#autumn is a blank slate which is great and very useful but the details we have about night court make it more confusing not less

[jon-snows-man-bun]

Me drafting my next chapter and trying to close all the velaris plot holes

[verdantstylus]

Tokyo Street Styling: The Aesthetics of Japanese Street Fashion

a.k.a. why do some outfits have a ‘very Japanese’ aesthetic and others don’t?

If you’ve ever scrolled through the TokyoFashion instagram, you’d see outfits of all types and styles, ranging from the ‘classic’ harajuku staples like decora and lolita to the more street-style based coords of which an overall style is yet to be properly named.

Over the years that I’ve been an observer and a follower of these styles, I’ve noticed a gradual but significant decrease in actual Japanese people wearing the ‘classic’ sub-styles and more and more venturing into the realm of the nameless umbrella which is ‘tokyo street fashion’.

And yet harajuku fashion isn’t really dying, it’s transforming into something completely new (mentioned in this post). And what interests me the most is how these new styles are so different from the so-called OG sub-styles and yet are distinctly Japanese.

So this post will attempt to talk about that in as short of a post as I can manage

This other post already mentions the basics of Japanese street style so I won’t go over that in much detail again.

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First, a quick background of Japanese colours.

Japanese colours in the Edo period were originally split into three categories:

The Colours of Animals

The Botanical Colours

The Colours of Nature

And these colours in varying proportions would evoke certain seasons or feelings. Some colours are tied to spring, others to autumn. And borrowing from confucianism and taosim, there are colours that are tied to specific elements.

Nowadays, these are not completely strictly adhered to, since the West introduced their own colour theory after the Edo period, but there is a lot of the original colour theory of Japan that is still relevant in their aesthetics today.

Sources: 1, 2

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Next, a quick introduction to some of the main concepts of Japanese aesthetics:

♔ Wabi-sabi

The idea of embracing transience and change, but also imperfection and incomplete objects, as it is natural. Think of the sakura that only blooms for a short while, the idea of things growing, flowering and then decaying, and finding beauty and peace in that process is part of wabi-sabi.

♔ Yūgen

Referring to “something dim, deep and mysterious, something that cannot be understood”. The Japanese also don’t believe this feeling can be expressed in words, but I think the closest explanation is a sense of profound melancholy and gentle grace.

(Think of mode, karasuzoku, outfits by Rei Kawakubo, can possibly be applied to mori kei)

♔ Iki

A combination of intellectuality and sensibility. It is simplicity and sophistication, or maybe even sophistication in simplicity. It refers to the unselfconscious, measured and straightforward. It usually is used to relate to a person, but we shall see how it applies to fashion in a bit.

(Mori kei is the first thing that comes to mind, but also pop kei and classic lolita)

♔ Shibui

The aesthetic of simplicity and unobtrusiveness. Shibui refers to things that are overall simple, but when observed more closely are detailed and textured and refined. It has a balance of complexity and simplicity.

And of course the most important one to this context:

♔ Kawaii

The concept of cuteness and being loveable, found in most Japanese street fashion.

I find that these, in their various combinations and proportions, make up a lot of what is Tokyo Street Fashion.

Sources: 1, Aesthetics of Colours in Japanese Paintings and Woodblock Prints in the Edo Period (Siying Wang)

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So. How does this all apply to fashion?

I’m going to use some examples here to describe what I mean.

♔ Strawberry Candy Outfit

I call this the strawberry candy outfit because it is indeed the colours of a strawberry candy. So outfit breakdown: why is this an example of Japanese street fashion?

Firstly, the use of layering textures and sheers is a common part of Tokyo street style, as well as the use of colour blocking. The overall colour palette is based around pink, so the makeup and accessories would match that, and the blueish-grey of the hair and the blue accents on the shoes and the earrings provide the littlest bit of contrast.

