The CONnoisseur: April 2020

The Connoisseur MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2020

CHANGE IS NOW

The Show Must Go On!

The CON Show 2020

CON celebrates their 4th anniversary with their greatest show yet, in conjunction with Fashion Revolution week at The Esplanade, Singapore. Come with us on a triptych journey to explore the world of education, artistry and honesty. So what are you waiting for? Into the wild blue yonder we go...

LOOSE ENDS 3

SPOTLIGHT 4-5

FROM BEADS TO BLOCKS OBSERVER 6&9

WHY SO BLUE: An Essay OPINON 12

MESSAGES TO HER

GREY MATTER 14

INDUSTRY LINGO: A-Z GLOSSARY 18

THE LONE WOLVES IN LION CITY OBSERVER

MR MOORTHY MS POW MR ABDUL 9

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We need change, and we need it now WASTE

In the last 15 years, clothing production has approximately doubled. In the same time, the number of times a garment is worn has decreased by 30%.

In 2018, according to NEA reports, Singapore generated 219,800 tonnes of textile/leather waste, recycling only 6% of that and disposing of the remaining 205,800 tonnes. The textile waste, just like the rest of our waste is dumped at our only offshore landfill at Pulau Semakau. It was designed by engineers and environmentalists from NEA and can hold up to 63 million cubic meters of trash which is good enough for Singapore to dispose of their trash till 2040.

However, observing the accelerating rate of the disposal of waste materials, Semakau landfill is projected to run out of space to accommodate our textile waste by 2035. Not only that, but the decomposing clothing also releases methane, a harmful greenhouse gas. And even before clothes reach stores, damaged products and rolls of branded or recognisable fabrics are slashed, landfilled or incinerated. Meanwhile, every ton of discarded textiles reused saves 20 tonnes of CO2 from entering the atmosphere.

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Our clothes account for around 3% of global production of CO2 emissions.

And that’s not just because of how clothes are made. It’s also down to the way we take care for them at home. Around half of these emissions occur while your clothing is being worn, washed, ironed and disposed of, mostly by North American, European and Japanese consumers.

Growing the fibres for our clothes, processing, dyeing and treating garments requires a cocktail of chemicals, some known to be toxic. Cotton farming uses 22.5% of the world’s insecticides and 10& of all pesticides.

Dyes for textile products may contain hazardous chemicals.

Dyes and chemicals in fabric and other components of clothing and shoes can seep into soil, contaminating groundwater.

In fact, industrial effluents and chemical fertilisers pollute over half of China’s river.

Rivers in China have turned red from dyes, India’s blue from indigo.

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FOR THIS SEASON’s publication, we felt like doing something a little different - something fun that would inspire you. At CON, making a change starts from unlearning, understanding and reeducating yourself and the people around you. Hence our collaboration with local craftspeople in Singapore and India, whose eccentricities and hidden gems you will discover on these pages. Get to know the home of revered Indigo dye, fall for the intricacies of Peranakan beading and be charmed by the ancient art of block prining.

It doesn’t end there, with tips on how to save your precious clothes and fashion tidbits that’ll sure impress your friends, courtesy of the coolest collective in town.

Lose yourself in these pages, love them as much as we did creating this for you and get excited about this season’s show at the Jendela, Esplanade - we guarantee there’ll be something for you to fall in love with.

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TO X I C FA Our Model Fashion is one of the most globalised industries. A single garment may span multiple countries before reaching our malls. We need to rethink how our industry works and the current model in place.

Our Material It is the second most polluting industry in the world, with huge and often, negative social and environmental impact.

Production of garments and the after-care requires a lot of land, water, energy and chemicals - often resulting in too much waste.

Our Mindset We have the power to turn fashion around and make it a force for good, so the change starts with us.

What we wear, why we wear it and the questions in between. We need to love our clothes more and treat them like the rare gems and friends that they are to us.

“Environmentalism is not the solution to our problems.

Rather, we believe that environmentalism illuminates the things that need to be done to solve all together”

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Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea CON Collective premieres new exhibition at the Jendela, Esplanade in conjunction with Fashion Revolution Week

It is no secret that the fashion industry is one of the dirtiest in the world. We’ve polluted our water bodies with toxic chemicals, congested our lands with unwanted clothes and overlooked the human side of fashion.

As consumers, we are part of this problem. In our privileged developed countries, Western and South-East Asian alike, we deem clothing disposable due to its availability and low cost. This goes without saying that it becomes a passing thought: we buy, we wear, we throw.

The lack of motivation we have to repair our clothes when they fall apart is no surprise when the next thing will probably cost as cheap. This poses the dire question - when did we become so dependent on the ready-made, aka fastfashion garment industry?

Most crucially, where can we go from here?

In the West, there is a folkloric figure that finds the treasure in trash known as the ragand-bone man. Here in Singapore, we call them the karang guni. Collecting unwanted household items, traditionally performed on foot, with the scavenged materials kept in a small bag slung over the shoulder. Despite the social stereotypes present against them, they have made significant contributions to national recycling efforts, collecting almost nine times more than the blue recycling bins we see all around us.

Their role in closing the waste loop as we strive to move into a circular economy is vital.

Aside from the karang guni, other people are heeding more environmentally practices to minimise their waste, specifically textile waste. Local craftspeople have implemented environmentally-sound approaches to their processes to generate little to no waste whatsoever or creating objects that can be disassembled and resewn by hand.

This season’s show, aptly titled Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea is to invoke the feeling of a dilemma. Do you prioritize environmental soundness, ethical business practices, or keeping traditions alive?

We say let’s prioritize them all.

Our mission is to create a conversation about the best bits of our culture using clothing as a starting point.

