What’s the fuss with vegan fashion?

In 2019, researchers at Oxford University published a paper concluding that switching to a plant-based diet can positively impact our health and the environment. This is excellent news for those of us who care about the wellbeing of people, animals, and the planet. But did you know veganism isn’t just about food? People who follow a vegan lifestyle also choose not to wear animals, either. And some people may choose to support cruelty-free fashion even if they aren’t vegan in their day-to-day life. So, let’s take a look together to answer the question: what is vegan fashion?

In the fashion sphere, the vegan trend isn’t new—technically, our basic organic cotton t-shirt or ubiquitous jeans, for example, are vegan in that they contain no animal substances. However, brands’ use of terminology such as “vegan” and “cruelty-free” has been gaining prominence over the years. This uptick is partly thanks to conscious consumers keen on extending their vegan principles to all areas of their life, beyond the plant-based food and animal-free cosmetics they may already purchase. In a poll of 14,000 people by our friends over at global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS, “almost 90% of respondents want the fashion industry to prioritise animal welfare alongside environmental protection and social standards.” This is fantastic news for animals and the future of vegan fashion.

But even if you don’t call yourself vegan in everyday life, you may still be tempted by vegan or cruelty-free fashion. Why? Because the interesting thing about it is that it seems to win hands down over conventional fashion in terms of several human, environmental, and of course, animal welfare impacts—although it’s worth noting that vegan doesn’t inherently mean better for the planet. Let’s see what all the fuss is about.

A few definitions

Most of us will be familiar with the terms “vegan” and “cruelty-free” in the context of food and beauty products. Whilst there is no overarching legal definition of these terms, the beauty industry has typically defined them as follows:

• vegan: a product that contains no animal, or animal-derived, substances; and
• cruelty-free: a product that has not been tested, and whose ingredients have not been tested, on animals

In the beauty industry, these terms refer to two different things: one is the product elaboration process (is it carried out without involving animals?), the other is the finished product (does it contain any substances of animal origin?). Here’s the tricky—and slightly misleading—part: a product can be vegan but not cruelty-free if it contains no animal products but was tested on animals. And vice versa: it could be labelled “cruelty-free” due to no animal testing but contain animal substances, thus resulting in a non-vegan product. So for discerning consumers, the distinction is important.

In the fashion industry, there is less of a distinction between the terms “vegan” and “cruelty-free” for the simple reason that there is no obligation to carry out animal testing for apparel and accessories. So in fashion, the terms tend to be used interchangeably. That said, for the super-conscious consumer, understanding what goes on in the beauty space can help us make certain choices in fashion. For example, if a company sells “vegan” clothes, would we still buy them knowing that the same brand tests its fragrances and cosmetics on animals?

What’s going on with animals in fashion?

Animals are being exploited on fur farms, cattle ranches, and abattoirs, to name a few, and the lack of transparency and traceability on the part of brands means that consumers can’t know in what conditions the animals ending up in our fashion items were reared, transported, or slaughtered.

Global organisations such as Humane Society International and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) have documented widespread abuse of animals for the sake of fashion. Some of us will remember PETA’s campaign featuring supermodels bearing the slogan: “I’d rather go naked than wear fur”.

Granted, not everyone is tempted by or can afford fur—though it is often found in relatively inexpensive trimmings and accessories, too. But take good old leather, widely present in both fashion apparel and accessories. The leather industry is rife with animal cruelty, lack of regulation and enforcement, and labour abuses, including tanneries employing underage children and harming their workers and communities with toxic chemicals. Due to complex supply chains, most of the world’s leather is untraceable, so it could also be contributing to deforestation in the Amazon. And don’t get us started on the fallacy of leather being a by-product of the meat industry, about which we’ve written previously.

Even for those of us who would choose not to wear anything originating from a dead animal, such as fur, leather, or other skins, it’s still worth bearing in mind that animals used (as opposed to killed) for fashion suffer immensely. So if you are concerned about animal welfare, you may want to consider moving away from wool, angora, and all other animal-derived materials, too.

