Clutch bag handles made from imported American wood, cactus print leather trousers, and shorts created with upholstery offcuts are a far cry from the traditional materials used in most garments – but just how far do designers have to push the fabric and fibres boundaries to create niche and innovative products.
Sydney designer Sasha-Rose Hartley says that using alternative materials in her Sasha-Rose collection is the easiest way to ‘stay different’. She uses upholstery fabric to make tailored high-waited shorts. She says this fabric is made with a 'high pile' which is similar to fur and it needs to be brushed a certain way to maintain one tone. Making them is a very hard process as the fabric is very thick so it needs to be cut by hand using scissors instead of blades, sewing is a challenge too, having to use leather machines and needles to stitch through and each pair takes over an hour to cut – but the result is beautiful and different,” Hartley says. “If I can use crazy fabrics and people love the product who knows what is next,” she says. She also ‘loves the thought’ of using the new stretch leathers currently being made, as well as cane toad leather and soft cotton-like fabric made from bamboo.
Hartley says as more fabrics and fibres come on the market designers want to be the first to use it and in their quest to be different they try and explore different fabrics, processes and patterns One Australian online retailer who is not afraid to experiment with patterns on fibres and fabrics is designer of Black Milk products, James Lillis. From polyester and elastane swimsuits featuring a rib cage and spine pattern, to le gings with muscle fibres, jellyfish and metallic snakeskin, Lillis is not afraid to experiment. With nearly 90,000 Facebook fans and many of its products selling out once uploaded online, Lillis says it clear to see that consumers are increasingly wanting to wear more unusual and unique garments.
The designer from Adelaide-based clothing label Laksmono, Kirsty Billie Irwin, says for spring/summer 2012/13 she too plans on pushing the boundaries of the fabrics and fibres in her collection.
“I have never experimented with leather printing before and don't really know of any other designers that have attempted this,” Irwin says. “I would assume it is used for handbags quite a lot, but not for wearable fashion.”
Despite most clothing labels playing it safe with their use of leather, Irwin says she wanted to explore the fabric's use by experimenting with colour and pattern techniques.
Irwin says she came up with the idea of having brightly coloured leather after being inspired by a Polaroid she found from the 1960s, incorporating flora and fauna.
She says from the very start she felt determined to create a yellow cactus print leather so “had to find a way to make this happen” and after consulting with her fabric supplier about options she was able to make it happen.
“Laksmono is a strong, minimalistic label with a rebellious edge and therefore often uses leather in the collections – this is why I wanted to continue to work with leather for this collection, but with a summer-worthy twist,” Irwin explains. “It is not a widely used method and therefore you have to make sure you are dealing with people that know a lot about the grain of leather.”
Irwin says more and more Australian designers are “starting to think outside of the box” and used US designer Franc Fernandez, who created Lady Gaga's infamous dress made of meat, as an example of how more people are exploring with materials.
“We have more available to us more now then ever and I love that designers are utilising the boundless opportunities to incorporate something new and cutting edge,” Irwin added.
Designer Linda Vydra, head honcho behind Melbourne-based bag and accessories label Lydra, says a revolutionary manufacturing system and the use of more unusual materials will help her eco-friendly brand stay ahead of the game.
She says the secret to supplying niche products and keeping up with consumer demands is not necessarily about using the latest high-tech fabrics and fibres, but is about reinventing original materials and applying new processes to them.
To create her 'timber clutch' Vydra sources alder wood from America and after recently investing in her own laser-cutting machine, she says this helps give her the edge over competitors and brands which manufacture overseas.
“I think that Australian designers are experimenting, researching and looking into different fabrics and fibres to use and differentiate themselves in the market,” Vydra explains. “But I believe that we still have a long way to go and it’s important that the consumer is educated and demands better fabrics and fibres.”
Vydra, who laser cuts the wood in-house before attaching to the bag, priced $265, also sources remnant upholstery fabrics from couches, curtains and pillows that can no longer be used and uses them as embellishments for her bags.
Vydra believes that as the demand increases for more unusual and organic forms of materials, the cost of them will decrease and such fabrics and fibres will become more mainstream throughout the fashion industry.
Vydra also uses her laser cutting machine to create bags from ‘upcycled’ leather jackets, sourced from opportunity shops.
“We take great care in the way that the jackets are cut, taking into consideration the end finish of the product and the placement of the original seams from the jacket,” Vydra says. ”We also use the original pockets from the jacket, as functional pockets for the bags.”