So colourwise, I’ve decided to use pink as my main colour, and the red, white and grey are all secondary to that, though by playing with proportion, I can ‘even out’ the amount of pink and make it less overwhelming. Pink is made of red and white, so I broke apart the red and white, and then added grey to make the look more neutral, but also feminine.

The main aesthetic concepts I am following here are Shibui and Kawaii. There’s an overall cute energy that comes from the bows, red tulle and pearls. And yet it’s a very balanced look, not overly cute. The idea is to play with the textures and patterns to give it more dimension.

♔ The Utilitarian Office Lady

This coord is based around a monochrome palette, the suit is made of a pair of flared trousers and a boxy jacket, which on its own can make a cool base for a karasuzoku outfit or a mode outfit.

But here I layered the suit jacket over another jacket of reflective grey fabric, with a lot of utilitarian elements to it, and also added a plastic belt with grommets punched into it. The hair could just be a really long sleek ponytail, and the faux reptile skin backpack and dark makeup would go nicely to give it more of a street-style edge. The shoes are black Nike Kyrie 6 EPs but really any chunky black sneaker will do.

This one is more following the aesthetics of Shibui and Iki. It’s unobtrusive in the way that it is sleek and monochromatic, but it’s also very detailed in all the contracting sheen and texture of the outfit. The matte suede of the suit with the reflective polyester of the jacket, as well as the reptile skin and the mesh. There’s a subtle contrast there.

This outfit, I would say is very straightforward and simple, but there are so many interesting layers about it that give it more dimension and personality.

♔ The Edgy Gyaru

This outfit is inspired by the modern gyaru. The sheer top can easily be paired with a shorter skirt and knee high boots to be Even More Gyaru, but I’m going with this skirt because I find it more interesting. This outfit leans more towards the Rokku Gyaru sub-style, and would go with light ash grey coloured hair and the typical gyaru makeup.

This look is a mostly Iki sort of aesthetic. There’s a sexier type of sophistication in this look, and it’s mostly in dark muted colours, but the details make it far more interesting than it first seems.

This is the most ‘mild’ of the looks I’ve shown here, and it’s largely because this one has the most western influence. This look will be a lot more tokyo street with the makeup and the hair styling factored in, but just as it is, it’s actually more of a blank slate.

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If you’ve read this far, thank you! It’s been a long post, but to conclude:

The world is becoming very interconnected and very globalised. Which is great for spreading word of a style or a trend, not so great for maintaining the so called ‘purity’ of that style or trend. And as styles and trends progress over time, they can die out, they can change into something new, and I am of the opinion that that change should be welcomed.

However, we can’t forget where the original trend came from or where the style evolved to add another layer on top of an older trend or to completely reject it and become something even newer and unseen.

Other countries and cultures have been adopting Japanese aesthetics into their street culture ever since the ‘big 3’ of Japanese designers were introduced to the world in the 80s. There are elements of Japanese street style in Parisian and New York streetwear, just as there are western influences in Japanese street style.

In fact South Korean, Chinese and Japanese street style is becoming more and more homogenous, and sometimes it takes me a while to even figure out where the specific outfit i’m about to share is from.

I hope this post was helpful in explaining how to spot the core aesthetics that make Japanese fashion so Japanese, and I hope you, my dear readers, can use this info to craft your own outfits.

The traditional Japanese colours and aesthetics aren’t a hard and fast rule, but if you want to dress more to the style, it’s a pretty good guideline to really ensure you’ve got the coord right. 

[dysphoric-dumbass13]

All of them. Every single fall themed ask at once. Lets see how you like it. (love you)

Whatever. Something to do in bio. Love you too boo.

Lantern: (how did you meet your best friend?) I have three. For Evan, they said something about the flannel I was wearing. I didnt like them that much to start out, they were too bubbly for my taste. For TJ, I was friends with his best friend in 6th grade. She left and I didnt have any friends so J tried to become friends with him and Angel. I loved him, he was so sassy and cool. For Kass, the asshole who's making me do this, it was 6th grade science. I didn't know what to call them and spent the entire year trying to figure it out but being too afraid to ask. They were actually pretty cool. Idk what all of their initial opinions of me were.

