CityLine: Making fashion piece by piece

I’M KAREN HOLMES WARD. WELCOME TO CITYLINE. CLEANING OUT YOUR CLOSET. LOOKING TO REFRESH YOUR WARDROBE LATER IN THE PROGRAM, WE’RE GOING TO SHARE SOME TIPS ABOUT HOW TO DO THAT MORE SUSTAINABLY. BUT FIRST WE’RE GOING TO TAKE YOU TO MASS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN, WHERE THE NEXT GENERATION OF DESIGNERS ARE LOOKING TO MAKE THEIR MARK IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY, NOT NOT ON THE ENVIRONMENT. FASHION BESPOKE OR MASS PRODUCED, TRENDY OR TIMELESS. IT’S AN INDUSTRY ROOTED IN NECESSITY AND CULTURE. BUT THE JOURNEY FROM RUNWAYS TO CONSUMERS CLOSETS IS LITTERED WITH WASTEFUL PRACTICES. CARBON EMISSIONS, WATER POLLUTION AND OVERCONSUMPTION DRIVEN BY POORLY MADE AND CHEAPLY PRICED CLOTHING, THIS GLOBAL INDUSTRY, WORTH $1.7 TRILLION, HAS AT LEAST ONE UP AND COMER READY TO JOIN RANKS WITH MORE THAN 300 MILLION PEOPLE IN THE CLOTHING SUPPLY CHAIN. ONLY SHE WILL BE WORKING CONSCIENTIOUSLY TO DESIGN A BETTER FUTURE, ONE GARMENT AT A TIME. BUT I’M REALLY IN LOVE WITH THE WITH THE END RESULT. HAYLEY RIVAS IS HARD AT WORK FINISHING HER SENIOR PROJECT AT THE MASSACHUSETTS COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN. SHE EMBRACES THE CHALLENGE OF WORKING SUSTAINABLY THROUGH THE MATERIALS SHE CHOOSES AND HER WORK METHODOLOGY. IT’S A SUSTAINABLE FASHION COLLECTION THAT LOOKS AT WATER AND HOW WATER CAN SERVE AS AN ANALOGY FOR PEOPLE COMING TOGETHER TO DO GOOD THINGS. SO THIS PARTICULAR DESIGN IS INSPIRED BY A WATERFALL IN BRAZIL, UM, PRECISELY ALONG THE BORDER BETWEEN BRAZIL AND ARGENTINA. THE IGUASSU WATERFALLS. THEY’RE ONE OF THE NEW SEVEN NATURAL WONDERS OF THE WORLD. AND SO I TOOK I HAD LIKE VERY MINIMAL AMOUNTS OF THIS BLUE AND THIS GREEN FABRIC, BUT I WAS ABLE TO USE KIND OF BOTH SIDES OF THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIFFERENT TEXTURES AND SO I CREATED DIFFERENT TEXTURES AND I PIECED THEM TOGETHER AND I CREATED KIND OF THIS ONE SHOULDER, UM, GOWN. AND THEN I USED A WEDDING GOWN FOR THIS WHITE FABRIC RIGHT HERE. AND I HAVE A BED SHEET UNDER, UNDER HERE, WHICH I THINK IS VERY FUN TO THINK ABOUT. A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I USE AS WELL COME FROM THE INITIATIVE THAT I ACTUALLY STARTED HERE ON CAMPUS, WHICH IS A TEXTILE SCRAP COLLECTION INITIATIVE. ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE JUST GOING DIRECTLY INTO THE WASTE STREAM, AND FOR ME, THAT WAS UNACCEPTED. AND SO I STARTED WITH A LITTLE CARDBOARD BOX. I ASKED FOR PERMISSION AND I JUST PUT IT UNDER THE TABLE AND WITHIN A WEEK IT WAS OVERFLOWING. THAT’S A BIG PART OF LIKE ANY, ANY KIND OF COLLECTION OR WASTE REDUCTION OR, YOU KNOW, DIVERSION SYSTEM IS KNOWING WHERE THINGS ARE GOING TO END UP. HAYLEY’S COMMITMENT TO MINIMIZING WASTE IMPRESSED THE SCHOOL’S FACULTY, INCLUDING PROFESSOR JENNIFER VERKAMP, CHAIR OF THE FASHION DEPARTMENT, WHO THEN HELPED HER GROW THE PROGRAM. SHE’S BEEN ALWAYS FOCUSED ON MAKING HER WORK FROM SCRAPS OF M█ATERIALS THAT SHE’S BEEN COLLECTING. SO WE GOT HER THESE BIG BINS THAT WE PLACED IN THE WHOLE ALL THE STUDIO US. UM, AND SHE MADE THE SIGNAGE FOR IT AND IT’S BEEN A HUGE