The innovation of fabric and its properties

Sustainability has always been a nonsense noun for the fashion industry. Used to market pieces from brands, the word “sustainable” no longer serves a purpose. When, why, or how to use it has become difficult and in a way, purposeless. What is truly sustainable; what is simply for the sake of the brand; and what is in fact, just greenwashing? The fashion industry has made this unfeasible to comprehend. This is where science comes in.

The Slow Factory Foundation and Swarovski have teamed up to launch One X One. Labeled as the first science and design incubator to pair fashion designers with innovators and scientists, One X One establishes the initiative to make clothing better. Phillip Lim and scientist Charlotte McCurdy are working to develop the true definition of sustainability: a dress that is both carbon neutral and completely made out of algae sequins. Mccurdy is making garments entirely out of natural material.

What is truly sustainable; what is simply for the sake of the brand; and what is in fact, just greenwashing?

“When you see this dress, you will not even know it is seaweed,” Lim explains as he features a long leather-like sequined dress that satisfies both the fashion and science aspects. Lim and McCurdy want to challenge what it truly means to be ethical in one’s own process by giving the idea of sustainability a whole new meaning.

“When you see this dress, you will not even know it is seaweed”

While this specific dress won’t show up at department stores, the sole idea of this dress is to create a conversation about innovation and the possibility that sustainability isn’t what people think. It’s not a piece of material that comes from recycled cotton but finds itself in landfills in a month or so. It isn’t a brand. It’s a word. A word that needs to be rightfully used: not for the sake of monetization, but to plant a seed.

Sources:

https://phys.org/news/2021-05-fashion-green-future-seaweed-coats.html