Frost: (if you could give some advice to your younger self, what would you say?) Quit pretending you're an adult, itll just hurt you. Let yourself dress masculine, it's ok to do that. And it's ok to like girls like you do, dont be afraid to express yourself.

Maple: (is there a hobby/skill you've always wanted to try but never did?) Yeah, I always wanted to be on a little league football team when I was little.

Harvest: (what fictional character do you most identify with? Why?) Dean winchester. Because I am just..... basically him if he wasnt raised in an environment with toxic masculinity *cough cough* John *cough cough*

Fireside: (if you had your dream wardrobe, what would it look like?) Flannel, band tees, everything would be from the Mens section. Some binders for masculine and nb days and lots of mens skinny jeans. Also David Bowie Vans, pride converse, and combat boots.

Cider: (a food that you disliked as a child but now enjoy?) Idk. For a period of time I hated coffee, I dont mind it now.

Amber: (share an unpopular opinion that you may have.) Oof. Um, christians aren't necessarily bad, the ones we all know of are because they hide behind the bible to hate people.

Fog: (how well do you think you'd do in a zombie apocalypse scenario?) Either really well or terribly. I'd either let then get me, or wear a medieval suit of armor and just walk through everywhere boss mode. And Costco.

Jack-O-Lantern: (if you could look like any celebrity, who would you choose?) Ruby rose.

Spice: (have you ever encountered a house that you believed to be haunted?) Yes. Mine. Creepy baby handprints in the basement. In keeping the spirits occupied with my old Barbies.

Orchard: (share one thing you'd like to happen this autumn) Oh, that's hard. I think I'd want a partner so I dont go into winter depressed like I always do.

Crow: (which school subject do you have an aptitude for?) Math or English? Does choir count? Idk

Bonfire: (describe your dream house) Idc that much. As long as it has a library and multiple bedrooms, and the people I care about loving with me/nearby

Cinnamon: (if you had to live in a time period different than the present, which would you choose and where?) Either Ireland in the medieval times as a knight, or the 70s in Europe or the US.

Cranberry: (what is one physical feature you get complimented on?) Annoyingly, my boobs. Apparently they're big and nice, whatever. Recently, my hair though. I just cut it short.

Maize: (share the weirdest encounter you've had with a stranger on the street.) Last year, I was at the mall in a bathroom and an older woman (idk maybe 60?) came up to me and said "I'm either having a drink or I have to pee. You're living the golden years kid, not me." In hindsight I think she was just quoting John Mulaney at me, but it was weird to me when it happened.

Quilt: (how do you take your tea or coffee?) Tea, chai and Irish breakfast are my favorites, I really like green tea though. It has to be sweet though, I can't stand unsweetened tea (theres my mom's Texan coming out)

Pumpkin: (do you think that humans are inherently good or bad?) Neither, I think people are born blank slates and our experiences shape everything about us.

Moonlit: (are you a neat or messy person? Is your room/house orderly?) Hahahaha, what's a floor?

Flannel #1: (have you ever gone on a bad date?) No. I've only ever been on one date, and I thought it was pretty good. I dated one person who was an asshole but that's it.

Cocoa: (if you could have any type of hair, what color and cut would you have?) Probably my natural color (light brown, easiest to dye), cut short, but curly in texture instead of this wavyish shit.

Ghost: (is there someone that you miss having in your life?) Yeah. I mean she isn't dead, but my 6th grade best friend. I miss her.

Pumpkin spice: (what is your drink of choice?) Mt Dew, Dr. Pepper, or tea. But it has to be sweet.

Wool socks: (what is something you look forward to in fall?) If I lived anywhere but where I live this would work, my wardrobe is actually fitting for the type of weather. Coolish, with some breezes, and crisp. Warm sometimes. My flannel is great for that, but stupid Colorado snows nearly year round.