Through this exploration, we can only hope to raise awareness for the due respect we should have paid our cultural crafts ages ago.

Embroidery is valued, the indigo cloth is valued. It is the process of making that is valued, the time spent to create something from scratch.

We want to revolutionise the way the fashion industry works by sparking conversation in all of us, as consumers. If everyone started to question the way we consume and our impact as an individual, we would see a radically different fashion paradigm.

Our show, titled ‘Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea”entails the symbiotic cycle of fashion ecology and an overarching theme of wastage. It’s three elements: environment, people and garment will be developed through a three part approach, with influences from art movements such as Tachisme and Arte Povera.

Global textile wastage and the consequences of today’s consumer culture of buy and throw, in conjunction with the works of blue-collar workers within Singapore would result in the physical manifestation of a garment as a response to fast-fashion.

Through the narrative in the exhibition held at The Jendela, Esplanade, you would be taken through each step of the process - from understanding our Earth and our impact, deconstructing traditional craft elements, analysing the processes of creating the new with the old, or as we like to call it repurposed materials, and merging the two to symbolise a tangible product of the closedloop fashion cycle. With a manifesto of our own, we realise that we hold the power for the greatest change in the fashion industry as consumers and makers in our own right. As we explore the stories of makers of the past, present and future, one may set about a revolution in the simplest of things - leaving the fate of the world in all our hands.

“We’ve decided to title it as such as it proposes a dilemma for our audience - to forsake beauty or forsake Earth?” says CON. This event runs for a week, in conjunction with the international Fashion Revolution Week. This was done purposefully as the show boasts similar themes around fashion ecology, environmental issues and talks of its makers.

CON Collective Opening Night

Pieces from the show were designed to be a physical manifestation of the elements within our fashion ecology environment, people and garment. Sold only in fundraisers, with proceeds donated to our favourite organisations.

2030h Performance

Show

20th April 2020, 7pm The exhibition’s opening night is held in situ, and there will be an exclusive performance for the audience to enjoy. The program is as follows: 1900h - Cocktail Hour 2000h - Speech by CON Movement

2100h - Start of CON Collective’s After-party The CON Show is at 1 Esplanade Dr, Singapore 038981, The Jendela, Esplanade

“Once you understand the destruction taking place, unless you do something to change it, even if you never intended to cause such destruction, you become involved in a strategy of tragedy.

You can continue to be engaged in that strategy of tragedy, or you can design and implement a strategy of change”

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Mr Raymond Wong talks craft in today’s age of modernity and sustainability Owner of Rumah Kim Choo sheds some light on the future of Peranakan fashion in Singapore. _JOO CHIAT_ It was the 8th of February, Saturday afternoon when we met Mr Raymond Wong, Peranakan kebaya maker and owner of Rumah Kim Choo. Starting out in the trade with only his bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance and a thirst for knowledge , Mr Wong taught himself the techniques and lexicon of kebaya making. With decades of self-taught experience and skills, he is one of the last few Peranakan kebaya makers in Singapore that strives to keep the traditional craft alive.

CON: Let’s jump right in.

What do you think is the reason for the lack of appreciation for heritage crafts?

Mr Raymond Wong: There must be a translation into contemporary form. Our culture must evolve with the times but of course, there would be people with rigid and purist mindset that stunts the growth of heritage and may lead it to its death. This mindset is toxic in my opinion.

Have you tried your hand at modernising traditions?

I try to bring artisan work into everyday life through creating things that people may use everyday. This way I can continue to honour my cultural heritage but sustain them not just in traditional approaches, rather modern methods that are relevant to more people.

How so?

I started to produce kebayas using printed clothes, changing patterns to mix and match modern textiles into traditional garments. Once, I used herringbone fabric from a Ferragamo wrap dress into kebayas.

There is the option of making limited quantities of exclusive designs for customers to appreciate its rarity. We can always find ways to bring culture into newer forms so it can be appreciated and valued better by younger, wider markets. Of course, there is much exploration to be done but this is how we move with the times.

You mentioned your travels around the globe and that gave you a whole new perspective on your craft, tell us more.

Once, I travelled to Uzbekistan and saw that people are still very in tune with traditional textiles.

My friend, Asif Shaikh made traditional Indian costumes with the use of uzbek ikat textiles. Then, making traditional Indian costume with foreign textiles wasn’t common and that’s what stuck to me.

Paper patterns can be easily imitated so I feel a way to make us stand out as designers is through our textiles. A balance must be struck between the importance of beautiful paper patterns and textiles. How I heighten my batik textiles is adorning it with embellishments of beadwork and crystals.

These add value to the clothes and with expensive feel to it, people are willing and able to pay for them.

Could we ask, what crystals?

Swarovski. [laughs] We love a sparkly moment! Are there other elements that don’t get as much recognition?

Well, whenever I do my beadwork, there should be a perceived value and price point that people are willing to pay.

For example, my men’s cufflinks take 3-6 hours to make so the entire set with finishing details would take about a full day and a half. But it doesn’t have much of a star factor beside crystals.

That’s just a shame on the younger generations that don’t know how to appreciate the traditions of the past.

Definitely! It’s an even bigger waste if both parties don’t try to meet in the middle to compromise. An avenue I feel can be explored is for design students to have connections with as many local artisans to help speed up the production process creating their collections.

There should be that relationship now to share the knowledge around and younger generations can continue the heritage in their own way.

Even if that happens, do you think they would feel a pinch if a tradition was lost?

I think any generation won’t find a thing of the past relevant now. We must always think of how to bring the past into the present - in my case, folk fashion back into the community and create new meaning in people’s lives.

We get it. On a brighter, greener note, we hear you’ve adopted more environmentally-friendly approaches to your craft process?

