Fashionopolis

Description

What should I wear? More than ever, we are told it should be something new. Today, the clothing industry churns out 80 billion garments a year and employs every sixth person on Earth. Historically, the apparel trade has exploited labour, the environment, and intellectual property. Bestselling journalist Dana Thomas has travelled the globe to discover the visionary designers and companies who are reclaiming traditional craft and launching cutting-edge sustainable technologies to produce better fashion. Thomas sees renewal in a host of developments, including printing 3-D clothes, clean denim processing, smart manufacturing, fabric recycling – even lab-grown materials. From small-town makers and Silicon Valley whizzes to household names such as Stella McCartney, Levi's and Selfridges, Thomas highlights the companies big and small that are leading the crusade. An investigation into the damage wrought by the colossal clothing industry – and the grassroots, high tech, international movement fighting to reform it.