THE VIABILITY OF BANANA FIBER-BASED TEXTILES IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

A thesis submitted to the College of the Arts of Kent State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fashion Industry Studies

by

Evelyn G. Rossol

December 2019

Thesis written by

Evelyn G Rossol

B.A. Kent State University, 2018

M. F. I. S., Kent State University, 2019

Approved by

______Dr. Kim Hahn, Thesis Supervisor

______Kendra Lapolla, M.F.A, Thesis Supervisor

______William Perrine, Committee Member

______Dr. Pamela Grimm, Committee Member

______Dr. Jihyun Kim, Graduate Program Coordinator, The Fashion School

______Dr. Louise Valentine, Director, The Fashion School

______Dr. John Crawford-Spinelli, Dean, College of the Arts TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

LIST OF FIGURES ...... vi

LIST OF TABLES ...... vii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...... viii

CHAPTER I. INRODUCTION ...... 1 Sustainability...... 1 Fashion and Sustainability Issues ...... 2 Positive Development in Fashion Sustainability ...... 4 Banana Fiber Textiles ...... 4 Purpose Statement ...... 5 Definition of Key Terms ...... 6

II. LITERATURE REVIEW ...... 10 Textiles: The Basics ...... 10 How do we Determine the Sustainability of Textiles? ...... 11 Banana Fiber Textiles ...... 11 History of Banana Textiles ...... 11 Banana Fiber Production ...... 12 Banana Fabric Qualities ...... 13 Banana Agriculture ...... 14 Sustainability Comparison to Other ‘Sustainable’ Natural Fibers ...... 18 How Banana Fiber Might Follow Other Successful Examples to Mass Market? ...... 24 The Consumer and Sustainability ...... 27 Research Questions ...... 28

III. METHOD ...... 30 Interview ...... 31 Surveys ...... 32 Focus Groups ...... 32

IV. RESULTS ...... 35 Interview ...... 35 Community ...... 35 Positives for Banana Fiber Viability ...... 37

iii Economy ...... 37 Environmental Sustainability ...... 38 Diverse Applications ...... 38 Risks for Banana Fiber Viability ...... 39 Production ...... 39 The Customer ...... 41 Awareness ...... 42 Surveys ...... 43 Impression ...... 45 Applications ...... 47 Problems and Weaknesses ...... 50 Commonalities ...... 52 Consumers...... 52 Sustainability...... 52 Mass Market Requirements ...... 53 Focus Groups ...... 53 Impression ...... 57 Application ...... 60 Clothing ...... 61 Interior and Exterior Design Applications ...... 63 Swatch Commonalities ...... 65 Willingness to Pay ...... 66 Results Overview ...... 68

V. DISCUSSION ...... 71 Implications ...... 74 Limitations ...... 76 Recommendations for Future Research ...... 76 Conclusions ...... 77

APPENDICIES ...... 79 Appendix A: IRB Approval for Interview ...... 80 Appendix B: IRB Approval for Surveys ...... 82 Appendix C: IRB Approval for Focus Groups ...... 84 Appendix D: Interview Questions ...... 86 Appendix E: Summary of Banana Fiber Sent with Survey Packet ...... 88 Appendix F: Survey Questions ...... 91 Appendix G: Focus Group Tool Kit ...... 96 Appendix H: Interview Codebook ...... 104 Appendix I: Survey Codebook ...... 106

iv REFERENCES ...... 109

v LIST OF FIGURES Page

1. Banana Water Footprint in Costa Rica and Honduras ...... 19

2. Water Footprint Table from Multiple Studies ...... 19

3. Fiber Sustainability Comparison Chart ...... 23

4. Research Triangulation to Determine the Viability of Banana Fiber in the Fashion Industry...... 31

5. ‘On the Wall’ Analysis for Focus Group ...... 34

6. Swatch 1 ...... 46

7. Swatch 2 ...... 47

8. Focus Group 1 ...... 55

9. Focus Group 2 ...... 55

10. Focus Group 3 ...... 56

11. Sample Collages from Focus Groups ...... 56

12. Research Question Placement Within Venn Diagram ...... 73

vi LIST OF TABLES Page

1. Participants Job Category ...... 44

2. Job Department (Men's, Women's, Children's, Home Goods) ...... 44

vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I want to thank my parents and my siblings for all of the love and encouragement they have given me. I cannot count how many phone calls we have had during the completion of my thesis.

I would also like to thank Joshua VanGeest for all of his love and support.

I am so appreciative of my committee, especially my advisors, Dr. Kim Hahn and Kendra

Lapolla for their wisdom and guidance throughout this process.

viii ROSSOL, EVELYN G., MFIS., December 2019 College of the Arts

THE VIABILITY OF BANANA FIBER-BASED TEXTILES IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY (124PP.)

Co-Advisors of Thesis: Kim Hahn, Ph.D. Kendra Lapolla, MFA.

The purpose of the study was to discover whether banana fiber-based textiles are viable in the fashion industry. To understand banana fiber’s viability, an exploratory research study was completed through an interview with a fabric retailer, surveys with fashion industry professionals, and generative focus groups with consumers. In the generative focus group, consumers expressed their impression and envisioned application of banana fiber fabric through a visual model. The Interview revealed three themes: Community, Positives for Banana Fiber

Viability, and Risks for Banana Fiber Viability. The surveys and focus groups revealed a wide range of applications possible for banana fiber such as sleepwear, casual women’s wear, bridal wear, and home décor applications. Banana fiber does have potential in the fashion industry as a sustainable fiber, however, some issues need to be overcome in the material, production process, cost, and care. The three-part qualitative approach in this study can be used as a framework to analyze other new materials for the fashion industry during the ‘fuzzy front end’ of design. 1

THE VIABILITY OF BANANA FIBER-BASED TEXTILES IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

We need clothing to survive but we also need to produce clothing in a manner that preserves the planet in which we live to survive as well. Textiles are essential to the construction of clothing. Determining sustainability, fashion industry appeal, and consumer desirability are important to understand which textiles are going to be essential in the coming years as companies and consumers continue to take on a sustainability consciousness. Banana or

Musaceae genius plant-based textiles (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.) are the focus of this research.

Sustainability

The term and practice of sustainability in personal and professional contexts continues to grow in importance in the world today. We are becoming aware of our impact on the globe and are beginning the process of transforming the way we consume, use and dispose of goods. The most famous definition of sustainability comes from the World Commission on Environment and

Development in 1987, saying that, “Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (p. 16). In 2016 the United Nations met to discuss the

“potentially irreversible threat” (p. 1) of climate change and to urge the nations to commit to sustainability, particularly in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in an effort to halt the rising global temperatures (Adoption of the Paris Agreement, 2016). In 2017 another call to action was initiated for the oceans as climate change has caused temperatures to rise, acidification, deoxygenation, rising sea levels, a loss of polar ice, erosion and severe weather (General 2

Assembly Resolution, 2017). There is no question that we must look for ways to improve our sustainable efforts in each and every area of our lives.

Fashion and Sustainability Issues

One area where there has been much progress, but also much room for improvement is in the fashion industry. Sustainability has three pillars; environmental, social, and economic

(Elkington, 2004 & Gwilt & Rissanen, 2011), often referred to as the triple bottom line (Choi &

Li, 2015). The fashion industry has issues in all three areas. It is a significant contributor to problems surrounding pollution and waste production not only in the creation and production of fashion products but also in the care of clothing by the consumer (Connell & Kozar 2014).

Environmental issues can include, but are not limited to, pesticides, heavy metals, chemicals, raw waste, packaging, water use, dyes, and fuel (Connell & Kozar, 2014). Take denim production as an example of some environmental issues. Denim uses 35% of all the cotton consumption worldwide, and cotton is a water intensive crop taking up to 29,000 liters to grow 1 kilogram, or a little over 2 lbs. The pesticide and insecticide use on conventional cotton is also high at 5% and 18% of the global use respectively. In production, denim can take up to 12 dye baths which is another massive use of water (Szmydke-Cacciapalle, 2018). Additionally, there are negative links between chemical pesticides and bee’s reproduction (Fisher & Rangel, 2018), a bees flight abilities (Kenna, Cooley, Pretelli, Rodrigues, Gill, & Gill 2019), and as of 2004 there were 3 million instances of pesticide poisoning yearly and more than 250,000 deaths

(World health Organization, 2004). Further, even washing clothes has its environmental impact as washing fabrics such as polyester and acrylic can release over 700,000 fibers in an average wash (Napper & Thompson, 2016). 3

Social issues within the fashion industry include “forced labor, low wages, excessive hours of work, discrimination” and “health and safety hazards” as well as “psychological and physical abuse” and limited rights for workers and lack of representation (Dickenson, Loker, &

Eckman, 2009, p. 6). Business and consumers have had minimal concern for those who make our clothing (Mizener, 2015). Fair Wear Foundation released a report on the garment industry in

India in 2019 which employs 45 million individuals in that country. It reports that women are employed in the lowest wage jobs and are not placed in supervisor positions because they are deemed less productive than men. They are also fired first in the slow seasons. 100,000 children are also reported to be working in illegal sweatshops in upwards of 14 hours a day around Delhi

(Fair Wear Foundation, 2019). These practices only scratch the surface the Fair Wear

Foundation’s report. A publication from the University of California addresses the conditions of home-based workers in the garment industry in India and comes to much the same conclusion

(Kara, 2019). Home work is usually contracted for finishing garments with embroidery, beading and similar finishes. Kara (2019) also found instances of bonded and child labor and well as a lack of any written agreements between subcontractors and these female employees. Some women were earning as little as $.13 an hour.

Economic sustainability is defined by Hammer and Pivo (2017) as “programs, policies, or activities designed to create or retain jobs and wealth in ways that contribute to environmental, social, and economic well-being over time” (p. 27). This means that economic development is linked to the environment and society as the goal is improvement in individual’s health and well- being, job creation and retention and growth (Hammer & Pivo, 2017). Fast fashion has encouraged the desire for cheap clothing and a general belief that a shirt should not cost more than a few dollars. This impacts the value of the work of artisans (Weinreb, 2019). Why buy a 4 one with hand embroidery that is expensive when you can buy five similar mass produced for the same retail price? Designers also mimic the look of traditional artistry without considering the intellectual property of artisan groups, particularly in developing countries (Weinreb, 2019).

