reduce the pollutants emitted by the textile industry. Contamination of the air, water, and land by textile industries and its raw material manufacturing units has become a serious threat to the environment. It has endangered the life of human beings and various other species on Earth. Global warming is a direct result of the pollutants released by such industries. It also causes harmful diseases and health issues in people getting exposed to the pollutants in the long run.

The use of organic raw material can help in fighting the emission of pollutants by the textile units. Organic cotton is especially beneficial as the production of cotton asks for the maximum amount of pesticides and fertilizers. Besides, the waste generated from textile manufacturing plants should be processed in a manner that it is free from toxic chemicals before it is disposed. Environment friendly methods of cultivation and manufacture should be resorted to.

There is no doubt to the fact that the textile industry releases harmful pollutants into the atmosphere in large quantities. It is agreed all over the world that textile industry is one of the most pollutants emitting industries of the world. Almost 2000 different types of chemicals are used in this industry. It consumes as well as contaminates fresh water. There is a need to take actions in this direction, urgently.

All this information came from: http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/6262/various-pollutants-released-into-environment-by-textile-industry

 

Fibres 2 Fashion

It is well known that every customer product has an impact on the environment. However an average consumer does not know which product has less or more impact than the other one. Any product, which is made, used or disposed of in a way that significantly reduces the harm it would otherwise cause to the environment, could be considered as eco-friendly product. Slowly, consumers in India are taking lead in prompting manufacturers to adopt clean technologies to produce eco-friendly products.

The textile industry is shared between natural fibres such as wool, silk, linen, cotton and hemp, and man-made ones, the most common of which are synthetic fibres (polyamide, acrylic) made from petrochemicals. Most of the clothes in our wardrobes contain polyester, elastane or Lycra. These cheap and easy-care fibres are becoming the textile industry’s miracle solution. However, their manufacture creates pollution and they are hard to recycle (with nylon taking 30 to 40 years to decompose).The textile and clothing industry is a diverse one, as much in the raw materials it uses as the techniques it employs. At each of the six stages typically required to make a garment, the negative impacts on the environment are as numerous as they are varied. Spinning, weaving and industrial manufacture undermine air quality. Dyeing and printing consume vast amounts of water and chemicals, and release numerous volatile agents into the atmosphere that are particularly harmful to our health.

Several times a year in the world’s fashion capitals, willowy models in dazzling outfits sashay down the catwalk to present the coming season’s trends. Each year a handful of designers set the tone, says what’s in and what’s not. Chain-stores and mass retailers then adapt their ideas for the man and woman in the street. Fashion feeds a growing industry and ranks textile and clothing as the world’s second-biggest economic activity for intensity of trade. However, stiff competition forces down costs while working conditions, more often than not in developing countries, are far from ideal. The environment pays a heavy price too. To improve conditions for workers and stem pollution, textile producers, manufacturers and distributors are launching the first initiatives built around sustainable development: who knows, ecology may be the next new trend!

The world of fashion may be stylish, glamorous and exciting, but its impact on environment is worsening day by day.

According to the International Labour Organization, there are 246 million child-workers (age 5 to 14) in the world today. The Asian-Pacific region exploits the most child labour, followed by sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. In the textile sector, children are a cheap workforce for picking cotton, hand-sewing, etc. Thanks to the scandals revealed by NGOs and to consumer pressure, global brands are slowly integrating social clauses into their subcontractor agreements.

From an environmental point of view, the clothes we wear and the textiles they are made from can cause a great deal of damage.

Information from: http://www.fibre2fashion.com/industry-article/1709/impact-of-textiles-and-clothing-industry-on-environment

Research Part Three

Neon Sheep

Neon sheep is a shop I came across in London when I was there for the weekend. The shop doesn’t have anything that relates to my theme but I really enjoyed some of their repeat patterns alot of them where the same design and it was repeated multiple times. This reminded me of the telephone box and colosseum that I have been working on. I haven’t been able to find out much about the company as on there about us page they only have this sentence

“ENTER CURIOUS & MARVEL IN THE OFFBEAT

Rammed full of wonder from wall to wall, at neon sheep we promise a smile, from that everyday little find to that foolproof one of a kind.”

