Take-Aways from Performance Days Fabric Fair, March 2024

I’ve just come back from Performance Days in Munich. After a few seasons ‘off’ attending the show in person I decided it was time to go and see/touch/feel some fabrics, listen to talks and get a renewed ‘in real life’ sense for the way the industry is evolving.

I was  recently asked by a friend for recommendations on buying a ‘sustainable’ waterproof jacket.This year's show theme was "Beyond Bottles; the Future of Polyester" so I was pretty interested to get the progress update around how we create performance fabrics without using virgin fossil based ingredients and without just turning bottles into textiles. 

The show was full of talk about textile to textile recycling, There were a number of fabrics on show that were ‘made from textile waste’ however on further investigation it seems very few if any were commercially available - with most recycled polyesters still being produced from PET bottles. The problem it seems is partly one of price, but also due to lack of accessible feedstock.

The technology to recycle textiles into textiles exists and is proven to work, whether that be by a mechanical or chemical process (dependent on fibre type)  but you can’t recycle without feedstock. The feedstock exists; There are literally tons of unwearable textiles in existence - but the infrastructure to collect and sort these textiles and get them into recycling loops is not yet there.

The Accelerating Circularity team did a great job of advocating for the need for localised collecting and sorting systems, to feed into localised recycling facilities. Instead of shipping containers of textiles around the world to be sorted/processed/landfilled/incinerated we could be reprocessing textiles back into raw materials and then sending that to the relevant places to be turned back into yarn/fabric/garments.

Blended fibres are a current mainstay of technical clothing, with different fibres being mixed to give optimum performance and hand-feel. But blends are also problematic for recycling. 

In the innovation area I was encouraged by Climatex’s DUALCYCLE circular technology. This innovation allows a textile to be created from more than one fibre type, in such a way that they can be separated at end of life. Two fibres ( or more) can be combined and are essentially held together by a third which can also be dissolved via a particular process allowing the two fibres to be separated and then directed into their own appropriate recycling streams. Currently focussed for the upholstery and workwear sector, there's potential for other materials for the sports/outdoor industry to be developed.

Alongside recycling there was continued work around alternatives to fossil based synthetic fabrics with an increasing number of ‘biobased’ materials on show. As always it's important to go under the surface of these more sustainable sounding terms and I was interested to find out that of the 2 ingredients needed to create these PET fabrics only one (the MEG) can currently be replaced with non fossil based alternatives. The other ingredient (PTA) is still fossil derived.

Fibre Fragments continue to be an issue (for both synthetics and  natural fibres) but some progress is being made to help combat this problem within synthetics. CiCLO® were showcasing their textile ingredient that can be added to polyester and nylon (both virgin or recycled). Thoroughly blended with the base polymer the additive allows naturally occurring microorganisms to break down and digest the fiber. This innovation is not about creating biodegradable clothing but to combat the issue of fiber fragments that would otherwise persist in the environment forever.

So, in terms of the future of polyester it seems:

• Textile to textile recycling is still in its infancy and we need to build collecting and sorting infrastructure to allow it to scale successfully.

• There is still much work to do in the bio-based materials field, to create appropriate alternatives that require no fossil based ingredients at all.

• Research continues into fibre fragmentation and innovations are emerging to help combat the problem.

All of these points really emphasised for me the importance of the role designers play in the shift to a more closed loop system. Before something gets anywhere near the point of recycling it needs to have a long and useful life. Features, fit, durability, repairability alongside aesthetics all contribute to the longevity of life any garment can have.

As designers/product creators it's important we are realistic about what performance qualities we really need in our kit and that is about features not just fabrics. We can and should be asking (demanding) to use the right materials for the job, to create purposeful functional clothing that is not over engineered for the sake of a marketing story.  Synthetics have been a mainstay in the sports and outdoor sector for many years, and when you look at the technical attributes its easy to see why.  But I feel like we (should) have moved on from the days where we chase the highest waterproof/breathability rating on the lightest shell fabric, or the fastest drying shirt material - with little regard for the realistic end use. 

