TERMS AND CONDITIONS
1. This competition starts on 11 May 2012 and closes on 28 June 2012.
2. Entries must be sent to YOU, PO Box 7167, Roggebaai 8012, to reach us by 28 June 2012. Ensure you complete all the submission requirements.
3.1 Eligibility for entrance: you have to be a South African citizen in possession of a valid South African ID book; you must be over 18 or will turn 18...
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THE HUMAN ANGLE
Before the industrial era, skilled artisans spun, wove and dyed fabric from their homes. They had the freedom to work when they chose and often the land to grow their own food as well.
The advent of the Industrial Revolution brought a change in the nature of work. Employment was now centred in factories, which were located in urban areas. People moved from the country into...
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The environmental impact of natural fabrics
MATERIALS FROM CELLULOSE FIBRES (PLANT MATERIALS)
This category includes rayon, cotton, linen, ramie, hemp, jute, bamboo, soy, and Tencel®.
Rayon
Really a synthetic fibre, but made from wood pulp, a sustainable resource. Regrettably, old forests are often cleared to plant faster growing pulpwood plantations of species such as...
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The environmental impact of various fabrics
What fabrics are used in making the clothes we wear, and how do they impact on the ecology?
FABRICS FROM PETROCHEMICALS (MANMADE)
Nylon and polyester
These non-biodegradable synthetics are petroleum based. The manufacturing processes of both are energy-intensive, and polyester requires large amounts of water to cool. Making Nylon, on the...
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I recently bought this yoga mat, when I could have paid R90 less for one by a popular sports brand. Why ever?
Well, a few weeks ago, Elizabeth and Derek suggested I write a blog investigating how the Fashion Industry can contribute towards saving the planet, as their visits to schools had revealed growing concern for the environment among learners.
I knew that the fashion business has a...
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Pollution: a by-product of fashion?
Before the industrial era (circa 1750), clothing was sewn by hand; a painstakingly slow procedure. As a result, garments were valued, carefully mended or altered, handed on when outgrown, or worn until worn out. The still serviceable parts would be cut into patches for other garments, or used as rags for cleaning, etc. Very little went to waste.
Wool and...
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A girl in blue jeans and a white cotton T-shirt: a wholesome, eco-friendly image, right?
Not really, I am afraid …
Growing the cotton to manufacture the average pair of jeans, consumes more than 6800 litres of water, and the average T-shirt, over 1500 litres.
The World Bank estimates that between 17 and 20% of the world’s industrial water pollution emanates from textile dying and...
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The importance of Tokyo as one of the fashion world’s Street Style Capitals, has us keeping a close eye on their Fashion Weeks.
For a country that has suffered greatly under natural disasters recently, Japan has been presenting some remarkably upbeat, joyous fashion in their Spring/Summer collections.
The international influences of worldwide trends such as mixing prints and experimenting...
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We are pleased to announce that one of our alumni, Kim Gush, has walked away with one of the top spots at the AFI Foschini Fastrack event at this year’s Mercedes Benz Fashion Week Johannesburg . Her trend forward menswear collection showed hints of a "post-apocalyptic-ninja" style. As one of four winners, Kim receives a cash prize and a coveted place on an internship programme with a...
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On Saturday 25th February we hosted various media and bloggers at a workshop where they each got to make their own colour block skirt for winter. We had fashion editors and writers from Drum Magazine, You, Huisgenoot, Elle, Fairlady and Rooi Rose with us. We also had bloggers Lize Kay, Jaclyn van Zyl, Mali Tyilo from Skattie What Are You Wearing and Natalie Roos from Tailsofamermaid in our...
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