W E L C O M E
TO THE WORLD OF CONSCIOUS STYLE ELEVATION
*SYDNEY ORIGINATES FROM KENTUCKY, USA. SHE RECEIVED HER BFA IN FASHION DESIGN AT O'MORE COLLEGE OF DESIGN IN FRANKLIN, TN.
HER STUDIO SPACE IS CURRENTLY LOCATED IN MILAN, ITALY, WHERE GARMENT DESIGN AND PRODUCTION IS A ONE WOMAN OPERATION.
MEET SYDNEY
I wanted a wardrobe that made me look as bold I as felt, but finding brands with the necessary combination of glam and ethics was next to impossible.
Sydney Duncan the brand was created for the style innovators who demand more from “sustainable” than baggy beige linen. For those fashion risk takers who understand the transformative power of self expression through clothing, and who know that it should never come at the expense of anybody else’s well being.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
The Sydney Duncan design process is the cumulation various sustainable practices, and varies from line to line (and sometimes even from piece to piece). From using cutting edge sustainable fiber, to repurposed textile up cycling, and even to in house food waste botanical dyeing, each method is thoughtfully selected for its specific project with people and the planet put first.
The current line, the eclectic SD scarf collection, focuses on combining modern innovations in sustainable fashion with traditional hand crafting techniques.
All scarf prints have been hand drawn by Sydney herself, each piece telling a unique story that blends people, places, and ideologies into unconventional illustrations. They then go through a digital printing process, a process selected for its impressive minimization of water and ink wastage, to transpose Sydney's narratives onto textile. Finally, each piece is artisan hand hemmed in the Milan Italy studio.
NATURAL FIBERS SUSTAINABLY SOURCED
"Each Lenzing fiber is made of cellulose, a natural component of our renewable source material wood. A characteristic of cellulose is its biodegradability: At the end of their life cycle, our fibers can re-enter the eco-system, preparing the ground on which new plants grow. This miracle of nature is our inspiration."
Based in Indonesia, Zalmon Fabric prioritises reducing their environmental impact, ethical treatment of employees, and giving back to their community.
Every inch of their textile composed of 100% natural fibers, as well as they use Inkjet Printing technology to drastically reduce on water wastage.
"All of Zalmon family members are 100% local from Indonesia. We craft a supply chain that focuses on the needs of each Zalmon family member, giving training and economic empowerment along the way."
FABRICS THAT FEEL GOOD
ON YOUR BODY AND ON YOUR CONSCIENCE
THE MICRO BATCH PLANT DYE RANGE
A MODERN INTERPRETATION OF TRADITIONAL TEXTILE DYEING
Each piece from the plant dyed range has been micro batch dyed by hand slowly and lovingly on my home stovetop.
The current selection of garments available utilizes locally sourced food waste as its main source of pigmentation. The Pigment extraction process is a gentle balance of heat and time, which when added to specially pretreated textile produces a beautiful range of colour.
Avocado, a producer of pink and tan shades, is my muse at the moment, and the star source of dye in my more recent dresses and kimonos (CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE DUE TO STUDIO RELOCATION).
PLANT DYED RANGE RETURNING SOON...
THE SUSTAINABILITY BREAKDOWN
WHAT I'M DOING RIGHT, AND WHERE I AIM TO IMPROVE
Material Use:
The scarf line utilizes 100% tencel lyocell, a low impact and biodegradable regenerated cellulose (plant based) textile fiber created by Lenzing, Austria from sustainably managed eucalyptus trees. The scarf labels, on the other hand, are produced from 100% recycled PET.
The one area to be improved upon is the single virgin polyester thread used to hand hem each scarf. This is an issue of availability when micro sourcing locally, and is only a temporary hiccup.
Climate Change:
My current production is a very modest operation set in my home studio. In an effort to reduce impact, I work by window light whenever possible.
SD also partners with One Tree Planted in their efforts in reforestation.
Chemicals:
The scarf line is digitally printed, a printing process known for reducing water consumption and minimizing ink usage. All inks used are Standard 100 Oeko-Tex certified . They are printed with Zalmon Fabric, our eco conscious textile suppliers based in Indonesia.
Once my minimums allow for it, I plan to transition all textile production/printing to local sustainable manufacturers in Italy.
Waste:
Due to the square shape of the scarves, maximizing printing space and keeping textile wastage to a minimum is a given. Any scarf textile that arrives to the studio damaged is put aside to be used for one-off embroidered pieces. Scraps that do remain are collected and saved for future up-cycling projects (sewing workshops for example).
Water:
Both the textiles and printing process employed to create my scarves put a key emphasis on water conservation. The eucalyptus trees grown to produce Tencel require drastically less water to grow than crops such as cotton. Furthermore, the fibers are made through a closed-loop process that recovers water and 99.8% of the solvent. Digital printing also is beneficial in conserving water, saving as much as 95% of industrial water usage.
Micro plastics:
As the textile utilized in the scarf line, tencel, is fully biodegradable, and packaging is plastic free, micro plastics aren't a huge issue. However, the single thread used to hand hem each scarf is polyester. As previously stated, this is a material only being used temporarily until an appropriate eco alternative has been found.
Traceability of products/materials:
Tencel is famously known for their superior traceability throughout the production chain. For verification of my textile's traceability, click here "SD Tencel certification number".
Animal Welfare:
SD scarves are crafted from vegan friendly materials.
While most high end scarf companies stick to silk, I opted out. Though silk is a gorgeous natural fiber, its production requires the barbaric practice of boiling silk worms alive in their cocoons. Tencel on the other hand maintains the luxurious properties of silk, minus the cruelty.
Product Packaging:
Unlike the vast majority of luxury scarf boxes on the market, the SD scarf box comes without plastic lamination covering its smooth matte finish. They are produced in Italy by Cartotechnica Moderna from 100% FSC certified paper and are 100% recyclable.
Once my order minimums are higher and thus allow for further customization, I will be transitioning to boxes made from 100% recycled cardboard.
LABOR CONDITIONS:
Labour rights:
For the time being, I, Sydney, am responsible for all product design and sewing.
As far as textile production is concerned, I am currently working with Zalmon Fabric in Indonesia, a low minimums factory that prides themselves on maintaining high sustainability and ethics standards.
In the future, I plan to bring all textile production to a local manufacturer in Italy.
Monitoring and Assurance:
With all design and sewing labor being conducted by myself in my home studio, monitoring of these aspects is unnecessary.
However as a micro-small business with textile manufacturing overseas, unfortunately I have not yet had a chance to visit the factory in person.
As previously stated, my intention is to move textile production and printing to a local manufacturer in Italy as soon as possible in an effort to both lower the brand's carbon footprint, and to be able to keep a closer eye on labor conditions.
Living Wage:
Textile workers with Zalmon Fabric are paid wages in accordance with national Indonesian work standards, as well as are provided health insurance.
PARTNERING WITH
