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By Neville Bean, August 21, 2011 10:21 am

Green Design starts with an awareness of ecological issues. As we search for creative problem solving approaches, it’s great to remember the power of Art in the process of envisioning the future. Check out this inspiring project and look at creative ways to design our way to sustainability!

Sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor has created Museo Subaquatico de Arte to focus on the problem of the planet’s dwindling reef system. This Incredible underwater sculpture museum is a hauntingly beautiful artificial reef in Cancun, Mexico. The installation is filled with 400 life cast figures made of marine grade cement that is designed to attract coral which are slowly and amazingly transforming the figures into encrusted creatures of the deep. The reef has attracted a huge diversity of fish and other sea life as well as human divers… a VERY novel museum experience!

This is an extraordinary project — moving and poetic. Do not miss the wonderful films the artist has made showing the process both of the making as well as the remarkable evolution of the work. The figures reference our modern technological world, a commentary made most poignant in this surreal environment. There is a strong eco message with this project calling attention to the decline in natural coral reefs. BRAVO!

Neville Bean teaches SXC 100 Color Theory and Culture, SXC 110 Color Discovery Interactive Workshop, and SXF 700 Demystifying Fashion Forecasting.

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By Neville Bean, August 7, 2011 10:01 am

Moderator, Karla Magruder presided over a fascinating Green raw materials panel discussion on July 19th at Texworld. With a focus on fiber innovations, the topics ranged from accountability to an interesting demonstration by Martex of how recycled fabric is reprocessed into new fibers.

Lensing, the makers of Tencel and Model, has developed an amazing new fiber they call TencelC. It is made from crab shells, of all things, and apparently has wonderful healing and soothing properties. The medical and Beauty markets use the fiber because it is beneficial to the skin. Now fabric textiles are being developed, for now, primarily in the intimate apparel area where the fabrics come into direct contact with the skin. Should be interesting to follow and see how this innovative fiber makes it’s way into other markets!

For the huge global Polyester market, Unify creates REPREVE a 100% recycled Polyester yarn.  Unify is serious about accountability. They place a tracer in the raw material, for instance, so their fibers can be tracked along the manufacturing and recycling process.

Independent certification organizations such as SCS have become an important part of the accountability and transparency policies of any company taking a Green road… and that goes a long way to both educating the customers and building real trust in the marketplace.

It’s great to see these large vertical industries taking big steps and investing in a green process.  One takeaway for me was that these companies see sustainability is a great business opportunity as well — one that can only be sustained with transparency, accountability and innovation.

Neville Bean teaches SXC 100 Color Theory and Culture, SXC 110 Color Discovery Interactive Workshop, and SXF 700 Demystifying Fashion Forecasting.

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By Emma Sosa, July 24, 2011 10:35 am

Just read “Do One Green Thing” by Mindy Pennybacker.  Here’s the advice she gave, “If every fashionista chose one organic cotton t-shirt instead of a non-organic one, we would keep 250,000 tons of chemicals our of our air, water and soil. Cotton, the most popular natural fiber, is the third most pesticide-doused crop in the U.S.  However, a certified organic cotton t-shirt, is grown free of the one-third pound of agricultural chemicals expended on each regular t-shirt.”

Mindy also advised, “One way to Go Green is buying more vintage clothing and less new clothing.   However, when you do buy something new, ask  if they carry any product made with sustainably produced or recycled fibers.  If your favorite store doesn’t currently offer sustainable materials, your question may help spur them to do so.”

Here are some fun places to shop for vintage or certified organic tees.

Splurge for a Stella McCartney Organic Cloud print T-Shirt exclusively designed for www.net-a-porter.com at the hefty price of $495.

Or how about a more affordable certified organic HessNatur “Out of Order” Tee on sale for only $10.00.  This tee communicates how we need to take care of our planet. Some of the proceeds go to help eradicate poverty in Bangladesh through education. For more certified organic cotton tees visit http://us.hessnatur.com

Emma Sosa teaches SXF 300: Secrets from a Professional Shopper, SXS 100: Introduction to Fashion Styling, SXT 500: Star-Quality Vintage Shopping, and SXT 810: “Going Green” and Staying Fashion Right- Earth Friendly Fashion Stores.