Due to a combination of hard-hitting public campaigns and consumers demanding greater accountability from companies, the fashion world has seen major shifts towards a more compassionate approach. Fashion weeks such as London, Amsterdam, and Melbourne have become fur-free—with Helsinki going one step further by also becoming leather-free and skins-free. Likewise, fashion heavyweights such as Prada, Gucci, and Burberry have dropped fur from their collections. Mulberry and Diane von Furstenberg have dropped exotic skins, whilst Chanel is the first luxury house to have dropped both fur and exotic skins. And high street brands are on it, too: H&M and Nike, for instance, have both dropped exotic skins. Of course, as some of those brands might still use leather, wool, and other animal-derived materials, they cannot be called vegan brands.

Nonetheless, such changes are a step forward not only in terms of animal welfare but also from an environmental impact perspective: a Pulse of Fashion report released in 2017 concluded that from the perspective of environmental degradation, three out of the four worst fabrics are animal-derived, the four fabrics in question being: leather, silk, conventional cotton, and wool—yet another reason to choose vegan fashion. For a concise guide on the environmental impacts of animal products in fashion, check out our existing article.

All that is vegan is not green

A discussion on vegan fashion wouldn’t be complete without addressing the greenwashed elephant in the room: plastic. Unfortunately, what technically counts as vegan fashion can also be incredibly damaging to the planet. Specifically, fossil fuel-based (AKA plastic) materials may technically not contain any animal-derived products or by-products, but these fabrics are some of the most harmful to the planet of them all.

And so vegan fashion faces its own set of challenges that stem from its materials and manufacturing processes. While the industry aims to distance itself from the environmental impact of traditional animal-derived materials like leather, a significant concern arises in the form of fossil fuel-based fashion. Many vegan alternatives, such as synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon, heavily rely on non-renewable resources and contribute to environmental degradation.

Additionally, the prevalence of vegan plastics raises ethical questions regarding their true sustainability. The production and disposal of these materials can result in pollution and contribute to the global plastic crisis. As the demand for ethical and sustainable fashion continues to grow, addressing these issues within the vegan fashion sphere becomes paramount, urging consumers and industry stakeholders alike to re-evaluate the true environmental impact of their choices.

Thankfully, there are plenty of brands making fashion from plastic-free vegan materials, and more and more plastic-free alternatives to animal-derived materials popping up all the time.

Let’s get dressed

If you are that way inclined, switching to vegan fashion is, in fact, extremely easy.

Here are a few suggestions:

• refer to the Good On You ratings—we’ve done a lot of the hard work for you, so if you’re unsure how a brand fares with animals, check our directory. Alongside the labour and environmental pillars, animal welfare is our third pillar when we rate brands. We’ll tell you whether a brand has a formal animal welfare policy in place and how much transparency there is in its supply chain. You’ll also see which (if any) animal products it uses, including fur, angora, down, exotic hair and skins, wool, and leather
• some brands have been vetted by PETA from an animal welfare perspective and are authorised to carry the “PETA-approved vegan” logo, which you can keep an eye out for
• check your clothes labels—here are some suggestions for lower-impact vegan fabrics
• look out for the innovative vegan fabrics already out there and currently being developed: from lab-grown silk or silk derived from citrus residue to vegan leather alternatives made from fruit to leaves and back again (including the burgeoning fungi-derived Mylo leather, developed thanks to collaboration among prominent industry players), to recyclable nylon known as ECONYL made from abandoned fishing nets, the future of vegan fabrics is promising

Choosing vegan fashion can be a great choice for animal welfare and environmental reasons—and, particularly in the case of leather, often for social sustainability reasons, too—and there are plenty of ways you can ensure that your wardrobe benefits animals, people, and the planet.

We’ll leave you with these words, which highlight the interconnectedness of the two:

Compassion towards animals deserves to be added as a UN Sustainable Development Goal because it is an issue of justice and science that is tied to some of the most harmful industries on the planet

Joshua Katcher

Check out our favourite vegan fashion brands

The post What Is Vegan Fashion? appeared first on Good On You.