Whilst on the Woolmark Company stand I saw a woven wool materials with lovely look and handfeel. It was constructed in such a way as to be highly water repellent whilst still breathable, demonstrating that we can achieve very effective weather protection using natural fibres. Natural fibres do not automatically mean no negative impact of course; but I think further exploration of natural fibres within performance fabrics is worth it! When we are selecting fabrics for clothing, we should be driven by purpose and appropriate function over high performance for high performance sake.

There were plenty of other interesting developments at Performance days but my main two takeaways were 

1. We need to genuinely collaborate to make progress; we need to work across disciplines and join the dots to ensure we can genuinely move to a more circular system.

2. We also need to refocus on designing for genuine purpose and function. We don’t need huge quantities of super high performance clothing But we do need durable clothing, with appropriate levels of performance, designed to be easily repairable and used and used and used before ultimately being (hopefully) recycled.

As for my friend and her hunt for a new waterproof; I reported back to her that jackets made from bottles aren't automatically ‘sustainable’ but that she was unlikely to find a commercially available waterproof in her budget that wasn’t made from this kind of recycled polyester. I suggested she focussed her search on finding the best fitting waterproof she could , whether it be made of recycled PET or not; she should find a jacket that was an appropriate length and fit to give maximum coverage from the rain in any of the activities she was likely to find herself wearing it for; To ensure that cuffs/hem/waste/hood adjusted to her comfort/taste and to accommodate layers worn underneath; but most importantly to buy it and look after it, and wear it for many many years to come!

Designing Loved Clothes. How can we Create More Emotionally and Culturally Durable Apparel

The textile world is full of innovation; new materials, production methods, and ways to recycle. Although exciting and necessary these don’t truly address the elephant in the apparel room: Over consumption!

Our wardrobes are full to bursting with clothes we don’t wear and charity shops are overwhelmed with donations as people try to ‘responsibly’ clear out their closets, however even when shopping second hand or in ‘ethical’ stores we continue to buy so much more than we really need.

As a clothing designer, I’ve been considering how to use my skills and knowledge effectively without adding to the endless piles of stuff already on the rails. A key element to slowing down the system and reducing the quantities of clothes in our wardrobes is around giving garments more worth. How can we design in value and at the same time design out the notion of clothes as temporary, disposable items? The answer is no quick fix. We’ve been conditioned for decades to desire and value newness, to keep up with trends and give ourselves a boost with ‘retail therapy’.

I have been spending some time exploring ideas around how designers in particular can practically contribute to a more climate positive apparel industry. I began with a straightforward question; What clothes do people love and why? First I considered some of my own favourite garments.

As a functional and outdoor clothing designer I often look to Japanese brands and magazines for inspiration. I love their approach to technical clothing; so when my other half came back from a trip to Tokyo with a pair of shorts from Aldies (the clothing brand not the supermarket) I was over the moon. These are THE best shorts - they are not too long nor too short. They are neutral in palette so can be worn with a variety of colours. They do however feature some colour and print, so they don’t feel dull! I can wear them in a multitude of ways depending on the weather and the occasion. But most importantly to me they have so many practical pockets! I can carry all my essentials without fear of losing them. They also make me very happy because they are not something you see everywhere on the high street

Another example is my first Denim Jacket: I was 16 when I desperately wanted a denim jacket, specifically a Levi’s one. I saved up, went into the store to look at it and tried it on multiple times before I had enough money to actually buy it. Once it was mine I wore it at every opportunity. I didn’t buy it because it’s ‘a classic’, my 16 year old brain had no interest in classic/timeless dressing, I bought it because I perceived it to be cool.

I really treasured that jacket and wore it repeatedly until it came to the end of its wearable life. It had holes in the elbows and frayed cuffs but I was still unwilling to let it go. By this time I was a design/textiles student so I got out my sewing kit and reworked it into a skirt. Once again I had an awesome garment to wear over and over again. I was proud because it still had its Levi’s label and also because I’d remade it myself. It was unique and in my late teens /early 20’s looking a bit different was very important to me. Sadly I’m not the same size or shape as I was when I was in my early twenties and the skirt has long since parted company for a charity shop. I do still however have the small denim bag that I made from the offcuts!