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By Lisa Hendrickson, July 17, 2011 11:39 am

I don’t know about you, but as a person deeply committed to sustainability I find myself more and more weary of hearing “We’re Green!” I’m looking to understand the difference between sloganeering and genuine commitments to sustainability. In my course, “The Sustainable Organization” we look at creating a sustainability plan for your company. In the course, I hear lots of students describing their views of sustainability. Many have a very thought out approach while others are still in the formulation stage. I find that mature businesses have gotten the message that “we need to be green” but I don’t know if there’s a common understanding of what that really means. I’d like to to create a new vocabulary for the sustainability movement so we can move away from terms like “green” and become more specific about what we’re discussing. I think people are “getting it” getting the power of green, now I think it’s time for us to further the conversation. What do you think?

Lisa Hendrickson teaches CEO 200 FutureLab and The Sustainable Organization.

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By Emma Sosa, July 13, 2011 2:23 pm

1950s Jonathan Logan Summer Plaid Day Dress

This summer, the dress is the way to go for comfort and style. Be it long or short, the simplicity of a one piece dress allows you to spend more time thinking of your accessories. And isn’t that easier then figuring out what top or bottom to wear together. The right shoe, jewelry or belt will add just the right finishing touch. So stay cool this summer by perhaps choosing the iconic shirt waist dress which has come a real long way just like women have.

Vintage Colorful Plaid Shirtwaist Dress

The concept of the shirt waist dress originated from a man’s shirt and was seen as early as the 1900s. Although it has a menswear influence, it’s anything but masculine. The 1950s iconic shirtwaist dress, as seen in movies like Pleasantville, emphasized the female waist and the bust and was very feminine. Casual and dressy versions of the shirtwaist dress were staples in a woman’s closet from the time Dior introduced the “New Look” silhouette in 1947. These dresses were worn with petticoats underneath to increase the skirt’s volume and create a more festive look, and girdles to make the waist smaller, creating a very flattering silhouette. They could also be worn casually without a petticoat and were then referred to as house dresses.

So cheers to the shirtwaist dress, you’ve come a long way baby! Try one on!

1950s Cotton Shirt Waist Dress in Olive Green with Orange Floral Print

Emma Sosa teaches SXF 300: Secrets from a Professional Shopper, SXS 100: Introduction to Fashion Styling, SXT 500: Star-Quality Vintage Shopping.

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By Joan Chiverton, July 3, 2011 8:01 am

Though you might think of it as someone is getting free labor, doing an internship and/or volunteering at a company you would eventually like to work for can be an investment in your future. You will be learning on the job, making valuable contacts and letting people you would like to work for someday know who you are, how organized you are and how talented you are. What you might even discover is that the company or the field is not what you thought it would be, and that maybe another area seems more exciting.

All your work experience looks good on your resume, and internships and volunteering often lead to a job offers. It’s a win, win situation.

Joan Chiverton teaches SXD 635: Quick Sketching for the Pet-Product Business and SXG 140: Storyboard Techniques Studio for Costume Design.

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By Neville Bean, May 29, 2011 2:13 pm

In every area of modern life and in every market, GREEN DESIGN needs to be a fundamental part of the design process. A line plan must include specific, measurable actions to be taken and goals to be reached. For instance, what can you do to reduce or redesign packaging to be more sustainable? As you add more sustainable fabrics into your mix, how can you help educate your customers on the benefits? Ethical marketing approaches, including Social Networking, engage your customers — building trust and community.

A collaborative, incremental approach to Sustainability is key. The enormity of the task ahead tends to paralyze our initiative to do our part. Each individual action does have a cumulative impact. Companies and individuals may not be able to shift to a totally green position overnight, but each action leads us towards the goal of a sustainable future.

When we think GREEN, we need to expand our thinking beyond “natural” and include Technology in our sustainability solutions. There are innovators leading the way with inspiring ideas, creative initiatives and common sense approaches. We can re-energize our Yankee Ingenuity and step-by-step design the future together.

The Climate Dress — Danish Design firm Diffus created a dress that measures the levels of carbon dioxide through 100 LED lights. Lights pulsate slowly in areas with acute amounts of CO2 and pulsate rapidly in highly dense CO2 areas…and it’s gorgeous!

Elle/Portable Light Project — Elle Magazine teamed up with architect Sheila Kennedy, director of the Portable Light Project and eight notable designers. The overall goal is to provide solar textile kits to help the world’s poorest nations have access to electricity.

Levi’s: Care To Air Design Challenge — looking for the most innovative and sustainable air-drying solution for clothing, winner receives $10,000. The overall goal is to reduce carbon footprint and educate consumers. “The most effective way to reduce the climate impact of a pair of jeans is to air dry, yet the average US household chooses a dryer.”

Neville Bean teaches SXC 100 Color Theory and Culture, SXC 110 Color Discovery Interactive Workshop, and SXF 700 Demystifying Fashion Forecasting.