Positive Development in Fashion Sustainability

On the other hand, the industry is working towards a more sustainable future. Companies are investing in sustainable production, like Rothy’s using recycled plastic bottles to make shoes

(Sustainable since, n.d.), or Levi’s committing to using less water in production, recycling denim into insulation, and partnering with RE/DONE to sell repaired vintage Levi’s in stores (Ethical clothing &, n.d.). Organizations such as Fairtrade International, the Sustainable Apparel

Coalition, and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation are working towards improving the fashion industry in terms of environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Alternative processes such as upcycling, and zero-waste pattern manufacturing are rising sustainable production methods. In fashion, upcycling in “an upward reprocessing of waste, recovering intrinsic value through recycling, re-cutting, refashioning and closing the loop of the manufacturing system”

(Han, Chan, Venkatraman, Apeagyei, Cassidy, & Tyler, 2016, p. 4) while zero waste design and manufacturing uses all the fabric of a predetermined amount to create a single garment or collection (James et. al. 2016).

Banana Fiber Textiles

Banana fiber, the focus of this research, has many qualities that make it a sustainable textile. However, in spite of many positive factors that banana fiber has as a textile for the fashion industry, it is not well known and underused. Banana trees take nine months to grow a bunch of bananas (The surprising science, 2017). “It takes another two to three months for the bananas to ripen after that. Once this cycle is complete, the mother plant dies” (Sanders, n.d., 5 para 3). Therefore, it has to be cut down. The banana fiber can then be extracted from the

Banana pseudostem, which looks similar to a tree trunk, and is useless after the fruit is harvested

(Mantra workshop, 2013). This is what can be used to make fabric. It is also sustainable, biodegradable, strong, fine, and could be an alternative to silk (Hendriksz, 2017). So, a dead waste product from banana production, which is already being grown on a large scale globally, can be turned into fabric. Abaca, a variety of banana plant, while it does not produce fruit also has sustainable qualities. It may not be grown for food but there are environmental benefits such as erosion control, biodiversity rehabilitation, are used for intercropping, using waste materials as fertilizer (Future fibers:Abaca, n.d.).

Purpose Statement

Banana fiber-based textiles, the focus of this research, have many qualities that make it a sustainable textile. The textile is also being produced and used in multiple industries. However, in spite of many positive factors that banana fiber has as a textile for the fashion industry, it is not well known and underused. There have been some articles on fashion sites and other media like FashionUnited (Hendriksz, 2017), Eluxe Magazine (Beyer, n.d.), the Guardian (McEachran,

2015), EcoWatch (Chow, 2015), and the Sourcing Journal (Lamicella, 2015) that have spoken about banana fiber as an innovative and sustainable fabric solution. Yet, it still has not produced the excitement milk fabric (casein) or pineapple leather has created. There are a few small companies that are using banana fiber as a main textile in their apparel: Milo & Nicki (The

Bandhani Collection, n.d.), and QWSTION (A Material (R)evolution, n.d.). But, on the other hand, you have an example of a company that has used banana fibers in their products and has since discontinued the use of them. AussieBum, an Australian men’s underwear brand was, for a 6 time, using banana fiber blended into some of their textiles for use in a line of underwear. Since then they have ceased the use of the fiber (AussieBum makes world’s, 2017).

As will be shown, banana fiber can be made into a textile that can be used in multiple applications. However, it is a very obscure textile in the fashion industry, even with the rise in sustainability awareness. Further the companies that have been using banana fabric have not been doing so for a lengthy time. In light of this information, the purpose of the study is to discover whether banana fiber and the fabric it creates is viable in the fashion industry by viewing the fabric from multiple perspectives. Then, if viable, understand what products may be produced with banana fiber for the highest benefit. The nature of this study is exploratory and therefore aims to discover what might not already exist.

Definition of Key Terms

Banana fiber - Any textile grade fiber from the banana plant family Musaceae (this would include abaca) (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, n.d.)

Biodegradable - “Capable of being broken down especially into innocuous products by the action of living things (such as microorganisms)” (Biodegradable, n.d.)

Blue water - “The blue WF refers to surface and groundwater volumes consumed (evaporated or incorporated into the product) as a result of the production of a good” (Gerben-Leenes, P.W.,

2018, p. S169).

Chemical retting - Takes a very short time, about an hour, and creates a good quality fiber but the fiber color is inconsistent. The chemical water leftover cannot be immediately disposed of but must be treated before being released into any water system (Gullingsrud, 2017).

Cradle to Cradle - “An integration of design and science that provides enduring benefits for society from safe materials, water and energy in circular economies and eliminates the concept 7 of waste” (Cradle to Cradle: Remaking, n.d, para 1.) derived from three principles from nature

“everything is a resource for something else,” use clean and renewable energy,” and “celebrate diversity” (Cradle to Cradle: Remaking, n.d, para. 3-5).

Decorticator Machine - A machine that extracts plant fibers (banana and pineapple). “Major component of machine are rotating roller, stationary roller, feeding gear mechanism, motors, and belt is provided for transfer of motion and torque and whole system is supported by frame”

(Kunte & Amale, 2016, p. 128).

Dew Retting - Stems are left on the grown in a field to rot for 2-3 weeks. This method ensures nutrients are returned to the soil, but the fiber quality becomes inconsistent (Gullingsrud, 2017).

Economic sustainability - “programs, policies, or activities designed to create or retain jobs and wealth in ways that contribute to environmental, social, and economic well-being over time”

(Hammer & Pivo, 2017, p. 27).

Environmental Sustainability - “meeting the resource and services needs of current and future generations without compromising the health of the ecosystems that provide them, as a condition of balance, resilience, and interconnectedness that allows human society to satisfy its needs while neither exceeding the capacity of its supporting ecosystems to continue to regenerate the services necessary to meet those needs nor by our actions diminishing biological diversity”

(Morelli, 2011, p. 6).

Enzyme Retting - “Bio-retting,” using enzymes rather than chemicals for the retting of a fiber

(Chauhan, Sharma, Jain & Jain, 2013, p. 83).

Fiber - Fibers are “hairlike” stands similar to human hair (Young, 2015), the foundation of textiles (Baugh, 2018). 8

Green water - “The green WF refers to the rainwater consumed” (Gerben-Leenes, 2018, p.

S169).

Grey water - “The grey WF of a product refers to the volume of freshwater required to assimilate the load of pollutants based on existing ambient water quality standards” (Gerben-

Leenes, 2018, p. S169).

Hectare - “A unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters” (Hectare, n.d.) and also measuring about 2 and a half acres (Richardson, 2019).

Intercropping - “The growing of two or more different species of crops simultaneously, as in alternate rows in the same field or single tract of land” (Intercropping, n.d., para 1).

Pseudostem - “The stem of banana plant that provides and transports nutrients from the soil to the fruits. This pseudo-stem will be cut and become waste biomass after the banana fruit is ripe and harvested, because the banana plant is unusable for the next harvest” (Subagyo & Chafidz,

2018, p. 2).

Retting - Retting is a process often used on bast fibers that removes “non-cellulosic material attached to fibers to release individual fibres” (Tahir, Ahmed, SaifulAzry, & Ahmed, 2011, p.

5268), through one of five mediums; dew, water, enzyme, mechanical, or chemically retting

(Tahir et. al., 2011). The environmental sustainability varies between different retting methods.

Social Sustainability - “A positive condition within communities, and a process within communities that can achieve that condition” (McKenzie, 2004, p. 23). Included in a ‘positive condition’ is equivalent access to health, education, and housing, community identity and political advocacy, political participation, cultural protection and other such items (McKenzie,

2004). 9

Sustainability - Meet[ing] the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs (World Commission, 1987).

Textile - “Cloth made of textile yarns by weaving, knitting, lace making, braiding, netting, or felting. Also cloth made by bonding or non-woven methods” (Cakasibetta & Tortora, 2003, p.

449).

Water Retting - Stems are placed in a body of water (river, pond or tank) and left for up to two weeks. Produces a bad smell and pollution. Fibers are of better and more similar quality

(Gullingsrud, 2017).

Xylem - “Plant vascular tissue that conveys water and dissolved minerals from the roots to the rest of the plant and also provides physical support” (Petruzzello, n.d., para 1).

10

CHAPTER II

LITERATURE REVIEW

Textiles: The Basics

Textiles are the foundation of the fashion industry. Without them we would not have clothing, especially comfortable clothing. Therefore, knowing the foundation of textiles is very important for consumers as a well as for the purpose of this study. Textiles all under two main categories, those made with natural fibers and those made with manufactured fibers. Fibers are

“hairlike” stands similar to human hair (Young, 2015), the foundation of textiles (Baugh, 2018).

There are three main branches of fibers: Natural, regenerated, and synthetic. Natural fibers are divided into 2 categories: Plant and animal. Plant based fibers are cellulosic while animals’ fibers are protein based. Common natural cellulosic fibers include cotton, flax (which makes linen), hemp and bamboo. Fibers obtained from animals are protein based and either come from hair, as is the case with wool, cashmere and alpaca, or a secretion, silk being an example (Markova, 2019). Manufactured fibers fall into three categories: regenerated, synthetic, and bioplastic. Regenerated fibers also contain cellulose. “These fibers are made from naturally occurring polymers in which the cellulose is broken down and reformed into a new matter”

(Markova, 2019, p.xxiv). The cellulose for this process is taken from wood pulp (Markova,

2019). Rayon and lyocell are two examples. Newer regenerated fibers that use a protein base are casein, from milk, soy and corn (Cadigan, 2014). The next category is synthetic. These fibers are created from petroleum (petrochemicals) and engineered for certain qualities

(Markova, 2019 & Cadigan, 2014), essentially a form of plastic (Cadigan, 2014). Nylon and polyester are synthetic fibers. 11

Once these fibers are processed, they are spun into yarns. Yarns are made by twisting small fibers laid together to form one long strand (Young, 2015). These yarns can then be woven or knitted to form fabric or textiles.

How do We Determine the Sustainability of Textiles?

The development or agriculture of sustainable fibers is one area of focused effort toward sustainability within the fashion industry. Defining a sustainable fiber can be difficult. In

Deborah E. Young’s Swatch Reference Guide for Fashion Fibers (2015) she addresses some of the questions that one must consider when determining if indeed a fiber is sustainable. She asks,

Sustainability in the fashion world has become a hot-button topic. It has also become a

very confusing ethical question. Does recycling mean sustainable? Is the fiber sustainable

if it grows without pesticides? Or is it enough to simple reduce water usage? And is the

fiber still sustainable if it grows without the use of pesticides but dyed in a chemical bath,

finished with formaldehyde, and then shipped in plastic? (Young, 2015, p. xiii)

One may assume that natural fibers are automatically more sustainable but that is not always the case. Cadigan (2014) lists some production concerns that determine a sustainable fiber: energy used in both growth or production of the fiber, the process necessary to make it usable, societal impact, environmental strain, dye and finishing processes required, care for the produced textile, disposal method (can it be recycled or is it biodegradable?). In the next several sections we will address some of these questions including current agricultural practices for banana fiber as well as fiber and fabric production.