For me at least, the key to a garment being a favourite and having longevity in my wardrobe is a combination of;

• Uniqueness: things I don’t always see everyone wearing, either through rarity, being home-made or being customised.

• Fit: comfortable, flattering and easy to wear.

• Versatility in use: so it can be worn in different ways for different occasions.

• Joy: it needs to allow me to feel like myself. I want to be comfortable and authentic in it, and then I’ll be happy to wear it over and over again.

A quick anecdotal survey via social media indicates I’m not alone in my thinking. Lots of people referenced good fit, multi-use and ease of wear. Function came up too - although that might be a reflection of my connections within outdoor/ sports/technical clothing. Value for money was important – it’s important to note that this doesn’t necessarily mean ‘cheap’ but if an item was bought at a reduced price or found second hand and deemed as ‘a bargain’ that definitely boosts its appeal. There were also comments about ‘feeling wonderful’ in favourite garments, and happy memories attached to them which I found particularly interesting. So there are some obvious things a designer can do to boost the practical and emotional durability of a garment:

• Design for function and really understand the purpose of the garments you’re creating. Don’t let that purpose be only ‘to follow the latest trend’.

• Pay attention to fit, consider adjustability or ease of altering to allow garments to be worn despite changing body shapes.

• Choose the most suitable materials that allow the garment to do all of the above whilst also having an appropriately long life and a low impact end of life

So far so practical! As a designer of technical apparel it’s not a million miles away from the process I already follow. I think the real challenge is how to design in ‘making someone feel wonderful’. Is that even possible? How do we create something that can hold memories and foster affection? How can we ‘design in’ that ‘emotional attachment’ that gives our clothes more longevity?

I’m pretty sure such things are not on the radar for most high street brands, which means it doesn’t apply to clothes that are most accessible to the majority of people. The high street is full of micro trends that are in and out in the blink of an eye designed to be worn once and discarded, often sold at a misleadingly cheap price point which only lowers the perceived value of all clothing even more.

I got to thinking that perhaps the answer is in how we used to do things? The fast fashion model of the current high street is actually pretty new. It wasn’t so long ago that clothes were made to order or made on demand or simply in smaller amounts. You had your ‘best clothes’ for special occasions, you had clothes for seasons more dictated by the weather than fashion fads. And the high street, as we know it, used to have just 2 - 4 ‘seasons’ a year.

When I was young I remember looking at high profile designers and seeing them create stories for catwalk collections - there would be themes and ideas interpreted into clothes - clothes were used as a medium to express messages or tell stories. Garments were crafted with care and intelligence to be works of art and that art and creativity was well respected.

As I entered the garment industry I was disappointed to find that so many fashion design jobs involved ‘interpreting’ (copying) catwalk trends, cheaply and quickly, for the high street market. Where is the joy of creativity in that?

It’s not that our clothing should all be the work of famous designers, I believe that good quality clothing should be accessible to all, but surely there can be a happier medium? If “Fashion” as an industry were to move away from microtrends and constant newness, updating your wardrobe could be more about adapting existing clothes or getting them altered. Using what you already have and evolving it to suit changing tastes or trends would not only be a creative solution but also open up different types of work within local communities.

I’d love to see a shift to a more service based industry where those with the skills to sew and create new garments can also alter, rework, mend and adapt to changing preferences and body shapes. There could be so much more scope for creativity and customisation. A shift from prescriptive trends to personal style!

There will, of course, always be ‘trends’. What we wear has and will continue to be influenced by changing environments and cultural/historical events. This can be a much slower and organic process than the recent fast fashion model. A slower system still allows for different style tribes or aesthetic preferences - designers and brands can still have ‘signature looks’ and ‘handwriting’ that cater for the spectrum of tastes and finances but in a way that doesn’t leave 4 shops in a row on the high street offering slightly varied versions of the same item.