Before we dive in

China is one of a number of countries with a reputation for poor environmental and labour standards, although the truth is more complex with some facilities doing well and others not. In fact, generally speaking wages are likely to be higher in many parts of China than some of the other countries with high volumes of clothing export like Bangladesh and Cambodia. Of course, wages and labour standards are often substandard in most countries including the United States and the UK. Having said that, China is one of few countries that still does not allow freedom of association for workers (labour unions), and currently stands accused of forced labour of Uyghurs, a minority group in the country’s north-western region of Xinjiang, which we look into more below. The fashion industry is imperfect everywhere, but a case study on a country that is in the midst of a transformation is an important part of the conversation for the future of more ethical and sustainable fashion.

The bad: a few facts and figures

Currently, China produces 65% of the world’s clothes and is the world’s largest manufacturer and exporter of textiles.

Traditionally, China has been attractive to brands from all over the world for its huge labour pool and production capacity as well as sophisticated factories and efficient supply chains. Crucially, relatively low wages keep production costs down and thus maximise margins for brands, from fast fashion to luxury.

Social and environmental ups and downs

While both brands and suppliers derived commercial success from this production model, unfortunately, it has come with significant social and environmental impacts. In the 90s, the Nike child labour scandal shone a light on manufacturing practices in developing countries. Since then, numerous reports involving China have documented poor working conditions, minimal pay, and prohibitions to unionise, amongst other social issues.

On the environmental front, the combination of lax regulations and high production volumes with little concern from brands regarding how their clothes were produced has resulted in a dire picture. Greenpeace’s hard-hitting Detox Campaign in 2011 and follow-up reports including Destination Zero: Seven Years of Detoxing the Fashion Industry document the issue of toxic chemicals from the Chinese textile industry causing widespread water pollution and threatening both ecosystems and human health.

With China being a global manufacturing powerhouse, it is no wonder that it produces up to 26 million tons of textile waste per year, only 15% of which is reused or recycled.

What does “Made in China” mean?

And if the above issues above weren’t enough to spook consumers, there are a few more to consider.

First, there’s the fact that China has adopted a similar low-cost outsourcing model that Western countries have, meaning that an item labelled as being “made in China” could be manufactured elsewhere in Asia—such as Vietnam, Cambodia, or Sri Lanka—before being shipped to China for final assembly and exporting. Reports have also emerged of China outsourcing to North Korea or using cheaper North Korean labour based in China.

Second, human rights organisations are campaigning about forced labour and other human rights violations in the region of Xinjiang, where 84% of China’s cotton is produced. With China being one of the world’s largest cotton producers and other garment-exporting countries (eg Bangladesh, Vietnam) using its cotton in their production, it is estimated that up to 20% of the world’s garments have links with human rights violations.

The good: hope on the horizon

So, where does this leave ethical consumers? Let’s take a look at the more encouraging elements to counterbalance some of the issues explored earlier.

Policy level impetus

In 2016, China outlined plans for implementing the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, achieving a degree of success, according to the UN. In addition, in September 2020, China announced its intention to reach carbon neutrality by 2060. Somewhat late, some may argue, but given that China is responsible for 28% of the world’s CO2 emissions, this can also be seen as a step in the right direction.

China is also focused on creating a circular economy: it passed a law in 2008 to that effect and has made steady progress over the years, imposing in 2013 a requirement on ten industries, including the textile industry, to become circular. In addition, a report issued in 2020 by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and others highlights the crucial role that China can play at a global level in terms of using circularity to transform the fashion industry.

Green shoots at an industry level

What’s happening on the ground also gives us reasons for hope. Some of China’s largest manufacturers are leading the way. For example, Esquel Group measures and reports on a range of sustainability criteria covering people, planet, product, and community; and Crystal International publishes full sustainability reports, including historical reports, with transparency about current targets for 2022.

Other green shoots are becoming visible as well: Shanghai Fashion Week showcases sustainable designs with observers noting that “a collective consciousness [is] emerging…the mood is changing”; companies such as Streamline Alliance that connect Western brands to ethical factories in China are supporting the shift to responsible manufacturing in China; consumer appetite for sustainable fashion is gaining traction—in a survey quoted in the Business of Fashion, 70% of the 10,000 people surveyed in ten Chinese cities agreed that “personal consumption has a direct impact on the environment”; and there are interesting microtrends, such as upcycling as outlined in Vogue and influencers promoting sustainable or minimalist lifestyles.