They had a really funky shop and I just was so taken in by the colours and the stationery they had in there. I even got a phone case that I really liked.

Clubedobordado

The Club of Embroidery has the mission to value and promote the culture of the handmade since 2013.

It is formed by six women: Amanda Zacarkim, Camila Gomes Lopes, Laís Souza, Marina Dini, Renata Dania and Vanessa Israel. Our creative enterprise has expanded from embroidery to cover creation and exclusive products, workshops, courses and events throughout Brazil and Europe; the production of original cross-platform content and the development of projects aimed at recovering the knowledge and practices of manual work. Our intention is to use social networks to share knowledge and experiences, paving the way for education and empowerment through doing with the hands.

 

Vicent Verhaeghe

Vincent Verhaeghe, born in Grasse, France, is a student in architecture and artist specialising in architectural drawing in Chinese ink.

Young, he became very passionate about drawing when he had a deep need to capture the scenes and things around him. These drawings represented for the most part its close context: the perched villages and fields of Provence, the Mediterranean Sea or even the Alpine mountains. This childhood, turned towards nature and the sensory has influenced today his way of working. Indeed, his work is defined today by a sensitive and poetic approach to the places around him. Drawing exclusively in Situ in his sketchbooks, he seeks to recreate the atmosphere of the place by focusing on details appealing to the senses: life, smells, wind, rain, all the elements he tries to write on the paper.

I really enjoy his work as he loves to travel and has done some beautiful work of his travels around the world and this something I’m very passionate about doing myself travelling and capturing these beautiful places for myself and then translating them into my own textiles artwork.

Stephen Travers

Stephen’s insane jealousy when his daughter’s year 12 major work won a year’s scholarship at the Julian Ashton Art School was the loud call that it was time for him to do something about the desire to paint he had subdued every day for 25 years.

A couple of introductory TAFE Cert IV Fine Arts subjects in drawing and painting in 2006 and 2007 provided some enforced structure and input, but rather than continue with a broad curriculum which would take him into areas of less interest, he left classes to pursue the areas which have always captured his imagination – the light, colour, shape and texture of the Australian natural environment. In 2015 he took the step of leaving regular employment to work full-time at his art.

“Rather than represent a scene, Stephen prefers to confine his artwork to a section often akin to looking out an upper floor window. More than just reducing the scope of the image, the elimination of the wider context instead emphasises the constituent parts of colour, shape, light, tone, texture, and positive and negative space. This allows the observer to construct their own ‘overall whole’ – to move backward from the image and connect with their own past sensory experiences within the Australian environment, as well as introducing new, present ones to them. And, he really, really likes Waratahs and Gymea Lilies.”

Book Review

4 Printing Artists

Block printing (woodcut)

Richelle Bergen- Southern Manitoba

I create block printed artwork, inspired by nature and botanical elements.

Each print is hand carved on artist’s linoleum, rubbing carving block or wood, and hand printed with eco-friendly inks onto premium papers.
Because of the hand printing process, each print may have slight variations, which make each one unique and original.
Each print comes titled, signed, and numbered on the front.

 

 

Screen-printing (flat-bed)

Sarah Fennell – Midlands

After graduating from Bath School of Art in 2015, Sarah set-up her design and print studio and launched her eponymous brand shortly after. She designs from her river side studio at the Maws Craft Centre, a converted tile factory.

She uses paper-cut collages  ‘to form the basis of her ideas and allows her to experiment with composition’.

 

She creates large scale stencil prints (also works digitally to create digital prints)

Sarah Fennell gave a lecture during my foundation year at Hereford art college, and I instantly fell in love with her style and the process she goes through to create her prints/designs. Her designs feel fresh and playful, as she mixes simple floral shapes and motifs with marks to contrast.

