Fashionistas obsess over New York Fashion Week in the hopes of taking away wardrobe inspiration from the latest season.
But this September, there is a new apparel-related event that is of equal , if not of more importance.
As shoppers, it seems as if one of the last things we think of when purchasing a new shirt or pair of pants is what went into making each item.
As consumers, we frequently get caught up in what clothes look like, but we rarely stop to ask, “What is this made of?”
If we do look, what’s written on the tag often might as well be a different language because we know so little about textiles.
However, it isn’t just consumers in this day and age who are uneducated about textiles.
Apparently architects, artists, industrial designers and even fashion designers are guilty of a lack of knowledge on the heritage and the various techniques of making fabrics.
At least this is what the New York Textile Month website said in its explanation for the first ever month-long event.
This new endeavor, running from Sept. 1 to Oct. 1, celebrates the history and continuing evolution of the cloths sewn together to create the shirts worn on our backs.
New York Textile Month is filled with exhibits, lectures and more that offer insight into the numerous subtopics within the textile industry.
At a time when constant criticism circulates about products made outside of the United States, particularly products made in Asia, this month offers a new way of looking at textile production in another country.
Recognition of a unique textile formation process from the heritage of Japanese fabric-making illustrates the refreshing cultural variation that a different place can offer.
The exhibit, titled Japanese Boro & Indigo Traditions, will show in New York City until Sept. 23.
It honors not only the captivating technique of layered patchwork pieces that incorporate varying shades of indigo, but also the craft’s historical meaning.
The history of the boro craft traces back to the Edo period, from 1603 to 1868, when this textile dominated the attire worn by the lower and middle class of Japan.
The patchwork originated from the scraps of material people could get their hands on to create clothes.
What once was a technique wives and mothers became experts in to help provide clothing for their family, is now celebrated as an expert textile tactic made possible by the culture and history of Japan.
While New York Textile Month honors the history of textiles and the exciting new techniques on the horizon, this celebration also isn’t afraid to address the hard-hitting impact the textile industry places on the environment.
As consumers, we don’t always think of the price the environment pays for the attire we wear.
The SCRAPS Exhibition Workshop and Lecture, taking place Oct. 1 at the Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City, will not only discuss this topic, but will also offer a way that designers can help.
According to the New York Textile website, the lecture will suggest alternatives to the surprisingly high human and environmental price of textile waste.
The panel for the talk is filled to the brim with brand founders, designers and more who are anticipated to give light to the ideology that something new isn’t always something better.
From consumers to designers, a point is being made that old scraps and cast-offs don’t need to be thrown in the trash.
These scraps still have the potential to hold a new life if only we all tilt our heads and look at the piece of cloth in front of us in a new and different light.
People could argue that a textile is simply a piece of cloth.
However, I choose to support the side of the story that New York believes in.
Textiles make up the clothes we throw over our heads day in and day out.
From the items hanging on mannequins to the fabric we place on our skin, there is a story of what went into the creation of each and every piece of clothing, and that story needs to be heard.
apoudrie@indiana.edu