Banana Fiber Textiles

History of Banana Textiles

12

Banana has a long history as a textile. It is a leaf fiber which places it in same category of the natural fibers’ sisal and pineapple (Markova, 2019). The use of banana fiber in textiles has been occurring since the 13th century (Phukan, Choudhury, & Gogoi, 2015). Katrien

Hendrickx’s book from 2007 discusses the origins of bashôfu fabric or banana fabric in the

Ryukyu Archipelago of Japan and its use potentially as early as the 1300’s. In the Edo period

(1600-1868) bashôfu was used for a popular summer dress called the Kamishimo (Bashofu

(banana fibre cloth), n.d). Some of these garments were worn for special events or ceremonies and were valued highly along with silk and cotton (Hendrickx, 2007). Gillow and Sentence

(1999) mention that in the Philippines, abaca has been used in traditional textiles, particularly warp ikat textiles. Harris (2011) discusses abaca being used in light weight, delicate fabric along with pineapple for catholic religious garments which were decorated with embroidery.

Banana Fiber Production

Banana fiber is taken from the psuedostem of a banana plant. Banana fiber can be removed from the pseudostem through several different processes. Manually (Phukan et. al,

2015) by machine (Das, et al. 2010), or through retting (Ghorpade & Balasubramanya, 2013).

The machine process allows for better quality fibers to be obtained from the pseudostem and can produce up to 20kg a day per machine as opposed to 500gms in the manual process (Das, Nag,

Debnath, & Nayak, 2010). A decorticator machine which has rotating parts with blades attached is commonly used. Pieces of the pesudostem are fed through the machine and come out crushed and pulpy. They are then degummed, washed and dried (Subagyo & Chafidz n.d.). Retting is a process often used on bast fibers to remove “non-cellulosic material attached to fibers to release individual fibres” (Tahir et. al., 2011, p. 5268). There are five different kinds of retting, “dew, water, enzymatic, mechanical and chemically retting” (Tahir et. al., 2011, p. 5268). Retting has 13 been shown to be an efficient way of collecting textile fibers from banana pseudostems. It also allows for the recovery of more fibers compared to the mechanical extraction process (Ghorpade

& Balasubramanya, 2013). The psuedostem has several different qualities of fiber due to the layers that are formed in the stem. The outer layers (4-6) produce a course fiber, the middle layers (6-8) produce a shiny and soft fiber while the inner layers have an even softer fiber

(Vigneswaran, Pavithra, Gayathri, & Mythili, 2015). The fiber can then be woven into fabric.

Banana Fabric Qualities

While older sources consider banana a bast (Yeager, 1988), more recent literature identifies banana as a leaf fiber (Markova, 2019). A banana fiber’s composition is 43.6% cellulose, 14% hemicellulose, 111% lignin, and some other substances (Ortega, Morón, Badalló,

Monzón, & Paz, 2016). It is strong, shiny, light weight, absorbs and releases moisture quickly, is biodegradable, has a fineness of 2400Nm on average, has low elongation when compared to other fibers, and can be spun (Phukan et al, 2015). It has good elasticity, tensile strength, and stiffness and it has better spin ability than ramie or bamboo (Subagyo & Chafidz n.d.). Some other fibers that banana can be blended with are jute (Aparna & Devi, 2012) cotton, wool, and polyester (Ortega et al, 2016).

When banana fibers are put though the retting process, they become softer and finer

(Ghorpade & Balasubramanya, 2013). Aparna and Devi (2012) studied enzyme treatment on banana, and banana/jute blended fabric at both 40:60 and 60:40 ratio. They found that in the samples overall, the enzyme treated ones were better than the control samples. The yarn became finer, some tensile strength was lost, crease recovery improved, there was no shrinkage, and they all repelled water well. The conclusion was that enzyme treatment was a good choice for banana fiber and an economical option for small and large production. The use of enzymes to soften the 14 fiber to improve softness was also studied by Shroff, Shah, & Karolia (2015). Ortega et. al

(2016) also refer to enzyme treatments for banana fiber.

An especially important quality of banana fiber is its sustainable qualities. Since consumers are increasingly looking for sustainable products (Kronthal-Sacco & Whelan, 2019), banana fiber should be considered for use in the fashion industry in light of these traits. Unlike other natural fibers, banana fiber is an agricultural waste product (Ortega et. al, 2016). From the outer layers alone, 1.5 million tons of dried banana fibers can be produced (Vigneswaran et al.,

2015). In other words, banana trees could be used for two reasons in two different industries, one, to grow food, and the other for the production of textiles with the same amount of effort currently going into the growth of the plant. Currently only 10% of the banana stems are being reused and farmers usually pay to remove them or must burn them which contributes to air pollution (Wealth from waste, n.d.). The fashion and textile industry could turn this waste into something useful. This industry could also be economically sustainable by increasing incomes and supporting some communities in India according to the Sustainable Textile Supply Chain

(Wealth from waste, n.d.). The fiber is also biodegradable (Vigneswaran et al., 2015). When buried in soil it quickly loses strength (Subagyo & Chafidz n.d.). Natural fibers also have some benefits over synthetic ones due to their “renewability, low cost,” and “wide availability” (Sarma

& Deka, 2016, p. 997). For Abaca specifically, as it is not also grown for food, there are environmental benefits such as erosion control, biodiversity rehabilitation, are used for intercropping, and any waste materials can be used as fertilizer (Future fibers: Abaca, n.d.).

Banana Agriculture

One area that is not widely discussed when considering the sustainability of banana fiber is its agricultural impact and labor practices which have a major impact on sustainability and 15 need to be addressed. This could have a major impact on fashion industry professionals and consumers willingness to use the material. The fact that it is an agricultural waste product, that it is biodegradable, and its properties are readily related as proof of it being a sustainable fiber, but there is much more to consider. Plants in the banana family are very susceptible to pests and disease (Bidabadi & Sijun, 2018) and are often grown using heavy insecticide, herbicide, and other pesticide management methods. The majority of bananas are gown in developing countries where the exploitation of labor over the years has been documented (Bieleu, 2014). Some organic farming practices can help to alleviate many of these sustainability issues (Bidabadi &

Sijun, 2018).

Banana pests and diseases in large part go hand in hand. The production of bananas,

Musa genis, is often limited by the pest and diseases affecting the plants (Raut & Ranade, 2004), with Fusarium wilt being especially destructive (Bidabadi & Sijun, 2018). This disease, found in almost all regions where bananas are grown, “is a typical vascular wilt disease,” and “infects roots of susceptible and resistant banana cultivars” (Ploetz, 2015, p. 8). The disease causes the xylem of the plant to discolor and become blocked, stopping the transportation of water and other nutrients causing the death of the affected leaves (Ploetz, 2015). Another common disease is Black Sigatoka, a leaf fungus, which “reduces the photosynthetic area and consequently reduces fruit filling and induces premature fruit ripening” (Jimenez, Van der Veken, Neirynck,

Rodriguez, Ruiz, & Swennen, 2007, p. 297-298) and can cause harvest loss between 30 and

100% (Jimenez et al., 2007). While these two are some of the most prevalent disease issues affecting the Musa variety, there are many others including leaf spot (Cordana musae),

Colletotrichum musae, finger tip rot (Botryodiplodia theobromae), and Moko disease

(Pseudomonas Solanacearum) (Raut & Ranade, 2004). 16

Banana is a particularly pesticide intensive crop (Bellamy, 2011) due to these diseases and pests. To prevent or reduce the impact of diseases such as the Black Sigatoka systematic fungicide treatments which alternate benzimidazole, triazole, moroholine and others are used

(Jimenez et al. 2007). Pesticide use is high in tropical regions where bananas are grown because patents for older pesticides have expired and small companies in developing countries are producing them for a cheaper price then the newer safer ones. Farmers tend to be unaware of the health and environmental risks as well (Sanchez-Bayo & Hyne, 2011). Costa Rica is a particularly heavy pesticide user. On bananas, 45kg of active ingredients are used per hectare yearly (Diepens, 2014). Another frequently used pesticide is chlorpyrifos (Verité Fair Labor, n.d.)

Labor practices are often questionable on banana plantations, especially with large scale producers. Extremely hard labor, low wages, long hours (Prada & Castro, 2016), wage deductions for disciplinary purposes causing debt to employer (which is bonded labor, a human trafficking subset), and pressure to meet harvest quotas just begin to cover the social problems in the industry (Verité Fair Labor, n.d.). The documentary The Big Banana from (Bieleu) 2014 by

ArtMattan Films gives a through explanation of the labor exploitation in Cameroon on a PHP plantation. At the of the film, plantations were sprayed while individuals were working, often causing health problems and getting into water in food in the nearby residences. The legal minimum wage was not being paid to the workers and the bananas that are not considered worthy of sale on the international market are sold immediately to the community, meaning that pesticides are still heavily active on the fruit (Bieleu, 2014). The issues are still prevalent globally as various media articles (Fassler, 2019; $14 for 12 hours of work, 2018; Lauterwasser, 17

2017, Piper, 2017) are still bringing this issue up in relation to the absurdly low cost of bananas in the grocery store.

Fusarium wilt is a major concern right now as it has spread globally so much so that many are concerned the Cavendish variety of bananas, the main variety in agricultural production currently, will be wiped out (Prisco, 2016). A variety of the disease called ‘Panama disease’ (also known as Foc R1) previously affected the Gros Michel variety of bananas a few decades ago. At the time, that was the main banana variety produced for sale in international markets. The Foc R1 essentially wiped out the Gros Michel variety of bananas and the

Cavendish variety, resistant to that Fusarium strain, replaced the Gros Michel (Dita, Barquero,

Heck, Mizubuti, & Staver, 2018). Now a new strain, Foc R4, is affecting the Cavendish, which makes up 40% of the global production of bananas (Ploetz, 2015) and 99% of banana exports

(Dita et al. 2018), in a similar way. In terms of sustainability, the transition from one mono- culture to another in the banana industry was not a commitment to best practices.

Now while banana fiber does have some sustainable attributes, theses agricultural and labor issues need to be addressed. To help with sustainable production, diversification, not mono-culture is a recommended practice as plant diseases can wipe out an entire variety as has happened in the case of the Gros Michel. Additionally, there are some alternative agricultural practices that show promise that could improve both the sustainability of the agriculture, the health of the laborers, and the yield of bananas. Some examples are “crop rotation, biological control, and using arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth promoting rhizobacteria”

(Bidabadi & Sijun, 2018, p. 209). Crop rotation has more positive results with some crops such as cassava, pineapple and Chinese leek while indifferent results with other crops such as sorghum (Dita et al. 2018). Intercropping is also an option and while banana production is lower 18 a grower’s income is diversified and there can be other benefits such as soil fertility, reduced erosion, and increased biodiversity all the while making banana plants less vulnerable to pests and disease (Bellamy, 2013). Bande (2012) even noted that Abaca has better yields when intercropped.