Falling leaves: (you're stranded on a desert island and here's the twist: what three things do you NOT bring with you?) A boat so I can live in solidarity, thank you very much, anyone that's homophobic, transphobic, antisemitic, racist, etc, and peanuts.

Smelly candles: (what's your absolute favorite scent?) Fredh baked apple pie 🤤

Big sweaters: (do you prefer the cold, warmth, or a perfect in-between?) I'm practically a living heater. So cold weather.

Halloween: (if you could dress up as anyone/anything and pull it off absolutely flawlessly, who/what would it be?) Idk if this counts, but whatever gender I currently identify with (nb, feminine, masculine, in between). If that doesn't, then Jensen Ackles.

Cozy blankets: (where do you feel the most safe and at home?) With TJ. He's my family.

Hot tea: (when was the last time you kissed someone?) July 21st at around.... 5 or 6am?

Flannel #2: (what's your favorite day of the year? Is there a reason it's your favorite?) I don't really have one.

Chilly air: (what's your least favorite and favorite type of weather?) Is it weird that snowing is both my favorite and least favorite type of weather depending on the time of year?

Scarves: (if you could only wear one outfit for the rest of your life, what would it be?) My pair of black ripped guys skinny jeand with my dark blue distressed flannel and my wolf shirt.

Apple cider: (if you could throw a party and invite absolutely anyone, who would they be?) All of my close friends, plus the one I haven't seen in forever that I miss too much, and Misha Collins.

Haunted houses: (what's your scariest memory?) It was a dream I had when I was 5 that I remember in perfect detail. When I find the time I texted it to Kass I'll make a post with a screenshot of it.

Fuzzy boots: (if you could live in any year/era, which would it be and why?) See cinnamon above

Thanksgiving: (what is someone/something that you're most grateful for? Any particular reason?) That's hard. Can I say my best friends? That's only 3 people. And because they're always there and care about me and I love them.

Black friday: (what is one thing, if anything, that you would sell your soul to own?) The rights to be the writer of a Supernatural sequel.

Apple picking: (if you could go anywhere, where would it be and why?) Ireland. Castles. About 60% of my heritage. Green.

Corn mazes: (do you have any secret talents/abilities?) Not secret ones

Hay rides: (if you could pick absolutely anything to be your form of transportation, what would it be?) A 1967 4-door black Chevrolet Impala. Obviously.

The color orange: (do you have a specific song that reminds you of autumn? What is it?) Yeah, a few. Sweater Weather by The Neighborhood, Trees by twenty one pilots, Smithereens by twenty one pilots, Californication by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snow (Hey Oh) by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Blackbird by The Beatles, Perfect by Ed Sheeran, Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran, Heartbeat by Carrie Underwood, and What I Got by Sublime. To name a few.

Windy nights: (if you could go to any concert whose would it be?) Live Aid lmao. If they dont have to be alive then Queen, if they do then either Ed Sheeran, twenty one pilots, or Panic!

Holding hands: (do you believe in soulmates?) Kinda? I think I want to. I think you feel it at one point, if you meet someone you love that dearly. But idk, maybe I'm just being stupid.

Kass, thank you. And I hate you.

[whieldonflyfishing]

How to Fly Fish Stillwater

  STILLWATER TROUT FISHING

One of the amazing places for learners to get introductions is stock Stillwater. The springs are probably the best time to fish in these sort of places and the best time to practice the sport. We are now telling you the Lake fly fishing for trout beginning guidelines.

  No matter if you're new in the business or you're someone who wants to come back from a long break of fly fishing. These are my ultimate list of choices, including how to fish wet flies and how to fish dry flies both.

  Find out the best location.

It will never be your time wasted when you give your moments to the research about your next purpose. The best sources you can use our social media and the available online reports about fishing games. To be very honest, I have found out that the better the services of games and consistency in sport, the better you'll find them engaging on social platforms. Also, you have to look even deeper and look at the positive vibes from visiting people.