 

Digital printing

The Silk Bureau (Evesham, Worcestershire)

Uk’s leading digital textile printing company for individual designers, textile design studios and international retailers

Family owned, more than 30years experience

They print from 1m to volume production

Over 100 fabrics to chose from; silks, cottons, jersey, polyester, linen, bamboo…

3D printing 

Tamicare – Greater Manchester

Founded in 2001

Cosyflex™ is the worlds first ever technology developed to 3D print finished textile products.

Made primarily ‘of natural, fully biodegradable materials, meaning it has brilliant elongation, drape, flexibility and variety’.

Finished products are instantly created from raw materials, meaning no cutting or waste.

ONE

Ausra Merkelyte – Velvet Meadow

I finally choose Velvet Meadow for my chosen company as we have a lot of interest in common. We both love being outside and being with nature and exploring the outdoors. We are also both inspired by nature for our own work.
One of the key things that made Velvet Meadow the perfect company for me to choose is that we both enjoy stitching. I have recently discovered digital stitch and think this can be something I would try and incorporate in my work so our works are different and to move the company into a different area of stitch. I have also been taught lots of other stitching techniques on sewing machines. I have also been looking at new hand embroidery techniques to try out.

“I love to create things by my hands, slowly without a rush and impatience, following my mood and magic of a moment. All these moments make my life comfortable, soft and luxurious as a VELVET!” – Ausra Merkelyte

 

When looking through Instagram I came across this Textiles artist from Lithuania. A lot of her work is based on her love for nature. Originally Merkelyte was a lawyer but chose to give this up to follow her creative side and start some hand embroidery pieces. All of her love for nature is shown in her countless pieces that she posts on her Instagram daily.  She also sells a lot of her work on her shop on Etsy.

After deciding to follow her dreams and creativity  Merkelyte started designing and making soft toys with one of her friends. One of her passions was the different fiber arts started to grow. She now works from her home studio enjoying every project and every stitch.

A lot of her work mainly focuses on the dandelion. A very delicate and beautiful plant that can be passed by so easily without realising it’s full beauty. In Merkelyte work she create intricate stitched versions of the dandelion. They really show the beauty of the plant. The results of every one of her pieces is incredible every single piece having the same amount of detail and work.

I also came across some of her other pieces of work on her Instagram. The first selection was of simple stitched leaves using a blanket stitch to create these pieces. Mrkelyte choses to emphasise he structure of the leaf with all it’s veins that run through the leaves body.

Another collection of work I came across was that of clusters of flowers. All ranging in sizes but all sticking to certain colour schemes. The one I particularly like is the blues, the lovely pastel blood just create this calming feeling when looking at the piece. I also love the centre piece as I really like the contrast between the dark backing fabric and the bright colourful flowers, it really makes the colour pop.

Credit:      https://www.instagram.com/velvetmeadow/?hl=en
https://www.etsy.com/shop/velvetmeadow

FOUR

LONGINA PHILLIPS DESIGNS

Longina Phillips designs was established in 1988 and is now Australia’s leading creative print and design studio. Their creative design team creates new trend directions with consistently looking forward, pushing the boundaries of their textile design collections.

Longina Phillips Designs consists of a full-service studio offering three mainline collections, the Longina Phillips Designs Collection, The Print Room, and Made by The Print Room. As well are their collections, they have years of experience in fashion and design by offering tailored trend reports, custom print work, a Gifts section for limited edition art prints, and our very own Print School.

I wanted to include a small snippet that the company posted on their webpage of behind the scenes of the business. It’s a little insight to all the work that goes into their designs and the process each design will go through.

Longina Phillips creats and designs prints that they then sell them to small scale and large scale companies and businesses looking for prints for apparel and homewares. Once their designs are purchased by a business, they are sent the design as a photoshop file and then it is up to the customer to print it themselves/ how they like.