Sustainability Comparison to Other ‘Sustainable’ Natural Fibers

To determine the viability of banana fiber, it is also important to evaluate how it compares to other ‘sustainable’ natural fibers. Here banana fiber will be compared to bamboo, organic cotton, and Piñatex in terms of a few aspects of sustainability: Biodegradability, water consumption during growth, pesticides, fiber processing, and consumer care. Dying cellulosic fibers is generally highly water intensive, heat intensive, and requires many chemicals overall

(Khatari, 2015). The process also involves both a pre- and posttreatment requiring water and energy (Bide, 2014). Therefore, for the sake of this brief comparison, the dye process is considered similar in impact and not discussed.

In terms of sustainability, first off, banana fiber is biodegradable (Vigneswaran et al.,

2015). Banana fiber does not have additional water consumption, being an agricultural by- product and they typically grow in tropical areas where the rainfall is from 78-98 inches a year

(How bananas are grown, n.d.). However, since banana plants are frequently irrigated, the water use should be considered. A study done for Dole (Sikirica, 2011) on the water footprint for their bananas grown in Costa Rica and Honduras reported that in Costa Rica, there is no blue water at all since they are entirely rain fed but the plantations in Honduras are irrigated with blue water.

In both Honduras plantations studied, there was less than 20% blue water per kg of bananas when considering the total of blue and green water the plants used in the growth phase (see

Figure 1). Another study (Roibás, Elbehri, & Hospido, 2015) compared their averages with 19 those from several studies including Sikirica (2011) (Figure 2) which shows that the blue water can be as much as 60.9% of the water footprint when blue and green water are totaled or as little as 0%.

Figure 1. Banana Water Footprint in Costa Rica and Honduras. Blue and green water footprint during banana growth in three farms, one in Costa Rica and two in Honduras. Study completed on Dole banana plantations (Sikirica, 2011, p. 35).

Figure 2. Water Footprint Table from Multiple Studies. Roibás et al. (2015) Compared the results of several studies blue and green water footprint on banana plantations in several different countries (p.12).

The real effectiveness of banana irrigation is undetermined though. Bande (2012) found that additional irrigation had no more positive affect then the normal rainfall while studying abaca growth in the Philippines. Carr (2009) notes that for fruit bearing banana plants, “irrigation varies between locations, whilst its justification in commercial terms depends on the purposes for 20 which a crop is grown and its market value” (p. 333) and also states that reports are extremely variable being correlated with place and time. For example, a study of irrigation for banana plants in Malawi found that irrigation techniques improved yield but there is a tendency towards drought in the region (Fandika et. al, 2014). This is only the water per kg of bananas though.

One plant could produce a bunch between 35-50kg (Production, n.d.). That is a significant amount of water, especially when irrigated, but the impact of the water would be reduced for the fruit if textiles were made from the trees consistently. As discussed in the agricultural section, bananas plants, when non-organic, are given the application of pesticides, herbicides and fungicides (Bellamy, 2016). Once processed through a decorator machine the fibers are currently retted (Ghorpade & Balasubramanya, 2013). However, the more sustainable enzyme treatment has proven to be effective on the fibers (Aparna and Devi, 2012). Excepting the fiber extraction process and potentially the spinning process (Aparna and Devi, 2007), most of the banana fabric production seems to be still completed by hand (Banana organic cotton, n.d.;

Phukan et al., 2015) but can also be produced by industrial machines (Phukan et al., 2015). The specific amount of environmental impact used in the production of banana fabric then is not known. Consumer care impact is also not known since the fiber is emerging on the market.

Offset Warehouse, sustainable fabric retailer based in the UK, recommends washing their banana material in cold, by hand, or steaming (Banana organic cotton, n.d). Laundering in cold rather than hot water is more environmentally friendly and can increase garment life (Laitala et. al.,

2011).

Bamboo is a highly renewable resource and, like banana, in its 100% form, it is biodegradable. Different finishes, dyes or other trims could affect the fiber’s ability to biodegrade completely, however (Gullingsrud, 2017). Bamboo does not require much 21 maintenance and is mostly a rain fed crop so water consumption in the growth stage is low

(Gullingsrud, 2017). It does not require any pesticides or chemicals in the growth process

(Hallett & Johnston, 2010). After harvesting the bamboo is turned into a pulp from which the cellulose from the plant is extracted to make the fiber in a process alike to rayon (Hallett &

Johnston, 2010). During the fiber processing,

the production of bamboo viscose is mostly a closed-loop system, in which NaOH used

in the spinning process is recycled completely and also 74 % of CS2 (Carbon disulfide) is

recovered and recycled for further use. The use of caustic soda is approved for use in

textiles under the GOTS as this chemical does not cause any harm if used and disposed of

properly. (Rana, Pichandi, Parveen, & Fangueiro, 2014, p. 259)

There are some potential problems with this still as carbon disulfide has the potential to cause damage to the human reproductive system and neural disorder (Is bamboo fabric, n.d.).

Gullingsrud (2017) and the CFDA (Bamboo: Overview, n.d.) say that in terms of care, bamboo wrinkles and needs frequent pressing but overall the electricity usage to care for the fabric is fairly small.

As of 2009, India produced the highest amount of organic cotton globally (Foglia &

Ferrigno, 2009). Cotton, both organic and non-organic ranges dramatically in environmental impact based on where it is grown in the world and the size of the farms and the technology available (Grose, 2009). Organic cotton is biodegradable (Rana et. al, 2014) in its 100% cotton form (Gullingsrud, 2017). Organic production uses crop rotation and biological means to control pests and disease (Gullingsrud, 2017). This is done to decrease the “arrival of dangerous agrochemicals to the earth and conserve biodiversity” (Senthil Kumar & Yasshika, 2019, p.132).

Some of these biological means include manures, nitrogen, and zinc sulfate, and while the use of 22

Bt genetically engineered cotton is prohibited, Bt sprays can be utilized as it is a bacterium found naturally in soil (Senthil Kumar & Yasshika, 2019). Air pollution in cotton production has been a major consideration in the past but newer technology greatly reduces dust emissions and CO2 emissions during harvest (Rana et. al, 2014). Like banana plants, organic cotton may be irrigated (Senthil Kumar & Yasshika, 2019). While the water used in cotton production is often cited as a major issue, water needs are often moderate for cotton and depend on climate and technologies available (Grose, 2009). In Brazil for example, 50% of the cotton grown is rain-fed and cotton uses less water than other crops like grapes and almonds (Grose, 2009). Additionally, organic cotton may use less water than conventionally grown cotton due to good soil structure

(Grose, 2009; Certified organic cotton fiber may be processed and manufactured in the same way, with the same chemical inputs, as a non-organic fiber and still claim organic content

(Textile Exchange, 2016). So, the impact of production may be the same as conventional fiber.

Weaving cotton requires 40MJ of energy, and 2.3kg of CO2 emissions (Rana et. al, 2014).

Consumers tend to wash and dry cotton garments at high temperatures and iron frequently which causes a sizable environmental impact (Gullingsrud, 2017). Washing requires 3.4 MJ of energy,

12.6MJ to dry and 49L of water (Rana et. al, 2014).

Piñatex is a similar fiber to banana in the sense that it is derived from an agricultural waste product. Therefore, one would assume it would be biodegradable but based on both the

Piñatex website and Carmen Hijosa’s thesis, the woman who invented the material and wrote about it in her PH.D thesis, composability is a future goal making biodegradability somewhat unclear (About us: The life cycle, n.d.; Hijosa, 2014). Since it is derived from an agricultural by- product it doesn’t have additional agricultural water consumption (Hijosa, 2014). The Food and

Agricultural Organization of the United Nations notes that pineapples are low in their water 23 usage but any water deficits may inhibit growth so if necessary water should be supplied through irrigation if necessary (Land and water: Pineapple, n.d.). There is also no additional pesticide application for the sake of the fiber, however, is pesticides, herbicides, and other agrochemicals

(Ingwersen, 2012; Young, 2015) are used when pineapples are grown non-organically. In processing pineapple leaves go through the decorticating machine to remove the fibers, then are gummed, processed into a non-woven fabric and then finished. While specifics are unavailable regarding the amount of energy usage in this process non-wovens tend to have a “low manufacturing time with very quick production cycle” as there are less processes for the material to undergo (Muthu, 2018, para 11). Hijosa (2014) also claims that “Piñatex does not require heavy metals or polluting chemicals for its manufacture process” (p. 167). Leather does not require care such as washing or drying. Specified care products, gentle cleaners, and damp cloths are the only cleaning means recommended (Caring for your leather, n.d.). Material care details are not available for Piñatex but as a leather alternative we can assume that the material would be cared for in a similar way.

Figure 3. Fiber Sustainability Comparison Chart. This chart comparing different natural fibers (bamboo, organic cotton, Piñatex, banana/abaca) compared based on level of environmental impact in 5 categories (biodegradability, water consumption during growth, pesticides use during growth, processing/manufacture, and consumer care).

24

The figure above, Figure 3, summarizes the sustainable categories biodegradability, water consumption in growth, pesticide use, process and manufacture of the textiles, and consumer care so that banana fiber can be compared to bamboo, organic cotton, and Piñatex. Banana fiber is equivalent to bamboo and organic cotton in terms of biodegradability. When it comes to the impact of water consumption, banana was considered medium in impact because irrigation varies based of location, the impact of irrigation is still undetermined, and creating a material as a by- product of banana plants would be advantageous in lessening the water footprint of the banana fruit. This makes it less about equivalent in impact to organic cotton and more impactful than bamboo and Piñatex as bamboo and pineapple are usually sufficiently fed by rain fall. When bananas are not grown organically there is a heavy use of pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides making the impact more significant than bamboo, organic cotton, and Piñatex. There is limited information regarding the process and manufacture of banana fiber and consumer care. Since much of the process is still completed by hand currently there is likely much less of an energy impact, but the retting process could potentially be polluting. An equal comparison could only take place if the process was fully mechanized like the other fibers. Consumer care for banana fiber seems promising with the ability to wash in cold water rather than dry clean however to accurately determine this, studies would need to be done to determine how often individuals dried and ironed the fabric.

How Banana Fiber Might Follow Other Successful Examples to Mass Market?

Since banana is such as old textile source but not a popular material today, it is important to consider how textiles become a popular mass market textile in the first place. What have other fibers needed in terms of production, technology, or even promotion to make them viable in the fashion industry? Understanding the process other fibers have gone through to reach the mass 25 market can help determine steps banana fiber may still need to go through to become relevant within the fashion industry. The fibers considered here are just two brief examples: Nylon and

Piñatex. The history of these two fibers are fairly recent, Piñatex in particular as it was developed within the last few years. These fibers can give great insights for banana.