Looking to the future

The fashion industry in China offers a nuanced picture. The high volume, low-cost manufacturing is still the most prevalent production model. Unfortunately, this model is still likely to dominate, with both Western brands continuing to outsource to China and domestic ultra fast-fashion brands such as SHEIN being created, especially when these benefit from significant financial backing.

The devastating social and environmental impacts of this conventional model are widely known. In addition, China itself now outsources to lower-cost countries and is embroiled in human rights violations in the Xinjiang region. That said, we can be encouraged by the combined power of NGOs, policy developments in China, and a range of fashion industry initiatives.

And, of course, consumers always have the option of voting with their wallet. So as an ethical consumer, ask brands these key questions: where are the raw materials sourced? Where are the goods produced? What data is available regarding working conditions and outsourcing? Do they have certifications and audit systems in place?

Let’s make sure that the future of “made in China” is brighter than its past.

Browse brands on our Directory to simplify your sustainable shopping experience.

‘Good’ Chinese brands to support

As China is up-and-coming in the sustainable fashion space, a few brands are emerging that are doing right by people, the planet, and animals, all while being China-based! Here are a couple worth your support:

The post How the “Made in China” Label Is Transforming in Fashion appeared first on Good On You.

Eucalyptus fabric is often described as a sustainable alternative to conventional cotton, but how is it made and how sustainable is it overall in terms of its impacts on people, the planet, and animals?

Lyocell… what’s in a name?

Clothes derived from eucalyptus trees are typically made from lyocell fabric, also known as TENCEL, the brand name of the lyocell fabric developed by Austria-based company Lenzing.

The process to manufacture lyocell is as follows: the eucalyptus wood is harvested (note that other types of wood can also be used), cut into pieces, and ground into a pulp before being dissolved with a solvent called amine oxide. This produces a viscous liquid, which is then pushed through spinnerets from which the lyocell fibres come out. Once washed and dried, they are spun into yarn which is finally woven to create lyocell fabric.

How green is it?

On the face of it, eucalyptus fibre seems pretty sustainable—but it depends!

Eucalyptus trees are felled rather than uprooted, meaning that there is no need to continuously plant new trees. They also grow quickly, don’t need irrigation or pesticides, and can grow in relatively poor, dry, and rocky soil.

Lenzing have demonstrated that it is possible to create a closed-loop system in the manufacturing of lyocell: they manage to recover and reuse 99% of the solvent in new processing cycles. In addition, the solvent is considered non-toxic for air and water. This approach minimizes any environmental impacts. And, crucially, the wood used by Lenzing originates from sustainable forestry—more on this below.

When compared to conventional cotton, the lyocell production process used 50% less water.

Finally, in terms of product use and end-of-life, lyocell doesn’t release toxic microfibres—a significant advantage over synthetic fabrics—and is recyclable and biodegradable.

So, what’s not to like?

Essentially, intensive monocultures. In Spain and Portugal, for example, native forests have been destroyed to introduce eucalyptus plantations (albeit mainly for the paper industry) causing environmental degradation to the local ecosystems of plants and wildlife.

Canopy, a Canada-based organisation dedicated to the conservation of forests—in particular, ancient and endangered forests—highlights that 150 million trees per year are logged in order to produce the cellulosic fabrics used in our clothes—some of it rayon/viscose, some of it modal and… yes, lyocell too.

As Canopy neatly puts it: “…where the eucalyptus comes from matters. Eucalyptus is often grown on concessions that have had natural forest cleared and carbon rich peatlands drained, causing massive social and environmental concerns. However grown in the right place, under the right conditions, eucalyptus can be fabulous!”

So the key is to choose eucalyptus fabrics originating from sustainably-managed forests, like from PEFC or FSC.

A-OK for animals and people?

Lyocell appears to be mostly harmless for both animals and people.

For one thing, it’s a vegan fabric—as long as it’s not blended with wool, silk, or other animal-derived fibres, of course. And if it originates from sustainably-managed forests, where ecosystems are allowed to continue to flourish, then no obvious harms will have been caused to animals.