Yes! To me, art is very sayang so when I cut my fabric I have to be mindful to not waste as the fabric I use are beautiful textiles.

With the balance cloth, I can turn that panel of batik into mens shirt when matched with other fabric like linen. These garments become one of a kind because I can’t predict what kind of leftover fabric I have.

We heard that you’re innovating a blockcut kebaya for those that don’t want an accentuated figure. Any new methods brewing?

I print some designs in a seemingly wasteless paper pattern layout to eliminate as much fabric wastage.

With the really small leftover pieces, I’d create random flowers for tourist souvenirs like hair clip, handkerchief, pocket squares, shoe cushion

inserts, tissue pouches and even five stones. It’d be such a waste to throw beautiful fabric!

Oh that’s cute!

It’s an absolute hit with the tourists and it becomes their token of Singapore they take with them.

What about innovating the old into new?

I’ve started to upcycle old kebayas that are ‘spoilt’ as perfume is sprayed onto the organza silk.

The cloth disintegrated but the embroidery is still intact. So my team cut up the kebaya, used an applique method to create new kebayas with the old embroidery patch pieces.

Alterations can be done with my garments too, for example the excess material of skirts are sewn in and concealed with darts.

Last words?

We’re surviving now - the kebaya has become a memorabilia, but what about the future? If we lose this, we lose our history and all that comes with it.

Peranakan Kebaya designer Raymond Wong PHOTO: CON

Well said. Are you passing down your rare knowledge to anyone?

I don’t have an apprentice, just one assistant in the studio. She’s learning from me but continuing this craft depends on her ambition. When I teach,I realise that not everyone would want to continue with embroidery as their choice of work and while I love it, it may not be the case for the next person.

Peranakan embroidery on silk PHOTO: CON

(L-R) Peranakan beading on modern camisole top and on organza PHOTO: CON

‘We must always think of how to bring the past into the present - in my case, folk fashion back into the community and create new meaning in people’s lives.”

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The true blues of Singapore Roam the streets of Joo Chiat to Haji Lane and you’ll find them - the Lone Wolves.

Craft: Pottery Between the 1940s and 1970s, more than 20 dragon kilns were operating in Singapore.

The concept was established and brought over by early Chinese immigrants. Many kilns were found in the west due to the abundance of white clay there. Today, only two kilns remain in Singapore with just one breathing dragon left: Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle. During its heyday, the 27-metre long Thow Kwang dragon kiln was fired up to four times per month. Today, the kiln is only fired only three times a year or on special occasions.

Up to 4000 ceramic pieces would fill the kiln at each instance and the entire firing process would take about 30 hours. Workers would have to carefully monitor the temperature of the kiln by watching the colour of the flames, feeding the ‘dragon’ with more wood to burn through the night.

For such a tedious and time-consuming approach to creating pottery, it is not a shock that newer, labour-efficient methods are preferred through the use of electric kilns.

Despite this, the modern kilns cannot produce the signature glaze that the dragon kiln creates

- the burnt firewood ash accumulated in the dragon’s “body” melts onto the pottery, making each piece distinctly unique from the other. Near the end of the entire firing process, the kiln emits a roaring and hissing sound, just like a dragon. That is how the kiln achieved its name.

The pottery jungle is a family business, managed by the Tan family of China’s Fujian province. Since the 1960s, the jungle has seen five generations of potters. Now, it is Stella Tan’s turn to manage the home to one of Singapore’s treasured, dying trades.

The ancient dragon kiln is now used to support the works of artists, sculptors and potters islandwide making each firing event a momentous occasion “Although it’s a dying art, you need the courage to come back to modernise the whole business and attract youngsters.”

- Stella Tan, a thirdgeneration family business member at Thow Kwang Pottery Jungle To her family, losing the dragon kiln is akin to losing their roots and traditions.

But to Singapore, it will be losing a large part of a heritage that has endured many decades amid the relentless transformation.

Craft: Songkok The Songkok, is a headgear of choice for men of the Malay Archipelago. While Singapore was under British rule between 1850-1900, the island became the epicentre for pilgrim traffic. Pilgrims could not travel through to neighbouring lands such as Java or Sumatra, and so the travellers of Malay sub-ethnic origins would stopover in Singapore to work and raise funds for their pilgrimage (haj) to the Holy Land of Mecca.

The influx of Malay men and women seeking employment in Singapore created a market for items such as the songkok and Hajj belt. There is a specific white songkok worn just for the holy pilgrimage known as songkok haji, apart from the common black one. At present, Singapore is no longer the centre of pilgrim traffic as the advent of air travel has made travelling to Mecca easier. Consequently, the Songkok and other Hajjrelated businesses here declined rapidly.

of newspaper with an elaborately sewn cloth as the inner layer. Velvet is then used to cover the outer parts of the ovalshaped Songkok. Most of the Songkok available in Singapore are imported from neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, which bulk produce the Songkok in factories.

With competition from mass production of these songkoks, it leaves the last handmade songkok maker to add an extra touch to his pieces that factories do not - personalised customisations. Mr Abdul Wahab is the secondgeneration to the family business, Songkok Cap Beca (trishaw-stamped songkok).

His father, Mr Abdullah pioneered the songkok trade in the 1940s upon selling his trishaw bike to start the business. Signifying his determination and sacrifice, the business and logo have remnants of the trishaw bike as a reminder of its roots.

Mr Abdul Wahab started learning to make the Songkok when he was 4 years old. Being the only one out of 10 siblings that showed interest in learning the skill of making songkoks, he took over his father’s business and now operates his shop at Tanjong Katong Complex.

Due to its versatility, it is worn for a variety of occasions such as weddings, state functions, religious events or even funerals.

