Fabrics for the future

面向未来的面料

The Conversation

社会与文化

2024-11-18

26 分钟
PDF

单集简介 ...

According to the UN, the fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global emissions. That's more than aviation and shipping combined. We talk to two women making climate-friendly clothes and developing innovative textiles in a bid to reduce the waste produced by fast fashion. Regina Polanco is the founder and CEO of Pyratex, a textile company making fabrics from seaweed, banana and orange peel for some of the biggest brands in fashion. Born in Vienna, she has also lived in Morocco, Mauritania and Switzerland but she returned to Spain, the country where she grew up, to found her company in 2014. Sasha McKinlay grew up in Singapore and moved to the United States to study architecture. Now a design researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she's developing so-called 'active' textiles. They're essentially textiles with embedded functionality without the need for electronic inputs. These include materials that can be either warm or cool depending on the weather, and garments that can be made in a single size and robotically tailored to fit the wearer or to be customised into new styles. Produced by Jane Thurlow (Image: (L) Sasha McKinlay credit Katie Koskey. (R) Regina Polanco credit Pyratex.)
更多

单集文稿 ...

  • This is the conversation from the BBC World Service where we bring two women together who share an expertise and see what happens.

  • Today we're talking innovative textiles.

  • And when I say innovative, I am not kidding.

  • Think seaweed, nettle, orange peel, and clothes that are made in a single size but react to heat to fit the wearer or that change from warm to cool depending on the temperature.

  • Regina Polanco is the founder and CEO of Pyrotechs, a textile company making fabrics for some of the big biggest brands in fashion.

  • She was born in Vienna and grew up in Spain.

  • Sacha McKinlay grew up in Thailand and moved to the United States to study architecture.

  • Now a design researcher at Massachusetts Institute of Technology or mit, she's developing so called active textiles.

  • And I'm Elal Shamahi.

  • Ladies, welcome to the conversation.

  • Thanks for having us.

  • It's a pleasure to be here.

  • Thank you.

  • Very excited.

  • So let's just jump straight in.

  • Some of your textiles seem like they are straight out of a science fiction film.

  • I do feel like I'm in some ways hanging out with two inspector gadgets, but for materials.

  • So first up, do just each of you tell me the weirdest or the most wonderful item of clothing or material you have been involved in making.

  • Regina, shall we start with you?

  • Okay.