In the first edition of our Threading Resilience zine, we share 19 stories from our Fibershed Affiliates. We are rounding up three of their incredible stories in this article—from the Rust Belt Fibershed, Fibershed DACH, and Fibershed Ireland—to highlight the different geographies, journeys, and wisdom that can be shared from this network.
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Danu Organic is a one-woman owned clothing company created by Sarah Danu. The word danu is the name of the earth goddess of Ireland, and Sarah’s company hails both from her heritage as well as to the land from which she walks and sources her clothes.
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Everything from the materials used to the manufacturing process is sustainable at Gynna Made. Each piece of clothing is made-to-order, essentially creating zero waste. Scraps are used for stuffing, mending or are composted. All designs go through a rigorous six-month wear-and-test period.
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This article highlights a critical part of the fiber supply chain: the fiber processors that operate mills. Situated between the producers growing raw natural fibers and the artisans and designers crafting textiles, fiber mills add life to a product. As an intermediary, mill owners and operators get to experience numerous aspects of the life cycle of fibers and textiles. A true labor of love, their work requires a deep understanding of natural fibers’ properties — from sheep’s wool to alpaca to cotton and flax — to create customized products of the highest quality.
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Fiber artisans have the opportunity to support soil-regenerating practices and natural fiber producers by being selective about the type of fiber they work with.
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The following pieces are written by five Fibershed producer members offering their perspectives on the creation of a community-constructed sweater using Santa Cruz Island sheep wool.
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Watch a recording of a presentation by textile artist Karen Hampton and a conversation between Karen Hampton and environmental equity consultant Teju Adisa-Farrar at the Fibershed 2021 Wool & Fine Fiber Symposium.
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The mainstream fashion industry’s supply chains are not linear but operate in an economy with a take, make, and waste production model. This model takes mass amounts of raw materials and releases carbon emissions into the atmosphere; uses exploited labor to make these materials into products; then those products are wasted and “thrown away,” usually to a landfill in a low-income community of color. The driving force for this production model is to create infinite amounts of profit by producing as many things as possible for as cheaply as possible. This necessitates destroying the earth and simultaneously exploiting low-wage workers, who are mostly women of color. This belief in endlessly growing the economy is one of the main reasons why the fashion industry has to be completely transformed. Luckily, alternatives exist and are being built at this very moment.
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Written and Photographed by Koa Kalish Jennie Henderson is a prolific textile artist on the wild northern coast of California. Nestled in the small town of Point Arena, is Jennie’s […]
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Written by Marie Hoff and photographed by Paige Green Ace Vandenack is a crafter. Together with his wife, Pam, the couple has crafted a farm, a fiber business, and a […]
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In this free resource, we’ll reveal how plastic solidified its place as one of the most prominent materials in fashion, we’ll talk about what that means for all of us, and we’ll share some of the best solutions for getting us out of this mess.