Sneakers made from banana or pineapple leaves, clothes made from nettles or fish scales – the search for sustainable materials has taken the fashion industry to some unusual places.
Experts warn that these new textiles are not a quick fix to the fashion industry’s huge problems – such as overconsumption and waste. Nevertheless, they represent a necessary step in the development of better technologies.
“You could eat the end product,” says Hannes Schönegger, co-founder of Bananatex. The company used the leaves of Philippine banana trees to make bags, t-shirts and a shoe collection for H&M in March 2021. The collection sold out in two hours.
Schönegger spoke at the Première Vision in Paris, where industry professionals come together to find out which fabrics will be of interest in the coming seasons. “We only harvest the lateral parts of the plants that are already growing in the forest, so no chemicals, pesticides or even water are used,” added Schönegger. He was one of several exhibitors at the show showcasing new organically grown materials.
Brazilian company Nova Kaeru showcased a leather alternative made from the scales of the giant pirarucu fish, as well as a material made from the tropical elephant ear plant. Not far away, pineapple Anam introduced Nike shoes made from pineapple leaves.
Nettle is hip
Although these alternative textiles are still niche for the moment, some companies are determined to bring them into the mainstream. The Spanish company Pyratex offers several options – from recycling waste from corn and sugar cane processing to producing fibers from Icelandic seaweed, Chinese bamboo or Austrian wood. “It’s not about replacing cotton with a single alternative crop. It’s about finding a wide range of substitutes to make sure nothing is overused,” said spokeswoman Pilar Tejada Lopez.
One plant that is attracting particular interest is the stinging nettle. It can be made into a silk-like and amazingly strong fabric that can be used for everyday and luxury clothing. Lopez underscores the fact that many of these technologies are not new. “Stinging nettles have been used in clothing for centuries, but we’ve largely forgotten about it,” says Lopez. “Part of our job is to reintroduce these ideas that have been lost.”
natural limits
Others warn against over-reliance on new materials in the pursuit of sustainability. “Substitute materials don’t make sense if we keep making the same amount of clothes,” said Victoire Satto of The Good Goods, a media outlet that specializes in responsible fashion. They might even exacerbate the problem if they’re used more widely by encouraging further deforestation to make room for new fad crops,” she said. “That’s why companies like Bananatex refuse to exceed the capacity of natural cultivation. Our project is part of a reforestation program, a good opportunity to revitalize the soil and give the local families work,” says Schönegger. “There is a natural limit. We will not go beyond these – because that would be harmful.”
Pyratex also places a strong emphasis on working with responsible farmers, avoiding highly complex supply chains that make it difficult for apparel companies to know who is growing their raw materials and under what conditions.
But Satto also says that the durability of organically grown materials needs to be better researched, since half of a garment’s environmental damage is related to its disposal. “If the product only lasts six months, that’s a huge environmental impact,” she says.
Ifeanyi Okwuadi, an award-winning British designer, says he focuses on how the clothes are made – not what they’re made of. “When I say sustainability, I mean the construction – right down to the right stitch length for each seam, because that tiny detail affects the longevity of the garment once you put it in the wash,” he says a lot of bio-based materials are still in the development phase.”Right now there are a lot of buzzwords that lure, but at some point we won’t have to say it’s from bananas or whatever – it’s just going to be plant fibers.”
Okwuadi adds: “I don’t use them in my work because the technique is quite primitive at the moment. But I see it as an evolution, like any technology, and we need those innovations.” (AFP)