In terms of people, as the production process is non-toxic, communities are not affected by pollution. Equally, as the process relies on a series of lab-based manufacturing steps, it is not especially labour-intensive. Social concerns have been raised in the context of intensive eucalyptus monocultures, in terms of local communities not being consulted about a change of use of land, and losing out on a source of subsistence farming. This is another reason why sustainably-managed forests play an important role in the overall sustainability credentials of the eucalyptus fabric which is used to make our clothes.

Where can I find it?

Thanks to its high absorbency and softness, lyocell is used in a range of clothing items including activewear, underwear, and casual wear.

Given that lyocell can be blended with a range of other fibres—such as wool, silk, cotton and synthetics—in order to “enhance the aesthetics and functionality of fabrics” in the words of Lenzing, it may be that eucalyptus-derived fabrics become increasingly visible in the sustainable fashion space. If purchasing a blend, you may wish to check whether the finished item is still fully recyclable and biodegradable.

And of course, do check the Directory for brands using sustainably-sourced eucalyptus fabric, such as one of our favourites, TAMGA Designs.

The post Material Guide: How Sustainable Is Eucalyptus Fabric? appeared first on Good On You.

Here are the various initiatives taken by sustainable fashion brands, including some of Good On You’s “Good” and “Great” rated favourites, to respond to COVID-19.

How fashion brands are stepping up in the face of COVID

Over the last few weeks, and as reported previously in our first article about the fashion industry’s response to Coronavirus, you’ll have seen a whirlwind of activity from global fashion companies in support of the COVID-19 relief efforts. Less prominent, but equally noteworthy are the various initiatives taken by sustainable fashion brands, including some of Good On You’s “Good” and “Great” rated favourites. Check them out below, and lend your support to these smaller superstars who are using their limited resources to make a difference to people’s lives in this time of need.

The post How Sustainable Fashion Brands Are Stepping Up During the Crisis appeared first on Good On You.

Note: up to date to the best of our knowledge as at April 1st. 

Fashion brands supporting the health system

LVMH

The luxury group and parent company of Louis Vuitton and Stella McCartney, among others, is converting its fragrance and cosmetics production facilities in France in order to produce increasingly scarce hand sanitizer gel, to be donated to the French health authorities. LVMH has also accessed a Chinese manufacturer and ordered 40 million face masks—the first delivery of 10 million masks, amounting to EUR 5 million, will likely have arrived in France by the time this article goes live and will be financed by Mr. Arnault, chairman of LVMH

Kering

Similarly, luxury giant Kering is purchasing 3 million face masks from China, which it will donate to the French health authorities, and is also leveraging some of its brands—Saint Laurent and Balenciaga will start manufacturing face masks from their French factories as soon as the relevant authorities give them the green light; and Gucci will produce and donate over 1 million masks and 55,000 medical overalls to Italy, subject to receiving the relevant authorisations

H&M

The fast-fashion retailer said: “The EU has asked us to share our purchasing operations and logistics capabilities in order to source supplies, but in this urgent initial phase, we will donate the supplies”. H&M will both redirect its suppliers to manufacture medical masks, gloves, and gowns, and may also directly purchase protective equipment from existing manufacturers. The multinational company was also the first retailer to agree to pay its suppliers for cancelled orders where products have been manufactured.

Inditex

The parent company of Zara intends to adapt its textile manufacturing capability in Spain to produce medical-grade hospital gowns for the hard-hit country.  It confirmed that it will also make available to Spain its logistics capability and supplier network, particularly in China, in order to meet Spain’s demand for protective equipment. Inditex is in the process of purchasing and donating 300,000 face masks to Spain, which ranks fourth in the world for confirmed Coronavirus cases at the time of publication.

Other names

New York-based designer Christian Siriano responded to the Governor’s request for PPE (personal protective equipment) supplies and now plans to produce 1,000 reusable masks per week from fabric the company already had, to provide to healthcare workers not directly exposed to the virus. Mr. Siriano said: “We are a tiny company, if a giant company with a lot of manpower were to take a similar initiative, it could change everything”. Another less well-known name in the COVID-19 fight is textile and multi-brand company Miroglio Group who have converted their facilities in Italy in order to produce 100,000 masks daily which they are selling at cost. They say: “We’ve never manufactured a mask in our whole history, what we tried to do immediately was gather in one room all the key people in our company with the relevant skills, and in a couple of hours, we came up with a prototype”.

