Eco-Friendly Practices in Fashion Designing Courses

The fashion industry once known for its environmental impact, is undergoing a metamorphosis. From Bella Hadid, and Kate Middleton, to Katrina Kaif, celebrities too flown the flag for sustainable fashion. 

Fashion designers like Anita Dongre, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, and Rahul Mishra Many designers participating in Lakme Fashion Week 2023 claimed that they are trying to shrink their brand's environmental footprints. 

While some are shifting to reusable materials, some are experimenting with fabrics made from agricultural waste, and some using eco-prints of plants. However, experts believe a lot more needs to be done. 

According to an estimate, the Indian fashion industry is expected to reach $125 billion by 2025, making it a crucial player on the global stage. Given the magnitude of the challenge, fashion design courses are now weaving eco-friendly practices into their very fabric. 

The shift transcends mere trends. Bachelor's degree in fashion design at IDeA World College includes lessons from Environment and Public Health to nurture future designers with the best of sustainable fashion.

Diverse Ways In Which Fashion Design Courses Embrace Eco-Friendly Practices

Using eco-friendly practices in the fashion industry is more than a trend. It strides towards a sustainable way of operating and creating a new narrative to align aesthetics. Here are diverse ways in which fashion designing courses embrace eco-friendly practices.

Weaving Green Threads

Ethical production is the cornerstone of eco-friendly practices. This includes ensuring that workers are treated properly, and reducing of water and electricity usage while adhering to the standards set for safety, quality, and environmental care. 

The overall shift towards sustainable production methods including the use of renewable energy in production processes highlights the industry's dedication to environmental sustainability. 

Furthermore, a conscious shift in consumption patterns reveals that fashion does not just look good but does good too.

Material Mindfulness

More than the trends, using sustainable materials strides towards an eco-friendly way of operating in a manner kinder to the planet. With this, the fashion industry is creating a new narrative by exploring eco-friendly materials while aligning aesthetics with ethics. 

Fashion Design courses offered by IDeA World College include subjects like fiber and yarn science for a better understanding of the different types of materials used in production.

Sustainable materials are often made from natural or renewable resources or recycled materials. Some of the examples are organic cotton, Hemp, recycled polyester, Tencel, pinatex, and linen.

Water Conservation In Fashion

It is a known fact that the fashion industry is a significant consumer of water as textile production requires large quantities of water for dyeing, finishing, and washing. Implementing low-water dyeing techniques, waterless textile processing techniques, closed-loop water systems, and adopting water stewardship practices can help to reduce water consumption. 

Students in fashion design courses must be made aware of how these eco-friendly practices will help fashion brands to reduce their water footprint and promote responsible water management.

Energy Efficiency

The use of renewable energy in the production process is a crucial part of minimizing the environmental impact. This helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promotes a more sustainable future. 

Designers can use solar panels or a mini wind turbine at their manufacturing facilities depending upon their suitability. In case the production unit is small scale, they can improve energy efficiency by using energy-efficient lighting appliances. 

Further, implementing energy management systems can reduce energy waste. A little step in that direction will surely make a huge impact.

Circular Fashion

To create a circular economy in fashion, fashion designing courses educate budding designers to create products with circularity in mind. Here are a few tips on how designers can apply circular fashion practices;

• Design products using recyclable or biodegradable materials
• Creating products that are easily disassembled for reuse or recycling
• Extend the life cycle of the product by giving options for repair, refurbishment, or upcycling
• Offering rental and resale options for clothing
• Using modern technologies to minimize leftover fabric waste. This is cost-effective too.

co-Friendly Packaging

Traditional packaging materials such as plastic and paper have a significant environmental impact. Eco-friendly packaging with the use of biodegradable and recyclable materials aims to minimize the impact and promote more sustainable packaging practices. 

Further, using eco-packing labeling helps to promote the brand's commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

Why Are Eco-Friendly Practices Crucial?

The philosophy and the movement geared towards protecting the environment while promoting social responsibility has gained relevance recently. The goal of sustainable fashion is to take into account the environmental as well as the socio-economic implications of design practices. In the process, it will create value for the entire community.

Various measures including the prolonged lifecycle of materials, increasing the value of local products, using natural resources judiciously, and reducing waste can minimize the adverse effects on the environment. Big designers have fashion shows annually and new collections are launched every season. This means they are creating clothes at a constant pace.

Fashion Designing Courses at IDeA World College imbibe its students the principles of slow fashion that promote sustainable and ethical fashion practices. The eco-friendly practices taught during the course help budding designers prioritize quality over quantity, encouraging consumers to buy and wear clothing for extended periods.