SUCCESS. HAYLEY’S INTEREST IN SEWING STARTED AT A YOUNG AGE, WATCHING HER GRANDMOTHER, A SEAMSTRESS WHO ALSO USES SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES AND NOW BENEFITS FROM HAYLEY’S SCRAP COLLECTION. SOME OF THE BIGGER SCRAPS THAT I FIND, I DO SEND THEM ONCE I’M ABLE TO COLLECT KIND OF A LARGE AMOUNT. UM, AND SHE MAKES DRESSES FOR LITTLE GIRLS, AND SHE ALSO MAKES QUILTS, AND SHE DONATES THEM TO PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED IN HER COMMUNITY IN COLOMBIA, IN THEIR LAST REPORT, THE EPA’S DATA SHOWED LANDFILLS RECEIVED 11.3 MILLION TONS OF MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE TEXTILES IN 2018. THE MAIN SOURCE OF TEXTILES IN MSW IS DISCARDED CLOTHING. IT’S NOT ONLY FINISHED PRODUCTS REACHING LANDFILLS, AS STUDENTS ARE LEARNING ABOUT HOW TO MINIMIZE WASTE AT EVERY STAGE OF THE DESIGN PROCESS. NORMALLY, IF YOU PUT, YOU KNOW, A NORMAL PATTERN THAT YOU HAVE, THAT YOU CREATE FOR A GARMENT HAS ABOUT 15% FAT WARWICK WASTE. SO IN TRADITIONALLY THAT FABRIC WASTE GETS THROWN AWAY OR GOES INTO AN INCINERATOR OR TO A LANDFILL, OR THERE’S MORE SOLUTIONS COMING UP FOR THAT. BUT BUT IT’S STILL AN ISSUE. SO JUST WHATEVER YOU CAN MINIMIZE YOUR WASTE. VAREKAMP SAYS THE CLASS’S PURPOSE IS NOT TO DETER STUDENTS FROM THE INDUSTRY, BUT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO FIND CREATIVE SOLUTIONS. DEVENS YOU’RE OPENING A CAN OF WORMS, ESSENTIALLY, BECAUSE YOU’RE TELLING STUDENTS ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE BAD ABOUT THE INDUSTRY THAT THEY’RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE WORKING IN. I’VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE A REALLY BEAUTIFUL SHIFT IN MINDSET IN MY CLASSMATES BEFORE, IT WAS JUST MOSTLY PEOPLE JUST DUMPING THINGS, AND I WOULD BE THE ONLY ONE REALLY GRABBING FROM THERE. BUT NOW I SEE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH AND GRABBING FROM THAT TO USE FOR THEIR PROJECTS. HAYLEY USES SCRAP MATERIALS IN THE FOUNDATION OF HER WORK, AND THE LARGER DESIGN. SO THIS RIGHT HERE IS MUSLIN. IT’S A TEST FABRIC THAT WE USE VERY COMMONLY TO CREATE KIND OF MOCK UPS OF WHAT OUR FINAL DESIGNS WILL BE. AND SO WHAT I’M DOING IS I’M KIND OF RIPPING IT UP INTO STRIPS AND TURNING IT INTO THE BASIS FOR THE STRUCTURE. UM, THIS HERE IS BASED OFF OF WHAT A HOOP SKIRT WOULD BE, KIND OF TO CREATE THOSE BIG VOLUMINOUS GOWNS. AND SO I’M CREATING KIND OF A DIFFERENT DESIGN WITH IT. AND I’M USING THIS AS THE STRUCTURE. I LIKE TO THINK OF MYSELF AS AN OPTIMISTIC DESIGNER. UM, THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS OUT IN THE WORLD THAT CAN SOMETIMES BRING US DOWN AND MAKE US FEEL WORRIED ABOUT OUR FUTURE, ABOUT THE WORLD THAT’S AROUND US. UM, BUT I ALWAYS LIKE TO BRING A SMILE TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY LOOK AT MY WORK. I KNOW THAT I NEED TO DO MY PART IN ORDER TO, TO HELP KIND OF SAVE OUR PLANET. HOPEFULLY, I KNEW THAT I DID NOT WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO CREATING ANY HARM FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, ANY HARM FOR PEOPLE WHO WHO WORK SEWING CLOTHING FOR A LIVING AND I JUST KNEW THAT I WAS