Regenerative Design: Textile Systems

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Our textile systems not only have to be sustainable, they have to be regenerative. Supporting and creating regenerative textile systems is how we get to sustainable fashion supply chains. Indigenous humans across the world have centuries old regenerative fiber and textile practices. We can honor some of their wisdom and practices to think about how to design regenerative fiber and textile systems today. From indigeneity to modern initiatives, humans have been and continue building regenerative textiles systems.

Resources:

Books/Literary Texts/Articles

Marasim Blog: The Story of Indian Cotton
Cotton in Community: Field to Fashion with Acadian Brown Cotton by Fibershed
Mud cloth from Mali: its making and use by Elsje S. Toerien
Jamaican Lace-Bark: Its History and Uncertain Future by Emily Brennan, Lori-Ann Harris, & Mark Nesbitt
Black Bodies, White Gold: Art, Cotton, and Commerce in the Atlantic World by Anna
Arabindan-Kesson
African Textiles by John Picton & John Mack

Who/What to Follow

Teju Adisa-Farrar

Teju is a Jamaican-American writer, poet and geographer. Her focus is on contemporary and historical Black geographies as they relate to the environment, urban ecologies and culture. Having lived in 7 different countries, Teju uses a transnational lens that is informed by history, art and activism. Her work supports developing alternatives, creating infrastructure for regenerative projects, and participating in co-creation. She advocates for and speaks about environmental and climate justice focusing on urban areas, communities of color, and postcolonial populations.