  When you are fishing in the best-stocked venues and places, you'll be having a better experience of fishing every time. Most popular venues are likely to have more fish turnover and will be restocked regularly.

  Also, the more fishermen there on the site, you can see them doing their experiments, asking your related questions and learning from them. Most of the fishermen love to share their methods of fishing with their hearts. Also, you can spot a tackle shop to buy a killer fly they suggested to you.

  Our most favourite fly is Ar orange Head woolly starter with which we recommend to use it with manly built commercial puddles with rainbow and brook trout alternatively. We use this pattern because it's a larger size. A very amazing attraction bigger (contrasts of orange head) and a smaller (black woolly bugger). It seems a universal fly pattern that especially adores rainbow trout at the start of the cold spring season(start of the season on the commercial reservoir of trout).

  Also, at the start of autumn seasons until the surface of the stream freezes. (Half time of the trout, fishing seasons on still water.) As the names say it all (starter), we prefer to follow this sequence of fishing to locate the occurrence and activities of the fishes on water locality.

  Prefer Clearwater puddle

It will be boasting much confidence of the fisherman when they notice the pattern of fishes on every cast. That's why we always recommend a clear water puddle. It also gives this choice to play willingly with different flies to tie and depth without having the worry of Fish watching the fly.  The clear pool will be making you the visible closeness of fishes to the bank and depth of the water.

  You are also able to see the contours, weed beds, etc. And obviously, all will be helping you locate the fish colonies. When you finally get some practice to work, then you fish smaller flies such as buzzers, which can be attentive to fishes and any worm.

  Our other very favourite and amazing for Stillwater rainbow fishing is AR HOT HEAD YELLOW KILLER, especially at the start of this season. This pattern is amazing for the first time chase, just after the water surfaces freeze on the dams. When in clean and cold water, hypnotizes the trout to strike over. Great fly, and when you're hunting for freshly stocked fishes, they always pay a serious responsibility to simple extraordinary flies of the same kind. In the big size, we utilize the hot yellow lure as the point flies.

  But just because we don't like fishing with the large and bright shaded lure, we reduce the size and move this fly to the position of excellent Dropper fly. It stimulates the Fish, which is a low attentive natural fly on the point. Schedules like gold head lure with a black marabou tail and a body of peacock spectra dubbing (spring months) or a white gold head ambush with chartreuse thorax in the cat's whiskers style ( cold months of autumn ) the whole pattern is revised by the slow to medium paced figure to eight utilizing slow and intermediate or subsurface hoverfly line.

  Want to know about the complete killer of big trout who, it's no one, then AR FISH FRY BOOBY STREAMER. They roam around the bottom of the coast, looking for more meat. This fly is comparatively bigger and light coloured small fish patterns made for targeted fishing for fry feeders (An English term for the large trout fly fishing from reservoirs who take fry Fish in fall).

  The pattern of big trout focusing on the flocks of smaller fishes in the other natural areas works well on still water in the planned wishing on large rainbow trout. We used this pattern around four or five months ago, but time was responsible for the many very big Rainbow and their surroundings Rainbow for fly fishing for trout which are reserving a very long time very inactive but in most of the time occurrence in Dams tends to stick to the bank fairly better than to open water.

  Rods

No matter if you want to lay down the dry flies with finesse or sending pennants to the far places, the family of sonic products are always here to comfort you with the best uncompromising versatility with a balancing of power and feel.Happily crisp And very light weighted.

  The sonic products always stand out with powerful performances and taper designs to give you the fishing application of dry fly, streamers, nymphing and floating the lines of sinking. Built on kinetic technology blanks, they have excellent tracking qualities because they're naturally responsive in hands. It's ready to be used for any purpose the day has in store.