Collaboration

In the US, nine apparel and textile companies are collaborating on manufacturing face masks, with a target of 10 million a week within the next few weeks, to be produced in the US and Central America. The first masks have already received approval from the US Department of Health. The companies—some of which are usually market competitors—have pooled their resources and manufacturing capacities. They are: American Giant, Fruit of the Loom, Hanesbrands, Parkdale Inc., Los Angeles Apparel, AST Sportswear, American Knits, Beverly Knits, and Riegel Linen.

Innovation

Following an unexpected collaboration between Italian doctors, an innovation company called Isinnova and French outdoor-gear retailer Decathlon, snorkeling masks can now be transformed into an emergency ventilator mask for COVID-19 patients by connecting the mask to a ventilator thanks to Isinnova’s 3D-printed valve. Isinnova patented their “Charlotte valve”, but as their initiative is not-for-profit, they have made the required information freely available “because it is in our intention that all hospitals in need could use it if necessary”.

Financial support

In addition to practical support, fashion companies are also providing substantial financial support in the current emergency, ranging from donations to the Red Cross (eg. LVMH and Kering), donations to support health infrastructure (eg. Moncler, towards a new hospital in Milan), donating a percentage of online sale proceeds (eg. AMI Paris), as well as personal, rather than corporate, donations (eg. Versace family’s donation of EUR 200,000 to a Milan hospital, Prada senior family’s gift of intensive care and resuscitation units to hospitals in Milan).

Supporting suppliers and workers

Support for the health response is very welcome, but brands need to think about their responsibilities to their suppliers and workers too. Groups like Business and Human Rights Resource Centre have warned companies against ‘moral bankruptcy’ .

As noted above H&M have stepped up. The company announced that it would take delivery of already-produced garments, as well as goods in production, and that the goods would be paid for under previously agreed payment terms and prices. Other companies are protecting specific suppliers in countries where workers lack a social safety net, or only relying on their contractual rights not to pay suppliers that have the financial strength to absorb the loss.

Remake is keeping the pressure on brands with their #PayUp campaign—calling on brands to pay suppliers and factories for cancelled work that had been commissioned pre-outbreak, which is a crucial step in ensuring that the financial burden is spread more fairly and not all borne by supply chains and, usually, workers in developing nations who are already under enough significant financial pressure. So far, big names that have made this commitment include H&M, PVH Group (owner of Calvin Klein amongst others), Target (US), ZARA, Marks & Spencer, and Kiabi.

In the post-pandemic world, companies will be judged by how humanely they handled this crisis. This will include not only how they treated their direct employees, but also whether they took appropriate steps to mitigate the impact on the most vulnerable workers in their value chain.

Anna Triponel and John Sherman in Business and Human Rights Resource Center

Who would have thought that PPE and hydroalcoholic gel—not exactly synonymous with glamour, fun, frivolity, and style—would suddenly become part of the 2020 fashion lexicon? But from converting manufacturing capability to using their purchasing power and supply chain network, to making financial donations, these initiatives are examples of the agility of some fashion companies and their willingness to accept collective responsibility. It’s nice to see the positive impact the fashion industry can have when faced with global challenges like this.

We’d like to think that once the COVID-19 crisis is over, this sense of purpose and responsibility will extend to even more wide-ranging sustainable practices within the industry.

Keep your eye out for future articles about the impact of Coronavirus on the fashion industry, like how sustainable fashion brands are supporting the Coronavirus relief effort!

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About the Author: Elsa is an English-qualified fashion lawyer. She headed the legal team of a global luxury fashion PR company in London, and is currently focusing on projects dedicated to improving sustainability in the fashion industry.

The post How the Fashion Industry is Helping During the Coronavirus Pandemic appeared first on Good On You.

What are they, exactly?

Citrus fibre silk is made from the cellulose of by-products of the citrus industry by a Sicilian company called Orange Fiber who have patented a process to turn some of their local citrus residue deriving from citrus-processing activities, into an attractive wearable textile.