At present, it is not unusual to see modifications made to headgear. Mr Wahab’s customers can choose to decorate their songkok with gold ornaments, making it a foldable one or even changing from the staple velvet cover to a luxurious satin one. Taking special pride in his hand-sewn creations, the durability and quality embedded into the songkoks speak for itself when a customer returned to the store to get a replacement after 25 years.

Words to live by: 5 things you should know about craft We spoke to an artisan on how he felt about craft, this is what he had to say.

This has bled into the present - the trade of handmade Songkok are declining despite it being widely worn by Malay men in Singapore. The basic process of making the Songkok remains the same: stitching layers

We explored the streets for the ones that are in fading trades, immortalising their hard work and generations of traditions through art.

First, craft evolves.

Machines can never adapt, it can only be replaced by newer models.

(L-R) Stella Tan and family PHOTO: C3A Mr Abdul Wahab’s songkoks PHOTO: Asiaone

Second, craft is not human automation.

Simply repeating an activity ‘without thinking’ does not make you a master craftsperson, instead but a mindless machine. Accounted for is how workers globally have been retrenched, despite having decades of experience in their craft when a machine took over.

Brutal. If your works can be replaced by a

machine that easily, it tells a lot about the work you are doing.

Thirld, craft involves your entire being. Once, a master crafter proclaimed, ‘I can do this my entire life and am enjoying every moment of it. How about you?’ Being city-bred individuals, it went quiet. It was obvious we craved the distraction of a gadget.

Fourth, craft commands respect. If anyone has met a craftsperson, it would take time before they decide that I am a “worthy” person to share their knowledge and skills with. It is only when one is invited into their back room, will the sharing begin, unreservedly,

maybe even over a drip brew and lit cigarette.

Fifth, craft redefines your role in society. While many peers of craftspeople travel to the city to pursue a career, some travel out of the city in search for solitude where one can master their trade – something almost against logic.

And of course, sixth, craft is being. Your body, mind and soul. Can you sense what is wrong with a piece of artefact even before you pick it up? Can you tell the value of a porcelain vase without looking at the price tag? It is more than an intellectual study of a selected topic, it involves all of you.

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Block printing in the Pink City CON’s designers travelled to Jaipur and rediscovered ancient trades.

Block stamps and dye mix LOCATION: Jaipur PHOTO: CON

_JAIPUR_ We had the opportunity to visit India, home of Indigo and immerse in their rich textile heritage. Exploring the fabric of a nation in The Pink City, commonly known as Jaipur, took us through Khan Market, where we met a few artisans dyeing their fabrics and block-printing textiles by hand. Our little chat with an experience worker enlightened us from a different perspective.

CON: We see a lot of workers of various ages here, is that the norm?

Most block printers start very young by learning the art from their elders.

I started at 13 and I’ve been doing this for over 20 years.

That is quite some time, are times different when you started and now?

There isn’t a lot of money left in this art.

Carving blocks are very expensive and in a city like Jaipur, business is very competitive and creating a new venture would be difficult if not impossible.

Sounds rough, though I think you’ve learnt to love your craft I assume.

Yes, at this point it’s like meditation. The amount of patience that goes into it takes lots of practice.

Do tell!

I’ve been doing this for so long I feel I can do it in my sleep. [laughs] Though sometimes I make certain errors in my work, but I like it. Human error is always nice in traditional form of art, it shows the personal touch that makes each piece different from the next.

Would you deem your craft a dying craft?

Sadly, yes. People are moving to digital prints.

Block prints have the same visual effects digitally. Plus, it’s faster and cheaper.

But it can never replace.

Very few people still appreciate the real thing.

The touch factor of a block printed piece will always conquer a digital printed one, but if people don’t care much for it, it will replace our traditions.

Speaking of replacements, do you have a personal apprentice to take over your role?

My son has shown interest in the art form, but he is still very young and very naive. I much rather for him to work hard, study hard to get higher paying jobs since block printing is dying.

What about other people that may still be interested in the craft?

How many young people do you know that own block printed clothes that are not ethnic? And how many youngsters wear ethnic on a daily basis?

I doubt it would bother them much if it wasn’t around anymore. They’re resourceful, they’d just get a digital version of it.

It’s such a waste.

Sad but true.You will rarely see it on modern clothing. If it’s there, it’s probably digital. Despite that, I like it. It’s nice to see your art form adapted into more forms that can be better appreciated and remembered by people.

You think so?

Well, just in India, the younger generations are constantly chasing after the Western world. They are constantly trying to “keep up “ with the rest of the world and never what they have right in front of them.They haven’t been well educated on their own culture and heritage, so they don’t have an appreciation for the traditional methods. The next best thing is to make tradition in a modern way.

We get it. On a brighter, greener note, have there been any environmentally-friendly

Worker block stamping fabric LOCATION: Jaipur PHOTO: CON

methods that you’ve incorporated here? Not particularly. We try not to waste our paints and dyes.

We attempt to use ecofriendly dyes, though they don’t really do much as it's all still disposed into the water ways.

What do you feel about change?

Change is inevitable and those who don’t accept it are in denial. It’s just best to move forward and find a way to modernise traditional methods. At the end of the day, it’s like selling any product - you need to adapt it to your ever-changing customers.

Colourful powders for dyeing LOCATION: Jaipur PHOTO: CON

Block stamps drying.

LOCATION: Jaipur Photo: CON

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Why so blue? The impact of textile dyes on our water

Us as consumers play an even bigger, more impactful role in shifting our mindsets and rejecting unethical, capitalistic approaches by fast fashion companies.

From dye disposals to the types of dyes created, each step contributes adversely to our Earth.

What catches your eye when you walk into a store?

