A Collection of Hours

A Collection of Hours EDITION NO. 1 Toronto, Canada 2017

A Collection of Hours Eva Bennett

EDITION NO. ONE

A book about fast fashion, coonsumerism, and sustainability, with interviews of local Toronto fashion producers.

Toronto, Canada 2017 Revised 2020

In tandem with Professor Tarah Burke, and Ryerson University’s School of Fashion

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION

1

DEDICATION

2

HOW DO WE MEASURE SUSTAINABILITY?

3

PART 1: DESIGNERS

4

BRONWYN SEIER Bronwyn Seier A recipe to educate consumers about overconsumption in fashion.

5

COMRAGS Judy Cornish & Joyce Gunhouse A recipe for an 80 piece collection, produced exclusively in Toronto.

8

KOVALUM Mark Johnson A recipe for fall/winter and spring/summer collections, and some all-season wear.

14

REUNION UNIVERSE

BY TAEA MAGNUSON Taea Magnuson A recipe for a collection of 100% post-consumer textiles.

23

17

NINE Adrian Mejia A recipe to challenge fastfashion micro-seasons.

11

GRETA CONSTANTINE Kirk Pickersgill & Stephen Wong A recipe for one semi-annual collection.

20

RAW CONCEPTS Wendi Ricci A recipe for a seasonless, upcycled collection.

26

PART 2: ACTIVITIES

27

WHAT IS A SEAM? How a seam is made.

29

CONTRACTOR TO CONSUMER People between design to wear.

31

FROZEN FOOD Textile care poster card.

33

PROTOTYPES What is a “muslin”?

34

STICKERS

35

CLOSING NOTE

A Collection of Hours

Introduction There is soon no time available for people to read a daily newspaper and the consequence is that we get more of this thing called one-hand food. All food has to be such that one can hold it in one hand while doing something else with the other.

Carlsson-Kanyama, (1998) Thoughts concerning future food consumption: results from interviews, Report no. 208, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Stockholm, Sweden.

Shelter, food, and clothing are

extrinsic tools to get us ahead. We need nourishment before clothing, and so food trends dictate how we will consume fashion’s next trend.

Trends will always change, and so should you. If you know more about what it takes to make a collection of clothes, maybe it’ll change how you value clothes, and shape which ones you buy next (no matter where you shop).

Guarding fashion for longer wear while including the importance of a team mentality is the ethos of this book. I believe a key characteristic of fashion sustainability is a transparent supply chain. I wish to guide the Fashion Citizen -- which is anyone who consumes fashion -- through the

production cycles of select Toronto fashion brands. In this book I feature brand profiles and their sustainable strategies, and count the hours and people involved. With this book I hope to raise the Fashion Citizen’s perceived value of a sustainably produced local garment, and create an emotional connection from the consumer to the designer.

This book is about time. You can expect to spend 15 minutes reviewing the activities. There are over 12000 personal minutes invested in this book, and over 70 creatives involved in its content. It takes 23 minutes to read from cover to cover, and if you’ve never met the person that makes your clothes, it’s about time. I hope this book slows you enough to read it with two hands.

A Collection of Hours

1

Fo r

en

a

nd

2 Dedication

Fashion C i

tiz

e th

er the Design

A Collection of Hours

How do we measure sustainability?

There is no distinguished way in the fashion industry to regulate what is sustainable. It is overwhelming for consumers to feel like they are being proactive in their sustainable efforts. Sustainability in fashion means something different for everyone. It can be about earth-friendly textiles, fair pay and safe working conditions, equality between the producer and the merchant, consuming less, or reusing more. Most confusion comes from greenwashing, which is the exploitation of sustainability for the economic growth of a company or corporation.

Because fashion is a complicated network of industries that involve countless people, it is equally difficult to determine the true sustainability value of a garment.

It is also hard to put a number on priceless ingenuity and designs that are sold in the market place; and ensuring a product’s ecological sustainability is itself another hurdle.

The Higg Index neatly organizes the levels of sustainability for everyone involved. Since this book is about local production, sustainability is measured by the materials used and number of people involved. In the opening of each interview, I also asked each designer to define what sustainability means to them.

My sustainability measurement is as such: ([h][p]/c 2 ) (w). The hours (h) and persons (p) invovled in producing a collection are divided by the number of looks

in their collection (c) squared.

This number is then multiplied by the living wage (w) in Toronto in 2017. A higher result from this formula means that more people and materials are involved, and therefore costs are also greater. This measures the social and ecological sustainability of a brand; those with lower numbers hold a higher sustainability rating.

A Collection of Hours

Sustainability Measure

3

Part 1

DESIGNERS 4 Interviews

A Collection of Hours

BRONWYN SEIER Sustainability is:

If stakeholders (textile farmers and producers, sewers, patternmakers, designers, and consumers) all feel empowered by their participation in the supply chain ...this is not to say that this has been achieved by the brand, but that it is the goal.

ecycl

Also critical is making clothes that encourage consumers to value them, so that their lif

e

is lengthened.