They only print their designs on silk as headers to show how it looks once printed for tradeshows and appointments with businesses who are interested in purchasing designs. This keep unnecessary printing down to a minimum as we only create designs as an electronic file.

One thing i really enjoy about looking at the prints created by Longina Phillips Designs is that everything is from nature. From flowers, plants and branches with leaves on them. That is an area I really want to be able to focus on in my studies, in particular the beauty of autumn how everything is so crisp. I love the colours that autumn brings. The flower I always relate to Autumn is the sunflower and this is another aspect I want to consider in my designs.

Credit:  https://longinaphillipsdesigns.com/
https://www.instagram.com/longinaphillipsdesigns/

 

Ausra Merkelyte

“I love to create things by my hands, slowly without a rush and impatience, following my mood and magic of a moment. All these moments make my life comfortable, soft and luxurious as a VELVET!” – Ausra Merkelyte

 

When looking through Instagram I came across this Textiles artist from Lithuania. A lot of her work is based on her love for nature. Originally Merkelyte was a lawyer but chose to give this up to follow her creative side and start some hand embroidery pieces. All of her love for nature is shown in her countless pieces that she posts on her Instagram daily.  She also sells a lot of her work on her shop on Etsy.

After deciding to follow her dreams and creativity  Merkelyte started designing and making soft toys with one of her friends. One of her passions was the different fiber arts started to grow. She now works from her home studio enjoying every project and every stitch.

A lot of her work mainly focuses on the dandelion. A very delicate and beautiful plant that can be passed by so easily without realising it’s full beauty. In Merkelyte work she create intricate stitched versions of the dandelion. They really show the beauty of the plant. The results of every one of her pieces is incredible every single piece having the same amount of detail and work.

I also came across some of her other pieces of work on her Instagram. The first selection was of simple stitched leaves using a blanket stitch to create these pieces. Mrkelyte choses to emphasise he structure of the leaf with all it’s veins that run through the leaves body.

Another collection of work I came across was that of clusters of flowers. All ranging in sizes but all sticking to certain colour schemes. The one I particularly like is the blues, the lovely pastel blood just create this calming feeling when looking at the piece. I also love the centre piece as I really like the contrast between the dark backing fabric and the bright colourful flowers, it really makes the colour pop.

Credit:      https://www.instagram.com/velvetmeadow/?hl=en
https://www.etsy.com/shop/velvetmeadow

RiflePaperCo 

 Rifle Paper Co. is a stationary and lifestyle brand. The company officially launched itself in 2009 with husband and wife team, Anna and Nathan Bond. The company only began as a small business based in their garage but has quickly grew with growing popularity. The couple believe that through their range of stationary customer’s personal stories and moments are best told through handwriting them.

 

 The roots of Rifle Paper Co. are stationary but as they grow they are expanding their product range and brand. The couple have also collaborated with other companies such as Paperless post, Puffin Books and Keds, these are just some to name a few. 

 

“We strongly believe life’s personal stories and moments are best told through the gift of a handwritten card or note, and hope that our goods inspire you to share these moments with others. Please let us know if there’s anything we can assist you with or ways that we can improve your shopping experience.” 

ANNA BOND
As co-founder and Creative Director, Anna Bond’s illustrations and designs have molded Rifle Paper Co.’s unique aesthetic. Born and raised in Summit, New Jersey, Anna got her bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design and made her way to Florida to work as an Art Director at a magazine. After a few years of magazine and freelance illustration work, she fell in love with stationery and began working toward developing a line of products. As Creative Director, Anna designs Rifle Paper Co.’s collection as well as oversees the creative direction of the brand including product development, business strategy, and marketing. She was also recently honoured as an ADC Young Gun and is featured in Grace Bonney’s book In the Company of Women. 

