With a rise in the fast fashion industry (Shein, Uniqlo, Top shop), there is a plethora of toxic outputs that are highly damaging to the world. They impact the environment, social equality, and economics by attempting to make shortcuts to high fashion. By Upcycling and recycling clothes we are able to work away from "Fast Fashion", that is not only HIGHWAY ROBBERY but affects the World greatly!
Fast fashion is the production of textiles and clothing at a highly accelerated rate to meet demand. This causes manufacturers to rely on virgin synthetic materials because they are cheaper and quicker to produce. However, virgin synthetic materials (like polyester), take decades to biodegrade taking up an overabundance of waste in the environment. According to the BBC, around 85% of all textiles are thrown away in the US. The average American has been estimated to throw away around 37kg of clothes every year, which is the equivalent to a waste management truckload of trash being brought to a landfill every second. The BBC claims that in a whole we discard more than 134 million tonnes of textiles a year. So basically, the “Fast Fashion” industry is thrown out just as fast as it is produced. The fast fashion system uses high volumes of non-renewable resources, including petroleum, extracted to produce clothes that are often used only for a short period of time, after which the materials are largely lost to landfill or incineration, along with the trillions of clothes average americans discard within the years. Wouldn’t it just be better to Upcycle?
Upcycled clothing is the act of taking clothes that would otherwise be placed in a landfill and recreating them into highfashion. That is why Stardust & Hunnybee is adding to the “Don’t make waste, Wear it!” mission joining many other companies; such as Girlfriend Collective, Patagonia, Beyond Retro, and many more.
Upcycled clothing can be made from anything!!! From old fabrics, a pair of white jeans you spilled coffee on, and even plastic water bottles. The benefits to adopting this major change is that it is fully sustainable.
Following the 6 Rs of Sustainability:
Rethink: traditional ways of doing things
Reuse: items or products before acquiring new ones
Recycle: items rather than buying new items
Repair: things that are damaged or broken instead of discarding them and buying new ones
Reduce purchases or consumption of raw materials in making new products
Refuse to purchase items that are not necessary.
For starters, Upcyling clothes is environmentally sustainable. Meaning that it reduces harm through its production by making less waste. By reusing fabrics you can also aid in reducing water consumption, lower emissions, and some even aid in soil regeneration. Did you know? That the processing for conventional textiles requires around 100-150 liters of water for every kilogram of fiber according to the Florida State University study.
As well as, Upcycling clothes is economically sustainabile meaning it creates products are fashionable (not ugly), affordable to the market, and has incredibly cheap materials. Finally, buying and creating Upcycled clothes is socially sustainable meaning it finds means of production that is equal to all members of society. These awesome pieces of Fashion are not made through means of unethical labor (sweatshops). Many fast fashion industries, like Shien, Fashion nova, etc. do not practice social sustainability. By buying from companies that use the 3 pillars of sustainability YOU are making a huge impact on the Environment, Social Justice, and the Economy!!!!! Even if you are not adept in Upcycling yourself, a single purchase does not only help artists thrive, but takes away a market from the fast fashion industry that could gravely affect our future. Amunst this... THE CLOTHES ARE CUTE AF!! They're one of a kind, hand made, and relativley inexpensive. Check out sneak peek Below ;)
Looking Forward to Our Clothing Drop SUMMER 2022!!!
How it Started for Me:
Working with the Boys & Girls Clubs for over 8 years and being a member since I was 7 years old, I had to learn a thing or two about costumes. Every week over the summer, and every holiday we would have crazy competitions to see who had the best costume. Coming from a home that couldn't afford to go to Party City every week, I learned quickly how to take old things and make it new.
Thanks to my Mom, I was able to master the art of thrifting and flipping. Little did I know I would continue to do this throughout my life.
For years I would make costumes and designs and made it my MISSION to have the smallest budget possible. I taught myself to sew and embroidery, and certain ways to manipulate fabric quickly to create unique costumes that could surely win. Even to this day, I could make a costume out of any material made in my closet.
After finessing the costume game, I found myself upset that I couldn't have the high end fashion that a lot of my friends had. So I would ask my mom to take me to Goodwill to Flip any clothes I could. Now I am able to create my own style personalized to me simply out of things I've found in my closet! I'm looking forward to carrying this to life into Stardust & Hunnybee.
Citations
Eric. “19 Recycled Clothing Brands Making the World Better.” The Sustainable Living Guide, 3
Dec. 2021, thesustainablelivingguide.com/recycled-and-upcycled-clothing-brands/.
Guide, Staff. “10 Sustainable Fabrics You Should Know About.” The Good Trade, The Good
Trade, 20 Oct. 2021, www.thegoodtrade.com/features/sustainable-clothing-fabrics.
Kadolph, Sara J., and Sara B. Marcketti. Textiles. Pearson, 2017, p. 558
“A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion's Future.” How to Build a Circular Economy,
ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy.
“Why Clothes Are so Hard to Recycle.” BBC Future, BBC,
www.bbc.com/future/article/20200710-why-clothes-are-so-hard-to-recycle.