No plastics, synthetics, fossil fuels or electricity were utilized in the making of Angel Chang’s latest zero-carbon womenswear collection.

Though the garments appear quite easy in form, the gathering and setting for the preview held at Chelsea’s Pace Gallery in Recent York City Thursday was sure to cleanse the palate from the standard thumping music and overstimulated nature of Recent York Fashion Week. The emphasis was on leisure suits and chore jackets in naturally dyed hues (sun-bleached stone, yellow, orange and a washed-out indigo) paired with wide-fit sandals.  

To miss the inspiration behind Angel Chang’s latest presentation “Weaving the Future With Indigenous Textiles” is to miss 1000’s of years of technique. Chang’s own ancestral roots trace back to 14 generations of Chinese herbalists, and her artisans — ethnic minority grandmothers in Guizhou Province, rural China — espouse a similarly focused craft. The manufacturing process takes a minimum of six months (from growing the cotton to the ultimate sewing of the garment). 

As for the way Chang is slowing down the pace of the rapid-set fashion system? It takes diligence. 

“For my collection, I follow a zero-carbon design approach that I created for myself. My zero-carbon design philosophy follows three core tenets: no electricity, all-natural, locally made,” Chang told WWD. “By following these rules, the gathering is made without plastics, synthetic chemicals or fossil fuels. It’s made hyper-vertically in a single location using in-season raw materials and creating local jobs in rural communities. Every bit is 100-percent handmade seed-to-button, ranging from the native-seed cotton that we grow in the bottom to the hand-spinning, hand-weaving, dyeing and sewing.” 

By staying the zero-carbon course, Chang is capable of made amends with today’s industry norms.  

“For me, I feel it’s easy to be a part of the style system because that’s where I received my training,” she said. “I do know what the industry can and can’t do and the levers to push it forward. For being more sustainable, my advice can be to reconnect with nature and learn the way clothing was made before the Industrial Revolution 200 years ago. Clothing has historically been made in a sustainable way, and we are able to revive these traditional practices which can be healthier for ourselves and the planet.” 

A Champagne reception followed the presentation as Chang — celebrating a decade in business — is considered one of the designers participating in Cartier Women’s Initiative.