NATHAN BOND
Nathan Bond is co-founder and CEO at Rifle Paper Co. Originally from Orlando, Nathan left college early to become a full-time musician and toured in a band for nearly five years before leaving to partner with Anna to develop her growing stationery business. Nathan’s role is key to cultivating business relationships, managing quality manufacturing, finances, and overseeing the operations of the company. He was recently named to Forbes magazine’s 30 Under 30 list of young game changers, movers and makers. 

 

Anthropologie

Anthropologie was founded in 1992 and since then has grown into a one of a kind places for customers who are looking to reflect their personal style through the selection of clothing, accessories, gifts and home decor. The company are proud of their partnerships with both established artist but also upcoming artists to bring their target market unique pieces that they will treasure. 

 

Anthropologie is an American clothing retailer that currently operates over 200 stores worldwide featuring a curated assortment of clothing, jewelry, intimates, home furniture and décor, beauty, and gifts. Anthropologie is part of URBN brands, which includes Urban Outfitters, Free People, BHLDN, and Terrain. 

For the team at Anthropologie they have a commitment to creativity and entrepreneurship. At the same time though they want to keep their target market and customers at the heart of everything they do to make the company a success. 

 

 

https://www.anthropologie.com/en-gb/?ref=logo

Twelve

Heather Collins 

Heather Collins is a contemporary textiles artist inspired by the seascapes and the landscapes that surround her Sussex coast home.

All of her work is taken directly from nature, she may be taking a walk through the woods or along the coast line and will collect pieces from the ground, she even takes photos of places and objects she sees on the way, or even sketches them to help her reference point.

http://www.heathercollins.co.uk/photo_15106963.html#photos_id=7538253

I really loved this piece out of all of her pieces, the colours were really beautiful and I have such inspiration from autumn for the colours. For her to create this she used free machine embroidery over florist wire, handmade fabric for olive tree, hand stitch, beading.

FRANCESCA WARDLE

Wardle is a freelance print designer and painter. Her passion in life is expressive watercolour paintings. All of her inspiration behind all of her pieces is her love of being outdoors which is one of her favourite places to be. This is where she regularly take elements from to use in her designs. Apart from being outside there is nothing she loves more than being in her studio painting and making prints

She started her online business in 2015 and is still currently in business with her own shop on Etsy. There isn’t much about there artists work but I am really inspired by the beautiful outdoor prints she does create

https://www.instagram.com/francescawardle/

 

LONGINA PHILLIPS DESIGNS

Longina Phillips designs was established in 1988 and is now australlia’s leading creative print design studio. Their creative design team creates new trend directions with consistently forward-thinking, boundary-pushing collections of textile designs.

Longina Phillips Designs consists of a full-service studio offering three mainline collections, the Longina Phillips Designs Collection, The Print Room, and Made by The Print Room. Aswell are their collections, they have years of experience in fashion and design by offering tailored trend reports, custom print work, a Gifts section for limited edition art prints, and our very own Print School.

https://www.instagram.com/longinaphillipsdesigns/

 

LAURA ASHLEY

Laura Ashley was a Welsh fashion and Textiles designer and businesswoman. She originally made furnishing materials in the 1950s, expanding the business into clothing design and manufacture in the 1960s. The prints and designs being produced for the soft furnishing and wallpapers are something that has kept Laura Ashley such a big household name.

There is so much work put into each  design that is being produced. I have always admired Laura Ashley’s work for the prints. Especially the nature inspired patterns.

Ana Teresa Barboza

Using embroidery, yarn, and wool, she creates landscapes. Emulating the flow of waves or grass, each piece breaks out of its embroidery hoop and tumbles down the wall upon which it is being displayed. I particularly like the idea of the yarn and wool breaking out of the hoop, going out of the boundaries of normal embroidery.

 

Ausra Merkelyte

When looking through Instagram I came across this Textiles artist from Lithuania. A lot of her work is based on her love for nature. Originally Merkelyte was a lawyer but chose to give this up to follow her creative side and start some hand embroidery pieces. All of her love for nature is shown in her countless pieces that she posts on her Instagram daily.  She also sells a lot of her work on her shop on Etsy.