Is it the fabric, the cut, the price? This element in every piece of clothing ever made is the catalyst that has generated millions in revenue for the fashion industry. We can’t live without it, we can’t turn a blind eye to it; we’re talking about colour. This element is crucial for the fashion industry, it impacts the eye, our buying decisions, the success of a business.

According to Michael Braungart and William McDonough, on average, only 5% of the raw materials involved in the production and delivery processes are contained within a garment. It is therefore important that we also pay attention to the 95% of the material process that we do not see; a vast component of which is hidden water.

The majority of manufacturing processes in the industry are dependent on water.

From fibre production, dyeing, bleaching and wet processing of each of our garments. To put it in perspective, one cotton t-shirt uses enough drinking water to sustain one human for three years; 2,700 litres. Multiply that by 20 garments a year for 7.7 billion people and you begin to grasp the magnitude of the problem.

As a reference, it can take up to 200 tonnes of fresh water to produce a tonne of dyed fabric.

The water we take from the environment is returned as wastewater. Wastewater is produced during the manufacturing process and discharged directly into rivers and waterways.

Over 8,000 synthetic chemicals are used in the various processes that turn raw material into fabrics. Tainted, toxic, undrinkable water goes back into the ecosystem, ceasing to host life and

endangering communities that rely on those water sources. A large majority of textile manufacturing occurs valong the waterways of the developing world.

“Many countries have significantly externalised their water footprint, importing water-intensive goods from elsewhere.

This puts pressure on the water resources in the exporting regions”.

Professor Arjen Y. Hoekstra, creator of the water footprint concept The harmful effect of pollution on communities in China and Bangladesh, two of the biggest apparel exporters, which rely on waterways for their food, watering livestock and sustenance, is immeasurable, while the violators continue to live with safe-water, expanding wardrobes and zero guilt.

This brings up a dilemma: if synthetic dyes are the problem, why don’t we just stick to the natural ones?

Au contraire! While natural dye has a reputation for being wholesome, toxinfree and pro-environment, it isn’t always true. It still requires a lot of water for production. To increase efficiency in garment production, a chemical agent called mordant is added to the process. Not necessarily toxic but just as acidic, mordants consisting of metallic compounds like aluminium and chromium can cause grave damage to the ecosystem if not disposed of responsibly.

The term ‘mordant’, from the Latin term ‘mordere’, translates as ‘to bite’. This is a fitting name, as the purpose of a mordant is to bond the dye with the fabric. Shades achieved with natural dyes are rarely as vivid as synthetic alternatives, and fade quicker from sunlight and wash cycles. Perspiration

and PH levels of the skin can affect the colours achieved by natural dyes.

The obvious remedy to this is the application of chemicals as mordants to fix the dyes and improve garment longevity, vibrancy and resilience.

employed again on industrial scales, the welfare of workers throughout the supply chain would have to be regulated to avoid the repetition of history as consumers

and businesses alike are more aware of the damage by the fashion industry.

The pressure is placed on brands and businesses for transparency in their production methods and supply chains.

By changing our demands for better practices in production and sourcing, businesses would have to change their models to fit the current climate of environmental soundness. Still, many profit-driven businesses are unable or unwilling to accommodate more advanced infrastructure that would aid in higher quality garments.

Combined with this, there is a lack of education and compassion for the environment to do better,

Then we turn to Indigo, the oldest natural dye we have. It penetrates clothes directly when heated and finishes in a myriad of blue hues. While it can be used without such mordants, it is not great for the environment either.

It is slow to decompose and darkens river water, flora starves from lack of sunlight and pollutes potable water for the surrounding communities.

further exacerbating the issue. That and the issue of greenwashing, where businesses fluff their production processes to promote an environmentally friendly reputation for the brand, whereas, in actuality, it is far from that and most times, its the opposite Several current solutions are the stringent regulations and fines for dumping wastewater into water bodies.

Optimistically, these businesses should comply to avoid being fined for non-compliance, however, this is often not the case.

Many still dump, but discreetly now. With that said, prevention is better than cure.

What goes around, comes around

The use of chemical mordants on better alternatives like natural dye defeats the purpose of creating garments with a pollution-free intention.

Other natural dyes, known as substantive dyes, are high in tannins, allowing dyes to adhere to fabrics without mordants. While this alternative sounds like the solution, as with many things in the industry, it isn’t as straight cut.

Most natural dyes require natural fibres and that poses agricultural issues as vast amounts of land are needed to produce enough natural dyestuff and fibres for the entire textile industry. If we go back in time, there was a period where natural dyes were endemic.

The Indigo revolt, or Nil vidroha, leaves a stain (pun intended) on India’s history. The unprotected indigo farmers were oppressed by the British planters, leaving them in crippling debt and destroying their property if they did not obey.

Seeking vengeance, the farmers revolted but it was ruthlessly suppressed by military forces sanctioned by the British government.

Should natural dyes be

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This is Circular Economy 101.

We’ve been hearing this term for a while, but what is it really? A buzzword or just a gimmick? At CON, we plan carefully, basing our design decisions around the available resources, not the other way around.

Our mission is to close the loop, eliminate waste as much as possible and make the transition into a circular economy. Here is a rundown of our strategy for a better, circular world.

Circular Design A strategy that aims to use the planet’s finite resources in a more sustainable way.

All materials are to be part of a loop, where its renewal and future use is anticipated.

(L-R) Dyeing indigo onto fabric LOCATION: Jaipur PHOTO: CON

Circular Resources Designed with recovery in mind, the aim is to keep materials in circulation to retain its value, especially those from linear waste streams.

Circular Material Flow All that are byproducts of our production should not only be harmless but to be an active nutrient in the system.

Circular Systems The ultimate aim is to eradicate waste altogether.