Nylon was developed in the Du Pont company during the 1930’s by Dr. Wallace Hume

Carothers with the assistance of Julian W. Hill (Handley, 1999). This discovery occurred after

11 years of research and after Du Pont had the experience of producing and developing a desirable image for rayon which was struggling at the time due to the fears of its ‘artificiality’.

Silk was the standard both rayon and nylon were competing against (Handley, 1999). Nylon was debuted at the World Fair as hosiery (Handley, 1999; Esposito, 2014). This meant that it could replace silk stockings in a time where Americas were entirely depended on Japan to supply the silk. Americans wanted to be more self-sufficient in this and with many other goods. The hosiery would also be half the price of silk stockings. Nylon stockings were released across the country simultaneously on the 15th of May 1940, two years after the world fair and growing excitement about the product (Lazenby, 2015). Each customer could only buy one pair

(Lazenby, 2015) and stores were bursting with customers (Handley, 1999). The profits from the last seven months of 1940 completely covered research and development costs (Esposito, 2014).

Piñatex, a non-woven textile developed using pineapple leaves, was developed by

Carmen Hijosa (2014). With an extensive background in leather she wanted to develop a leather alternative using a cradle to cradle approach, and while working the Philippines became intrigued by the potential of pineapple fiber. Her doctoral thesis (2014), outlines her journey from concept to finished product. Her thesis also communicated some similarities of banana fiber to pineapple. It is an agricultural by-product, workers on pineapple plantations are in 26 dismal conditions and the fiber is extracted in similar ways to the banana, either stripping the fibers by hand or by a decorticator machine (Hijosa, 2014). The non-woven textile was “tested according to market standards for shoes, bags and furnishings” (Hijosa, 2014, p. 157). S he also presented different iterations of the fiber, one as a raw fiber, hiblakumot, as Piñafelt, for filling, and then Piñatex. Each showed interest from different markets. With Piñatex, Hijosa also extensively tested color and surface application options for this material (2014). Piñatex has also developed through partnerships with a least 7 organizations (About us: Manufacturing process, n.d.). The new material has been extensively covered in the media. Top fashion magazines like

Vogue (Wicker, 2019), Just-Style (Wright, 2018), Fast Company (Peters, 2016), and The New

York Times (Wendlandt, 2017) have discussed the textile. At about half a decade in existence the fiber is already considered a “popular” vegan alternative to leather (Wicker, 2019) and in products available for purchase with Hugo Boss and the 2019 collaboration with H&M (H & M

Conscious, 2019).

In both the case of Nylon and of Piñatex, there does seem to be an element of the right person, at the right place at the right time. Based on their histories, there are some other factors that seem crucial in these materials’ popularity; science and technology, proper management/advocate, the right product, and marketing and publicity. In the case of Nylon, just the right chemical theories had emerged, and Carothers had the freedom to experiment with a team at Dupont. Dupont also had the technology they needed and the money to develop new technology to support the fiber (Handley, 1999). For Piñatex, the decorticating machine is essential in mass Piñatex production as it reduces slow hand labor. Piñatex also went through extensive laboratory testing and multiple stages of product development to reach the final product (Hijosa, 2014). Both fibers also had an advocate pushing the fiber to succeed. Nylon 27 had a whole company behind it while Piñatex had Carmen Hijosa. This may not seem overly significant but both Du Pont and Hijosa dedicated themselves to the development of the fiber, seeing the process through from beginning to end, planning, doing the research, and communicating with others about the product. These fibers were not half-hearted attempts put out there and then suddenly “discovered” and made mainstream. Nylon and Piñatex were also the right product at the right time. Nylon was directed to women as a better, cheaper, sexier stocking in a time where Americans were also wanting to be less dependent on other countries for goods. Piñatex has come in when there is a high interest in sustainability and vegan products are valued. And finally, marketing and publicity certainly had no small influence on these fibers.

Handley (1999) says,

Nylon was different, it was a textbook case of how to do it: the fibre developer reached

the consumer and the press directly with the promise of a small but luxurious product that

was a fashion fixation at the time and the manufacturers has to supply the goods. (p. 45)

For Piñatex, it has been covered by top fashion magazines, making it a desirable fashion product.

It is also endorsed by well-known brands such as Hugo Boss and H&M. All of these factors worked together to make Nylon and Piñatex the iconic materials they are currently.

The Consumer and Sustainability

The modern consumer is looking for more sustainable options and their purchases are reflecting this intention, especially when it comes to millennials (Was 2018 the year, 2018).

Harvard Business Review cited a study from NYU Stern by Kronthal-Sacco & Whelan reporting that sustainability marketing is driving consumer packaged goods sales. Sustainably marketed products are anticipated to be at $140.5 Billion in sales by 2023 (Whelan & Kronthal-Sacco,

2019). A Nielsen report in 2018 also stated that about 50% of consumers definitely would or 28 would probably modify their purchases to minimize their environmental impact (Was 2018 the year, 2018).

When it comes to sustainable clothing the issue is a little more complex. When it comes to responsible clothing consumption consumers often lack the knowledge needed to make informed decisions, such as the impacts of different fibers on the environment, they often have a negative attitude towards sustainable clothing believing it to be unstylish or uncomfortable, there are issues with availability, it tends to be expensive, and a consumers perceived social norms

(Connell, 2010). But there are some positive indications that consumers would be willing to pay more for a sustainable option. For example, Ellis et. al (2012)’s study indicated that consumers were willing to pay 25% more for an organic cotton t-shirt when the shirts were virtually the same. Another study showed that consumers were willing to pay a premium for local cotton, organic and non-GM fibers in socks (Hustvdet & Bernard, 2008).

Research Questions

After considering the literature, it is evident the importance of sustainability for both brands and consumers. It is also shown that technology, management and marketing have played a role in the success of fibers in the past. Also noted are the many sustainable benefits of banana fiber as well as some concerns and questions that need to be addressed in terms of production and use by consumers. There is also very little evidence on how fashion industry professionals’ and consumers actually view the fiber and how they would use it. Therefore, in examining the viability of banana fiber in the fashion industry, this study explores the following research questions:

R1: What are the issues that need to be addressed to make banana fabric production viable?

R2: What are fashion industry professionals’ intentions in working with banana fabric? 29

R3: What is the perception of fashion industry professional’s on banana fabric as sustainable resource?

R4: What are the perceptions of consumers towards banana fabric? What kinds of products do consumers envision made out of banana fabric and what is their purchase intention?

30

CHAPTER III

METHOD

To understand banana fiber’s potential and viability in the fashion industry, a mixed method qualitative research study was used in the form of interview, survey, and generative focus groups. The use of three different data gathering methods are used to suit three different participant groups. An interview was used to gather data from a fabric retailer. Surveys were mailed to fashion industry professionals (FIP(s)). Then, the generative focus groups were used to bring consumers into the research. It is very common to use multiple sources of data in qualitative research (Creswell, 2013). The generative focus group research method involves a make dimension to research. Rather than simply asking individuals questions and listening to what they say or observing what they do, generative tools give participants a chance to make an artifact to help express what they say, do, or want (Sanders & Stappers, 2012). They are often used for product innovation (Sanders & Stappers, 2012). The intent of the research is to understand banana fiber’s potential and viability in the fashion industry. As this unknown fiber begins to emerge in the industry, the study is highly exploratory and intends to discover the viability and potential market placements for this fiber. Interviews and surveys are appropriate for “descriptive, explanatory, and exploratory purposes” (Babbie, 2011).

This study looks to multiple representative parts within the fashion industry, vendors, design, and consumers as a way to have a triangulation of data. Triangulation in social research means that the data collected is coming from different sources, maximizing the validity of the study (Flick, 2004). The three perspectives together will help to determine the viability of banana fiber in the fashion industry (see Figure 4).

31

Figure 4. Research Triangulation to Determine the Viability of Banana Fiber in the Fashion Industry.

Interview

Upon IRB approval, an interview was completed with an employee of a sustainable fabric retailer, Offset Warehouse, based in London, UK. The interview was audio recorded and transcribed (See Appendix A for the interview questions). Offset Warehouse chose to disclose their company name through the consent form. The purpose of the interview was to understand from a retailer or vendor perspective their assessment of banana fiber in the textile and fashion industry. Another goal was to learn what some of the positive traits of banana fiber are as well as what the difficulties are in production or sourcing that could inhibit the use of banana fiber by the fashion industry. Questions asked in the interview were open-ended and, the interview was also semi-structured. The interview was analyzed, and themes were developed using Nvivo research software. 32

Surveys

Thirty-four survey packets consisting of a short summary on banana fiber fabric

(Appendix E), two 5” x 5” banana fabric swatches, a survey (Appendix F), and a return envelope with postage were mailed to FIPs, alumni of a fashion school at a Midwest US university, to give their expert opinions on the swatches of banana fiber fabric and where they could, or could not, see it being used in the fashion and textile industry. Individuals who graduated between 2010 and

2018 were recruited. Out of the 34 surveys distributed, 18 responses were returned. The surveys consisted of open-ended questions, multiple-choice, Likert-scale, circle all that apply (listing of

67 descriptive words that could apply to a textile), filling in a SWOT diagram, and an optional opportunity to provide a sketch of how one or both of the fabrics could be used. The surveys were analyzed, and themes developed using Nvivo research software.

Focus Groups

Three generative focus groups were held, two on a Midwest university campus and one in a residential home. They consisted of consumers of fashion and other textiles, each consisting of

4 people. The generative focus groups involved a ‘make’ activity which gave the participants a means of thinking and expressing their thoughts and feelings on banana fiber fabric. The focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed, and photographed. The participants were gathered through opportunistic and purposive sampling (Sanders & Stappers, 2012). The participants were people acquired easily for the researcher, but also recruited with the intent of diversifying the participants.

Generative focus group research method “is a way to fill the fuzzy front end with the ideas, dreams and insights of the people who will be served through design” (Sanders, 2008, p.3). The generative focus groups provided the participants with a “toolkit” (Appendix G) 33

(Sanders & Stappers, 2012). In this case the participants were given fabric samples (the same as given in the surveys just larger pieces of material) and they were given time to create two collages, one for each swatch. They were to make a visual model of their impression and envisioned application of banana fiber fabric. Toolkits can be a combination of words, images, shapes, 3D object, logos, puppets or other materials and are a means of an individual creating an artifact (Sanders & Stappers, 2012). It is a ‘make tool’ designed specifically for a particular study “to capture people’s imagination about how they make things rather than what they say and do” (Koskinen, 2011, p. 128). The toolkit for this study included words, images, markers, colored pencils, tape, and the fabrics. The focus group transcription and artifacts were analyzed and themes identified using the ‘on the wall’ method (Sanders & Stappers, 2012). The ‘on the wall’ method (see Figure 5) is used for smaller participant groups when analyzing both visual and transcribed/text data. All the data is set up as an immersive display to be analyzed (Sanders

& Stappers, 2012).