What is sustainability?

Part 1: Designers

5

BRONWYN SEIER A recipe to educate consumers about overconsumption in fashion.

1 designer 5 looks : 1 collection 1 contractor 1 model Hours: 30 for conceptualization 65 hours : construct 1 look 1.5 hours : cut 1 look 2 hours with a fit model 24 hours to perfect a pattern 1 hour : quality check 5 hours to shoot a collection 0 hours at market

6

Bronwyn Seier

Brand Profile

BRONWYN SEIER bronwynseier.com

Hours 185 Hand-embroidered key fashion verbiage. Details trace countries that make fast fashion. A combination of yarn colours on a monotone palette.

Persons 4 Sole designer of namesake brand; collaborative with local fashion contractors and stylists.

Sustainability 98% The collection seeks to represent the person behind the clothing.

Wearable gallery collection; hand-pleated. Pieces are made of deadstock fabrics, or sustaianably produced fibres. The design aesthetic expresses the complexity of fashion production.

Sustainable Measures

BRONWYN SEIER

7

COMRAGS Sustainability is:

Keeping it in Canada.

But now there is no Canadian fabric.

8

Part 1: Designers

What is sustainability?

COMRAGS A recipe for an 80 piece collection, produced exclusively in Toronto.

2 designers 1 seamstress 1 fit model (for shows only) 1:1 model to photoshoot 5:2 stylists to collections 4 employees Hours: 1055 40 at market 60:1 hours to conceptualize per week 1560:1 hours per collection 2 for quality control per garment 160 hours to cut a collection 35 to create a garment 2 horus of quality control 9 to shoot a collection

A Collection of Hours

Judy Cornish & Joyce Gunhouse

9

COMRAGS comrags.com

Persons 16 14 long time, invested employees. They provide fashion that keeps loyal clients interested in making their wardrobe all Comrags.

Hours 1055 Mulled designs through the year make up semiannual collections. Two designers combine their tactics: One designs as she works, and the other designs, and then creates. The brand has an appreciation for slow consumption: there are no fashion shows, only lookbooks.

Sustainability 92% A vintage Toronto label circa 1983 that has trails in their client’s wardrobe from past seasons, which are still worn today.

Comrags never expedites production overseas.

The company pays every person in their studio, including their interns.

10 COMRAGS

Sustainable Measures

GRETA CONSTANTINE Sustainability is:

A collection that is timeless and thus results in r e d u c e d consumption.

What is Sustainability?s

Part 1: Designers

11

GRETA CONSTANTINE A recipe for one semi-annual collection.

2 designers 1:1 model to photoshoot 65:1 sales pieces to collection (25:1 editorial pieces per collection) 4 contracted employees 10 in-house employees, including interns Hours: 240 at market 11 to photograph a collection 200:1 to conceptualize one collection 8:1 hours to draft one look 2:1 hours to create one garment 32.5:1 to quality control one sales collection

12

Kirk Pickersgill & Stephen Wong

Brand Profile

GRETA CONSTANTINE gretaconstantine.com

Persons 18 A melange of interns, apprentices, two designrs; sided with a roduction and design team. This brand pairs well with women’s evening and cocktail attire.

Hours 464.25 8 hour days, with 4 weeks at market.

200 hours to conceptualize a collection.

Seasonal collections are appropriate for spring, summer, or fall and winter.

Sustainability 88% Signature microfibre fabrics are machinewashable: no dry cleaning requires minimal chemical cleaning.

Sustainability Measure

GRETA CONSTANTINE

13

KOVALUM Sustainability is:

Don’t do anything today that l

i

m

i

t

s

our options in the future.

Sustainability, in terms of human resources, means that we treat employees well, otherwise they vote with their feet.

14

Part 1: Designers

A Collection of Hours

KOVALUM A recipe for fall/winter and spring/summer collections, and some all-season wear.

1 designer 20:1 looks to collection 5-8 all season pieces 5 contractors 0 employees *volunteer models only Hours: 200 at market 11 to photograph a collection 40:1 hours to conceptualize one collection 0 new drafts (only colour/texture changes in new collections) 1:1 hour per garment creation 3:1 hours per collection in quality control

Brand Profile

Mark Johnson

15

KOVALUM kovalum.com

Persons 8 A simple conjunction of one designer, and contracted Toronto patternmakers, and fashion producers. No in-house employees.

Hours 94 Simplicity is the key: Patterns stay the same.

Much time is spent to formulate a welldesigned look for men.

Sustainability 95% Little changes are made between collections = a trusting, return client.

Brand is understood as to who makes Kovalum. All invested in designing are paid fairly. Style is timeless and functional.

16 KOVALUM

Sustainability Measure

NINE Sustainability is:

A focus on co-creation (designing collections with fellow designers), and design for garment longevity.

Longevity will reduce the need for future clothing consumption.

What Is Sustainability?

