Made in China Goes Fasionably Green
July 28, 2009 by Linda Tom
Filed under Fashion & Beauty
Is it a sign of the times? Hong Kong designers are beginning to adopt green regulations (REACH) established by the European Community of Regulations. The realization by some Chinese companies is that “green” clothing is more attractive to fashionistas globally. Though commercial intentions are often motivated by monetary interests, the adoption and adherence to “green” policies will have a long term positive effect of eco awareness and new green industry standards that eventually become the norm. Though the green meter may not be in full tilt, it’s a first step. Made in China is no longer just a moniker for cheap goods. Now it’s becoming fashionably green.
green team
In the fashion industry, green is where the money is. But the desire to be seen as environmentally friendly is not just about public perception. It also involves such new regulations as REACH, which governs the chemicals that go into fabrics and the dyes that colour them.
REACH is the European Community Regulation on the safe use of chemicals. It deals with the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemical substances. The new law came into force in June 2007. It was created to protect human health and the environment through better and earlier identification of the intrinsic properties of chemical substances. At the same time, it should enhance innovative capability and competitiveness in the EU chemicals industry.
To comply with REACH, the textiles industry has focused on identifying products related to substances that have to be registered under the law. Its purpose is to determine if their products contain acceptable amounts of Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC), according to Dr Dianna Poon, global REACH Manager for the SGS Group, an international inspection, verification, testing and certification firm.
“Garment and fabric manufacturers and buyers need to understand their roles under REACH,” she said.
Green Style
Hong Kong business partners Teresa Woo (left) and Dorothy Lam have set up an eco kids-wear brand Green Bean But it’s not just suppliers and manufacturers who are hopping on the green bandwagon. Consumers, too, are joining in, and finding, finally, smart styles.
“There is a great range of options out there if you know where to look,” according to Sarah Woodhead, Editor and founder of Greenmystyle.com, a website for professionals who want to make greener choices. Ms Woodhead said online companies, including Fin, Noir, Doucette Duvall, Camilla Norrback, People Tree, Anatomy and Linda Loudermilk, are emerging at the front of the green pack.
Many of the companies’ websites tend to target women, but Ms Woodhead said men are not being short-changed because the ratio of items available is fairly close to what is available in mainstream clothing lines.
Ms Woodhead, along with many others in the textile and fashion industries, cautioned against consumers being “greenmailed” – fooled by false promises of eco-friendliness. Clothing made from cotton that has been certified as organic should be clearly labeled, while any product carrying the Fair Trade label has to meet certain environmental standards, she said.
Environmentally conscious consumers should ask such questions as how hard-wearing a garment is and how long it will last, how far it has been transported and whether materials have been or can be recycled.
Competitive Pricing
Most environmentally friendly clothes, whether made from organic cotton, recycled material or in adherence to fair-trade principles, come at a price premium. But there are signs that greener clothes are entering the mainstream and available at competitive prices.
Specialists such as People Tree and Adili.com now offer a wide range of well-priced eco-friendly pieces, while high-street brands that offer organic clothes, including American Apparel and M&S, have to compete with their conventional rivals on price, according to Greenmystyle.com.
Fashion Week
Other companies, including United States-based packaging specialist Avery Dennison, are also coming up with products for the fashion industry that put an eco-friendly face on their business. At this year’s HKTDC Fashion Week for Fall/Winter 2009, the company exhibited new sewing supplies featuring products under the category, “Eco-friendly Solutions, Heat Transfers and Packaging Solutions.”
The products, made from recycled, organic, natural and biodegradable materials, include: graphics tags and labels made of recycled paper stocks, including those certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), green Seal, Green-e and others certified as chlorine-free; specialty packaging made from environmentally friendly and biodegradable polymers; soy-based offset inks and water-based flexo inks. There were also environmentally friendly carton-label and size-strip adhesives, and woven and printed fabric labels made from organic cotton, bamboo, natural fibres and recycled polyester.
Avery Dennison’s Halo-free Eco Transfers combine eco-friendly, brand enhancement and product performance advantages in a heat transfer concept. Made from water-based inks, the labels are PVC-free and contain no azo dyes, formaldehyde, heavy metals or vinyl products.
The labels are “Halo-free” because they exhibit no visible adhesive shadow around text or graphics and are recommended by the company for use on cotton, cotton blends and some polyester blends in T-shirts, intimate apparel, casual clothing and children’s wear. They withstand dry-cleaning and home laundering at temperatures of up to 60°C.
Green Kids
It’s not just the grown-ups who are getting into the environmental act. Hong Kong-based kids-wear brand Green Bean, produced by fashion designer Dorothy Lam, is starting to spread the environmental gospel to children. The company features tips on green living directly on the organic clothes they make.
Ms Lam’s business partner, Teresa Woo, said the company ensures that its suppliers deliver organic materials by conducting on-site visits to verify the products.
“We study their certificates and check their other orders. We’re gaining more confidence and improving with each season by putting more organic and environmentally friendly material in the clothes. We are using organic labels and water-based inks from Italy,” Ms Woo said.
“We hope to be 100 percent environmentally friendly by the spring season. We’re working on the collection now,” Ms Woo said, adding that they have already covered the biggest issues, including dealing with dyes and paints.
“All of our links contain eco messages,” Ms Woo said. “Apart from bringing organic fabrics to the buyers, we want to bring our message to children, so that when they grow up, they will be part of the green team.”
