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Bonnie Glass
My Green Page
She was representing her country, not just her company, in much of her travels, so wanted to make sure that she had a classy presence and profile to reflect her position. She also wanted a “Made in Canada” option.
Marketing Green: I know that one has to be careful about what and how you market yourself as green. Everybody likes to think they are green, but most of us probably have not sat down and figured out exactly what that means first.
Here’s what I’ve done and what I intend to do to keep greening what I do best – creating wearable art for you!
Material Efficiency: From a sewing process approach I have been able to optimize the use of the fabric in each piece. The collage process lets me utilize fabric so that when I am finished some of the pieces are so small they are almost the size of snowflakes.
At one point in time with what I had left over I would make into mechanics rags and give them to a local garage. You know the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra from the 1990s…did that.
Innovating Green: The best way to be green is to incorporate it in the design phase. I have incorporated a new process where I take my remnant pieces, sew them together to create new fabric. I am also starting to be more fearless in disassembling discarded clothing and restoring these hidden treasures in into a wonderful wearable.
Energy Efficiency: I am very fortunate that the studio in which I work has a great deal of natural sunlight. This means I don’t need artificial light until the sun goes down, or until the winter’s light wanes. Natural light is so much better! I use spot lighting to get the most out of the power I use.
To reduce my carbon footprint in 2009 I made a huge shift in my business. I stopped doing custom work, which had me constantly driving all over southern Ontario looking for specific materials. I now design ready-to-wear garments from materials in my extensive inventory. The unexpected benefit is that it has enhanced my creativity and productivity. This has greatly reduced my fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. I plan biannual shopping excursions with a fellow designer to further reduce our carbon footprint.
Life Cycle Thinking: I have started to launder some of my fabrics in order to preshrink them. This means that once the garment is complete they can be washed and hung to dry instead of being dry-cleaned. This benefits my clients more than me as it reduces their cost and chemical footprint.
Working with Mother Nature is a process that never ends. Anytime I can make a “green” change that will benefit the planet, I am eager to do so.
One critical feature of my wearable art is its timeless design. It is beauty driven, not fad driven. All garments are individually hand made. Each piece is designed using quality fabric and superior construction. My commitment is to create wearable art that will bring joy for years to come.
In addition, I offer a consignment option for my clients. Bring your Bonnie Glass back, and I will help you find a new owner for it.
So what is my next act of green?
In 2010 I started teaching my methods in workshops and through them, my students have had their eyes opened to how they can use fabrics that they thought were useless to create something quite unique. This surprised me an so I have decided to create a workshop that is geared to educating people in recycling fabrics to create their own wearable art. I intend to launch it in 2012.
My Green Page
My initial understanding that there was a green benefit to my wearable
art started when I was asked about it by one of my first clients. Lynn Johannson of
www.goingforthegreen.net, helps companies large and small green
their businesses. This is her life’s work and it has taken her to 30
countries. She said there were two things that attracted her to my
garments over 15 years ago.
First she recognized the unique quality in my designs and in the technique I used – she saw how I carefully utilized every piece of material in my sewing technique. Lynn really liked how this was balanced with my one of a kind approach. She is not exactly a wallflower this girl, so wearing something very different suited her.
First she recognized the unique quality in my designs and in the technique I used – she saw how I carefully utilized every piece of material in my sewing technique. Lynn really liked how this was balanced with my one of a kind approach. She is not exactly a wallflower this girl, so wearing something very different suited her.
She was representing her country, not just her company, in much of her travels, so wanted to make sure that she had a classy presence and profile to reflect her position. She also wanted a “Made in Canada” option.
Marketing Green: I know that one has to be careful about what and how you market yourself as green. Everybody likes to think they are green, but most of us probably have not sat down and figured out exactly what that means first.
Here’s what I’ve done and what I intend to do to keep greening what I do best – creating wearable art for you!
Material Efficiency: From a sewing process approach I have been able to optimize the use of the fabric in each piece. The collage process lets me utilize fabric so that when I am finished some of the pieces are so small they are almost the size of snowflakes.
At one point in time with what I had left over I would make into mechanics rags and give them to a local garage. You know the “reduce, reuse, recycle” mantra from the 1990s…did that.
Innovating Green: The best way to be green is to incorporate it in the design phase. I have incorporated a new process where I take my remnant pieces, sew them together to create new fabric. I am also starting to be more fearless in disassembling discarded clothing and restoring these hidden treasures in into a wonderful wearable.
Energy Efficiency: I am very fortunate that the studio in which I work has a great deal of natural sunlight. This means I don’t need artificial light until the sun goes down, or until the winter’s light wanes. Natural light is so much better! I use spot lighting to get the most out of the power I use.
To reduce my carbon footprint in 2009 I made a huge shift in my business. I stopped doing custom work, which had me constantly driving all over southern Ontario looking for specific materials. I now design ready-to-wear garments from materials in my extensive inventory. The unexpected benefit is that it has enhanced my creativity and productivity. This has greatly reduced my fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. I plan biannual shopping excursions with a fellow designer to further reduce our carbon footprint.
Life Cycle Thinking: I have started to launder some of my fabrics in order to preshrink them. This means that once the garment is complete they can be washed and hung to dry instead of being dry-cleaned. This benefits my clients more than me as it reduces their cost and chemical footprint.
Working with Mother Nature is a process that never ends. Anytime I can make a “green” change that will benefit the planet, I am eager to do so.
One critical feature of my wearable art is its timeless design. It is beauty driven, not fad driven. All garments are individually hand made. Each piece is designed using quality fabric and superior construction. My commitment is to create wearable art that will bring joy for years to come.
In addition, I offer a consignment option for my clients. Bring your Bonnie Glass back, and I will help you find a new owner for it.
| “I have been collecting Bonnie Glass for over 15 years. Bonnie creates garments that are reflections of my lifestyle; they are investments that retain their value. Each piece I have still looks like new. I wish I did too. When I wear one, I still stop traffic.” - Lynn Johannson |
So what is my next act of green?
In 2010 I started teaching my methods in workshops and through them, my students have had their eyes opened to how they can use fabrics that they thought were useless to create something quite unique. This surprised me an so I have decided to create a workshop that is geared to educating people in recycling fabrics to create their own wearable art. I intend to launch it in 2012.