Is fur green?

By Fidan Karimova

Have you heard of the saying that fur is green? Well, neither had I until I found out about the Fur is green campaign by Fur Council of Canada – a Canadian non-profit federation representing people working in Canada’s fur sector. The following are the four reasons the campaign provides in support of the “fur is green” statement:

1. Fur is eco-logical: Unlike synthetic clothing, which is made from non-renewable resources such as petroleum, fur is made from renewable sources, since animals reproduce every year.
2. Fur is durable and recyclable: The council argues that if the fur garment is well taken care of, it will remain in the owner’s possession for many years. It is one of those pieces of clothing that passes from many a generation to generation – like a good Chanel garment.
3. Fur is biodegradable: Real-fur is a biodegradable material and thus, even with the tanning process of fur, eventually the material will dry out and then it can be used as compost for the garden.
4. Fur processing is earth-friendly: Fur tanning can usually be accomplished by using very harmless materials, such as salt, water, alum salts, as well as other resources. On the other hand, the production of synthetic materials is carried out via chemical reactions require high temperatures and are more likely to release harmful chemicals into the atmosphere.

The fact of the matter is that the idea of fur being green would be much more acceptable on a planet that holds less than 6 billion people and with people that are very aware of their environmental actions. With our over-consuming society that likes to buy clothes to wear for approximately one or two fashion seasons, fur does not seem like a viable option. Furthermore, in order for it to become a possible solution, one of the major changes that would have to take place is the horrible mistreatment that animals undergo for their fur. Things such as caged life, electrocution, tanning of animals while they are alive, would all have to be eradicated.

Textiles of Rajasthan

By Fidan Karimova

Jaipur is the largest city in the state of Rajasthan, India. It is best known as “The Red City” since everything in the city is built from red stucco. Aside from its fascinating architecture, walking around the streets of Jaipur you can observe many sewing machines, textiles, and people dyeing fabric. The textile industry in the state of Rajasthan (10% of the state population is employed in the textile industry), as well as the country as a whole is of major importance, both culturally and economically. The cultural importance is the preservation of years of textile industry knowledge, whereas the economic importance is the availability of jobs for people.

Nevertheless, there is a downside – an increase in the textile industry correlates to an increase to environmental pollution. Consequently, the Sustainable Textiles for Sustainable Development project was launched in Rajasthan to tackle that concern. This four year project, which was launched in January of 2009, is aimed to improve both the environmental issue, as well as the working conditions of the textile workers, since the average income in the state of Rajasthan is below the national average and the high percentage of people in the area employed in the textile industry.

Sustainble brassieres

By Fidan Karimova

The fashion industry as a whole is very gung-ho about the green movement, pushing for sustainable products as much as possible. There are t-shirts made out of organic materials, dresses made out of recycled materials, and almost any other type of creative sustainable option one can think of. But have you ever heard of green brassieres?

A famous Italian lingerie company, Intimissimi, has begun an initiative to collect bras, in order to use them in building construction - bra fibers are being mixed with textiles to make soundproof insulating panels. The customers that recycle their bras, along with making good use of their old bras, receive $4 on the purchase of a new bra from Intimissimi. As one proverb goes: use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. Intimissimi's novel initiative is helping realize the idea of the proverb in the lingerie industry.