Research on Sustainable Material - Collection for Belle Cheri

 In this blog I will be researching on sustainable fabric- leather that I will be using for a family’s  footwear collection for Belle Cherie, according to my brief. In this post I will be looking at sustainable materials which I will primarily use in my design board such as tyre, nubuck leather, EVA foam and Mesh Fabric. Moreover the reason why I am looking at these materials  is because I have been inspired on the research which I did previously during Art Portfolio 1 and Art Porfolio 2.

Sustainability in fast fashion footwear is important.

 Why I am looking at sustainable material for my major project ?

According to Muir (2023), footwear industry has a significant part in terms of impacting the planet as production of a footwear releases huge amount of Carbon-dioxide, causing global warming as the fossil fuel used in huge factories and manufacturing processes increases the greenhouse gas. “Many shoes are manufactured worldwide every year, but the sad reality is that 22 billion of them end up in landfill, according to Circular, most of which are made from non-biodegradable materials”. (Muir, 2023).

This is evident enough and has more influenced me to work with sustainable material as natural material like leather and rubber takes 50 years to biodegrade while synthetic materials such as plastics and glue take 1000 years to break down. Moreover, the aim for the footwear I will be creating will be sustainable and I believe to go eco friendly and reduce the carbon footprint in this environment.

Materials for Sole :-

1- Tyre

Recycled Tyres for Footwear 

Tyre is a good choice as a sustainable material not only because its provide the best grip due to made up with rubber but also its easy to source. According to Das (2020), “All across the world, we discard over 1.5 billion tyres a year. India on its own discards somewhere around the 100 million tyres each year. These tyres are either burned or they end up in a landfill, both of which aren’t exactly ideal”. This gives many footwear company an opportunity to buy millions of Tyre and mold them into reusable footwear.

2- EVA Foam

EVA foam - Ethylene Vinyl Acetate.

EVA foam is sustainable and a durable material. As compared with synthetic plastics like PVC, EVA foam has proved to be much better as it is soft with good amount of elasticity which further develops into hard rubber plastic According to Kinejara(2022), “ A durable and adaptable material, EVA foam is used in a range of everyday products, from the soles of your cross-trainers to your flip-flops.Foam made from recycled plastics can lessen the environmental impact of EVA and other plastics that would otherwise go to waste.” (Kinejara, 2022). As EVA is the the least harmful synthetic material and have nice elasticity I am satisfied have EVA foam a part of my footwear design.

Material for Body/ Upper of the shoe :-

Nubuck Leather:- 

Nubuck Leather

Yes, Nubuck is a sustainable material and this was also used by Jimmy Choo on his design for which i had done research earlier.Additionally, Gastautor (2022) also states that, “Nubuck leather is a top-grain cattle leather that is known for its raw, almost velvet-like surface. Obviously, this nice texture isn’t inherent to the leather. Only when it is sanded or buffed can you produce this texture.” (Gastautor, 2022). With this price of research I will be continuing using this material with my  major project which was a collection for Belle Cherie.

Mesh Fabric:-

Organic Cotton Mesh Fabric

Mesh fabric is an sustainable only if manufactured correctly with natural fibers such as cotton. JD Fashion Fabric (2023) states that, “ Mesh fabric, renowned for its lightweight and breathable properties, has gained popularity in various industries, including fashion, sports, and home furnishings. Additionally, cotton mesh fabric allows for better breathability compared to synthetic alternatives”. (JD Fashion Fabric, 2023). With such features of lightweight and breathable properties, I am looking forward to use it in the kids footwear .

Reference:

Muir, R. (2023). Why Shoe Sustainability Is Important for the Environment - RM NOTEBOOK. [online] RM NOTEBOOK -. Available at: https://www.rosamundmuir.com/news/why-shoe-sustainability-is-important-for-the-environment/ [Accessed 3 May 2024].

Das, M.R. (2020). Sneakers Made of Tyres: How a Shoemaker Is Changing What We Think about Sustainable Fashion. [online] MensXP. Available at: https://www.mensxp.com/fashion/shoes/77560-pariss-othssneakers-made-from-recycled-tyres-is-changing-sustainable-fashion-norms.html [Accessed 3 May 2024].

Kinejara, A. (2022). Snibbs - Is EVA Foam Biodegradable? [online] Snibbs. Available at: https://snibbs.co/blogs/foot-safety/is-eva-foam-biodegradable [Accessed 3 May 2024].

Gastautor (2022). Nubuck Leather - the Pros and Cons of a Natural Product. [online] Alpinetrek. Available at: https://www.alpinetrek.co.uk/blog/nubuck-leather-pros-cons/ [Accessed 3 May 2024].

JD Fashion Fabric (2023). Is Mesh Fabric an Environmentally Friendly and Sustainable Choice? | Jiede. [online] www.jdfashionfabric.com. Available at: https://www.jdfashionfabric.com/a-news-is-mesh-fabric-an-environmentally-friendly-and-sustainable-choice [Accessed 3 May 2024].