Part 1: Designers

17

NINE A recipe to challenge fast-fashion micro-seasons.

1 designer 5:1 pieces per collection 2 contractors ∞ co-creators 0 fit models Hours: 400 at market 12 to create a collection lookbook 216:1 conceptualization hours per collection 10 to draft 2:1 hours to cut one look 20:1 hours to create one garment 2.5:1 to quality control one collection

18

Adrian Mejia

Brand Profile

NINE

Persons 5 One designer collaborates with local pattern maker and a seamstress. No in-house employees, and no interns.

Hours 1063 NINE creates building block clothing, for anyone’s wardrobe. The initial conceptualization has been distilled to a simple style formula. The collection is customizable and fitted to an individual body upon purchase.

Sustainability 96% Locally-made; seeks to congeal with other artists and designers for future fashion collections. The textiles are sustainably produced, although they do travel international boarders to get to Toronto. *Model wears no makeup in photoshoots.

A Collection of Hours

NINE 19

RAW CONCEPTS Sustainability is:

Used fur skins will not become extinct.

20

Part 1: Designers

What Is Sustainability?

RAW CONCEPTS A recipe for a seasonless, upcycled collection.

1 designer 8:1 looks per annual collection 2 contractors 4 employees Hours: 88 at market 4:1 hours on one prototype 3:1 hours to perfect one prototype 5:1 to cut one piece 25:1 creating one garment 1:1 hours per garment quality control

Brand Profile

Wendi Ricci

21

RAW CONCEPTS rawconceptsinc.com

Persons 8 A close-knit team of the designer and her team.

Hours 134 80 - 100 hours spent at tradeshows.

Many hours are spent carefully cutting fur, with client consideration in each cut, and to uphold the material’s individuality.

Sustainability 90% Furs are sourced from end-of-life coats, with few new fur consumption in production. This means skins are redesigned into hybrid warmth -- knit strips of fur create aesthetic and textile sustainability.

22

RAW CONCEPTS

Sustainability Measure

REUNION UNIVERSE BY TAEA MAGNUSON Sustainability is:

Ethical production, in terms of fair labour and workers’ rights, as well as environmental consciousness, in terms of the products’ effect on the enviornment during and after fashion’s active lifecycle.

What Is Sustainability?

Part 1: Designers

23

REUNION UNIVERSE BY TAEA MAGNUSON A recipe for a collection of 100% postconsumer textiles.

1 designer 5 looks 2 models Hours: 2.5 at market 7 hour photoshoot 10 hours for conceptualization (this includes process experiments) 5 hours for blueprints 5 hours to edit one prototype 0.5 hours for quality control 15 hours for one garment’s construction

24

Taea Magnuson

A Collection of Hours

REUNION UNIVERSE BY TAEA MAGNUSON

Persons 3 One designer gathers used textiles to recreate into her signature style of mixed textures and fabric weights.

Hours 38 Confidence in wearability because of their uniqueness means there is little time spent with investors. The collections may be presented twice, to four times a year.

Sustainability 99% Upcycled materials in every piece; Hand-sewn in Toronto. Collaborations with clients, and makes ethical, and sustainability-created fashion to ensure a seasonless collection.

Sustainability Measure

REUNION UNIVERSE

BY TAEA MAGNUSON

25

Part 2

Activities 26

For the Fashion Citizen

A Collection of Hours

What Is A Seam?

The seam made two

that around other

a

needle through

A Collection of Hours

Part 2: Activities

27

average

INSTRUCTIONS:

is of

Follow the dotted fold line on the other side of this page.

threads

“The average seam is made of two threads that loop around each other by a single needle puncture through fabric.�

loop each by The average seam is made of two threads

that loop around each other through

single

a single

needle puncture through fabric

puncture fabric

28

What Is A Seam?

Textile Producers

Developer

Stylist Forecaster

Designers

Business

Shopper Trend

Contractor

2 1

3

5

4

Interns

29

Contractor To Consumer

INSTRUCTIONS: On the other side of this page, cut along the dash lines.

Follow the dotted fold lines by number.

Each figure represents one step in clothing production between its initial production, and the final consumer. (This does not include retail.)

30

Part 2: Activities

A Collection of Hours

Frozen Food Fresh recipe: Freeze your jeans.

Frozen food lasts longer.

Frozen trousers last longer, too.

Instead of laundering, freeze your denim and wool to freshen them.

Wash less and freeze more.

Textile Care

Part 2: Activities

31

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32

Part 2: Activities

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A Collection of Hours Textile Care

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Prototypes

A Collection of Hours

Part 2: Activities

33

Stickers

A Collection of Hours

food& fashun

A Collection of Hours

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A Collection of Hours

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Actual size: 1.5� diameter x4 per page.

34

Part 2: Activities

A Collection of Hours

“Perhaps it is true that we do not really exist until there is someone there to see us existing...�

Alain De Botton

A Collection of Hours

by Eva Bennett eva-etc.com