GOING TO DEDICATE MY CAREER TO SUSTAINABLE FASHION. UM, WELL, ACCORDING TO THE STATE’S DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, MATT HAS MORE THAN 25 BUSINESSES, MANUFACTURERS AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT COLLECT, REUSE, UPCYCLE OR CONVERT USED TEXTILES INTO NEW PRODUCTS. CHRONICLES ANTHONY EVERETT TELLS US ABOUT ONE OF THEM. YOU’VE SEEN THEM LARGE METAL BOXES WHERE YOU CAN DROP OFF UNNEEDED CLOTHES, SHOES, AND LINENS. BUT WHAT HAPPENS AFTER YOU LEAVE TEXTILE COLLECTION COMPANY CHELSEA TOOK US INSIDE THEIR WOBURN WAREHOUSE. WE COLLECT ABOUT 5 MILLION POUNDS OF CLOTHES A YEAR. THE BIG GOAL IS KEEPING THAT CLOTHING OUT OF LANDFILLS HELPS THE ESTIMATES THE AVERAGE PERSON THROWS AWAY MORE THAN 100 POUNDS OF TEXTILES EVERY YEAR, CHIEF OF STAFF LISA SCANNELLA 95% OF WHAT WE COLLECT EITHER ENDS UP REUSED AS CLOTHING OR REUSED AS SOMETHING ELSE. 5% IF IT’EN DRIVERS DROP OFF TEX AT THIS WAREHOUSE, THEY GO STRAIGHT INTO THE BALER. THEY’RE TURNED INTO THOUSAND POUND BUNDLES, CHELSEA PACKS THEM INTO TRAILERS AND SELLS THEM. THESE CUSTOMERS HAVE A GRADING OR SORTING OPERATION. THEY WILL SORT THROUGH THE CLOTHES AND EXTRACT THE MOST VALUE. IT’S LIKE INVENTORY FOR THRIFT STORES. MAYBE IF IT’S LIKE A COTTON T SHIRT THAT HAS A STAIN OR A HOLE, IT’S STILL AN ABSORBENT MATERIAL AND STILL COULD BE USED AS A WIPER. SO THIS IS A BAG THAT SOMEONE PLACED IN A BIN. AND THIS IS KIND OF SOME STUFF THAT YOU CAN FIND. SO AMERICAN EAGLE SHORTS NICE. LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE’S SUMMER WARDROBE. SO PERFECTLY GOOD REUSABLE CLOTHING. SHAYNA SAYS IT IS BEST TO REUSE CLOTHING AS CLOTHING BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY AND RESOURCES USED TO CREATE THE ITEMS IN THE FIRST PLACE. BUT THEY’LL STILL FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH WORN OUT SHOES AND STAINED SHIRTS. WE WANT TO DO THE HARD WORK OF MATCHING, LIKE, WHAT’S GOOD ENOUGH FOR REUSE VERSUS RECYCLING. IN NOVEMBER 2022, MASSACHUSETTS BANNED TEXTILES FROM TRASH COLLECTION. SHAYNA HOPES THIS WILL CHANGE HABITS. I THINK AT THIS POINT, IT’S THE NORM TO THINK ABOUT RECYCLING CARDBOARD, PLASTIC, ALUMINUM, PAPER. BUT IT WASN’T ALWAYS THE CASE, RIGHT? SO WE’RE KIND OF MAKING STRIDES IN THE TEXTILE SPACE WITH HAVING PEOPLE THINK ABOUT REUSE AND RECYCLING HELPS RUNS TEXTILE RECYCLING PROGRAMS FOR ABOUT TWO DOZEN COMMUNITIES IN MASSACHUSETTS, INCLUDING CAMBRIDGE. THE COMPANY EMPTIES COLLECTION BINS AND ALSO PICKS UP TEXTILES FROM RESIDENTS HOMES. IT’S ALSO A MONEY SAVER TO DISPOSE OF THE TEXTILES IN THE TRASH. COST THE CITY MONEY, AND SO BY DIVERTING THE ITEMS TO ONE OF THESE BINS OR THE CURBSIDE COLLECTION, YOU’RE SAVING THE CITY MONEY. NOT ONLY THAT, THE CONTRACT THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR VENDOR IS A NO COST CONTRACT TO US. CAMBRIDGE RECYCLING DIRECTOR MIKE AYER SAYS RESIDENTS HAVE EMBRACED THE PROGRAM. UM, WE COLLECT CLOSE TO 20 TONS A MONTH DURING THE SUMMERTIME. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE LOVE THE IDEA OF LIKE, HAVING A REALLY EASY SYSTEM TO DEAL WITH, LIKE A LARGE PORTION OF THEIR TRASH. UP NEXT, SPEND OR SPLURGE. WHAT V