The collection is made following my zero-carbon design philosophy built on three core tenets: 1) No electricity, 2) All-natural, 3) Locally-made.
NO ELECTRICITY
Conventional clothing today is made in factories powered by fossil-fuel energy. Until renewable energy is readily available, our best option is to not use electricity at all.
Each ANGEL CHANG piece is 100% handmade – from growing the cotton seed to spinning, weaving, dyeing, and sewing. No machine is used in the process. Even the buttons and button-holes are sewn entirely by hand. This is how clothing was made until 200 years ago, before the invention of electricity and rise of the Industrial Revolution.
For the artisans, their remote mountain villages only received electricity 25 years ago so they are not dependent on it and practice their traditional way of living sustainably with the earth. Sunlight is our light source and everything is hand-crafted outdoors. The climate and weather determine the speed at which the fabric is produced.
Making clothing this way can only be done using traditional craftsmanship, as it has been practiced for thousands of years. This is ancient couture.
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Carbon footprint (cradle to gate):
ANGEL CHANG Anti T-shirt = 0.4 kg of CO2e
Average cotton t-shirt = 2.1 kg of CO2e
Average polyester t-shirt = 5.5 kg of CO2e
Electricity used:
ANGEL CHANG Anti T-shirt = none
Average cotton t-shirt = 1.808 kWh
Water used:
ANGEL CHANG Anti T-shirt = 12 liters + rainfall
Average cotton t-shirt = 2700 liters