Dear colleage, Thank you for your concerns, however...

      When thinking about sustainability, most think completely natural is the way to go. While yes, this is true and would be ideal for anyone who is looking to go green; it is not always the perfect solution or even practical in today’s societies. Many do not realize that most everything done in the apparel industry, whether it is done naturally or conventionally, have environmental impacts that may cause harm to our society. As a designer in the apparel industry, it is helpful to take the traditional way of producing garments, and instead of completely changing these methods, finding new ways to utilize these steps to become more sustainable. Before making the abrupt decision to ditch synthetic fibers totally, we need to out weigh our options to see if and how we can modify using synthetics to become just as sustainable as going organic and entirely natural. 

      As we are finding, the apparel industry is one that is guilty of harming our environment. With all the steps and energy used to create fibers that turn into fabrics that turn into entire lines and collections of clothing, it is difficult to become sustainable in any way. This industry is one that wastes hundreds of tons of fabrics and fibers on a regular basis and also uses harsh chemicals to produce its fabrics. I see where my colleague is concerned and understand exactly where she is coming from. I too, would like to become more sustainable. However, using synthetics, while not always the best route to go, can be just as harmful as using fibers that were produced organically. For example, organically grown cotton may be seen as sustainable but, it still needs to be processed. It seems impractical to grow cotton organically and then process it conventionally, which is still doing harm to our environment. This is not to say I do not believe in becoming more organic. Our does environment need to be replenished and be better taken care of.  We just need to think of more effective ways to use our inorganic products to become more sustainable.

      I believe it is important to see the grand scheme of things. We need to look at and weigh out all of our options before we make any brash decisions. It is stated in credible and relevant books like, Sustainable Fashion and Textiles, by Kate Fletcher, that much of our environmental impact is largely affecting us in the consumer care portion of production. I think as a designer, I can help to alert my consumers on how to become more environmentally friendly when caring for their garments without expunging synthetic fibers. I can also do a better job on finding alternative ways to produce and dye the synthetic fibers I do use. When it comes to dying fabrics, a new, more environmentally friendly way to dye them has been discovered. Caroline Ducas, a sustainable materials specialist, who is highly credible, is promoting Avitera. This is a new way to dye fabrics that uses 4 times less water and reduces production time from 7 hours to just 4. Ducas claims that this method is 50% more water saving, 50% process time saving, and uses 70% less energy.

      Because the apparel industry is dominated by polyester and cotton, it would be wise for me to better and more effectively utilize these materials to be more sustainable. Also shown by Ducas, there is a more effective ways to dye polyesters called CO2 dyeing. Putting C02 under high pressure, the C02 becomes liquid so that it can be used to dye polyesters. A dry process of discoloration using laser technology will also help synthetics to become more sustainable because they are not using the harsh chemicals to remove colors. Better utilizing our use of water is a trend that researchers are finding will help us to become more sustainable. Ducas also found that increasing the speed with digital printing would help to reduce energy use when producing garments. Though digital printing is not a new idea, this process is much quicker and cheaper.

      While I do believe I could use more organic materials, some synthetics do just as much harm as other materials that are not completely organic by nature. Materials that are being produced in a more green fashion are sometimes not as durable as they could be.  As stated in the text, for example, though low water use cotton may minimize its water consumption, it is proving to be of poorer quality due to inefficient utilization of water. This, in turn would be counterproductive. Producing garments that are not durable and unable to withhold several times of being worn would cause consumers to go elsewhere to buy their clothing. It is my duty to use more sustainable methods when it comes to using any type of fabric, organic or conventional. If consumers were to go elsewhere, those other garment companies, who are more than likely unsustainable, will make these environmental issues worse due to increased production because of high demand. If consumers were to continue to buy my clothes while I am choosing to become greener and more sustainable, I would be creating awareness while also making conscious decisions to use my fabrics more sustainably. While yes, I could and will utilize more organic fabrics such as hemp, wild silk, and even polylactic acid, completely ridding myself of synthetic fibers would be silly because I can utilize them in more effective ways to become more environmentally friendly.