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Talking about sustainability and fashion and how you can do that for your brand or for the place you work.

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Well, I can start first, and it can start with actually the dyeing process and the sourcing.

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So there's eco friendly ways of dyeing.

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When I was visiting India, it wasn't very sustainable, but now they have different ways of doing

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it with like vegetable dyeing and stuff like that so that there's not as much chemicals as it once was.

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So you can start with that.

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You can start with, like, organic cotton and that kind of thing, recycled yarn.

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So that's, you know, some ways to start at the beginning of the the production process.

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The way they use the the water because, you know, they just use the same water.

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Each color has their own bucket of water.

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And once they start to mix, they just make a whole different color.

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So it was interesting the way they kinda conserve those colors after you dip your fabric in the wax. You take it out. You lay it out.

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You're gonna conserve that color to use on somebody else's instead of keep adding adding adding adding adding. So

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So I mean, that's that's one way to start it.

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So I mean, once you get to the cutting process, it's different ways you can, cut your garment

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so that it's less waste when you're doing your marker.

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Like, I mean, a marker basically is how you cut out the pattern in a production sense.

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Like, if you home sew, you can you know how you lay out your pattern, like, on a 45 or a 60 wide fabric?

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That's what you call, like, a marker.

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So it's how how well you lay out your pattern so there's less waste.

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I used to always laugh at quilters because they was like, no piece of fabric is too small.

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And I was like, yeah.

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Now I'll take those smaller pieces and maybe make earrings or, you know, something like that.

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I mean,

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I really wish there were more places where you can, donate.

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I know there's a place, like in New York and Brooklyn that you can actually donate. Yeah. Donate your scrap.

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It's not necessarily donate because you do have to pay for them to take it.

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It's better because they dispose of it better.

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I don't know the necessary the process in which they do it, but it's done in a sustainable way

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so that the waste doesn't go to a landfill.

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Like a scrap yard for crafts, fabrics.

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So they get sewing machines.

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There's all kinds of stuff that they sell there.

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It's a need, but also, like, with the especially, like, with the fabrics.

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Because there's nothing worse cutting fabric out, and you have, like, a big hole in the middle of of your fabric.

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And you're gonna have all of this yardage all around.

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It's like, well, what else can I make from this? You know what?

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I'm about to make a bag, a wallet, some earrings, a hat.

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I mean, at a point, I was actually making, like, it wasn't necessarily pillows, but it was like,

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seat cushions because you can put all your your scraps in that.

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I mean, as long as it's like the same type of fabric, you know, so nothing's bulging.

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Like, if it's all cotton, you can actually put it in there together.

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I mean, because it's it's so many different ways you can do it.

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And, of course, we that brings us to, like, upcycling.

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So instead of throwing your clothes away, you can upcycle everything, and that's like a big trend now.

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So with the bleaching, now, I had this one client send me her dress because she got a little bleach on.

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I'm like, well, I'm just gonna add a little bit of bleach, and now I'll just, like, tie dye

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it to a whole different color.

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You know, after I looked it, I was like, man, that's actually nice. Wait a minute. Doggone.

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Why didn't I think about that? And I looked

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at it. I took a picture of the before, and I took a picture of the after. Completely different dress.

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Then then I gave it back to her, and I was just I was just in there, trying everything. Like, okay. Well, you know what?

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I'm gonna try this design with bleach and this design and this design with, the RIT dye.

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Don't do bleach on everything because it kinda breaks down your, the fibers.

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Yeah. And you can't just do bleach straight.

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You have to, dilute it with water.

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Yeah. Okay. So remember that everybody. You cannot.

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Under no circumstances, are we telling you to just use regular bleach? Dilute it.

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Coming back and saying, I got 3rd degree burns diluted.

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Try it out and then send us some of your designs.

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You know, one thing one thing that I didn't mention, I've mentioned, like, natural yarns for, sustainability.

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What I didn't mention was, they do have polyester yarns.

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But what they what they do is they, like, recycle bottles and stuff like that.

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So it's basically you use plastic bottles and you use you melt it down and you make fibers for the polyester.

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So now in some garments, especially in, like, athletic wear, which I do design for in knowing

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consultants, they do have a lot of recycled yarn.

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So a lot of the the in addition to the organic, they have a lot of recycled yarns, and that's

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another way to stay sustainable in the fashion industry.

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Upcycle, upcycle, upcycle.

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There is so many different ways to do it, and the price actually has come down a lot, like,

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since the inception of it.

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It's just that you just really have to, see what the the of the steps between how you get the,

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the sourcing, how you get the fabric, how everything is made in between the thing, like, the

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anatomy of actually the, the sourcing.

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When I, actually had to just, you know, go through everything and and say that I I couldn't

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I did I didn't need it because I wasn't using it.

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There's a place, in New York called Material For the Art, and they take, like, fabrics and,

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you know, craft stuff and stuff, and they basically donate it to nonprofits around the city.

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So you feel good about giving it because, you know, they they give it, and it's having another use.

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So, like, if I have, like, you know, zippers button, stuff like that I I don't use, I actually

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had, like, a truck full of stuff, and I drove to them and I just gave everything away.

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So it was it's, as long as it's being used some way, someone is using it, it doesn't go to the landfill.

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So I think that's that's it.

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If you have any other, ideas of how to stay sustainable in the fashion industry, please leave it in the comment.

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But for now, I am Zaiya from Vision Design Lab with

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Naima from Fearless Threads And Leticia from Keeping Your Switches.