  We coloured it in a juniper shaft colours with hardwood insert (anodized aluminum matte slate on the but t model warriors.) The threads of charcoal wrap around that mix with the black spaces. The elegant design by sonic sports can look perfect in most of the flying fish atmosphere. It is made in the USA and made in the premium rod bag and tube. We have seen every stop to create a family of rods suitable for any kind of angler in any location.

  Features to look for

Connecticut technology

Black coloured like juniper

Wrapped with Charcoal primary thread with gunmetal trims wraps

Fuji ceramic stripper guides

Tiptop hard chromed snake guides

  Benefits

helps in many application

Componentry and black premium

Lighter weight and more efficient.

  Recommendation

Sage igniter single-handed fly rods.

 There are conditions that demand different tools or things to handle the stress right. Head wing strong? Is Fish far? Weighted rigs? Are sink tips heavy? The igniters have been tuned to tackle the most technicals of conditions. Not a single rod for daily fishers, the igniters are well equipped with very high line velocity tapers to carry the massive amount of distances with wind cutting achievements. Very suitable for streamer fishing and heavy sink tips or turnover the low conditions covering the big water. If you are bringing your will, you will be served by,

  features

Connecticut Technology

Chipotle blank colour

Cayenne wrapping of threads with trim wraps gunmetals.

Stripper guide of Fuji ceramic.

Tiptop and hard-chromed snake guide

Freshwater 4-6 kilograms

Cocobolo wood insert with gunmetal anodized aluminum up-locking reel seat

Floor grade snub-nosed half wells handle of corks.

Saltwater around 6-10 kilogram

Incorporated hidden hook keeper in reel seat

Flor grade full wells cork handle with EVA fighting butt

Laser-etched line weight on slide band

Dark rod bag with Titanium logo and chipotle colour model tag

Black powder-coated aluminum rod tube with a medallion of sage

  Orvis fly fishing videos for new clear water series.

Single and duo hand rods. The new collection of Orvis new clear water rod series is not a cosmetic facelift but a detailed overhaul from the bottom up by their rod designer.

But they can't change our values. It is the best fly rod you can ever have for the fortune.

  The consequence of up-gradation is performance and glances in a detailed series that is suitable to every fisher from small addiction to Skagit tossing two handlers. Each and every road has been designed by the purpose-built profile and action to deal with the kind of fishing the rod has been used for.

From the medium litigations action small stream rods to medium-fast freshwater rods and fast action big game rods.

  The blanks have white accents with black chrome

A very fast identifier on the blank

A ceramic insert with a full chrome snake and a stripping guide.

Seats of full black nickel aluminum

Rods with butts for fighting to have composite tips for vitality

Rods are bi-handed, having blended on the tip of the foregrip

Having a grey rod tube

Guarantee of silver Jubilee

formulated in Vermont.

  Floaters

Versatility is the main reason why we become so devoted to the floating line. We can cover up to 25 inches to the five feet shallowness or less than it..During the end of springs and starting of hot weather when the parklands trout focus on the rising chironomid pupa, these happen most of the time daily. Another significant reason for ensuring is that a floating line is in your kit bag and very crucial for the strike indicator presentations. 

  Strike indicators have been seen massively on the lakes. The domain of those imitating chironomid pupa and larva once utilized strike indicator method whenever fly fishing for trout is targeting the other sources of food like leeches, baitfish, damsel nymph, acids, and nymphs of a dragonfly. The strike pointer facilities for controlling two keys exhibition elements(depths and revived speed) fly representation any Stillwater forage item can be prosperously cancelled below the pointer.

   These floating lines are to be the truly amazing choice of casting and reviving weighted techniques. By analyzing the leader inches, the time of the sink weighed off pattern and retrieval speed. This is now possible and in access to reach 20 feet deep. If you want to do this, do with standard 9-15 foot leaders with fluorocarbon tippet. The density is varying up to tapered leader causes it to worsen in an arc.

  Accordingly, leaders have to be 25% longer than the depth of the water. For instance, if you want to reach 16 feet down, that will be requiring a 19-foot leader. Retrieve speeds should be comparatively slow to moderate any fast-paced and will fly climb up out of the 1-3 foot zone, from the forage from where the bottom of the trout.

