Studying at Falmouth University, Katie Waller, discusses sustainable fashion practices and collaboration with The Natural Fibre Company.
Katie has started to knit with ethically and sustainably sourced yarns from The Natural Fibre Company in Launceston, where you can see the material go from fleece to yarn all under one roof, keeping everything in-house and cutting the cost of CO2 emissions. The Natural Fibre company are experts in turning raw fleece into high-quality yarn.
Katie’s pre-collection ‘Optic Threads’ is made completely from biodegradable yarn, “I want my stuff to disappear after years... I always want to keep everything as sustainable as possible”.
‘Optic Threads’ took Katie two weeks of 12-hour days to create her pieces, hand knitting every panel to be made into a jumper and shorts. In comparison, with technology advancing, a company called Shima Seiki manufacture machines that knit a jumper in 16 minutes with no waste, they are called ‘Wholegarment’ machines, but they will set you back £150,470.
As a fashion student, Katie enjoys knitting as it’s pretty much zero waste, “you get what you need and any leftover you make something out of it, don't chop off your ends you weave them in”. The Natural Fibre Company have almost zero waste; all leftover products are put to other use, such as dog bedding and insulation, says Katie.
Students at Falmouth University are trying to cut back on fabric waste, pre-planning what needs to be used and creating zero-waste cutting patterns.
I spoke to Beki Gilbert, the account executive at The Natural Fibre Company. She turns greasy fleece into a finished product or a piece to develop projects. Beki believes that being sustainable is not a luxury, “Brands are starting to integrate sustainability into their sourcing and production process, to ensure that their products are not only luxurious but also ethically produced. Traceability is becoming a big thing as customers are more interested in where their items are coming from”
Beki recommends looking into where your items have been grown as well as how and where they have been manufactured. Pieces may broadcast they have been “made in the UK” but have travelled for multiple reasons such as dying the fabric or packaging. They also may have been blended with other fibres that are not as sustainable such as nylon or cotton. This is exactly what Katie does, when it comes to buying her own clothes charity shops are a go-to, although when she does order clothes online, she makes sure they are sourced from within the UK, as well as knowing what she’s buying is made from.
Katie emphasizes how she would never use acrylic, polyester or nylon even after she graduates, “I just think the quality is not there and what's the point in making clothes if they don't feel nice and you don't want to wear them? Because it may just end up in landfill”. Polyester isn't biodegradable, so it takes hundreds of years for the fibre to breakdown and in that time, it could contaminate the soil due to being made from a fossil fuel.
This is Katies last term as a fashion student at Falmouth University, we’re excited to see what comes of her last project.
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