In today’s world shopping is used as a dopamine fix. We get a buzz out of hitting the shops, but that buzz can quickly wear off and often the garment we just bought falls out of favour with us just as quickly as that buzz. We need other ways to get

our ‘fix’ other than endless shopping. Perhaps it’s possible to get the same dopamine hit from simply looking and trying on and having a joyful experience experimenting with looks and different garments, with no need to actually purchase anything. Or maybe you just rent for a special occasion? If you do decide to buy then having a garment tweaked to your shape or preferences might just stop it sitting unworn in your wardrobe as an impulse buy that wasn’t quite right.

There is a business local to me that already plays with this concept - offering ‘dress up’ sessions to try on their range of preloved and vintage pieces, offering an experience you can share with friends without having to actually buy clothes you don’t really need. You get the dopamine hit of newness and style experimentation without having to add clothes you won’t wear to your wardrobe.

As designers we could share the creative process more often, explain our material choices and the thinking behind our designs. If the process is more visible then it’s more valuable and respected and that value and respect can extend to mass produced garments not just artisan one offs. By sharing the skills and knowledge and educating not just budding fashion designers but all consumers we can increase the value put on clothing across the board - whether you’re talking about a garment that costs GBP£20 or GBP£200.

As a designer we can and should

• Design things that can be altered and customised and encourage this! Offer services to make this part of the wardrobe system so a garment can evolve and change with its owner over time.

• Educate people about the skilful art of designing and making by sharing stories and teaching others about your creative process.

• Slow down - don’t regurgitate microtrends, be true to your individual design style. Design with purpose and quality in mind combined with your signature aesthetic.

I would love to see a shift in value, an emphasis on creative thinking and an appreciation of craftsmanship as opposed to simply ticking the latest microtrend box. Increasing the understanding of the skills needed to design and manufacture garments is a key to shifting habits. If designers can help reconnect people with materials, and the processes involved in creating textiles and garments, then we can in turn, help people value their clothes more.

By increasing understanding we encourage mindful choices of well made, durable, garments that will be loved and cared for, for many years. We can then, I believe, slow the whole system down, and genuinely reduce our overconsumption of fashion.

This is an article written for “Textile” ; The magazine for subscribers of The Textile Institute. The full article with images is also posted to my LinkedIn page.

Being more "outsidey" in winter changes how you think about clothes.

I love the outdoors. There are so many benefits to being out in the fresh air, in natural light and surrounded by nature. I also appreciate a ramble through the woods isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.  But as we continue to live with Covid-19 and all the restrictions that it puts on our daily lives, I think it’s safe to say even those who don’t consider themselves ‘outdoorsy’ are probably going to find themselves being a bit more ‘outsidey’ this winter.

And you know what? I’m excited about this. 

I’m excited at the prospect of thousands of people heading outside and really having to think about the clothes they are going to wear. This isn’t just because I design technical clothing for a living and like to geek out about layering and performance fabrics...although that obviously helps. It’s about seeing a potential positive shift in mindset.

Just by asking if they will be warm enough, if it is likely to rain, and by thinking about the practical side of their chosen outfit, a person will be taking a step towards a more conscious wardrobe. 

We should all be buying less and buying better, and right now I’m feeling hopeful that this small adjustment in thought process could contribute to a longer term change in attitude. As we are pushed to spend more time outside, regardless of the weather, we are pushed to consider the practicality of our clothing and that, I hope, will filter into our natural thought process when it comes to choosing the clothes we need. 

When considering a new garment maybe the questions we ask will move away from superficial trends and colours and move towards questions about our practical needs. Will that coat actually keep me dry? Does the hood fit? Can I wear it over multiple layers? Is that jumper going to keep me warm without getting all sticky and sweaty? and a personal favourite;  are those pockets actually big enough to put things in?

My point is this. Our clothes should definitely bring us joy, and help us express who we are, and make us feel happy and confident but ultimately they should also work! They should meet our practical needs and keep doing so season on season so they don’t spend a lifetime sitting in the wardrobe unworn, or get thrown out destined for landfill because they just don’t do the job!

Perhaps whilst we are all gathered (in a socially distanced way) around a patio heater this winter we will find an extra reason to be more mindful about the clothing choices we make.