Luxury Cars Go Sustainable From the Inside Out – The New York Times

Fashion is fast living, but it gives an indication of what is possible if you dedicate a certain amount of time and development, said Belinda Gnther, Mercedess head of color and trim. Furniture needs to survive for a number of years, so from a durability perspective, its interesting to see what is possible there.

Both of these industries are exploring greener fabrics and procedures. Sustainability is definitely a growing trend in the fashion industry, said Rachel Cernansky, the sustainability editor for Vogue Business. Whether its growing at the scale it needs to is another question.

Ms. Cernansky pointed to the increasing use of upcycled polyester and nylon in high-end clothing, though she questioned whether these products were doing enough to stem our insatiable appetite for new objects.

Its problematic because it cant be recycled again, she said.

Ms. Cernansky is more compelled by companies like Tyton BioSciences and Natural Fiber Welding because theyve created the capacity to turn fibers into fibers. This, she said, allows new fabric to be made from the huge amount of clothing in the world that is not being worn, so we dont need to harvest new resources. But for now these companies are small, and scaling their tech will be costly.

Sustainable materials are also finding their way into high-end housewares and dcor. Clients, especially families, really like a lot of these recycled products because they wear well theyre extremely durable, said Young Huh, an interior designer in New York. A lot of these solution-dyed recycled fabrics, because the dye is in the fiber, the colors dont change, so you can bleach them.

These characteristics are also useful in health and hospitality situations, like a Ronald McDonald House that Ms. Huh designed. Ronald McDonald Houses provide apartments for families near hospitals where their children are being treated, and the rooms previously had to be superheated after each stay to sterilize them. That cant be done effectively with some natural fibers, but is possible with Xorel fabrics made from sugar cane by Carnegie Fabrics.

This quality could become even more relevant in the coronavirus pandemic. You can wipe down vegan leather with sanitizer, Ms. Huh said. You cant do that with leather.

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Luxury Cars Go Sustainable From the Inside Out - The New York Times