7 Ways The Fashion Industry Is Becoming More Eco-Friendly

Fermented Fashion

Imagine “a garment that forms itself without a single stitch.” Using the “skin” of fermented wine or beer to create clothing, the innovative artists and designers of Nanollose are harnessing the power of bacteria.

Upcycled Ocean Trash

Spain-based clothing manufacturer Ecoalf is behind a project that uses plastic bottles and discarded fishing nets culled from the Mediterranean Sea to make fabric thread. With the help of local fishermen a ton of trash is recovered every day, giving plastic a second chance.

Coconut Husks

To reduce the amount of goose down in the fill, some global brands are now insulating outerwear using a mixture of discarded, incinerated coconut husks and recycled polyester. According to Nau’s website, this new insulating material, known as 37.5 Technology, results in a garment that “retains heat, dries faster, resists odors and provides a higher warmth-to-weight ratio than other synthetic insulations.”

Salmon Leather

Tidal Vision creates high-quality leather wallets and comfortable clothing from salmon and crab byproducts. The waste is sourced from sustainably managed fisheries, and the leather tanning process relies on vegetable products rather than harsh chemicals.

Straight Off the Streets

Vaho Trashion of Barcelona bestows new life on old advertising banners previously hung from streetlamps, turning them into chic and functional bags and backpacks. The company also repurposes bicycle inner tubes that formerly traversed those very boulevards.

Cotton Meets Plastic (in the Recycling Bin)

Dirtball Fashion offers “eco clothing” made from 50% recycled cotton and 50% recycled polyester (think plastic water bottles). Cotton requires a lot of water to grow, and “each Dirtball shirt produced saves approximately 916 gallons of fresh water,” according to the company’s website.

Grow Your Own Dress?

As reported by OddityCentral.com, one designer in Amsterdam combined technology and microbiology to create a 100% biodegradable dress made from discs of mushroom roots grown in a petri dish. Called MycoTex, the material retains its shape and flexibility and can even be formed to fit the individual wearer. Tres chic!