Ecouterre

WILD AND WOOLY Sheep’s clothes, per Wool & Prince’s research, is a natural insulator that keeps bodies warm in winter yet cool in summer. Studies conducted at both the…

PALM LEATHER \pä(l)m ˈleT͟Hər\ n 1 a: A sturdy textile created by Studio Tjeerd Veenhoven in the Netherlands using the leaves of the Areca palm (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens). b:…

When a loved one passes away, it is difficult to pin down feelings and emotions generated by a host of memories. Through a multimedia piece entitled “Traces of You” by Zubin…

Photo by Samatoa LOTUS FABRIC \lōtəs ˈfabrik\ n 1 a: Hand-woven Cambodian/Burmese textile derived from the discarded stems of the lotus plant (Nelumbo nucifera), an aquatic…

Nike has thrown in its lot with one of the world’s most stringent textile standards for environmental protection, health, and safety. The sportswear giant announced on Monday a new…

Our oceans are full of trash and debris, but now a new consortium of European companies and NGOs have a plan in place to collect that debris and recycle it. Aided by the European Centre…

Photo by Shutterstock Bacteria is a problem, but antibiotic resistant bacteria is an even bigger problem. Now researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm have…

Denim made from sustainable wood pulp, rather than cotton, could be the key to reducing the jeans industry’s sizable environmental footprint, according to a fashion student at…

Photo by Shutterstock A new textile developed in the UK can make your workout a little less sweaty. Called Inotek, the process amps up textiles’ ability to absorb sweat, in effect…

Fruit of the “bastard hogberry” plant. Inspiration can strike from the unlikeliest of places. Take the amusingly named bastard hogberry plant, for instance. Indigenous to South…

Photo by Shutterstock In arid areas, clean flowing water is always in short supply. However, once temperatures cool at night, mists and fogs nourish plant and animal life. Inspired by…

Great Britain is revving up for the biggest celebration of wool the world has ever seen. Come March, the Campaign for Wool, with the help of veteran interior-stylist Arabella McNie,…

SALVAGED CHIC Appropriately, Pezzano named his collection “Apparition.” “I like that the fabric was found and has a unique history, that [the jackets] are one-off,…

ZPAGETTI \zpə-ˈge-tē\ n. 1 a: A super-bulky yarn, comprising 92 percent cotton and 8 percent elastane, made from the remnants of garment manufacturing. b: Produced by Lion Brand Yarn…

KUBA \kü-bä\ n 1 a: Geometrically patterned cloth traditionally woven from raffia-tree leaves by the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. b: Naturally colored fabric…

Photo by Shutterstock Amazon.com, Leon Max, Macy’s, and Sears have agreed to pay a combined $1.26 million in fines after the Federal Trade Commission charged them with marketing…

Your car and home aren’t the only sources of greenhouse-gas emissions. Clothing has an ecological footprint of its own, as well. But African-grown cotton might have a considerably…

Did you ever think you’d be wearing plants while hanging ten? Outdoor adventurist brand Patagonia has been making strides with their experimentation with eco-friendly wetsuits.…