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which are composed of protein.

Cellulose is made of carbohydrate and forms the main part of plant cell walls. It can be extracted from a variety of plant forms to make fibres suitable for textile production. Here we are looking at fabrics that are most suitable for the production of garments; they must be soft enough to wear and not break up when worn or washed.

1 Top row (from left to right):

silk organza, silk jersey, raw silk, dupion silk; wool herringbone, wool melton wool; shearling, leather, horse hair.

Bottom row (from left to right): foil-printed linen, linen; denim, cotton shirting; bamboo, jute hessian.

2 A Jessica Ogden cotton

voile with a spot weave and nylon net dress.

3 Wildlifeworks S/S08

collection featuring organic cottons.

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Cotton

Cotton is a prime example of a plant fibre. It has soft, ‘fluffy’ characteristics and grows around the seed of the cotton plant. These fibres are harvested from the plant, processed and then spun into cotton yarn.

Cotton fibres are used to produce 40 per cent of the world’s textiles. Its enduring popularity is its extreme versatility; it can be woven or knitted into a variety of weights. It is durable and has breathable properties, which is useful in hot climates as it absorbs moisture and dries off easily. The longer the fibre, the stronger and better quality the fabric is, for example, Egyptian cotton. Cotton is mainly produced in the USA, China, the former Soviet Union, India, Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Egypt and Turkey. In most cotton production, farmers use chemical

fertilisers and pesticides on the soil and spray them on the plants in order to prevent disease, to improve the soil and to increase their harvest. Cotton has always been extremely prone to insect attack and since insects started building up immunity to pesticides, the situation has worsened. This means growers have increased their use of chemical pesticides simply to ensure crop survival. Cotton crops in India, America and China demand thousands of tonnes of pesticides, which are sprayed on fields from the air. This overuse of pesticides is rendering hundreds of acres of land infertile and contaminating drinking water. The World Health Organisation estimates that about 20,000 people die each year as a result of pesticide use.

Also the chemicals that are used are absorbed by the cotton plant

and remain in the cotton during manufacture, which means that it is still in the fabric that we wear next to our skin. Due to these issues, manufacturers are increasingly developing organic fibres that are grown and processed without the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides. Organic fabric production is more expensive, but it has a low impact on the environment and is healthier for the consumer. There are designers pursuing organic solutions such as Katharine Hamnett, Wildlifeworks and Edun.

Natural >

Man-made

Linen

Linen has similar properties to cotton, especially in the way it handles, although it tends to crease more easily. Linen has good absorbency and washes well. It is produced from the flax plant and is commonly regarded as the most ancient fibre. Hemp, ramie and sisal are also used to produce fabrics as an alternative to cotton.

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Wool: cashmere, angora and mohair Protein 1 Fibr es Protein

Protein is essential to the structure and function of all living cells. The protein fibre keratin comes from hair fibres and is most commonly used in textile production.

Wool: cashmere, angora and mohair

Sheep produce wool fleece for protection against the elements and this can be shorn at certain times of the year and spun into wool yarn. Different breeds of sheep produce different qualities of yarn. Merino sheep produce the finest and most valuable wool. 80 per cent of wool is produced in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Uruguay. Biodegradable and non-toxic pesticides are now more widely used in the production of wool to protect the sheep and improve the environment.

Goats are also used to produce wool; certain breeds produce cashmere and angora. Cashmere is extremely soft and drapes well. Alpaca, camel and rabbit are also sources of fabrics with a warm, luxurious feel to them. Wool has a warm, slightly elastic quality, but it doesn’t react well to excessive temperatures; when washed in hot water it shrinks due to the shortening of the fibres.

1 Christian Wijnants A/W07.

Heavy hand-knitted jumper made from wool and angora.

2 Dolce & Gabbana A/W07.

Ostrich feathers trapped beneath silk voile. Catwalking.com.

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Silk

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Silk is derived from a protein fibre and is harvested from the cocoon of the silkworm. The cocoon is made from a continuous thread that is produced by the silkworm to wrap around itself for protection. Cultivated silk is stronger and has a finer appearance than silk harvested in the wild. During the production of cultivated silk the larva is killed, enabling the worker to collect the silk and unravel it in a continuous thread. Silk worms live off mulberry trees. For one kilogram of silk, 200 grams of leaves must be eaten by the larva. Once extracted from the cocoon, the larva is often used as fish food by the farming community. In the wild, the silkworm chews its way out of its cocoon, thereby cutting into what would otherwise be a continuous thread. Silk fabric has good drape, handle and lustre.

Silk

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