Generative research methods such collaging can be used in the design process in conjunction with other methods to form a “converging perspectives approach” (Stappers &

Sanders, 2004, p. 85). Therefore, it makes sense in this study as a data gathering technique since it is being used in association with what people say: the interview and surveys. There were fairly small sample sizes for each part of the data gathering, but this is appropriate for exploratory research. It is recognized that exploratory studies can hint at but do not necessarily provide definite answers due to the limited representation of the studies (Babbie, 2011). Ftable 34

Figure 5. ‘On the Wall’ Analysis for Focus Groups.

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CHAPTER IV

RESULTS

Interview

One interview was held with an employee of Offset Warehouse, a retailer of sustainable and ethical fabrics, based in London. Open-ended questions were asked on a FaceTime interview session. There were several general questions about the company and its sustainable viewpoint; banana fiber production, care, origin, and sustainability; the present market; difficulties in production, sourcing, and ways to address the problems; and banana fibers place in the industry. The interview was transcribed and analyzed for themes. The themes were

Community, Positives for Banana Fiber Viability, and Risks for Banana Fiber Viability.

Community

The theme that was central to the entire interview was community. Community here is defined by the researcher as the sense of communication, collaboration with others, and a sharing of information in order to educate and ensure sustainable practice in fashion production, especially in relation to banana fiber fabric production; related to social sustainability. Offset

Warehouse (OW) was founded as a “way to communicate with these startup and small scale fashion businesses” about fabrics, particularly ethical and sustainable fabrics. OW is an access point for small quantities of sustainable fibers and educates customers about the people behind them. The company has worked directly with weaving communities and with designers to raise awareness on issues within the fashion industry. OW works to create a fashion economy where workers are protected and make a living wage while at the same time supporting and educating the still growing sustainable fashion industry. 36

Offset Warehouse currently sells two banana fiber fabric blends made by weaving communities in the Philippines. It is a community effort to engage weaving communities and work with them to produce a viable product for the fashion industry. The business also believes that the company’s openness and communication has allowed artisan groups and cooperatives to come to the organization with their products and ideas. For example, an African farmer growing plantain traveled from Africa to London to see them and ask for their help to get a fiber production facility set up in his community so that economy could be brought to that area.

Offset Warehouse also believes that community is a huge part of social sustainability, including protecting the rights of workers.

There can obvious be…just unethical practices. Outsiders coming in a forcing labor.

Yeah, that probably could happen, would happen, probably is happening, because that’s,

that’s the way every country is. Yeah, so I think that goes back to communication and

being open, making sure that everyone who works with the banana producer also looks to

the other ones. And even if they can't, pitch in, they can sort of pass on that something

needs to change there.

And

That's why I think the community is so important in connection with each other.

Otherwise…Yeah. There's so much that we don't know that goes on in the textile

industry. It's so so vast, will never be able to look after it all in the right way. So, it's, it's

about making sure that were being open and looking out for each other.

OW wants to be an example of how transparency, working with cooperatives who have liaisons who regularly visit weaving communities, and openness can actually work in the modern fashion industry. 37

Community and the sharing of information can also help sustainable development and innovation. When talking about bringing more awareness to banana fiber, access to the information is crucial,

But as, as there’s an increase in sustainable trade show, sustainable retailers, and brands

looking for innovative fibers, it means that more people can know about it. And then we

can ask questions. Yes, I think that the curiosity also helps. But having access to the

information. So, what you're doing with the study will hopefully reach so many different

people that may not otherwise be looking for it. Yeah. Maybe people who are not even in

the textile industry. Yeah, it changes perspective on other things as well, like so then

they'll start thinking about oh, well, what else can be made into fabric?

Creating and preserving community is viewed by OW as an important component of sustainable fashion, this includes banana fiber.

Positives for Banana Fiber Viability

The interview expressed several positive aspects that could contribute to banana fiber viability in the fashion industry: Economy, Environmental Sustainability, and Diverse

Application. These are expressed as sub-themes below.

Economy

Banana fiber has the potential to increase the livelihood and the economy of the communities in which the plants are grown. The material is readily available in many areas, the

Philippines and Africa were mentioned in the interview, and renewable. It is a “wasted opportunity” if people are not using the fibers to produce a good. As noted in the Community theme, the Africa farmer sees the production of a fiber from the plantain plant, a type of banana plant, as a way to bring economy to his area as seen in this quote: 38

And so, the, the farm I mentioned in Africa, he is wanting, he has the contents spare, and

he wants the economy to grow in that area. So, he wants someone to come along and

make fiber from it. So, it is also a way to grow the economy and the livelihood in those

areas.

Environmental Sustainability

There are many qualities that make banana fiber environmentally sustainable. The banana plant is renewable. It does not even need to be replanted after harvesting, it will keep growing.

…once you’ve harvested the plant, you don't need to dig it up, it just carries on growing.

So is completely renewable, which is I mean, linen doesn't even do that with linen every

year, you do have to replant it.

The plants, abaca plants, in the Philippines often need to be harvested or they can grow too big:

The mention of this seemed to indicate that if the plant was too large it could impede the growth of other flora of that area. The fiber is durable and washes well according to Offset Warehouse which means that products made with the material could be used for a long time decreasing the textiles thrown into the landfill.

Diverse Applications

Offset Warehouse carries two banana fiber blend materials currently that are “so fine” and “blended with pineapple and also silk and cotton.” The material can be used for high end applications as noted in this comment, “So, the fabric we have now because it's really fine can actually be used in bridal, couture, as trims and embroidery.” 39

Currently, OW believes that the application for the fiber is in luxury, high end, and couture products but with the potential to grow the market and applications as demand, and therefore, production increase.

But as the demand increases, then it can become something that's probably more likely to

be blended, that brings the cost down. And It also means that has more applications.

Because then you're taking on the characteristics of say, cotton or silk, and that changes

what the fiber can be used for, can become.

In the past they had also carried a basket weave, heavy weight, banana fiber material that could be used in outwear and accessories. Additionally, there was discussed the fact that banana fiber has different grades which are sorted for different applications. Some of the lower grade fibers are used in applications such as carpet.

That being said, there are two grades that I know of with banana fiber, and they've

already being sorted. So, you have the higher grade which goes into textiles, then you

have the other grade, which goes into upholstery and carpet and things.

Having the different fiber grades as well as the ability to blend with other fibers gives banana fiber the potential to be used in many different applications, not only within the fashion industry but interior textiles as well.

Risks for Banana Fiber Viability

While there are many positives that indicate the viability of banana fiber in the fashion industry, there are also some hurdles that risk its viability, especially in the mass market.

Production

The production process for natural fiber is an aspect of banana fiber’s viability which could be viewed either positively or negatively, making it a risk to the viability of banana fiber 40 fabrics. The production of the fiber and fabric is not heavily mechanized and often many parts are still completed by hand within weaving communities. The “speed and quantity” is not always up to the needs to the industry. The production of the fibers has become more mechanized but the cost for the machinery is high and the communities do not always have the means of obtaining a fiber stripping machine. If the machine is not used fibers are hand stripped using a sharp piece of pottery making it a very labor-intensive process. The materials are also hand washed and hung to dry in the sun, which is again a slow process. There could be more fabric if the demand would go up slightly, encouraging groups to use banana fiber in their textiles. However, if there was too much of an increase in demand at this time, the communities could not handle the production.

The difficulty would be that it’s really labor intensive. There are certain aspects of it that

have become more mechanized. So once you've stripped the fibers, You don't have to,

once you've stripped the leaves, you have to take the fibers out of the leaves and you need

to use, um some people use saucers like crockery, and I've seen that, just something with

a sort of sharp edge. So that's really labor intensive and slow. But I have seen it as a in a

machine, which makes it a bit quicker. But, so, the problem with that is that availability

to that machine, It's obviously a high cost. But overall, it's still a slow process. So, you

can’t make it very quickly. Okay. And then once you've done that, and you've got the

fiber, you then have to wash it off. And it's usually washed in the river. So, there's no

chemicals, and then it's knotted and hung to dry. So even that is a really long process. So,

in terms of bringing it to fashion, It's just, it's just a bit too slow. So, the demand needs to

increase for the communities to start weaving with it to then make more fabric. But at the

same time, you don't want to increase the demand too much, because then it will put 41

pressure on the communities and also lose some of its charm in the fact that it is a slower

more, luxurious product.

As seen in the quote above, the slow process could be a positive in terms of the charm and luxury quality the fabric, but it is “a bit too slow” for the mass market fashion industry. Right now, there is not an obvious way to make the process more mechanized either.

Another difficulty in the production is to get the weaving communities to weave a product that is viable and of good, consistent quality. The basket weave banana material they had before the newer, finer ones was discontinued in their stock due to quality issues.

…we used to have some banana fiber, um a year or so ago, but actually, the quality

wasn't as good and unfortunately, we had to stop stocking it. So also, in terms of

availability, you need to be working with the weavers in order to make a product that's

viable, otherwise, there's no point in its market.

If banana fiber is not made in a consistently and up to the fashion industry standards it will not be viable.

The Customer

Another risk to viability is being able to market banana fiber to the right customer. In discussing the product offering of Offset Warehouse, they recognize that not everyone is looking for natural fibers. They may want synthetic fibers for design purposes or have a lower price point that could inhibit the purchase of newer and organic fabrics. For these customers they offer other sustainable options like recycled polyester and deadstock to meet those needs. These same factors could significantly impact the viability of banana fiber. Banana may not meet some of the design and price needs of many brands. 42

Some people prefer the synthetic fibers, so they look for the recycled polyester. Um and

we also offer dead stock. Because people may not want the higher price point of organic

or something that's technically innovative. But they can still have access to the dead stuff

in that sequence. So, it all depends on, eh, what the design and the USP is about.

When asked about the current market, the Offset Warehouse employee stated that the fiber is a more luxury item: It is unusual and higher end.

Awareness

The ‘Awareness’ theme is related to the ‘Community’ theme but listed here under ‘Risks for Banana Fiber Viability’ because a lack of awareness comes before the knowledge that comes with community. Banana fiber is fairly unknown which inhibits an increase in demand for the fiber. The OW employee noted that she had been in the textiles industry for a long time but only became aware of banana fiber textiles in the past few years. This shows that an individual can be in the textile industry a long time without knowing about more unique fibers, like banana, that have may potential.

Well, personally, I guess I only found out about it the last few years, and I've been in

textiles for a really long time. So that shows something about how unknown it is.

The employee also noted that in terms of the fiber qualities it is pretty comparable to other natural fibers and only the anonymity of the fiber has meant that it has not been used much within the fashion industry.

