When asked to name the least eco-friendly industries in the world, many of us likely think of oil drilling, mining, or chemical production, but there is another - perhaps more surprising - category that consistently finds itself on the list of the world's top polluters: the textile industry.
Alarmingly, due to the harsh dyeing chemicals and wasteful production processes used in traditional manufacturing, the textile industry is the number one polluter of fresh water on the planet. However, there are many organizations and fabric mills that are working to lessen the field's impact by developing sustainable production processes and using renewable raw materials.
C.L.A.S.S., which stands for Creativity Lifestyle and Sustainable Synergy, is one of the figureheads of the growing sustainability movement. The organization was founded in 2007 by Giusy Bettoni, who had previously spent thirty years working in the textile industry as a marketer for top companies like NatureWorks and The International Institute of Cotton.
In 1993, she began her own textile marketing agency that worked to connect individuals throughout all elements of fabric production and sale, creating important links between weavers, spinners, fashion brands, retailers, and consumers. Through her experience in marketing, Bettoni discovered countless small, independent, textile mills who were producing amazing fabrics that remained largely unknown within the broader community due to a lack of resources and public presence.
She was frustrated by the lack of recognition that these innovative mills were getting, and wanted to do something to change it. She also saw an opportunity to diversify the relatively bland eco-textile market by helping these manufacturers adapt their processes and raw materials to become more sustainable.
Up to this point, generally speaking, the [sustainable fashion] sector was quite poor and uninspiring, with little appeal for designers. From [textile] producers and manufacturers, I was seeing cutting edge innovation, backed up with in-depth research and the most incredible and inspiring approach to sustainability. C.L.A.S.S. has all come from there really. We are now working to help develop and promote the most innovative sustainable fabrics possible, and loving working with brands and designers to 'always surprise and delight', showing designers the future and what's possible with expert know-how. -Giusy Bettoni
C.L.A.S.S. has experienced incredible growth since its founding in 1993, and now offers an incredible library of eco-friendly fabrics, making it simple and appealing for designers to source sustainable fabrics instead of defaulting to more traditional materials.
Their textile library consists of three categories: Innovative Renewables, Naturals and Organics, and Repurposed and Recycled. While each fabric that C.L.A.S.S. offers must meet strict criteria concerning sustainability, it's not enough for a material just to be eco-friendly. The team at C.L.A.S.S. searches the globe for fabrics that are truly innovative in both design and production; they seek to bring inspired new designs of only the highest quality to their discerning clients. C.L.A.S.S.'s goal is not only to make eco-friendly fabrics more accessible, but to make sustainability fashionable.
Their Naturals and Organics category features fabrics that are made from ethically produced raw materials such as organic cotton grown without the use of harmful pesticides, and dyed using all-natural vegetable dyes.
C.L.A.S.S.'s line of Repurposed and Recycled textiles consists of many innovative fibers such as Newlife™, a type of recycled polyester made from repurposed plastic bottles. This fiber has seen great success among top designers such as Max Mara, whose Spring-Summer 2014 collection featured a large number of pieces made from Newlife™.
The organization's third category of materials - Innovative Renewables - features truly ground-breaking fabrics made from biopolymers, regenerated cellulose, bamboo, soy, seaweed, and more. This collection is particularly focused on helping the textile and fashion industries reduce their dependence on oil.
While C.L.A.S.S. has locations in Copenhagen, London, Madrid, and New York, its home base is in Milan -the fashion capital of the world. Their proximity to some of the top designers provides them with the direct access and influence needed to effect real change within this industry. C.L.A.S.S. works closely with designers to expose them to new, innovative fabrics and to educate them about the importance of making more responsible decisions when it comes to sourcing materials.