Why Focuses on Sustainability
When Bin first heard about “Carbon Foot Prints” in an Urban Science Class in college in 2016. She was surprised at how harmful and how urgent the environmental and biodiversity issues are. She started to change her lifestyle: instead of driving a car, she started to use public transportation and bicycling. She abandoned using plastic water bottles, and other wasteful packaging materials. She started to examine how waste was impacting everyday life.
She also began to express herself by using her artistic background and creating art pieces about the pollution that mankind generates, because design is a powerful way for her to speak to the world, and it reflects her unique experiences and values(Attachment please find her art pieces on the bottom of this page).
Additionally, last year, she spent the whole year talking with people who were doing sustainability in the fashion industry: she have visited many manufacturers in China and Turkey including certified clothes manufacturers, fabric manufacturers, trims, and package manufacturers, to learn more about their focus on sustainable development. It gave her a more comprehensive understanding of what sustainable development means for the fashion industry.
Sustainable practices have made being a designer more difficult. It’s more than just price, appearance, or function. It’s about how to apply the whole system of sustainability through design to production.
She also began to express herself by using her artistic background and creating art pieces about the pollution that mankind generates, because design is a powerful way for her to speak to the world, and it reflects her unique experiences and values(Attachment please find her art pieces on the bottom of this page).
Additionally, last year, she spent the whole year talking with people who were doing sustainability in the fashion industry: she have visited many manufacturers in China and Turkey including certified clothes manufacturers, fabric manufacturers, trims, and package manufacturers, to learn more about their focus on sustainable development. It gave her a more comprehensive understanding of what sustainable development means for the fashion industry.
Sustainable practices have made being a designer more difficult. It’s more than just price, appearance, or function. It’s about how to apply the whole system of sustainability through design to production.
How can we take responsibility for our design?
How can we shape customer’s values through design?
How can we put sustainability into every design decision?
There is a long road ahead, but there is hope for the future.
She decided to make her life more meaningful, and she is still
optimistic that we can turn the car around before we go off the
cliff, because it’s never too late to change.
Sustainable Manufacturer Resources
Because of COVID-19, Bin remained in China, and was unable to return back to the U.S. to continue her studies. She then got the opportunity to work with a Chinese design company. Then, she learned more about sustainable Chinese suppliers, as well as built good relationships with them.
According to the World Economic Forum, the fashion industry is the worst second largest polluter only behind the oil industry. And the fashion industry is also the second- largest consumer of the world’s fresh water supply. How to make this world better?
When she came back to San Francisco this year to resume she MFA program, she combines the knowledge of her background in fashion design and product development, she started to build a database of certified sustainable suppliers and eco-minded fashion brands. She hopes to connect these sustainable suppliers to these forward thinking fashion companies. click here to start:
https://terratextile.us
Last but not least, Bin believes that sustainable fashion shouldn't sacrifice aesthetics over reducing our carbon footprint. Because sustainability is fashion’s future.
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