ENVIRONMENTALLY HUNG!

The world’s consumption rate today is undeniably something to worry about. Products are discarded sooner than they are entirely consumed. In times of rapid consumption and the deteriorating environmental conditions what is the most important thing we need. The obvious answer is eco-friendly products. The use of eco-friendly or going green products is an important step in protecting the environment.

We all love the world of Fashion, we really do. And what we love the most is when the industry concentrates on the need to go green. In 2008 New York Fashion week ramp was flooded by eco friendly clothing. Made of paper and herbs, Sasawashi, which is a Japanese fabric, was used by top notch designers such as Narciso Rodriguez, Versace and Calvin Klein. Even ace designer, Martin Margiela draped three vintage dresses over a bustier to make a dazzling gown.

In a chance encounter at a friend’s house I happened to come across a person who is the owner of an eco-friendly products firm. What might you ask? They are not garments or accessories, but something that we use in our daily lives to hang them on. Something that is extremely useful to us in many ways. Only I had never thought they could be made fashionable as well.

After hanging out with Mr. James Chu founder of the company HangSavvy, I realised that their product is particularly fascinating in an eco-friendly way. Wondering how it all began, I questioned him about the company. James: “The HangSavvy story began when I was lost in London looking for an art gallery and a complete stranger showed me the way. When I told him I’m a product designer he proposed the idea of finding a solution to his piles of wire clothes hangers he gets from dry cleaning and within a few weeks the HangSavvy team made up of a few good friends worked on getting a solution to the masses.”

Then the question arose of how hangers can even be savvy? For me a hanger is just a banal utility item hanging in my wardrobe to support my clothes. What was so special about what they did? How would it help me in buying such a hanger? These things were racing through my mind when James cleared my doubts. James: “We do savvy things with hangers, the name is very appropriate and pretty catchy as well. The first impression I always get when I say we produce cardboard hangers is “does it actually work”? Often closely followed by “are they expensive”? Here our challenge is educating the general public that real sustainable design can function as well as (and in our case better than) existing alternatives without needing to cost more than its competitors.
The whole view of the sustainable design industry is not helped by designers who create so-called “sustainable goods” that although have good intensions, their products have been over killed by being over built with material choice which is more fantasy than feasibility; thus making an uncompetitive and unsustainable product.

Our hangers are made from recycled paper waste sourced from all over the world and we can even able to apply colour to the surface of the hanger using vegetable dies. All our hangers undergo some fairly rigorous design processes to make sure they’re fit for the job and not unnecessarily over built. Like this we can produce a solid high quality hanger which does its job well whilst still saving on material and weight costs in production and delivery. These savings are passed onto our customers.”

Already having worked with an art gallery in the UK as part of a reduction of carbon footprint exhibition, an annual fashion show in Hong Kong, they are now working on various other projects which are not to be revealed but they promise to be exciting and superbly innovative. They even offer companies to advertise on their hangers which can be a great marketing tool for any fashion brand wanting to launch themselves in the industry. 

James: "You can laugh, but I want to change the world, and the HangSavvy clothes hanger is part of the bigger plan."

Truly hoping that this plan succeeds I wonder how many people are really consuming or are aware of eco-friendly products in the fashion industry. According to an article on http://www.newsweek.com/id/130627 written by Anna Kuchment; Statistically, green fashion occupies a tiny sliver of the apparel market. Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at market-research firm NPD Group, says it represents less than 1 percent of industry sales. Among consumers, only 18 percent are even aware that ecofashion exists, up from 6 percent four years ago. Natalie Hormilla, who writes for the blog Fashionista.com, is an example of the unconverted consumer. When asked if she owned any sustainable clothes or accompaniments, she replied: "Not that I'm aware of." Like most consumers, she finds little time to shop, and when she does, she's on the hunt for "cute stuff that isn't too expensive." By her own admission, green just isn't yet on her mind. But—thanks to the combined efforts of designers, retailers and suppliers—one day it will be.

Companies like HangSavvy are providing a solution to the Fashion Industry to go green and even to the consumers to realise the need of protecting the environment. Their hangers are not only fashionable but are pieces of art. Question is would you go for them? Would love your comments on this one.

Check out their website for more details @ hangsavvy.com

Ciao