  In the months of autumn, the best Lake flies for trout actively roam the shallow stocks up for the long winter season coming. A couple of floating lines with a 12-foot leader and very proportional leech or minnow pattern works magic.

  Clear  intermediate

Clear intermediate lines are crucial for still water. Many of the still water fly fishers fly fishing on the Lake are too stuck to the direct or indirect nature as it gives it the elements of stealth. Benefits are seen when paired up with cleared water conditions. Very obvious moderate lines are very favourable, showing equipment for parklands trout, which is foraging shoreline margins and weed perimeters in search of a pontoon boat or float tube. A clear intermediate is most favourite to search equal to the shore or to have weed pockets and openings.

  Fast sinker

The very last and very important type V density compensated line in my parklands fly lines trifecta. The type V lines allow you to explore deeper into a clear intermediate line that would take longer to hit. If the trout is active and much aggressive with more efficiency to catch minnow or leech patterns moved at a very slow-paced or predator such as bobby, fast sinking cords are best proved.  Time is never wasted waiting for the lines to plunge before the commencement of the retriever.

  A type called V is also a very good choice for those who are interested in searching as it will not be paddling along shoreline structure or over the beds of expensive weeds.

  Conclusion

Hopefully, these tricks and tips will make you understand more about fly fishing in lakes, and if any of you are reading, this will be up in the dry fly fish method. It would be a treat for us and for the sport.

from Whieldon Fly Fishing - The Fly Fishing Diaries https://ift.tt/2NN1lwY via IFTTT

[apparelourceinindochina]

