Sustainable fashion highlighted through art

By Azernews

By Laman Ismayilova

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries. It uses huge amounts of energy and water.

Only 20 percent of the 62 million tons of clothing that is used worldwide each year is reused or recycled.

The project  "Sustainable fashion: Future of textiles" focuses on how manufacturers and consumers can minimize the undesirable environmental impacts of the fashion industry by remanufacturing, reuse and recycling of garments and their components.

It also reflects reflections on Swedish and Azerbaijani fashion, environmental art and textile production, traditional and environmentally friendly women's crafts.

The exhibition project has been presented at the Khirdalan Cultural House.

The project was co-organized by the Absheron Executive Power region and Khirdalan municipality in partnership with the Swedish Embassy in Azerbaijan and Sumgayit Regional Cultural Department.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, chairman of the Khirdalan municipality Orkhan Musayev, and the Deputy head of the Executive Office Gulnar Rahimova stressed the importance of implementing the project in the Absheron region.

The exhibition showcases solutions and initiatives taken in Sweden for a more sustainable future and highlights the main issues in the fashion industry. Schoolchildren from the Absheron region will visit the exposition for educational purposes.

Swedish Ambassador to Azerbaijan Christian Kamill stressed that the project was prepared by the Swedish Institute together in cooperation with fashion researchers and experts.

"The fashion industry is one of the most polluting in the world. Each year, we recycle only 20 percent of the 62 million tons of clothing we use. The exhibition shows how manufacturers and consumers can minimize the undesirable impact of the fashion industry on the environment through repair, recycle and reuse of clothes. At the same time, new artistic and curatorial ideas related to sustainable craft and textile production, as well as traditional and sustainable women's craft, are being introduced to the fashion scene in Sweden and Azerbaijan," said the head of diplomatic missions.

Head of the Sumgayit Regional Culture Department Rashad Aliyev expressed his interest in organizing such events in subordinate cultural institutions.

"Around 193 students study painting in seven schools of arts subordinated to the regional administration. In addition, there are about 20 art classes in cultural institutions. Apart from that,  6  master classes and the last 33 major exhibitions were held in subordinate cultural institutions. I express my gratitude to every person who contributed to the organization of the exhibition. I hope and believe that such modern events will contribute to Khirdalan's cultural life," said the head of the department.

The exhibition curator Konul Rafiyeva touched upon the art of gurama, a kind of handicraft, where a single piece is sewn from pieces of fabric according to the principle of a mosaic.

"Samples of gurama art made by the people of Khirdalan from unused textile fabrics, is a work that reflects a personal artistic vision of the future of natural and sustainable textiles in Azerbaijan. It is an example of a completely different approach, combining traditional craft and collective environmental experience.

The exhibition also features works by invited artists Lyudmila Kristeseva (Sweden) and Gunel Ravilova (Azerbaijan).

Through a multimedia dialogue, the artists define the role of textiles in shaping the personality of a woman, presenting two different perspectives on the topic of fashion, textiles and ecology," the curator noted.

In conclusion, the participants of the event viewed the exhibition, which will last until April 11.

Media partners of the event are Azernews.az, Trend.az, Day.az, Milli.az.