Sustainable Clothing Action Plan: Annual Conference

Challenging our perceptions of dirt...or how to create low-impact laundry trends

Anne Prahl, July 2012

1 Speedo LZR projects London College of Fashion2 Speedo LZR projects Chelsea College of Art & Design3 Sustainabe Design workshops Anne Prahl and Sophie Mather4 WGSN Design for sustainable consumption: trend analysis by Anne Prahl

The changing role of the designer

• Sharing good practice: information and inspiration• Taking on multiple roles to include communication, education, visualisation & facilitation• Embracing opportunities for a reach beyond product design

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1 EU Ecodesign Directive by the European Commission for Enterprise and Industry2 H&M Customer Service Garment Guide: Conscious Washing

Opportunities: Changing existing high-impact laundry habits

It is estimated that more than 80% of the environmental impact of a product is determined at the design stage.”

EU Ecodesign Directive¹

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The greatest share of energy consumption, however, occurs when you wash your clothes.”

H&M, Garment Care: Conscious Washing²

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Design concepts: No/ low wash

• Low wash• No wash• Laundry impact reduction

• Technology delivery through laundry

1 Energy Water Fashion by Emma Dulcie Rigby2 ‘Shed Me Clothes’ by Katie Ledger3 Pre-stained dress by Lauren Montgomery Devenney 4 ‘Catalytic Clothing’ collaboration between The University of Sheffield and University of the Arts London (London College of Fashion)

Design concepts: Bacteria

1 BioCouture by Suzanne Lee2 Micro ‘be’ Fermented Fashion by Donna Franklin & Gary Cass3 (In)visible Membranes: Life on the Human Body and its Design Applications project by Sonja Bäumel4 ‘Communicating bacteria’ collaboration between Anna Dumitriu, Dr Simon Park and Dr John Paul

• Good bacteria: nurturing the body’s ecosystem • Conceptual & technical bacteria inspiration• Material growth

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Design choices: Material

1 Spot Cleaning for wool garments as described on www.wikihow.com2 The Shower Clean Suit by Konaka Co.3 Wool/ Modal/ Polypropylene by Varied Wise Int. Co. at Performance Days Munich4 Sorona® Nylon by New Trend Textile Co. at Performance Days Munich

• Material choices to reduce laundry impact • Inherent advantages of wool• Quick-dry innovation

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Design choices: Biotech & finishing

• Self-cleaning• Wrinkle-free• Stain-proof • Antibacterial• Wipe clean

1 Self-cleaning cotton developed at UC Davis, University of California2 Clariant Foam Eco Care wrinkle-free shirt3 Actipro™ Probiotic Finish by Tanatex Chemicals4 Bioplastic coating by Stephanie Phillips

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Consumer connection: Challenging our perceptions of dirt

1 Dirty is the new clean Levis wash care campaign2 Frozen jeans killing bacteria3 Edwin Jeans at Bread & Butter S/S 2012

• Creating stories around ‘dirt’• Denim: the ‘no wash’ cult • Frozen bacteria

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"You really don't need to wash clothes as often as you think. Stains come and go, they just wear off."

Tullia Jack, Researcher and Fashion lecturer, Melbourne

Consumer connection: Low impact clothes care

1 Sport Spray by The Laundress2 ‘I do 30’ campaign launched by Novozymes in Denmark3 ‘Scratch n’ Sniff’ jeans by Naked & Famous Denim

• Consumer education on clothes care and maintenance • Creative thinking: inspiring low impact laundry habits• Alternative care products

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Contact:Anne PrahlConcept+Designanne.prahl@btinternet.com

Key takeaways:

• The changing role of the designer brings new challenges & opportunities

• Design concepts including material and process choices provide new opportunities for the reduction of the environmental impact of clothes cleaning, drying and ironing

• As designers realise their reach beyond product design, new connections and relationships between designers and consumers are explored

• New types of networks and platforms to forge ‘innovation-collaborations’ will be essential in order to transform some of the existing and emerging design concepts into ‘industry reality’

• To create the desired impact and change in industry, all functions across the business must collaborate to understand and support design concepts from conception to sales & marketing and beyond

Image credits:

1 Speedo LZR projects http://newsroom.speedo.com/speedo-news/creative-collaborations-to-recycle-the- now-surplus-speedo-lzr-racer-suit/2 Speedo LZR projects http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/9/view/10758/speedo-swim-suit-pavilion.html3 Sustainabe Design workshops Anne Prahl Concept+Design/ Sophie Mather Textiles 4 WGSN trend analysis http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Trend_Analysis/sustainability/design_ for_sustainableconsumptiontrendanalysis.html

The changing role of the designer

1 EU Ecodesign Directive http://ec.europa.eu/energy/efficiency/ecodesign/eco_design_en.htm2 H&M Customer Service Garment Guide http://www.hm.com/gb/customer-service/garment-guide/conscious-washing

Opportunities: Changing existing high-impact laundry habits

Design concepts: No/ low wash1 Energy Water Fashion http://www.ecouterre.com/u-k-fashion-graduate-designs-clothes-that- encourage-infrequent-washing/emma-rigby-sustainable-fashion-5/2 ‘Shed Me Clothes’ by Katie Ledger http://www.shedmeclothes.com/about.php3 Pre-stained dress www.srd.org.au/CSF_CataloguE%20Designers%20v2.pdf 4 ‘Catalytic Clothing’ http://www.ecouterre.com/meet-herself-the-worlds-first-air-purifying-dress/

1 BioCouture http://www.crackajack.de/tag/biology/2 Micro ‘be’ Fermented Fashion http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2157551/Fashion-starts-bottle- wine-Designers-unveil-womenswear-range-crafted-alcohol.html?ito=feeds-newsxml 3 (In)visible Membranes: Life on the Human Body and its Design Applications http://www.ecouterre.com/gross-or-glorious-austrian-designer-creates-clothing-from- your-bodys-bacteria/4 ‘Communicating bacteria’ http://wanderlustmind.com/2012/03/25/communicating-bacteria-the-normal-flora-project/

Design concepts: Bacteria

Design choices: Material

1 Spot Cleaning http://www.wikihow.com/Wash-Wool2 The Shower Clean Suit http://jp116306505.trustpass.alibaba.com/product/112943966- 101861606/The_world_s_first_suit_Shower_Clean_Technology_.html3 Wool/ Modal/ Polypropylene sample Sophie Mather Textiles4 Sorona® Nylon swatch Sophie Mather Textiles

Design choices: Biotech & finishing

1 Self-cleaning cotton http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110928110021.htm2 Clariant Foam Eco Care http://www.fabrics-manufacturers.com/articles/foam-eco-care.html3 Actipro™ Probiotic Finish http://www.triochem.co.th/download.php4 Bioplastic coating http://cargocollective.com/sephillips#Leave-No-Trace

Consumer connection: Challenging our perceptions of dirt

1 Dirty is the new clean campaign http://www.theurbn.com/2011/12/dirty-is-the-new-clean-levi-try-eco-fashion/2 Frozen jeans http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=463261&page=23 Edwin Jeans campaign http://www.wgsn.com/content/report/Trend_Analysis/Denim/2012/March/ sustainable_denimfinishing.html

Consumer connection: Low impact clothes care

1 Sport Spray http://store.thelaundress.com/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=sportSpray2 ‘I do 30’ campaign http://www.kommunikationskompasset.dk/sw60960.asp3 ‘Scratch n’ Sniff’ jeans http://www.anothermag.com/loves/view/17084/NAKED__FAMOUS_SCRATCH_ N_SNIFF_JEANS