(The care is) Pretty much just like a normal natural fiber. It just it washes as well as

anything, and it's a really strong durable fiber. So, it can really be used in fashion. There's

no reason why it shouldn't be. It's just the awareness of it. 43

A fiber cannot be viable in the fashion industry without being known by brands and designers and consumer education on its properties.

Surveys

Out of the 34 open ended surveys sent out, 18 were returned. All 18 participants were female and of the 18, 14 participants (77.8%) indicated that they were in the job category of

‘design’, one (5.6%) considered herself ‘merchandising’, one (5.6%) ‘sourcing’ and 4 (22.2%,) indicated ‘other’. Two participants then indicated that they were involved with two categories

(See Table 1). In terms of their departments (men’s, women’s, children’s, home goods) 16.7%

(3 participants) checked men’s wear, almost 90% (16 participants) were women’s wear, another

3 participants were involved in children’s wear and none of the participants were in home goods.

Two participants were involved in two departments while one was in three. There were two participants who specifically noted their design category under women’s wear: one was swim and the other footwear. When asked if the company they worked for cared about sustainability there were 44.4% of the participants who indicated disagree or strongly disagree and there were another 44.4% who indicated agree or strongly agree. The same was true for a question asking about the company that they work for caring about sustainability and implementing some sustainable initiatives. However, when asked if sustainability is a core value of the company, implemented in almost every area the distribution skewed towards disagree with 72.2% of the participants indicating either disagree or strongly disagree and only 22.2% (4 participants) marking agree or strongly agree. When asked personally how they felt about sustainability,

94.5% of participants were above neutral, checking that they either agreed or strongly agreed that they cared about sustainability. Over 75% (14 participants) agreed or strongly agreed that sustainability was one of their core values and implemented into almost every area of their life. 44

Two participants were neutral and two disagreed. This information shows that the from a company perspective the distribution is about even for the sustainability of the company, except when there is a high level of sustainable initiatives on most every area of the company. In terms of a more personal perspective, the participants were heavily interested and invested in sustainability in their own lives. The responses given regarding the fabric swatches were coded into themes. There were four main themes: Impression, Application, Problems and Weaknesses, and Commonalities.

Table 1

Participants Job Category

Job Category Design Merchandising Sourcing Other

Participants 14 1 1 4

Percentage 77.8% 5.6% 5.6% 22.2% Note. There are 20 responses because two participants identified with two job categories.

Table 2

Job Department (Men's, Women's, Children's, Home Goods) Job Department Men's Women's Children's Home Goods

Participants 3 16 3 0

Percentage 16.7% 90.0% 16.7% 0.0% Note. There are 22 responses because two participants identified with two job categories and one with three.

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Impression

The impressions for Swatch 1 and Swatch 2 were very different. The subthemes for

Swatch 1 were Drape, Hand, Sheerness, and Shine. Swatch 2’s subthemes were Stiff &

Structured, Hand, Durability, and Similarity to Other Fabrics.

For Swatch 1 there were several comments on its drapeability by seven participants, about 40%. For example, one participant said, “Seems breathable and has a good drape” and another, “High quality, nice soft hand and good drape.” Swatch 2 on the other hand was considered very stiff and structured, capable of creating volume; “This fabric can hold form & volume so use to advantage,” and “…stiff, structured, no mechanical stretch…”. Of the 18 participants, 11 discussed this element of Swatch 2.

The hand of the fabrics were also in contrast to each other. The hand of Swatch 1 was considered to be very pleasant, especially in its softness. All 18 participants circled ‘soft’ in the

‘circle all that apply’ question (listing of 67 descriptive words that could apply to a textile) and

14 circled silky as well; “Has a very soft to touch hand”. Rough, coarse and scratchy were common descriptions for Swatch 2. One participant said Swatch 2 was, “Stiff/ abrasive feel may not be as suited for garments” while another described it as “Coarse, rough fabric - not a very nice hand….”. 17 participants chose ‘crisp’ and 8 chose ‘abrasive’ in the’ circle all that apply’ question for Swatch 2 also emphasizing the contrast in hand from Swatch 1.

Swatch 1 was also considered sheer and thin. 14 participants chose the words ‘thin’, ‘see- through’, and ‘sheer’ in the’ circle all that apply’ question. For example, a participant wrote,

“…sheerness, being too thin to wear over an under garment.” The materials’ shine and luster were also emphasized in the written response questions and 5 individuals, about 30%, chose 46

‘shinny’ in the’ circle all that apply’ question: “Swatch 1 has a pretty luster” and it “Has a nice sheen to it.”

Swatch 2’s other impression subthemes were Durability and Similarity to other fabrics.

In terms of the perceived durability, 50% percent of the participants circled ‘durable’ as a descriptive word. Four participants choose substantial. One person said she even tried ripping the fabrics; “strong fiber (I also tried ripping both :))”

Swatch 2 was also considered similar to some finer, special occasions fabrics and silk fiber. It was also once compared to linen. Interestingly though, descriptive words that one might typically think of pairing with a social occasion fabric such as chic, elegant, fancy, and events were chosen minimally. ‘Chic’ was chosen three times, and ‘elegant’, ‘fancy’ and ‘events’ were all only chosen once. Perhaps because it was more rustic and casual looking. As one participant put it “…it would be a more casual alternative to organza.” Additionally, eight individuals marked ‘rustic’ as a descriptor for the material.

Figure 6. Swatch 1. Left image is the swatch lying flat. The right image shows the swatch’s drape.

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Figure 7. Swatch 2. Left image is the swatch lying flat. The right image shows the swatch’s drape.

Application

The next theme is Application. The swatches were very different in their applications apart from being used for a home/interior textile, and even then, they had slightly different use expectations. The subthemes for Swatch 1 were Interior and Home Fabrics, Women’s Wear,

Lining, Sleepwear, and Men’s Wear. Interior and Home applications were discussed by five participants. 17 of 18 participants could imagine Swatch 1 as an exterior textile in women’s wear. Lining, either the need for it under this fabric or the use of this fabric for a lining was mentioned by seven participants. Sleepwear was noted by four and men’s wear by seven. The subthemes for Swatch 2 were Interior and Home Fabrics, Couture Market/Novelty, Structured

Garments, and Banana ‘Leather’. Interior and Home was discussed by five participants,

Couture/Novelty another five, Structured Garments, eight individuals, and ‘Banana Leather’ by one. 48

First, the swatches will be compared in terms of home textile application. Almost all the times that home applications were mentioned for Swatch 1 (6 times) curtains or drapes were suggested as an application (5 times). Table linens were another option as well as ‘possibly pillowcases’. Curtains were a suggestion for Swatch 2 as well as table decorations like placemats or runners. Outdoor upholstery, rugs and a lamp shade were some other ideas. One example of a participant’s opinion on Swatch 2 is as follows, “ I think this would be a good home textile - rustic drapes or table runners. It would also look very nice pleated since it is so crisp and would give it more opacity.”

For Swatch 1, the appropriateness of the fabric for women’s wear was clear. Participants suggested the fabric use in many categories, shirting and blouses, dresses, and skirts. The garments would be light weight and useful in the summer and could be fancy or casual: “I feel it would be more appropriate for light summer dresses, blouses.” The optional question at the end of the survey gave participants the space to draw a garment or other product in which they could envision one or other of the fabrics being used. Of the six who included drawings, there were two women’s blouses with a tie neck and two flowy dresses sketched which emphasizes this subtheme.

The next subtheme is Lining. As the material is sheer, noted within the impression theme, several participants remarked on the need for the material to be lined if being used as a main, exterior fabric or used as a lining itself in garments: “For this exact swatch- I stand by its best use as a lining.” One of the sketches was of a clutch purse with an arrow pointing to the inside with a comment “Inside lining using swatch #1!”

A smaller theme was using Swatch 1 for sleepwear as seen in comments like, “For swatch #1 I think it is a great idea to use it in sleepwear…”. One of the sketches by a participant, 49 while not directly specified as a sleep set, drew a flowy, short camisole and elastic shorts that looked very much like something a woman would wear to bed.

Men’s wear is the last subtheme for Swatch 1’s applications. Two of the comments from two different participants noted that sheerness may be a barrier for that market. One participant said Swatch 2 could be “…useful for tops for both men's & women's markets”, another, “…could work for men if you could make less sheer.”

Swatch 2’s themes in addition to home textiles were Structured Garments, Couture

Market/Novelty, and Banana ‘Leather’. The structured garments section relates to the impression of the fabric being stiff and structured, able to create volume. The material can be the main fabric and produce the structure as in a puffed, voluminous sleeve or skirt. It can also be used to support another fabric as an interfacing or netting to create volume or support a garment like within the layers of a jacket. One participant wrote, “…this fabric is more strict, so not as many silhouettes. Tops: would need to be loose fitted, can play with wide sleeves.

Bottoms: a wide pant. This fabric can hold form and volume so use to advantage.”

The application for the fabric in these structured garments follows directly into the next theme, Couture Market/Novelty. Highly structured garments create distinct looks that are not worn on a daily basis and combined with the price point (about $80 USD per meter), places it within this market for multiple participants. This comment, “Petticoats, stiff fabric as support for voluminous garment sleeve and such, could be cool as standalone project, has to be wearable art or couture with price point as is”, emphasizes this theme.

The last subtheme is ‘Banana Leather’. This theme, while not discussed by the most people, only one, is significant because it comes from a slightly different industry perspective, footwear, and related to what the literature review has discussed about Piñatex. The participant 50 who indicated that she was in footwear was intrigued by the fiber for use in footwear applications. Since there has been so much interest in Piñatex, made from pineapple, it was probably a logical mental progression for this footwear designer.

I think if they came up with a banana "leather" (thicker) we would be very interested.

I am very excited to see that we are finally using banana fibers. I look forward to seeing

what else they come up with in terms of a "leather".

Problems and Weaknesses

There are several traits in both swatches that are a weakness: The issues were Care,

Sheerness, and Cost/Price. Swatch 2 also had weaknesses in terms of its Hand and Application

Limitations.

On the provided short summary on banana fiber fabric given in the survey packets, a brief description on the process to create banana fabric and its sustainable attributes were discussed along with fabric details including cost, width, content and dye information. Swatch 1 did not have any information regarding care on the vendors website, so it was not included. Swatch 2, purchased from OW, had a little care information but it was not included because the academic research regarding the care is non-existent. Additionally, depending on the actual care traits for

Swatch 1, the researcher did not want the care for the second swatch to be assumed in the first.