Through textiles, amongst other resources, a sustainable future can be achieved through a circular system for the fashion economy.

While it may seem but a far distance from us, it is within our reach. There just seems to be the material, technical, behavioural and societal challenges left to conquer. So how, one may ask?

Design For Recovery We need to design materials and clothes for disassembly in order to recycle or reuse them more efficiently, which would better contribute to a zero-waste industry.

Examples of Technologies: Redirect & Recover Existing Resources We need to learn to return worn clothes to proper channels for reprocessing.

This requires technological advances to improve material sorting at plants and what needs to be chemically or mechanically recycled.

Circular

1. Materials from foodwaste streams 2. Water-free/chemicalfree processing 3. Peer-to-peer resale platforms, clothing rentals, swap meets 4.

Subscription-based clothing libraries 5. Automated and efficient production

But prevention is tricky, especially at such a late stage. Rapid advances in water treatment technology mean organisations can now treat wastewater in an environmentally considerate way while being able to reuse water, without violating regulations. Scientist Juan Hinestroza is working on using nanotechnology to apply dye directly to cloth fibres. If this is successful, it would make toxic dyes and mordants obsolete.

Till then, more must be done, more will be done.

We must look past the aesthetic value of our clothes and prioritize the morality of their production, only then can positive change occur.

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An ode to Gaia

Uncover the textile recycling in India

V1: Tell me what you see.

V2: Nothing but darkness.

V1:I’m sure that’s not true.

Just try to focus a bit more and I bet you’ll start to notice something.

V2: There is just so much, everywhere.

What’s happening? V1: This is our bliss and our misery!

V2: Misery?

V1: The misery of war - the war on our world.

V2: What’s wrong with that?

V1: Luxury, pride, death, smell… everything.

V1: After you’ve seen enough destruction, you’ll end up thinking of pain and death and grief as the most bearable facets of this war on our home.

Unravel follows textile waste on a journey across India, uncovering how Western consumption habits have trickled into the other side of the globe. We follow Reshma, an insightful worker in a textile recycling mill, who dreams of travelling the world where the cast-off clothes originate from.

iii. The UK is one of the largest global exporters of used textiles, but clothing is often re-sorted in import/export hubs before reaching its final destination. iv. Used clothing is exported to sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Eastern Europe and Russia for reuse and recycling..

ix. Fibres are then spun into recycled yarn. This can then be re-woven or knitted into new products.

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Paste your temperature stickers here, don’t throw them away. xo, CON

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to mould it any way we like?

V1: Absolutely. Let’s get our hands dirty and paint the town red.

V2: Can we stop the war?

V1: ...

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V2: No, not really. Wait, maybe it does. It reminds me of my childhood.

The light burns as bright as it does at sunrise.

V1: What else?

V2: The Earth! Do we get

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Dystopia vs. Utopia rainbow. The kind that saves us after a storm.

V1: Indeed.

V1: Does this mean anything to you? Does it remind you of anything in particular?

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x. The less pure coloured, poorer quality shoddy blankets leave Panipat destined for the aid industries and the army.

“Repairing our clothes is a revolutionary act, we don’t want disposable clothing because we value the people who make it.”

way of life. It’s a different kind of light.

V1: How so?

V2: I feel like I’ve seen it before. Maybe... perhaps I have.

V2: It looks like a

iii.

viii. Cavernous sheds are filled with old machines which break down the knitted and woven clothing into pulp, a source of reclaimed woolen and wool-mix fibres known as “shoddy”.

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V2: I see a light, but it’s very faint. A glimpse.

V1: Good. You see? This is already something.

V1: Anything specific about this light?

V2: Feels strong, hopeful.

V1: Any particular shape?

V2: Not a fixed one, it’s like something out of nature V1: Maybe a colour?

V2: Blue. Like the sky, like our water, like our eyes.

V1: What about now?

V2: It looks peaceful, a

ii. Clothing is compressed into bales weighing up to 1000kg each.

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V2: But look! Look at the dampened field trampled by thousands of feet and hundreds of souls. Look at the ashes of the sea V2: It’s clear that the world was just made for this. Created by God to be a stage for this sublime clash.

V1: God created the trees, the ashes, the water, the souls and the feet. War… war was our own creation V2: But we created colours, look!

V1: I see it.

V2: Was it created by God? V1: Definitely.

V2: Where does it go when we don’t want them? V1: To where it all goes, where no one goes.

V2: But can we start afresh? Pick up the pieces where we did wrong, and do better?

V1: I guess so.

V1: Now close your eyes.

What do you see?

vii. Workers prepare the clothing for shredding by hand or using traditional vegetable cutters.

Garment labels are discarded as worthless information.

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i. Textile recycling depot in Yorkshire collects donated clothing from all over the country and sorts used clothing into over 400 categories.

vi. Cast-off woolen clothing is sorted again in large warehouses in Panipat, now into basic colour groups, where it's new value lies.

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Through their labour, the women of India’s textile mill construct an image that clothes of the West spark fascination and carry their secrets with them.

v. India imports over 100,000 tonnes of used clothing a year to supply its textile recycling industry.

Truck loads of imported clothing bales are driven from India’s ports up the Grand Trunk Road to Panipat, north of Delhi.

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Documentary: “Unravel” (dir. Meghna Gupta 2012) Photography: Tim Mitchell Research: Dr Lucy Norris

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What you need to know about your clothes

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Second-hand Clothing Promotes the Sense of Community Increasing our use of second-hand clothes – both in terms of sourcing more of our wardrobe second-hand and passing clothes on - has positive social and cultural outcomes. It encourages us to act collectively as citizens and resist being defined as individualistic consumers; it connects us with the communities we live in by finding alternative ways to transact, placing value on sustainable and ethical outcomes.

