University of Rhode Island  
Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design

TMD 402N  Seminar: Sustainability

Sustainable Fashion

Janet Hethorn

Summary by Rachel Lerman

Sustainable fashion is multi-faceted; it revolves around different interpretations of design techniques and how the terms align. Janet Hethorn, PhD and author of Sustainable Fashion: Why Now, a book hot off the press, spoke about her experience and research relating to sustainable fashion. Ms. Hethorn, professor and incoming head of the art department at The University of Delaware, has held many positions within universities, demonstrating her scholarly abilities throughout the academic setting. Her definition of sustainability within a fashion context includes many integrated phrases including: social justice, ethics, resilient, organic, eco-chic, and environmentally-friendly considerations. Overall, sustainable development meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. 

Sustainable fashion is affected by social, economic, and environmental factors. This was seen in Ms. Hethorn's new book with three sections including: connecting with people on sustainable practices, the process and economy, and the environment. Finding ways to be at one with the environment is the most important factor. Sustaining well-being for people, processes that enhance sustainability and sustaining the environment are all within the context of fashion. An example of sustainability in fashion includes LA designer Linda Loudermilk’s albatross gown; it is made of vegan silk, feathers, and recycled eco-luxury.  

 Dr. Hethorn’s new book discovers the linkage among all aspects of sustainability and fashion. Chapter one, written by Dr. Linda Welters, explains the fashion of sustainability; chapter two describes fashion among the social marketing and the eco-savvy shopper, chapter three expresses considerations of consumer desire, chapter four is entitled popular culture, marketing, and the ethical consumer, and chapter 5 explains technology-enabled sustainable fashion system. Part two is about production, economic, and processes in the global economy. In this part the chapters describe mixing metaphors in the fiber, textile, and apparel complex: moving toward a more sustainable fashion, and economy of scale: a global context. Also it goes into creating fashion without creating fabric waste, the economic impact of textile and clothing recycling, and developing strategies for a typology of sustainable design fashion. 

  There are also social entrepreneurs who demonstrate new approaches to many social ills and new models to create wealth, promote social well-being, and restore the environment. They demonstrate skillful market ideas to shift people’s perceptions and behavior.  An example of a social entrepreneur includes a California garbage collection that promoted well-being in the environment by collecting fabric scraps and making products. While this method worked in theory, it did not work in context due to a gap in ordering ability. 

To conclude, Dr. Hethorn spoke about her individual and student’s interpretations of sustainable design.  Each project was unique by exploring sustainability through different aspects including design, fiber, fabric, and use. In another project, the students were assigned to create a clothing line with an $8.00 materials budget. Meghan Russ, a student, created an elegant heirlooms line that included wedding attire. In addition to her students work, she concluded with a unique design of her own. Her creation is a new urban-survival jacket. It appears to be a regular jacket; however it is equipped with multiple pockets for storage of emergency crisis items.