When I used to think about “eco-fashion,” visions of boxy canvas dresses, natural hemp shoes, hair beads, tie-dye galore—and the tree-hugging, cannabis-drenched Deadheads that typically sport such looks—came to mind.
Truth be told, a few years ago these assumptions would be pretty close to the truth. Not until recently were eco-friendly garments sold outside of stores that also peddled bongs and the Doobie Brothers on vinyl.
But like other industries, the fashion world has expanded its environmental consciousness to serve the niche that seeks earth friendly apparel. Gone are the days when only those in dreadlocks and Birkenstocks don organic garb. Now, sophisticated fashionistas are the ones anxious to get their hands on the finest chemical-free organic cotton that money can buy.
For the past couple of years, organic cotton garments have worked their way onto the shelves of mainstream clothing stores. Pushed along by the rise of fashion-forward lines like American Apparel and other eco-fashion lines out of California, the masses are now more aware of the detrimental effects that non-organic cotton has on the environment.
Since most of the cotton crop in the United States is comprised of genetically engineered monocultures (identical plants without genetic diversity), the cotton plants are more susceptible to insects, viruses, and bacteria that can ruin harvests. As a result, farmers of GE crops must spray mass quantities of chemicals on their fields—up to ten times a season—to guard against crop failure, a practice with terrible ecological consequences.
Cotton is among the worst of the pesticide-guzzling crops, requiring a pound of pesticides for every 3 pounds of cotton fibers it produces, according to the Sustainable Cotton Project (SCP), a nonprofit organization based out of California. In fact, SCP says that 25% of all the pesticides used in the States annually are applied to just cotton. That amounts to over 50 million pounds of pesticides used per year. Bolstered by the oh-shit-we’re-really-screwing-up-the-earth consensus that has emerged over the past decade, organic cotton has become a trendy and somewhat planet-helping commodity in the clothing markets.
However, that’s a big “somewhat”—organic cotton yields in the country still account for less than one percent of the cotton crop, yet some of that yield is still treated with chemical dyes and other synthetic additives, such as stain repellants and water wicking chemicals. Although these dyes and synthetic materials cause post-production pollution when the clothing is disposed, the USDA still deems it worthy of the “Certified Organic” badge.
Nonetheless, green activists are abuzz about the alternative textiles’ influence on the realm of runway fashion. This week, Audubon Magazine had a write-up about the prominence of sustainable and alternative fabrics used on runways from Milan to Los Angeles. At New York’s Fashion Week, an array of “green” fabrics graced the catwalk, such as piña cobweb (made from the leaves of pineapple plants) and hemp silk. Will manufacturers take the lead from designers, and deliver planet-friendly apparel at affordable prices to the masses? With any luck, this won’t just be another fleeting fashion trend.