Second-hand also loosens the grip of advertising and corporations on shaping our style and identity, and can reconnect us to the joy of wearing clothes and passing them on.

What can be donated to charity shops?

Anything and everything!

What makes a donation ‘good enough’ varies wildly as it’s dependent on the subjective norms, personal tastes and opinions of the person clearing their wardrobe.

Invest in success when you shop Support Young A great way to invest is to discover a new designer and become a loyal customer. Doing so means you’ll be involved in all aspects of a fashion startup, from invitations to sample sales and pop-ups.

There are thousands of young emerging designers all over the world working sustainably who are waiting to be discovered.

Go Local Look for unique artisanal crafts when you’re shopping and you could be supporting the livelihoods of an entire community somewhere in the world, empowering craftspeople who made them.

Buy Less We are buying more,

wearing less. In a 2018 survey, the average vSingaporean buys 34 new pieces, wears only 20% and disposes 27 used pieces.

In the last 15 years, the number of times we wear a garment before recycling or disposing decreased by 36%. Reverse the trend: buy less, wear more!

Invest, Invest, Invest The Investment Piece is the opposite of cheap thrills.

It’s all about saving money to buy that one special piece, a “good piece” as Joan Crawford said. Buy one good one instead of three cheap ones. It’s all about buying with care, oving it for longer.

Second-hand is the way to go Buy Vintage Stylists use it, celebrities love it and it’s a sustainable

way to consume. Vintage gives you a one of a kind flavour to your personal style and by reusing, repurposing and extending the life of beautiful clothes.

Go Charity Shopping At the speed at which we consume, last season’s collection won’t be the talk of the town for much longer and may end up in charity shops in months.

You can hit up our local thrift stores like New2U, Song&Song, recreate your favourite looks and do your part in stopping perfectly good garments from going to the landfill.

Swap ‘Till You Drop If you’re sick of your clothes and need a change pronto, swap clothes with your friends or better, hit up clothes swap events where you can meet likeminded people to share style with.

You’re Hired!

Buying is out, renting is in.

New to the scene but it’s a great alternative if you need that latest designer wears for a fancy night out. The global rental market has grown into its millions and here, we’re finding ground through Style Theory, MadThread and Style Lease. Why buy expensive stuff you might only wear once when you could just, rent it?

to your local tailor - a missing button should never stand in the way of you and a good outfit.Fix it up and conquer the day!

Mending a broken garment

According to Oxfam, more than 70% of clothes donated globally end up in Africa, adversely destroying the economy for local tailors and depleting their cultural textiles. Instead of blindly donating to Salvation Army, choose nice organisations that would use them immediately like clothing drives to help the homeless, refugees or people in crisis.

Miss Tailor!

If you’ve fallen out of love with that piece, don’t throw! Change it up, add some colours, cut the trims - you have the power of transforming it into something completely new, without wasting precious fabrics. You could do it yourself or take it

Donate, Donate, Donate But do it responsibly!

It’s great to pass on our cherished garments to the next person, but the unwanted second-hand clothing is becoming a problem for some countries.

What if the clothes aren’t in the greatest condition?

There are entirely no hard or fast rules. Slightly damaged items can be salvaged if it’s an easy fix for the customer like a missing button, dropped hem or removable mark.

This is most common when it’s an expensive or designer brand or a special vintage piece. In these cases, items are sold ‘as is’ and command a lower price.

What clothing donations can’t be resold in shops?

Donation no-no’s include stained items, fabrics of unpleasant odours, items which are moth eaten, single shoes and garments with rips, holes or worn out patches. A good rule of thumb regarding stains is that if it didn’t wash out for you, it won’t for anyone else. Shrunken items like jumpers, clothes which have lost their shape or become bobbly due to wear and tear, and those with broken zips, straps, buckles or handles also won’t make the grade.

What happens when the clothes don’t sell in the shop?

Most is sold on to wholesale markets by weight. The majority is sold to Eastern Europe for further reuse, mainly in second-hand shops, with a small percentage of damaged textiles recycled.

While charity shops usually find routes to reuse for the vast majority of donations given to us, our priority is to put the huge volume of wearable clothes back into circulation so they can be worn again.

Places To Donate & Buy Second-Hand

As citizens, extending the life of our clothes, and sourcing more of our clothes secondhand, is one of the most environmentally beneficial things we can do to shrink our fashion footprints.

6. Song & Song - Various locations islandwide

1. New2U - 96 Waterloo St, 187967 2. Salvation Army - Various locations islandwide 3. Greensquare - Various drop-off spots islandwide 4. Image Mission - 6 Ubi Road 1, 408726 5. The Fashion Pulprit - Liang Court Mall, 179030

7. Loop Garms 635 Veerasamy #01-148

Road,

“Being responsible about the clothes we buy also extends to being responsible about what we do with clothes we no longer want.”

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uditing process of reviewing a company’s finances, working conditions, ethical and environmental practices. This uncovers risks to worker’s safety and opportunities to improve their situations.

Industry lingo on fashion ecology. To educate and empower is the way of the future!

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oin a union an organisation made up of employees which looks after worker interests and protects their rights at work. They are key to solving the fashion industry’s problems.

ids at work child labour is work that deprives kids of their childhood, life potential and dignity.

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lobalization the spread of products, technology, information, and jobs across national borders and cultures. It can raise the standard of living in poor and less developed countries by providing job opportunity, modernization, and improved access to goods and services.

iving wage - a wage that workers earn in a regular work week that is used to provide their personal and familial basic needs - includes food, housing, clothing, education and healthcare.

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uestions for the industry - it’s important to question big companies where our clothes came from, where they go after landfill, are toxic dyes contaminating waterbeds, why aren’t workers paid fairly and treated well.