This fashion company is doing something about textile waste — using it Starre Vartan September 18, 2018, 9:21 a.m. 6 Tweet 1 Tonlé uses only other companies' waste materials to create their line each season. (Photo: courtesy Tonlé) Just like our food systems, clothing production can be extraordinarily wasteful. It's a disturbing and upsetting fact that at least as much energy, labor and raw materials that go into a meal we eat or a pair of jeans we buy is wasted on one that's trashed. Yes, we throw almost 50 percent of our food away, and it turns out that statistic is probably true for fashion, too. Surprised? Remember that story about how Burberry burned millions of dollars worth of clothes? That's not uncommon in the fashion world — and that Burberry story doesn't even cover all the waste: "In the factories I have visited, I would guess that the wastage is more like 50 percent all told on CMT (Cut make and trim) alone," Rachel Faller, the designer of zero-waste fashion line, Tonlé, told me. "I'm not sure how much wastage there is before the fabric gets to CMT, in milling, spinning, and dying, but I am guessing there's a great deal of waste there, too. Unfortunately, we don't even have good statistics yet for the amount being wasted, but from what I've seen, it's far higher than what most people have even estimated, and that is scary," said Faller. A look from Tonlé's Autumn/Winter 2018 collection. (Photo: Courtesy Tonlé) But there is another way. Faller's design process focuses around using the waste that other designers throw away, and she's built a successful fashion line based on that idea. Her business is based in Cambodia, where her team combs through mountains of textile waste to find great quality off-cuts and remnants; large volumes of fabric are used in Tonlé's basics line, while smaller scraps are hand-knit and woven into next textiles. Not only are textiles removed from the waste stream, there's zero-waste with the waste — not a single scrap goes into the garbage can and even the small leftover pieces are made into hangtags or paper. The video below features Faller who explains how it works in more detail:All this has meant that Tonlé kept 14,000 pounds of fabric waste out of landfills with just the latest collection. If you think about it, waste is a human concept. In nature, there is no waste, just materials to use to make something else. When a tree falls in the forest, it's not garbage; it serves as a home for animals and insects, plants and fungi. Over time it degrades, enriching the soil with nutrients to support other trees' growth. Another look from Tonlé's Autumn/Winter 2018 collection. (Photo: Courtesy Tonlé) Part of our "waste" problem is seeing stuff as garbage when in reality, it's inherently useful. It's just bad design for a fashion company to create so much waste that another fashion company can create an entire line with it. I talked with Faller in more detail about how that works: MNN: Textile waste is becoming an ever-more-talked about issue in the fashion industry, and one that has gotten headlines in the past year in mainstream publications — but you've been utilizing it for years. How did you first learn about this problem? Rachel Faller: I started the first iteration of my business in 2008. At that time, I was most focused on creating sustainable livelihoods for women in Cambodia, where I was living. But in a place like Cambodia, environmental issues and social justice issues are so intertwined that you can't tackle one while ignoring the other. Case in point is the fact that many of the fabrics that are wasted in factories end up polluting Cambodia's waterways, which are the backbone of fisheries and livelihoods for rural communities, or being burned and contributing to worsening air quality that directly impacts people's lives. And climate change has a very real and documented effect on social issues as well. So initially, I started designing around second-hand materials, as there was a lot of second-hand clothing flooding into the markets in Cambodia. But while searching the markets for these materials, I began to come across bundles of scrap fabric that were being sold — which were clearly off-cuts from garment factories. Sometimes they were half-finished garments with the tags still in them. After doing a little more digging and speaking to many people in the markets, I was able to trace these scraps back to large remnant dealers and the factories that the scraps came from in the first place. It was around 2010 that we really switched our efforts toward working with these scrap fabrics, and 2014 that we were able to achieve a zero-waste production model with the scraps from other companies. This may not look like scraps — and that's the point. (Photo: courtesy Tonlé) Can you detail how you use waste fabric within your design process? We start with larger pieces of waste (often we get larger pieces of fabric that either were overstock fabrics or at the end of the roll) and we cut our dresses and T-shirts out of them. Small scraps get cut intro strips and sewn into panels of fabric, much like traditional patchwork with a modernist twist. Smaller pieces left over after that get cut into fabric "yarn" and woven into new textiles, which are made into ponchos, jackets, and tops tend to be our most unique editorial pieces. And lastly, we take the smallest pieces left from all that and make it into paper. Has anything changed over the years as you have worked with the textiles? Has it become harder/easier to source fabrics? I think the amount being wasted is only increasing, so we haven't faced a shortage of fabrics, but we have gotten better at getting closer to the source and buying larger quantities at a time, which both allows us to recycle more and be a bit more strategic. We've talked to a few factory owners about working with them directly to source scraps, although there are some challenges with this. Ideally we could get to a point where we could work directly with a brand to design around their waste before it is even made (especially in the cutting process) and we are in talks with a few people about such collaborations, so that's an exciting next step! A look from the editorial shoot for Tonlé, demonstrating textile waste. (Photo: courtesy Tonlé) Do you think being a pioneer in creative textile waste utilization has been more or less challenging than designing with new materials? That's an interesting question, because I can see it both ways. On one hand, there are a ton of limitations around designing this way. But at the same time, as an artist and creator, I do think that sometimes limitations force you to be more creative, and that's how I choose to see it. When you start with a blank slate, sometimes you don't have to think outside the box, and much of your solutions, or designs, might be a bit more standard, let's say. But when you have limited resources and materials, you are forced to come up with new solutions that perhaps no one has done before, and that's actually really exciting. So all in all, I would say that it has probably improved my designs more than it has detracted from them — and it's certainly more enjoyable to design things that you believe in 100 percent and you know are going to make everyone feel good along the way, from designer, to maker, to wearer! I'm glad that these discussions are finally coming to the forefront, because all of the issues with the garment industry are interconnected to waste. If we were able to produce 50 percent less fabric and still sell the same amount of clothing, at least that would reduce some of the human rights abuses and the garment industries' contributions to climate change as well. So tackling waste seems like an obvious place to start.

This fashion company is doing something about textile waste — using it | MNN - Mother Nature Network