Historical Perspectives on Sustainable Fashion

Introduction 1. Materials and processes Materials and processes: how did we get here? The development of cotton Wool and its competitors Silk and rayon Synthetic fibers Unconventional materials The invention of synthetic dyes Human impacts of dyeing Environmental impacts of dyeing Materials and processes: inspiration for change Organic cotton The resurgence of wool Hemp and flax Lyocell and bamboo Lower impact dyes Natural dyes Materials and processes: thinking critically Materials and processes: further reading 2. Design and Manufacture Design and manufacture: how did we get here? Clothing production before mechanization Advancements in spinning and weaving The sewing machine and ready-made clothing Choice and disposability Design and manufacture: inspiration for change Wartime restrictions and quality Post-war couture Artisanal techniques and slow fashion5 Design features Design and manufacture: thinking critically Design and manufacture: further reading 3. Reuse and Recycling Reuse and recycling: how did we get here? Repurposing practices Shawls and scraps The Great Depression and the Second World War Shoddy recycling Reuse and recycling: inspiration for change Post-war repurposing The rise of vintage Repurposing and upcycling in the 1990s and 2000 A new era of fiber recycling Reuse and recycling: thinking critically Reuse and recycling: further reading 4. Labor Practices Labor practices: how did we get here? Textile mills Child labor Garment factories Globalization and sweatshops Subcontracting and safety Labor practices: inspiration for change Unionization Labeling Designer-led action Labor rights in a globalized industry Cooperatives and fair trade Labor practices: thinking critically Labor practices: further reading 5. Treatment of Animals Treatment of animals: how did we get here? Feather adornments The use of fur Trapping and farming Treatment of animals: inspiration for change Anti-feather campaigns Anti-fur campaigns

Dr Amy Twigger Holroyd is Associate Professor of Fashion and Sustainability at Nottingham School of Art & Design, part of Nottingham Trent University. She has explored the emerging field of fashion and sustainability since 2004, initially via her craft fashion knitwear label, Keep & Share. Amy's work has been featured in various exhibitions, books and publications, from Vogue to Fashion Theory. Her research today focuses on fashion transitions: the participatory exploration of alternative, open and plural fashion systems that respect the Earth's capacity to support life. Amy's Arts & Humanities Research Council-funded Fellowship project, Fashion Fictions, brings people together to generate, experience and reflect on engaging fictional visions of alternative fashion cultures and systems. Other initiatives include Reknit Revolution, a project supporting knitters to rework the items in their wardrobes, and research networks Stitching Together and Crafting the Commons. Amy has authored and edited several books, including her monograph Folk Fashion: Understanding Homemade Clothes (I.B. Tauris, 2017).