How can the latest design and technology help to create wear without waste? And what can we all do to reduce the impact of throwaway fashion?

To dye for

  • That flash of high-fashion colour has a dark side. Dyes and finishes cast fashion’s largest environmental shadow – more than 70 toxic chemicals are flushed into the world’s water systems. Many will stay in the water cycle for ever.

    How can technology light up a look and cut the chemical runoff?

Material desires

  • The average household contributes 26 items of wearable clothing to landfill every year. Polyester and other synthetics can take centuries to degrade. Natural fibres decay faster, but as they break down they release climate-altering methane and toxic dyes into the environment.

    Can technology work with nature to make better fabrics that are easy to recycle and quick to break down?

Cut it out

  • Transforming cloth into a killer cut is a wasteful art. Fashion designers leave 15% of the fabric on the cutting-room floor. These ‘offcuts’ end up stuffed into cushions or languishing in landfill.

    How can clever design keep razor-sharp lines and create cloud-like ruffles without adding to the scrapheap?