Wal-Mart and cotton

From Ecotextile News, some good news about Wal-Mart supporting farmers moving from growing conventional to organic cotton. This is, of course, solving only half the problem (if that): consumers need to look at their behaviour, too. Buying less, laundering less, laundering in cold(er) water, laundering with less detergent, laundering with a less toxic detergent, tumble-drying less, and hanging onto the t-shirt longer (which becomes easier the less you wash it). When was the last time you repaired a t-shirt, or had one repaired? How many do you own? I pass no judgment on the last point; once upon a time I owned more than 100 tees, and was quite pleased with myself about it. Not that I've counted recently, but it's probably 30-40 now, but, most of those are more than two years old, many of them five years, and a few eight or more. I know one that I customised in 2001 I bought in 1998 - and I still wear it. But, maybe it's time for an audit. Watch this space.

Regarding the jeans I'm not washing, after checking I discovered that I bought them in late October, so the six month grace is coming to a close. Perhaps starting with one pair, I am going to photograph them before and after the wash, to show off what I love about unwashed denim the most (and the reason I never got into the faux-aging craze, now thankfully over): denim more than any other fabric 'absorbs' and reflects the habits and body of the wearer, whether it's the creases around the knees, or a shadow of keys on the front pocket. Those washed-and-sandblasted-to-death jeans weren't capable of that. Still on jeans (and again from Ecotextile News), a recycling program that turns old jeans into insulation. If you do take part, make sure you only donate jeans that are absolutely beyond repair. Anything else would be lip service.

misc.

Today, Cotton USA gets into trouble for claims about cotton and sustainability - please, go after Jag Apparel next. Their 'blog' qualifies as advertising, doesn't it? On a positive note, just after the 29th International Cotton Conference in Bremen, Germany, the Organic Exchange will organise a two-day seminar for business (courtesy of Ecotextile News).

Why I avoid interviews with fashion designers written by fashion journalists (from The Toronto Star, via this blog):

"Using raw silk in jewel tones, organic wools, organic cotton-bamboo blends and organic denim, Biddell has created coats with grand architectural collars, extreme wide-leg jeans and dramatic eveningwear with long trailing trains and full skirts.

“A lot of the silhouettes I am using are egotistical,” Biddell says of the high volume shapes in his collection. “I haven’t seen a lot of really interesting, unique organic clothes … there is a lot of casual wear in organic fabrics but there are only a few luxury designers, like Stella McCartney and Marc Jacobs, who are starting to go sustainable."

There is a video of the collection inspired by eco-warriors and animé here. I have to say, the only thing that caught my eye on that page was the advertisement for Earth Hour. A year ago, Sydney was leading the way with it; now it's global. It's easy to be cynical about it, but as a visualisation tool it was pretty powerful as I recall. My neighbours and I were sitting outside in the darkness; at least 80% of the neighbourhood, normally all lit up, was dark. As for my cynicism regarding the article about the Project Runway Canada winner; it is great he's chosen to use the fabrics he has. I'm just a little bit impatient for there to be more widespread intellectual dialogue on fashion design that goes beyond designers talking about their inspirations.

As a short distraction, the following video from Issey Miyake (from last year) is powerful, too:

greenwashing: cotton

Courtesy of another Google alert came this:
"Essentially, all earth friendly fashion is biodegradable. 100% cotton is very appealing to most earth friendly fashion customers who wish to look chic and help the environment. If you’re interested in the latest earth friendly fashion made of 100% cotton, take a look at some of these featured 100% cotton items of eco-friendly apparel below."

Ok, the blog exists merely to promote a brand, Jag Apparel. And maybe Marissa2007 really does think cotton is environmentally friendly. I invite her to read some real facts about cotton here. Or here. I could go on but am very busy, and very annoyed.