Zero Waste Fashion Trend

Artwork by Sophie Theroux

The $450 billion global fashion industry is an important player in the global economy, and arguably one of the most powerful. Fashion trends have the capability to spread the globe like wildfire, and the capacity to carry with it powerful information. We all choose to dress a certain way and our wardrobe conveys information about us like who we are, what we do, and our mood or personality. The fashion industry does a fantastic job of convincing us what we should wear. Trends dictates what is appropriate for certain situations, but there is a rarely asked question: "Is what's trending appropriate?".

The Problems:

• Over 8,000 chemicals go into textile manufacture, all of which are harmful to the environment. 
• Over 40% of fabric is polyester, a fabric made from petroleum which is not a renewable resource.
• 15-20% of fabric is wasted in garment production.
• The EPA estimates Americans throw away over 68 pounds of textiles every year.



Men's Patchwork Short and Shirt

• Sweatshops are a reality. 

Peaceful Fashions challenges the typical design process by pursuing new and creative ways to provide our customer with products that are environmentally responsible and fashionable. One way we approach this is through our zero-waste designs. We use all-new materials and eliminate waste in product design and manufacture. Scraps from previous designs are saved and pieced together to create piecework designs and patchwork fabric. Zero-waste fashion began gaining publicity in the late 1990's alongside the zero-waste movement, which is the philosophy that waste is actually a valuable resource. However, zero-waste fashion is certainly not a new concept; early examples include the traditional Japanese Kimono and Indian Sari. 

Peaceful Fashions is committed to maintaining transparency within our company, we strive for trust-based relationships with our customers. We will not tolerate the current price paid by the environment, and we hope that through education we can promote the new trend of sustainable living