SUSTAINABLE FASHION MUSEUM
Amsterdam, Holland
Visited 5 February 2023
I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Fashion For Good Museum, Sustainable Fashion in Amsterdam, Holland, and boy oh boy, do we need one of these in all cities across the globe!
Though there may have not been much in there that was news to me, I found it to be brilliantly insightful for anyone who has an interest in sustainability and fashion. It doesn't have an overwhelming amount of information, and so should also pique some interest to passerby tourists and the like! At the time of visiting, there was an exhibition into the journey from cotton to t-shirt (which will be shared with you in the next blog!). Set over three (albeit small) floors, the basement held the cotton exhibition "the past", the ground floor held "the present exhibition", which consisted of some modern pieces surrounded by sustainable items for sale today. In another room was the option to select a print to be printed onto a cotton t-shirt of your choice. The top floor presented "the future" of sustainable fashion, and had samples of fascinating materials and blends using all things recycled or grown in nature.
These were wonderful to be able to see in real life, and even to be able to touch some of them. It gave a very optimistic, exciting hopeful feeling for the future!
Examples include:
- Infinna Fibre. Infinited Fiber Company (Finland) is using innovative technology that repurposes cotton-rich end-of-use consumer textiles, that would have otherwise ended up in landfill or be incinerated, to create a new cellulosic high-quality regenerated textile fibre called Infinna, which feels soft and natural like virgin cotton. The waste is broken down through a pre-treatment process and the non-cellulosic parts in the feedstock (polyester, elastane and dyes) are removed. The result is the new, unique, cellulosic Infinna fibre.
- Knitwear Lab X Modus Intarsia. Chiengora is yarn spun from the undercoat of selected dog breeds, a common source of waste left over from their daily grooming routines. Knitwear Lab tested the knitting properties of Modus Intarsia's industrial Chiengora yarn and according to the tests, Chiengora can be well processed, knitted with and its properties are comparable with those of traditional wool types.
- Mycelium. MycoTEX (Soest) grows its own mushroom roots using very little water and no chemicals. Founded by Aniela Hoitink, MycoTEX developed a seamless manufacturing method for custom-made clothes made from compostable mushroom roots, better known as mycelium. Seamless manufacturing method is possible by placing the exact amount of mycelium needed onto a mould, thus also reducing textile waste.
- Frumat (Italy) has created a leather-like material from apple-skins, a waste product of the farming industry. This material can be dyed naturally without chemically intensive techniques, that is durable enough to be made into luxury accessories and footwear, but can also biodegrade when in their purest form.
- Green Whisper (France) saw the potential in banana waste. A commonly grown fruit in the Southern Hemisphere, banana plants produce a lot of agricultural waste after each harvest, which is typically left on the ground to rot, taken to open dumps or burnt. Green Whisper uses this waste to produce textile and paper products. The process involves extracting banana fibres from the "pseudostem" (the part of the banana that looks like a trunk). These fibres can then be used to develop natural textiles that are breathable, lightweight, allergen-free and completely biodegradable.
The exhibition at the Fashion For Good museum also includes new innovative technologies for the dyeing and finishing processes with little impact to the environment.
A small but eye-opening exhibition for any one with any interest in sustainability, clothes, fashion and textiles!
Information correct as of 5 February 2023. A Kind Cloth is in no way affiliated with any aforementioned companies.