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Ayten Gasson
We hear about organic cotton, silk, wool, bamboo and other textiles referred to as ‘ethical’ or ‘eco-friendly’ all the time. Despite the fact that we hear the terms often, many still wonder, “What is organic fabric?”
An organic fabric is generally made in compliance with organic agricultural standards and/or other organic standards set to severely limit the use of chemicals in the full beginning-to-end production process of fabric. For example, organic cotton farming relies on techniques such as composting, crop rotation and biological pest control, instead of the old-fashioned “douse it with chemicals” way of keeping critters away, enhancing plant growth, and material finishing. The cotton industry has drawn a great amount of attention for the disturbing amount of insecticides and synthetic fertilizers reportedly used to grow the fibre, proven to be harmful to any living thing exposed through air, tainted water supplies, etc. In response, farmers have been researching, experimenting and succeeding at growing cotton without these harmful chemicals for many years.
Titania Inglis
I recently visited several organic cotton farms in Nicaragua with an agricultural engineer who explained they use an insect repellant mixture they blend themselves using non-toxic ingredients such as garlic and vinegar which are strong-smelling and very unpleasant to some insects. Not only is the process safer for any life form but the resulting material can have the same desirable properties that have always drawn people to cotton – soft, breathable, and durable. In fact, organic cotton is known for impressively exceeding expectations in all of these categories. Many highly respected designers are using organic cotton in their collections. As example, Titania Inglis, who was honored for her work with the 2012 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation award in Sustainable Design, features Japanese organic cotton in her designs.
Peace silk is another ethical material recognized for its cruelty-free attribute. Conventional silk is made by boiling the intact cocoons and thereby killing the silk worms after which the single silk strand is unwound onto reels. Peace silk allows the silkworm to emerge from their cocoons to live out their full life cycle. The silk is de-gummed and spun like other fiber, instead of being reeled. The resulting yarn is soft, fluffy, and light. Designers for vintage lingerie label Ayten Gasson and artistic high-end label Prophetik incorporate gorgeous and luxurious peace silk in their designs.
Prophetik
The next thing some may wonder is “Who sets the guidelines and grants the certifications for organic materials?”
The answer to this question varies from country to country. In the United States, raw organic cotton fibres, for example, are eligible for the organic certification through the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organic Program (NOP) which focuses specifically on how the cotton is grown, but because many supporters of organic product feel that the organic certification regulations should be more specific and strict than those of the USDA, there are third party organizations who further regulate organic fibre standards. Most well known in this category is the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). GOTS is recognized worldwide as the leading processing standard for textiles made from organic fibres. The aim of GOTS is to provide one uniform set of criteria that must be met in the entire textile supply chain in order for a fabric to be considered organic no matter where a producer is worldwide. The global uniformity of the criteria ensures that something certified in one part of the world will be recognized as the same in another part of the world, removing the grey areas that often come with having certification organizations in individual countries with different criteria. For more details regarding fibre production, processing, manufacturing, quality assurance procedures, and label requirements, visit the GOTS website.
The term organic is everywhere we look these days. Do your homework to determine how a product has been certified and what really makes it organic. Understanding what you are buying is the first step in making better decisions for yourself, your loved ones and the planet!
Stay tuned for Part IV of the Eco-Criteria Series, covering methods used in the natural dyeing of textiles. For a full outline of what is to come within the Eco Criteria series, read our 'Intro To Eco Criteria' article.
EFW US based writer Magaly Fuentes-Sagan has a broad range of interests spanning art, fashion, travel, environmental issues, health and wellness. With an AS in Fashion Design and a BA in International Business and Marketing as well as a comprehensive fashion career that has included couture bridal design, sportswear product development, visual merchandising, buying and marketing management, Magaly brings the scope of her experience and passions to her written work.
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