Microsilk is the trademarked name of a lab-made spider silk produced by California-based company Bolt Threads. It is a synthetic fabric, but one which requires no land or chemicals to produce—only water, yeast, sugar, and a pinch of DNA.

What’s the big deal?

Of the 700,000 tons of citrus “pastazzo” (roughly translated as “paste”) produced in Italy each year, only a small proportion is used for animal feed and fertilizer, whilst most is typically discarded in landfill, thereby contributing to CO2 emissions. Some of the paste is also dumped illegally in nature due to the costs involved in proper disposal. So, diverting some of this waste into making citrus fibre limits negative environmental impacts—with the added advantage that no virgin materials are required in order to produce citrus fibre. Indeed, whilst it is possible to blend it with other fibres (eg. cotton or polyester), a 100% citrus-derived fabric can also be created!

Microsilk is the result of 8 years’ work and 4,000 formulations by the Bolt Threads team. Based on their studies of how spiders make silk, they bioengineered genes to implant into yeast. The fermentation process with water and sugar produces silk proteins, which are then extracted and spun into yarn.

An unexpected technical benefit the team discovered is that Microsilk holds dyes six times better than conventional silk, meaning that Microsilk will likely be of increasing interest to fashion designers, not just—as originally anticipated—to activewear designers looking for performance fabrics.

Source: Bolt Threads

Any green credentials?

The production of citrus fibre silk takes place within the Mediterranean region: the citrus cellulose is extracted in Sicily before being sent to Spain for spinning. The yarn is then transformed into silk-like fabric in Como, Italy. This regional production, as well as the fact that Orange Fiber is located on the same site as its citrus by-product supplier, limits the carbon footprint of the finished fabric. Citrus fibre silk is also biodegradable, and will therefore maintain that property when blended with a similarly biodegradable yarn.

Microsilk is potentially fully biodegradable, as exemplified by the Adidas x Stella McCartney Biofabric Tennis Dress which, according to Adidas, would eventually break down into the environment. Bolt Threads seem committed to offering an environmentally-sound product: “Once we finalize our production processes, we will embark on a life cycle analysis to determine the environmental impacts of our material, and utilizing the industry-standard Higg Materials Sustainability Index, will be able to compare the results to dozens of other natural and synthetic materials”. Finally, although GM-derived raw materials are used in the production of Microsilk, the final product contains no GMOs.

Who made my silk alternative?

Currently, the supply chain for both fabrics is relatively limited:

The citrus fibre silk supply chain starts at farm level: the citrus fruits originate from farms in Italy. Some are then purchased by citrus processing plants, such as the company which supplies Orange Fiber with by-products. Once Orange Fiber has extracted the cellulose, it contracts with companies in Spain and Italy for the spinning and textile-making processes, respectively.

Microsilk is entirely lab-made at Bolt Threads’ premises, although the raw ingredients used will have their own supply chains. The sugar used in the fermentation process originates from the US.

How about animal welfare?

The great news in terms of animal welfare is that both citrus fibre silk and vegan spider silk contain no animal products, and do not harm animals in the production process—in contrast with conventional silk, which usually requires the pupae to be boiled alive before the cocoon is used for processing!

Source: Orange Fiber

Where can I find them?

Currently, both Orange Fiber’s silk and Microsilk are only commercialized to a limited extent, but both fabrics have already received a stamp of approval from renowned brands: Ferragamo and H&M have used citrus fibre silk in their collections, whilst Stella McCartney partnered with Bolt Threads and showcased Microsilk designs at Paris Fashion Week in 2017. We fervently hope this is only the beginning of a long and comfy relationship between ethical silk alternatives and fashion, and would love to see some of our favourite sustainable fashion brands jump on board with these innovations in the near future.

Learn more about sustainable and ethical materials.

About the author: Elsa is an English-qualified fashion lawyer. She headed the legal team of a global luxury fashion PR company in London, and is currently focusing on projects dedicated to improving sustainability practices in the fashion industry.

The post Ethical Silk Alternatives: Citrus Fibre and Vegan Spider Silk appeared first on Good On You.