Apparel November 2019 Apparel November 2019 issue | Page 77

FABRIC SPEAK
IT IS HOPED THAT MUSLIN CAN
BE BROUGHT ONTO FASHION
AND APPAREL PLATFORMS MORE
ARDENTLY BY DESIGNERS AND
BRANDS ALIKE.
It can be used to make garments without linings,
or as light layers to be thrown over or worn under,
making it ideal for any and all climates.”
NOW TRENDING
In keeping with the collective need to move—
albeit slowly—towards slow fashion, lesser
consumption, and reducing waste, it is hoped
that muslin can be brought onto fashion and
apparel platforms more ardently by designers
and brands alike, what with its wearability
being another plus. Jewellyn Alvares, Head of
Department, School of Fashion, Whistling Woods
International, says, “Dresses, tunics, shirts,
kurtas, and trousers are just a few silhouettes that
are made with muslin and its variants. Muslin is
definitely in the process of being revived as the
fabric is being introduced to constant innovations.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
A key challenge with muslin is that it requires
to be combined with another material to lend it
wholeness. “Another challenge when it comes
to using muslin is that after it has been cut up
as toiles, whether at an atelier or in a fashion
school’s patterning lab, the remaining fabric goes
to waste. There have to be ways to transform
even these toiles into utility garments of some
kind. Upcycling these pieces is imperative. There
was once a student whose toiles looked way
better than the final line-up. She was thus advised
to showcase those toiles after dyeing them in the
original colour palette,” adds Alvares.
Considering that muslin is a raw fabric, much
like denim, it needs a considerable amount
of processing and looking-after and effective
measures have to be taken to ensure that these
processes are eco-sensitive. Having said that, this
gentle, dreamy fabric is here to stay.
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