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intage fashion clothing, either used or new from dead stock, which was manufactured in a non-contemporary era. Clothing made before the 1920s are considered antique, while clothing made in the 80s to mid90s are considered retro.

ircular economy a better alternative where we keep resources in use for as long as possible, extract the maximum value from them whilst in use, then recover and regenerate products and materials at the end of each service life.

omeworker is someone who’s subcontracted, works at home and is commonly paid by each piece they produce rather than an hourly wage - mostly female.

inimum wage the lowest wage rate set by the government at which businesses are legally required to pay its workers.

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esponsible consumerism intentionally buying goods or services that have minimal to no harmful impacts on humans, animals, environments and not indulging in conspicuous consumption.

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o m e n ’ s empowerment - over 80% of garment workers are women who tend to be stuck in low-skill, low-pay jobs. Investments in their education, training and union protections are key in enabling these women to strive for better future prospects.

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A to Z Glossary

inding regulations requires companies to act in ways that protect workers and the environment.

Government can and should hold companies legally accountable for how they behave.

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eforestation is the clearance, clearcutting or removal of a forest or stand of trees from land which is then converted to a non-forest use, usually involves conversion of forest land to farms or urban use.

ndustrial relations refers to negotiations among workers, managers, governments on performance and working conditions which are key to a happy workforce.

atural fibers any hairlike raw material directly obtainable from an animal, vegetable, or mineral source and convertible into nonwoven fabrics.

Renewable and offer greater environmental sustainability than their man-made counterparts.

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ynthetic fibres manufactured in factories using chemical synthesis, which include nylon, polyester, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and rayon.

These are preferred by the garment industry since it is easier to get a hold of or to produce.

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e ploitation not providing remuneration for someone’s work at the minimum wage. These may include physical intimidation, child labour, overtime, restricted freedom and limiting union benefits.

thical trade means that retailers, brands and supplies take responsibility for protecting the environment and improving the working conditions of the people who make the products they sell.

rganic cotton cotton that is grown organically in subtropical countries such as India, Turkey, China, and parts of the USA from nongenetically modified plants, and without the use of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides.

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extile waste materials deemed unusable for its original purpose, includes textile industry waste, created during fibre, textile and clothing production, and consumer waste, created during consumer use and disposal.

Y

our voice - matters and has the power to make a positive difference. Ask questions, challenge the status quo, tell the brands and businesses that we want transparency and honesty in their systems for a cleaner, safer and fairer fashion industry.

airtrade trading between companies in developed countries and producers in developing countries.

Fair prices are paid to the producers, and companies are able to provide workers with a stable income that improves their lives.

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ret-a-porter literally translates into Ready-To-Wear fashion, which is usually factorymade clothing, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, distinct from made-tomeasure clothing that is tailored to a particular person's frame.

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pcycling process of reusing materials in a way the increases a product’s value and makes it desirable again by saving garments from going to landfill or incineration plants.

Z

ero-hour contracts - contracts in which employers are not obliged to provide a set number of working hours each week and consequently don’t have to provide social protections.

Know your materials Treat your clothes better by understanding how best to wash and care them!

Here’s a quick guide to get you started.

COTTON Accounts for 40% global textile production and supports the livelihoods of an estimated 300 million people across the world.

It is woven from the fluffy ball of pale soft fibres that encase the seeds of the cotton plant.

Washing: Natural fibres can be prone to shrinkage so always wash on a cool wash or lukewarm water.

Drying: Cotton is best dried flat or hang-dried to prevent the need for ironing. If an item requires ironing or steaming, then best to do whilst damp.

Dispose: Cotton is a natural fibre and if nondyed or vegetable-dyed, it can be composted. But this is rarely the case with typical cotton garments, unless certified ‘organic’.

It is also possible to recycle cotton. If your garment is beyond composted then take it to the nearest textile recycling bin. If nothing else, old cotton clothes or home textiles can make useful rags.

Washing: When washing clothes made from synthetics fibres, wash them with a Cora Ball or wash bag to prevent tiny microfibres from polluting the water supply.

POLYESTER/NYLON Synthetic fibres are cheap to produce and offer increased durability and diversity of uses compared to many natural fibres.

However, these fabrics are not environmentally friendly and can take hundreds of years to biodegrade.

Dispose: If you must rid of your synthetic garment, bring it to your local textile recycling collection point for reuse, recycling or down-cycling. For now, most synthetic fibres cannot be recycled but possible in future. Never burn synthetic fabrics as it can release poisonous gases into the air.

Drying: It’s best to hang dry synthetic garments.

They shouldn’t need long to dry. Never tumble dry synthetic fabrics as this weakens and damages the fibres quickly.

DENIM Invented in 1873 by Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss. It is cotton-based and can be woven with other fibres to add elements that it traditionally lacks eg. elastane to add stretch Jeans are the most popular denim product with 1.24 billion pairs sold annually.

Washing: Always close zips or buttons, especially metal ones and turn your denim garment inside out before washing. If your jeans aren’t dirty, don’t wash them, freeze them!

Try popping your denim garments in a bag and put them in the freezer to get rid of germs and freshen them up. If you absolutely have to wash them, do so at 30°C.

Drying: When drying denim, flatten the garment into shape then hang-dry or dry flat. This prevents, or at least reduces, the need to iron the garment.

Dispose: Denim is a very durable material and should last you a long while. First check if you can you pass along your preloved denim to a friend.

When you decide it’s time to part with your denim, it’s possible that it can be reused or recycled or down-cycled. For example, Blue Jeans Go Green turns denim that can’t be re-worn into building insulation, keeping it out of landfill for a while.

An ending note, please think twice before buying!

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The Connoisseur | MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2020