Vydra, says the new use of laser cutting hugely improves efficiencies when cutting pattern pieces as it provides a higher level of precision.
The machine has been such a success that due to demand from other designers, wanting explore further techniques on fabrics and fibres, Vydra has been hiring it out locally. “This new machine gives us an edge over competitors and brands manufacturing overseas and I think laser cutting will become more prevalent in creating embellishment and improving efficiencies in manufacturing,” Vydra added.
Vydra says despite leather itself not being a new material as such, it is thanks to new innovations in technology that allow the material to be adapted to fit contemporary fashion demands.
“It is a sturdy material that is good for longevity, easy to clean and strong – and upholstery remnants bring a story to each bag as we try to place the fabric in places that they will be less likely to get dirty” Vydra added.
Lydra, which is stocked in every state across 50 stores and online, employs members of the elderly community to help stitch her hand-crafted, one-of-a-kind bags, and Vydra says by using ‘pre-loved’ materials, this helps reduce the amount of wastage that is going to landfill.
Melbourne-based designer Henry Ng, who created his menswear label Orri Henrisson back in 2008, says the Australian market focuses on commercialism, wearability and on-trend looks, instead of exploring more diverse uses of fabrics and fibres.
Ng says Australia is not like, for example, London, where designers are given the freedom to experiment and explore, but he tries to offer a point of difference by combining fabrics that are not traditionally mixed.
“My AW12 collection is different to previous collections as I have incorporated materials like silk, vinyl and pleather (plastic leather), which are not usually used in commercial menswear and which
I have never worked with before,” Ng says. “This collection also relies on mixing fabrication – button-up woven shirtings were paired with jersey sleeves, cotton trousers were finished with vinyl patches, silk panels were added onto wool jackets, and zips on embellished knit jumpers.”
Ng says there are a lot of materials that have a luxurious feel or finish, but these often get overlooked in menswear. In a bid to expand the fabrics used in this sector, Ng has used materials such as nylon, silk organza, soft vinyl and pleather, that are often associated with sports and technical wear and womenswear.
“I really wanted them to be viewed differently and incorporated into menswear,” Ng added.
While many designers look at how to re-invent and transform traditional fabrics, just as many are looking ahead at changing practices, allowing them to produce more sustainable yarns and techniques.Designer Ruby Barry from wholesale clothing house Eco Diva, which has more than 100 stockists across Australia, says she is noticing an increase in customers seeking eco-friendly products. As a result the brand, which is known for its hand-painted, 100 per cent silk kaftans, kimonos and scarves, has introduced its first ‘Winter Modal’ classic basics range – made from Lenzing Modal.
Barry says the new eco-fabric is made by fast spinning cellulose from specific species of beech tree grown near the Lenzing Modal plant near Leipzig in Austria, and extracting the fine fibres into cloth.
“The trees are grown in carefully managed plantations and the plant-to-fibre process is carefully controlled on environmental impact grounds by the manufacturer – as such, Lenzing Modal is 100 per cent natural,” Barry says. “All stages of the manufacturing process are closely monitored and are designed throughout to ensure the lowest possible environmental impact.” The company has also begun to use coloured dyes that are designed to have a lower environmental impact. “Eco Diva has taken responsibility for its production and processes and this is why we design using sustainable fabrics and classic designs with the idea of guaranteeing longevity,” Barry added. “We are seeing an ever rising consumer demand for more eco long lasting fabrics and I believe this is a trend that will keep increasing.”
Another brand which is experimenting with the processes it uses on fibres and fabrics is outdoor clothing and merino wool specialist, Icebreaker. The New Zealand business, which was the first company in the world to develop a merino wool layering system for the outdoors, is about to unleash its latest innovation for fall/winter 2012. Icebreaker’s creative director, Rob Achten, says that following on from its development of 'Realfleece', a highly insulated lightweight fabric with a loft that has been brushed to create air pockets that trap air and lock in body heat, the business has created a new type of material. By using nanotechnology they have now managed to create water-resistant Realfleece jackets.
“We’ve also developed a new line of merino insulated soft shell jackets for AW12,” Achten added. “The triple-layer construction includes a Realfleece inner layer, a windproof layer and a water-resistant outer layer – these jackets keep the weather out but are highly breathable and more odour resistant than soft shell jackets made entirely of synthetics.”
