Ecologies of Making Fashion (Session 2): Materials Breakdown
Sustainable materials in fashion often succeed as case studies, and fail to scale. Why?
This 90-minute session is the second seminar on Ecologies of Making, an ongoing inquiry into the structures shaping fashion production and consumption.
This session will be led by Sarah Salameh, and feature guest speaker Taylor Heisley-Cook, CEO and Cofounder of The Hurd Co., based in Santa Monica, CA. The Hurd Co. is making it possible to make clothes from 100% agricultural waste through production of Agrilose, its proprietary cellulosic pulp.
Sarah will introduce core materials and product development frameworks, including:
High level materials breakdown and categorization, with examples
Materials and product-level case studies, highlighting the nuances of “impact”
Evaluation criteria for new materials and their commercialization readiness
“Matchmaking” of design, materials and manufacturing methods
Product development stages
Opportunities and challenges in various product categories such as footwear, apparels and outerwear
There will also be a live discussion with Taylor, CEO and Cofounder of The Hurd Co. Taylor will share insights on:
Taylor’s backstory that led to founding The Hurd Co.
How their product, Agrilose, helps reduce deforestation for production of fibers like Lyocell, Viscose and Rayon
How they’re able to produce pulp for fibers like Lyocell at cost, at scale
Building for existing supply chains, as well as existing agricultural waste sources from the Central Valley
New regulations that will drive more accountability and visibility across the textile supply chain
This session is for:
Designers and fashion founders looking for curated sustainability education
Brands and operators that want to implement sustainable materials offerings
Fiber and textile producers
Investors in the fashion materials space
Anyone committed to understanding the systems and stakeholders shaping fashion production and consumption