Sunday, June 22, 2008

Print and Pattern

As we’ve noted before, the eco-friendly clothing available today is a lot more dynamic than the brown drawstring pants and tunics of past decades. Fabrics with pattern, texture, and color now play a much bigger role in drawing attention to sustainable fashion labels. At the same time, advances in eco-friendly inks and dyes are making it easier for brands to create high-quality textiles with better market appeal. Let’s take a look at some designers whose work is paving the way in eco-friendly printing.

Passenger Pigeon print, S/S 2008

Vancouver-based brand Passenger Pigeon makes garments and accessories featuring exclusive printed fabrics. Owners Heather Schibli and Wendy Traas have created detailed, eye-catching prints with an underlying theme of ecology. Their 2008 collection features a print with bikes, as well as one with plastic bags tangled in branches. The soft, neutrally -colored organic cotton and hemp fabrics help to make the patterns pop.

Mociun print, F/W 2007

Fans of modern, unique prints are also flocking to Caitlin Mociun’s eponymous label. Mociun creates collections that mix modern geometric styles with collage-like line drawings and draw influence from diverse areas including outsider art, Russian constructivism, and pop culture. Though she used to print all of her own textiles in her Brooklyn studio, Mociun has turned to a local printer to assist with her increasingly large orders. She notes that there is no completely clean way to print, but using water-based inks and low-impact dyes and finishes are a great improvement to the traditional production process. Her close relationship with the printers ensures both quality products and conscious production practices.

Emerging brands like Passenger Pigeon and Mociun can scale their printing needs in response to market trends, which is a distinct advantage in the ever-changing fashion industry. In-house work can also save ink, as designers may choose to print in smaller batches or on an as-needed basis. Contracted textile printers often require a minimum purchase order that may be too expensive for small-scale designers. By keeping their stock low, these brands can adapt to the latest trends and technological advances in low-impact inks and dyes. However, printing is time-consuming and requires a fair amount of space for production of yardage. Where can designers find great printed yardage?

Harmony Art, 2008, courtesy of Near Sea Naturals

Harmony Susalla, owner of Harmony Art, designs textiles especially for the eco-conscious market. Her patterns range from geometric and floral to text-based styles, and all are printed on organic cotton using water-based inks and low-impact dyes. Harmony Art textiles are snapped up by crafters via distributors like Near Sea Naturals or by independent businesses such as Look Organics.

Look Organics dress, 2008

Josie Jesser, owner of Look Organics, uses the prints for her collection of children’s apparel. She strongly believes in providing colorful and interesting organic clothing to the market, and hopes to eventually expand her range of prints. It is much easier for small and medium-sized businesses to use preprinted textiles, as they can easily obtain high-quality prints in fashion-forward colors. Furthermore, the time and space needed to print unique textiles is not cost-effective for everyone.

As the market for eco-friendly textiles continues to expand, we hope to see more printers embracing water-based inks and low-impact dyes in their work. If you know of any exceptional printers using these materials, please let us know in the comments section below!

13 comments:

adrin said...

These prints and patterns look beautiful. And makes one feel
comfortable.

Afterparty lingerie

online Fair trade said...

What's more important is that people like these things..They know their benefits and + point..

workhard said...

Those prints are lovely.. they would make wonderful summer dresses..

Lingerie Blog

prom dresses said...

they look so adorable and vintage i must say. even though it looks vintage, you can still consider wearing dress with those print once the cloth is being cut and sewn into a fantastic creation that is called "dress."

Fashion Retailer said...

nice print!!

prom dresses said...

Really like the patten , really elegent~~

daniel hirsch said...

Nice Share Keep Posting!!
I have seen many post about printing but I like this one most. Thanks for sharing great stuff.
Environmentally Friendly Printing

Gul Ahmed Collection said...

This Blog covers the best and newest in fabric and textile design, style, trends, innovation and technology.
what an incredibly modern piece of design - it looks more 60's than turn of the century. I am delighted to
have found this blog, it's a marvellous resource.
Fashion Guide

famous fashion designers in chennai said...

this collection of design are super and very nice post. new design are very good. all collections are pretty good..and all the best for your future designs..

Cathy of Eyelash Growth Products said...

Pretty nice dear! Great post, hope you share more.

Drawing for fashion design said...

Fashion Design is meant for people good at creativity, making others watch you and others to follow your way then going to a fashion design school, getting a fashion marketing education or attending a college is the right path for you

Alice said...

I really like Mociun and found them a really long time ago. I wish they weren't so expensive though - still so beautiful.

I created a summer edit with sustainable and ethical jewelry and you can find it here

https://thegoodbern.blogspot.com/2018/06/sustainable-travel-edit.html#more

Micheal Alexander said...

Great blog. All posts have something to learn. Your work is very good and i appreciate you and hopping for some more informative posts. Ethical Fashion USA