Distortion Issue 1

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The

Forest

Issue

Welcome to Distortion. We are going to open your eyes to a new dawn of the sustainable fashion industry. We believe the natural world with its chaotic perfection and infinitely intricate detail has so much to offer; but we must remind ourselves that it is not a commodity.

It’s down to us now; we must nurture the earth as it has nurtured us for generations. We invite you to take this journey with us, as we seek to discover those creative innovations that will shape our future.

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Through our first issue we will explore the forests, what’s not to love about immersing yourself in the fresh abundance of a forest?

Our featured band Glass Animals seem to agree, as we look at what we as consumers are doing to the forests, and what some brands are doing to protect them.

Cover photography by Rees Thompson

Life’s too short for boredom “Let us tell you a tale… there once was an enchanted world in the middle of a smokey city where the stories of Grimms’ were brought to life.”

If you’re lucky enough to find yourself in London with no plans, the Queen of Hoxton is calling to you.

Ready for the winter, the transformation has been complete, the rooftop bar now a wonderland inspired

by Grimm fairy tales.

Once Upon A Wigwam is the perfect enchanted retreat to cosy up with a cocktail or one of their mouthwatering dishes. A variety of events are held during the day and night, with club nights at the weekend.

“look out for interpretations of well-known stories like Hansel & Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel as you get lost in its fantastical forest and magical menu, bringing you a drinking and dining experience London’s yet to offer.”

Issue of the issue

DEFORESTATION FOR FASHION Many endangered and ancient forests in Indonesia and other countries around the world are being destroyed due to the manufacture of textiles such as Rayon and Viscose. These fabrics in particular are produced using dissolving pulp, which is found in trees. The wood is first turned into wood chips, cooked, to separate the cellulose fibres from the other components and finally put through a process of washing and bleaching before being dried and finished, usually into bales or rolls.

In Indonesia reports have claimed the expansion of mega plantations and illegal land grabbing have been on the increase, resulting in loss of land, livelihoods and resources for the local communities.

“Every year, tens of millions of trees are turned into clothing through the use of forest fabrics like rayon and viscose,” said Brihannala Morgan, senior forest campaigner at RAN. “These forests have played a critical part of local community livelihoods for generations, and are now being seized and clear cut for forest fabrics.

“Without strong policies from fashion companies, rainforest destruction and human rights abuses can become part of our clothing.”

H&M, Zara, Marks and Spencer, Levi Strauss, ASOS and other major brands are teaming up with Canopy, a non-profit organisation for their Fashion Loved by Forest campaign. The brands are working together to change their supply chain to remove endangered and ancient forests from their source list for their viscose and rayon fabrics.

Companies have given themselves three years to find alternative solutions, including straw and recycled fabrics.

Henrik Lampa, H&M’s sustainability manager questions consumers desire for their clothes to withhold so much environmental baggage, “I don’t know anyone buying a garment would like knowing that the fabric was sourced from an endangered or ancient forest,” he says.

“The sustainability issue is a big learning curve for fashion companies. Consumers are expecting us to make good choices for them — and yet we can only make good decisions with good awareness of what is going into our products.”

Nicole Rycroft, Canopy founder and executive director, has said that the dissolvable pulp used to make 30% of rayon and viscose is sourced from endangered and ancient forests.

Rycroft states,

“Ancient and endangered rainforests are being logged, pulped and turned into T-shirts, dresses and suit linings,”

“So these man-made cellulosic fabrics like rayon, viscose and lyocell, are created from trees cut down exclusively to feed dissolving pulp mills.”

But what is it worth?

According to data from the Council for Textile Recycling and the environmental agency, textiles constitute to 5% of all landfill. The average American is said to throw away 70 pounds of clothing and textiles a year.

Featured Music

Glass Animals are a four-piece band from Oxford, friends since a young age they formed shortly after leaving school, releasing their first EP whilst studying at university in 2012. With comparisons being made to the likes of Animal Collective, Wild Beasts and Alt J, these days the band works with a blend of dreamy electronic and indie guitar music, with the occasional R&B sonic. Having fluctuated between band names, beginning as Afro Pony, to Alligator Puffin Chicken Go Yeh Woo they have remained consistent with their chill out place “The Shed”. The Shed is a hut in the woods filled with pillows and blankets where they hang out and record music. Fans, of Unicorns and Slugs, in three words they would sum themselves up as “occult bunny lagoon”.

Debut album Zaba out now. play.spotify.com/user/distortionfashion