The idea behind FAB Talks is to link refreshing fashion talks in an inspiring environment with business networking in an innovative way, in order to spark exciting discussions on the topic of fashion and have experts clarify open questions. The vision is to build an interdisciplinary network and, in the long term, to initiate and implement projects together.
On January 17, 2017, the FABtalks were held for the second time as part of the Ethical Fashion Show during Berlin Fashion Week, this time in the Schaltraum at Kraftwerk Berlin. The topic of care labels was revisited and presented and discussed under the heading “How much care is hidden behind the symbols?”
50% of a garment’s impact lies with the consumer after he or she has purchased it, and thus he/she bears a great deal of responsibility. Consequently, care labels play an essential role with regard to sustainability, as these symbols can potentially help a garment last longer. FABtalks host Andrea Bury and Elisabeth Lakai-Fels from AEG introduced the subject of the talks by presenting the Care Label Project by AEG: a project launched together with 14 designers to redefine laundry care and educate consumers on how not only to clean clothing more sustainably, but also to preserve a garment for a lifetime. Conventional care labels are, after all, more than 40 years old and long since outdated. Technologies and detergents have evolved—yet many consumers do not use them because they cling to old laundry myths and are unaware that they could handle their laundry more sustainably if they changed their habits. The “Don’t Overwash” label is intended to help create a new awareness for sustainable care.
SUMMARY OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THE PRESENTATIONS:
1. TIM LABENDA, DESIGNER
Tim Labenda is a Berlin-based fashion label that specializes in womenswear and places great value on the sustainable production of wool clothing. The designer releases two collections a year, but tries to create products that are not tied too closely to a specific season, so that they can be worn throughout the year. The idea of wearing a collection only for a certain period of time and then replacing it with a new one seems anything but sustainable.
One of the biggest concerns of the Tim Labenda brand is that the customer who buys a garment should be able to enjoy it for a lifetime. Since the responsibility for the garment is handed over to the customer at the time of purchase, it is difficult to make a promise in this regard. One consequence is that many designers use care labels that largely restrict the customer, so that a piece is not returned because it was treated incorrectly. Customers often expect an expensive garment to last a long time without being aware that they themselves bear the responsibility for the longevity of a product.
As a designer, it is therefore an exciting experience to participate in the Care Label Project and, through the “Don’t Overwash” label, to convey to consumers that a product suffers more and more the more often it is washed. There are plenty of alternatives for cleaning a product without washing it. After all, the longevity of a garment is what truly makes it sustainable—and this can only be ensured through proper care.
2. GEORG ANDREAS SUHR, DESIGNER
Georg Andreas Suhr is also a designer and co-founder of the brand cocccon – Creativity Can Care. Unlike Tim Labenda, Andreas Suhr specializes in the use of silk in his fashion accessories. Specifically, this is violence-free silk: silk where the caterpillar is not killed during production and can continue to live as a butterfly. Sustainability also plays an important role in production for Andreas Suhr: as little water as possible is used, and the carbon footprint is very low by the time a piece is fully produced.
Particularly with delicate materials like silk, it is especially important not to wash the garments too often and not to use too much detergent—the instructions on packaging are usually set much too high. Andreas Suhr recommended several home remedies for cleaning silk: for grease stains, for example, you can simply soak a silk garment in almond milk overnight and then wash it normally—this will remove the grease stains. Otherwise, Andreas Suhr primarily recommended hand washing for silk products—but mistakes can be made here too: too much friction can break down the layer of fat that surrounds the silk fibers, which damages the material.
A final tip that Andreas Suhr gave us: use soap nuts instead of detergent; they are 100% biodegradable!
3. MICHAEL WOLF, AEG
Michael Wolf is an expert in the field of laundry care at AEG and gave us insight into what is possible with the latest technological developments. Although care labels are not up to date, they are important for providing the consumer with guidance when washing. A line under the familiar wash-tub symbol, for example, indicates that a gentle cycle should be used, and two lines mean that a wool cycle is recommended.
New washing machines even offer special programs, such as an outdoor program or a jeans program. This makes it even easier for the consumer. Sometimes you will also find an iron symbol on the care label—this is not unusual for outdoor clothing, as the heat from the iron helps reseal the water-repellent layer on outdoor jackets, making the jacket water-repellent again. Another program that can now be found in many washing machines is the hand-wash program. With this program, the laundry is swayed back and forth in the drum rather than being twisted or compressed. As a result, this wash cycle is usually even gentler than actually washing by hand!
Nevertheless, it is always important to remember that washing clothes too often is harmful. Michael Wolf described a problem we are all surely familiar with: clothes pile up on the chair in the bedroom throughout the week, and at the end of the week, you ask yourself: should I wash this now or put it back in the closet? An important keyword in this context: air, air, air! Often it is enough to hang a garment on the balcony for a few hours. This is sustainable and also gentle on the textile. The latest washing machines even offer a steam program—steam is generated and the laundry is refreshed. This process consumes little energy, as only two liters of water are heated.
For sustainable washing, it is worth choosing long wash programs but washing at a low temperature. Delicate and non-delicate laundry should be separated, as the friction between coarse and fine fabrics is too strong and materials like wool can quickly felt. Also important for delicate items: do not overload the washing machine—a maximum of four wool products and no more than 1kg for silk garments.
Q&A SESSION
In the final Q&A session, the energy balance of dryers was discussed, among other things. In the past, it was claimed that the dryer was the black sheep of household appliances. Today, however, the appliances are so advanced that there are energy-efficient dryers that show energy savings of over 60% in some cases. Furthermore, we learned that garments made of microplastics still pose a challenge for manufacturers. Microplastic particles are so small that you need special filters in the machines, but these get clogged very quickly. A technical solution for this therefore does not exist at this time.
Dry cleaning was advised against, even if some care labels recommend it. It is better to store your garment in the freezer overnight or simply air it out—dry cleaning simply does not correspond to our sustainable 2018 standard, and on top of that, dry cleaning is often not only insufficient for cleaning, but can also damage the garment.
A valuable tip from a member of the audience at the end: you can also use horse chestnuts instead of soap nuts for washing—they are local and have a similar effect!
We would like to thank our partners AEG, Ethical Fashion Show, and Greenshowroom, as well as FLAIR Magazine and Dr. Hauschka.
UNTIL NEXT TIME!
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