Sustainability and Fashion: Two Crossing Paths

Updated: Oct 31, 2019

How a young fashion designer realized that it’s possible to consume fashion without impacting our world

Unsurprisingly, the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world - the first one is the oil industry. However, because of the problems caused by the excessive use of resources in the production process, people and fashion labels are creating an environmental consciousness to try to increase the sustainability in the industry and reduce its impacts.

This is exactly what happened with the Brazilian fashion designer Beatriz Azevedo Barbosa, 23, during her social exchange in India, that resulted on the creation of her sustainable accessories brand WE ME 3D.

Impacted with the amount of textile waste that are irresponsible disposed in the country and how much it influences the life’s quality of the people who lives there, Beatriz decided to create a company that does not generate any residue, so it would not influence people’s life.

And that is how WE ME 3D was born. Using 3D printing technique, the fashion designer plans all the pieces before, so that it does not generate any type of residue and it already leaves the printer ready to be sold.

This technology has been proven to be a powerful tool in validating products and empowering creative processes, which in the fashion industry means empowering the artist and giving them necessary tools to validate designs that once were impossible to create and, of course, to improve.

In Beatriz case, this technology is enabling her to disseminate something that she always believed: That it is possible to create and consume fashion with social and environmental responsibility and, more than that, consume sustainable fashion without giving up of your style.

“Our generation has been created with a different mindset from the past generation”, tell Beatriz, “I remember, since childhood, we talking about the mother-nature, preservation, not throwing garbage on the floor... and I always questioned myself a lot: Why we have box and packages if we throw it away?! It was always in my head but when I went to India, I realized that there is not throw out. You just take it out of your house and put it in the house of a person less privileged than you.”

That was the moment Beatriz realized she wanted to bring sustainability for her professional life.

“There is no innovation without sustainability anymore. We have to think in a way to make this process less prejudicial for the environment.”

The fashion designer tells that when she was deciding what to do for her graduation thesis, she already knew that it should be something about India.

“I looked all the pictures of my exchange, reviewed flyers, bought fabrics and did not know what to do. Then I realized that all my photos had garbage behind me. Even on Taj Mahal, which is one of the 7 wonders of the world, had garbage. I started to wonder: why is it there? Why there is garbage in all the photos?”

Now, talking about production and the collection itself, the brand starts the creation process searching for a subject to explore – In case of the latest collection called Fauna that are for animals threatened in extinction, the brand examined the website CNBILL that are intended to these animals. After that, starts the process to think how celebrate these animals without using them literally.

Following, 3D modeling: a solid model is created on the ACAD system and after that the piece is printed. Beatriz tells that the piece itself is printed at least 10 times before the production, in 10 different configurations, to optimizes material and resistance. In case of 3D printing, you have the option to create a hollow or a masonry piece.

All the collections are exclusive and restricted, with only 20 reproductions of each piece, to keep the sustainable process and to create a good relationship with the costumer, who are increasingly looking for exclusive products and selling experiences.

Besides all this environmental responsibility, Beatriz also destines part of her sales for the cause that inspired her during the creation process. Her new collection, for example, was inspired by handcrafts of Tocantins, a Brazilian state rich in culture and nature.

“They helped me by keeping that culture so rich and interesting. I will also help them to continue doing that and inspiring more people. Let’s generate an echo system, an exchange.”

Above everything, Beatriz believes that everything is about love. And this is what she keeps in mind when difficulties and challenges appear:

“Entrepreneur is difficult for everyone. But when you do something fun, that has essence and substance, the right things will come for you.”

Stories like this one of Beatriz shows that is possible to consume fashion in a conscious way and, more than that, how the new generation are caring more and more with social and environmental causes.