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Lesley Richmond 

Lesley Richmond is a British textiles artist. She constructs textile pieces that stimulate organic surfaces. One of the areas that Richmond is most interested in is surface design techniques,  she creates a surfaces by changing the fabrics through distressing techniques and also chemical techniques.

What I really like about Richmond’s piece is the texture and layers of material that has gone into each piece and how intricate it is.

BAY AND BROWN

Tracey Brown launched Bay & Brown in 2005 following extensive experience as a designer within the fashion textile industry. from the very beginning of the company being created it has been Brown’s mission to create beautiful and sophisticated prints for women’s apparel, swimwear and homewear.

 

DESIGN STUDIO X 

 

Design studio x is a textiles design studio that is based in Sydney, Australia. The companies aims to combines fresh ideas with trend driven creative direction. The company offer print collections these are all design and done by hand and once finished are digitally refined for a professional finish. The company have a lot of their designs on activewear, kids wear and swimwear.

THE JUNGALOW

The Jungalow is a design studio created by Justina Blakeney,a designer, artist and author. All her work celebrates colour, patterns and plants. Blakeney believes that creativity is th key to having a wonderful home. Blakeney’s extensive travel is one of the things she credits for her boho aesthetic.

JUSTINA’S DESIGN PHILOSOPHY

I believe that good design increases quality of life. I believe in vintage, organic and handmade. I believe in the healing power of plants, good light and fresh air.  I believe that objects carry the stories of their makers–so things that are made with love, care and good materials bring those qualities with them where-ever they go.  I believe in recycling. I believe in diversity. I believe in creativity. I believe that design can save the world. Decorate wild!

Anthropologie

Anthropologie was founded in 1992 and since then has grown into a one of a kind place for customers who are looking to reflect their personal style through the selection of clothing, accessories, gifts and home decor. The company are proud of their partnerships with both established artist but also upcoming artists to bring their target market unique pieces that they will treasure

For the team at Anthropologie they have a commitment to creativity and entrepreneurship. At the same time though they want to keep their target market and customers at the heart of everything they do to make the company a success.

https://www.anthropologie.com/en-gb/?ref=logo

RIFLE PAPER CO.

Rifle Paper Co. is a stationary and lifestyle brand. The company officially launched itself in 2009 with husband and wide team, Anna and Nathan Bond. The company only began as a small business based in their garage but has quickly grew with growing popularity. The couple believe that through their range of stationary customer’s personal stories and moments are best told through handwriting them.

The roots of Rifle Paper Co. are stationary but as they grow they are expanding their product range and brand. The couple have also collaborated with other companies such as Paperless post, Puffin Books and Keds, these are just some to name a few.

 

& OTHER STORIES 

 

Founded in 2010 by a small group of creatives, & Other Stories grew from the wish to give women the freedom of expression through one brand.

The company have three design ateliers and collections. They are continuously growing in size and products from clothing, to shoes and even fragrances. Their day to day workings involves everything from sketching designs to photo shoots and even testing new fragrances.

Paris
Our designs from Paris reinvent the romantic essence of the iconic French girl.
Los Angeles
Our Los Angeles collections capture the California girl’s confidence, creativity and way of life.
Stockholm
Our Stockholm designs reveal a contemporary take of the pragmatic Scandinavian soul.

 

JOULES CLOTHING

Joules is a premium lifestyle brand that is based in the UK. The company sells clothing, accessories and homeware. The company was founded by Tom Joule nearly three decades ago, since the brand began it has been Joules commitment to create fun and quirky britishness products that will surprise and be enjoyed by it’s growing customer base.

https://www.joules.com/

I particularly liked these pieces I found on Joules website as I think the inside of the jacket is quirky with the pattern being on the inside of the jacket it’s a great contrast between the outside of the coat being plain and the inside bursting with this beautiful design. Even the choice in colour with purple and yellow being contrasting colours.