Antwerp Fashion Students Create Sustainable Future

With 'Coated Fabrics Collection Care', MoMu organises a symposium on 25 and 26 May 2023 about materials that are difficult to conserve. The focus will be on thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a plastic that has been used in clothing since the 1960s and often leaves a glossy layer on it over time. Is the next generation of fashion designers thinking about the durability of their creations? MoMu talks to Frederik Lovric Liederley (Norway, 26) and Yue Kong (China, 28), two master’s students at the Antwerp Fashion Academy with a fascinating view of their future field of work.

“Sustainability is one of the keywords in my creative process,” Yue Kong commences. “Because I don't want to waste anything and don't want to pollute, it is one of my most important rules. So I try to ensure that all the materials and processes I use are as sustainable as possible. As a young designer, that is my responsibility.”

“When sustainability is the topic of conversation, I am often one of the rather negative voices in the room,” admits fellow student Frederik Lovric Liederley. “Which is not to say that I am cynical or pessimistic. No, I attach importance to it and try to do with the resources I have. We also need to be aware of the structural problems at hand. If we truly want to achieve sustainability, we need to rethink the ways in which the fashion industry operates on a fundamental level: the current iteration of the fashion industry is completely broken and does not see sustainability as more than just another selling point.”

Kong: “Things are moving very fast in the fashion world these days. But coming up with shapes and ways to save material takes time. If I want to be sustainable in the future, I cannot work at the pace of other brands. While they make four collections a year, I can only make two. Besides, we should not overestimate the power of designers.”

“Indeed, we have little power,” Liederley continues. “If the next generations of designers and manufacturers work from a sustainable mindset, the industry will change gradually. By betting on sustainability, we are currently paddling a bit against the current. Until the machinery behind that current changes, I find it somewhat counterproductive to let it negatively impact my creative process.”

For their graduation collections, the students apply sustainable techniques. For example, Kong uses wet-felting, a traditional technique that generates no waste: “I am always looking for special methods that help me achieve my sustainable goals. Although wet-felting takes time and money, it is a nice technique. In addition, I always try to link manufacturers who make fabrics with recycled fibres, for example from plastic. Thus, I will use those fabrics for the lining of my garments.”

“It's a small step in the right direction,” Liederley says of his choice of materials. “Most of my collection is made with dead-stock or the remainder of fabric rolls. Because a collection has to be coherent and consistent, working with a limited fabric stock does pose a challenge. For example, if I only have four metres of a certain fabric, I always approach it as a challenge. What can I do with this, and how can I solve the problem of its limitations?”

Liederley also wants to highlight the way the academy encourages students to manipulate fabrics: “They always stimulate us to find creative solutions to those kinds of problems. From creating our own fabrics to making beautiful things out of nothing.” According to his fellow student, the school could take this a step further. Kong: “Including a subject around sustainability in the first years would make sense. I hope they will ask future students to think about creating sustainable materials or designs.”

As the 'Glossy Surfaces' research shows, the use of certain materials can complicate the subsequent preservation of clothes. Yet the longevity of their designs is something the students are less concerned about. Liederley: “I sometimes thought about it when I made something artistic or sculptural, like a hat. Because then you can already imagine what that would look like in a museum. But when you make something to wear, you don't think about it as much. Last year, for instance, I experimented with a chemical mix used to insulate roofs. I used that as a coating for a jacket. I covered that layer with a mixture of oil and oil paint. I am not worried about the latter combination. We all know that centuries-old oil paintings have survived the test of time. Maybe it will also protect the polymer-based chemical mix, but I am not sure about that.”

“My designs may not have a very long life,” says Kong. “But I don’t really mind that. After all, so many collections are already made with chemical and hard-to-recycle fabrics like polyester. I mainly work with natural fabrics - wool, for example - that you can properly return to nature.”

“Revolting against the inner machinations of the insatiable fashion engine as a twenty-something student is not entirely futile,” Liederley states. “I don't believe the situation is completely hopeless. My generation appears increasingly aware of the issues at hand. Furthermore, they’re vocalising those concerns. There is optimism in that.”

The 'Coated Fabrics Collection Care' Symposium will take place on Thursday, 25 May and Friday, 26 May 2023 at De Studio and MoMu - Fashion Museum Antwerp. More info here

Want to find out more about the 'Glossy Surfaces' Project? Click here