Tech forum welcomes fashion input

Attendees of the Technical Textiles and Nonwoven Association (TTNA) annual conference have described collaboration with the fashion sector as key to a sustainable industry.

Taking place on November 13 at the Melbourne Museum, the conference - dubbed "Sustain-tex" - took environmental solutions in the technical textiles industries as its central theme. It featured presentations from global and local specialists from the apparel sector, including US company Circle, which presented on recycling materials - including leather, book covers and old clothing - to produce clothing. Meanwhile Keith Cowlishaw, RMIT's head of school in fashion and textiles, presented an overview of sustainability and its application to the textile and fashion industries.

In his presentation Cowlishaw said the primary sustainability challenges for textile enterprises were carbon management, water quality and labour equity. However most businesses had a long way to go in terms of meeting these challenges and effecting cultural change.

"A common practice is for a company to adopt these protocols and then market its sustainability credentials. The fact that sustainability may imply some 'marketing edge' highlights the fact that sustainability practices have some way to go before we can claim to have a culture of sustainability. A true culture of sustainability will appear when consumers and enterprises see sustainable practices as a given."

Talking to Ragtrader after the event, Cowlishaw confirmed RMIT had worked the principles of sustainability into all its courses.

"But it's also important that as an organisation RMIT practices what it preaches, in terms of acting sustainably; furthermore our teachers need to be trained in the precepts of sustainability over the coming years."

Cowlishaw said it was heartening to see fashion industry representatives at the forum. Aside from RMIT staff, these included Jo Kellock, executive director of The Council of Textile and Fashion Industries (TFIA) and Emer Diviney, research and policy co-ordinator at charity the Brotherhood of St Laurence, which runs sustainable label Hunter Gatherer.

TTNA acting chairman Robert Bell said closer collaboration between the technical textiles and fashion industries would nurture "economies of scale and cross pollination of ideas".

By Belinda Smart.