• Program:
    California College of the Arts
  • Course:
    Fashion & Sustainability Studio / Spring 2011
  • Collaborator:
    Celeste Rose Johnson
  • Photography:
    Matt Furuta
  • Model:
    Aby Sane
  • Exhibitions:
    *Water Works, Oliver Art Ctr, Oakland CA / 2011 *Durban Climate Change Summit / 2011

CHALLENGE:
Copious amounts of water are used at every stage of textile and fashion production; from dying and printing, to finishing effects. The fashion industry’s imperative to grow ensures that the net volume of water consumed by the fashion system as a whole will inevitably increase. Access to fresh water is a basic human need, yet less than 1% of Earth’s water is clean enough to be consumed by humans. The world’s human population reached 7 billion in 2011 and is predicted to increase by an additional 1 to 4 billion towards the end of the 21st century, placing even more pressure on our most precious of resources. Water scarcity, otherwise known as peak water, is now a reality.

SOLUTION:
This concept was a collaboration between Celeste Rose Johnson and Sandra Negron.  We propose a solution to the global water crisis challenging the fashion industry’s utter dependence upon growth and the culture of consumption. Designed for planned-optimization, the jacket presents a new way to wear and value clothing.

*The textile is made from antimony free (post- consumer) recycled polyester, (rPET), which uses significantly less water than other fibers, (about 89% less) and can be recycled in perpetuity. rPET reduces energy use by up to 53% in comparison to virgin polyester, thereby reducing carbon emissions and associated impacts on climate change and reduced snowmelt.

*The fabric is then printed using AirDye® technology, which applies color with air & heat rather than the traditional water bath method. This reduces the volume of water diverted to the mill and eliminates wastewater altogether.

*But, perhaps most important of all, the jacket empowers the wearer to change or refresh their outfit without making an additional purchase. Constructed with easily changeable pieces the style can be adapted from military chic to bolero flirt and is also completely reversible.

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