As can be expected then, participants wanted to know how to care for the materials. For Swatch

1, several mentioned the fabric wrinkles and one even washed her swatch and said it was,

“Horrible to wash!!! Shrank and crinkles/wrinkles like rayon!” Outside of washing though, a few individuals were concerned about Swatch 1’s potential to rip. Swatch 2 also was noted for the fact that it wrinkles very easily. 51

Sheerness was also considered a weakness in both swatches. Sheerness was often mentioned in the “weaknesses” section of the SWOT analysis’s for both fabrics. Swatch 1 was considered by one individual to be “mid-lever sheer” or not opaque enough to wear by itself but also not sheer enough to be considered purposefully sheer. For Swatch 2 a participant even suggested pleating it so that it would be able to have more opacity; “it would also look very nice pleated since it is so crisp and would give it more opacity.”

The cost of the fabrics is a major issue for both swatches. Swatch 1 is $12 USD per meter and Swatch 2, about $80 USD per meter. Participants say that is too high for most brands as their prices are “no higher than $4.50/yd” and “most fabrics are under $3/yard.” The need to use linings due to the sheerness of both will also add cost to the garments. The price is not feasible right now for mass market fashion and really only workable for luxury brands. “My company does mass market fashion so would not use do [sic] to price” was one comment. Another FIP said it could only be used by, “ …overly luxury brands with a high price point the price is too high for most brands to use. It is only workable for high luxury brands.”

Swatch 2’s rough hand-feel, as mentioned in the impression section, is a turn-off for many participants; “Stiff/ abrasive feel may not be as suited for garments.” The unappealing itchiness causes some to believe it is not suitable for garments or just casual designs. The evenness of the threads/texture could be more refined as well.

The swatch was also considered very limited in its design function, many FIPS even unsure of what they could do with it as evident in comments such as “Very limited in terms of design” and “Not even really sure what this would be useful to make.” This subtheme relates and is emphasized by the Couture and Novelty subtheme in Application.

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Commonalties

The last theme is commonalties and includes three subthemes, Consumers, Sustainability, and Mass Market Requirements. These were themes outside Impression and Application that either applied to both swatches or were based on general questions asked to the participants about the two swatches.

Consumers

The FIPs were specifically asked, “How do you think your companies’ consumers would respond to this fabric using used in a product?” The responses were mixed. Several individuals said that their customers would like the fabrics, especially for its sustainability or softness

(Swatch 1), however price could be a barrier: “I think the consumer would be interested in the fabric, but she would not be willing to pay the extra upcharge required to use it in our garments.”

Others said that their customer might not notice at all or it would not fit into their market (like with swimwear). One participant working within a luxury brand commented that since hand feel is a top concern the fabric and could work for that brand (Most likely Swatch 1 as we have already noted the problems with Swatch 2 in terms of hand feel).

Sustainability

In terms of Sustainability, the sustainable attributes and the potential for sustainable marketing is a positive attribute of the fabrics especially with customers that are sustainably focused. This comment expresses the notion of marketing, “…and with all sustainable concepts can be executed and marketed very well.” The fact that the fabrics are bio-degradable, organic

(these swatches were both claimed as organic), and that they could be used as replacements for some synthetic materials were all considered advantages. However, the customer might need some education to understand the sustainable attributes, a concern addressed in this remark, “I 53 don’t think my companies' consumer would realize, which is ideally how sustainable design practices should work to be successful.”

Mass Market Requirements

Lastly, in the Mass Market Requirement subtheme there were comments related to established traits and needs of Mass Market textiles. Many of these traits are unknown in the two banana fabric swatches provided. Several comments related to dye limitation and stock colors as

Swatch 1 had natural dye consultancy options but not stock colors, and Swatch 2 had no dye options at all. Participants wanted to know stock colors and see color cards. The imbedded texture in Swatch 1 due to the weave was also a negative in terms of mass market because it would limit designs and customers. The cuttable width also needs to be wider, especially for

Swatch 1 and information regarding abrasion tests was requested.

Is the staple length longer than cotton? Scientifically speaking, is it stronger and more

durable than cotton? It doesn’t feel like it would be- so I am curious. How does it perform

in abrasion tests? Origin- India does not surprise me well known for gorgeous light

weight cotton & silk. Can you embroider on these qualities? (On price of dye

consultancy) OUCH! they better have a color card. Do my colors match across qualities?

(think C & J) How many colors are offered? Is this waved if I meet a MOQ for a bulk

order?

These are all attributes FIPs expect when being shown swatches.

Focus Groups

Three focus groups were held with consumers of clothing and textiles. The first focus group consisted of four women. Three had children, two, grandchildren. They each had some hobby interest in sewing and quilting and one was a former home-economics teacher. They all 54 were Caucasian Americans. The second focus group consisted of four individuals, first year master’s students at a Midwest university. They were all part of a fashion master’s program.

Two had significant industry experience, one in design, the other in product development.

Another participant had a bachelors in fashion merchandising and had only been working a short time in between her undergraduate and master’s degree. The other had worked in marketing for several years. There was a variety of nationalities in the group. The final focus group consisted of two undergraduate students, one in fashion design and one in education. Both of these participants were female. Two males also participated. One is a teacher and one a graphic designer. All were young, American adults. In total there were 12 participants across three different groups, ten were female and two males. Each person created two collages, one for each banana fiber fabric swatch (Figure 6 & 7), using a ‘toolkit’ of words, images, markers, colored pencils, and tape. The posters and key excerpts from the transcription were analyzed using the

‘on the wall’ method (See Figure 5 & 11). Themes emerged from the data under the following categories: Impression, Application, Swatch Commonalities, and Willingness to Pay. There was a significant amount of overlap between the fashion industry professionals’ responses and the consumer responses.

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Figure 8. Focus Group 1. Focus group 1 working on one of their collages.

Figure 9. Focus Group 2. One participant from focus group two presents a collage. 56

Figure 10. Focus Group 3. One participant from focus group three presents a collage.

Figure 11. Sample Collages from Focus Groups. Swatch 1 collages are on the top row. Swatch 2 collages are on the bottom row. 57

Impression

On one half of the board, participants were asked to show their impression of a swatch

(See Figure 11). In general, there were distinct contrasts between participants impression of the fabrics. The two swatches were considered opposites many times by the participants. The participants perceived different characteristics in the different swatches including drape vs. volume, soft, vs. tough, and elegant vs. rustic.

For the contrast of Drape vs. Volume, Swatch 1’s (Figure 6), participant impression was for garments with a loose drape such as flowing dresses, sleeves and shirts. This is most clearly evident in the images they put of the boards. Of the 12 boards, 11 had flowy garments. A loose kimono style shirt and a flowing short sleeve shirt were used frequently, each were used five times. Loose, decorative scarves were often present in the collages. One narrative statement that also indicates that Swatch 1 has a flowing drape is as follows:

I like that one a lot actually. I just basically thought of it as summary, airy, comfortable. I

thought of airy (points to cloud and airplane pictures), like, like loose gowns and tops and

even sheers. I just found it to be very pleasant fabric.

As seen in the survey with the fashion industry professionals, Swatch 2 (Figure 7) on the other hand was considered structured and able to create volume in clothing. It could be used as a decorative element like a large bow or within the dress construction to help support a big skirt.

The drape of this fabric was mostly discussed by three individuals, each from a different group, who sewed or had some fashion design experience. One of them even talked about Swatch 2 as a 58 material that could be used as the underskirt of the Cinderella dress as a means of creating the layered, large, ballroom skirt style.

I feel like it's very, doesn't drape like the other but is very voluminous. I feel like if you

draped it or used it in that way, It is a little more rustic to me. I did put it under clothes,

because I can see it being something that has more volume. So like, this is just like a big

overlay piece that you'd wear on top.

The images and words in the collages covey this idea too, even though not as explicitly. Six individuals used the word ‘crisp’ in their collages along with the eight uses of dragonfly wings and three uses of a woman wearing a structured dress on the red carpet. The red carpet dress was not used at all for Swatch 1. These images convey the idea of volume and structure even though some participants might not know how to express the idea of this fabric having a voluminous drape in a technical sense.

The two swatches were also very different in their hand feel based on the participant responses. This also occurred with the FIPs as well. Swatch 1 is considered very soft, silky, comfortable, and lush. Participants wanted to sleep in in it, fall into the fabric, and swaddle babies with the material. 10 participants verbally said the material was either ‘silky’, ‘soft; or

‘comfortable’, seven put the word ‘soft’ on their board one or more times and nine put the word

‘silky.’ One image that reflects this impression is an image of a girl who seems like she just landed in bed with a pillow over her face and chest.

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I feel like it was very airy and flowy, when I felt it was like silky/soft. So, when it comes

to like application wise I thought of it in like the nursery bedrooms, in the sense of like

pillows or blankets or something like you'd like swaddle a baby with…

Swatch 2 on the other hand was not something participants wanted to fall into. They did not really want it touching their skin. ‘Crisp’ and ‘tough’ were recurring descriptors on the collages at six and five respectively. Verbally, crisp was used by five individuals, ‘tough’ and ‘rough’ by three, and ‘grittier’ was even used once. However, it was softer than expected when considering the look of the material. While these are less in number of people, the contrast between Swatch 1 and 2 is significant.

It was a lot softer than I expected it to be. That's why I kind of saw clothes. It could be

used as like a clothing piece. Because I feel like it'd be… It looks really rough and it is

rough but still has a softness to it. I think…

…like it's a lot more comf.., more comfortable than burlap. But it's still kind of like that

look to it…. I think it's something along those lines of more of an applicable purpose

because it is like a tougher feeling material.

The frequent use of the bark image and the cake image, which were never used on the Swatch 1 boards, and the recurrent dragon fly wing picture, communicates a sense of texture from the participants as well. This sense of texture could be connected with the feeling of toughness or roughness just expressed differently. One individual said, “I put this little tree because it was like 60 rougher barks, so I was thinking of it as rough…” and this may be the case for some other individuals who had the bark image but did not say explicitly that the fabric felt rough to them.

Elegant vs. Rustic was another comparison. There were many images of wedding dresses, 10, tea parties, five, and pink stemmed glasses, three, which communicate the theme of elegance for Swatch 1. Descriptors such as ‘elegant’, 11, ‘fancy’, five, and ‘chic’, seven, were commonplace words on the collages. Remarks like this one, “I think it is very cool to have natural fiber with the silky like very elegant appearance…”, also emphasized this theme. In contrast, Swatch 2 was viewed by several as rustic, six, industrial, three, and economical, three on the collages. The material related to the beach or other feeling of the natural and the organic as well. “So, I think for me the impression is very organic, very natural so I pick these two, the marble and then also the wood texture which is, it is very natural for me…”: This remark stresses the organic, natural feeling Swatch 2 gave participants. Another comment on the industrial and economic feel is below.

But it strikes me as economical. Once again, I don't know the process, but like, seems

like it could put up with a lot can be used for a lot of doors. Really kind of flexible

building material, if you will.

Again, Swatch 2 was not as strongly rustic as Swatch 1 was elegant and chic, however, the contrast is important in showing the variety of impressions banana creates for different individuals.

Application

The other half of the participants collages were used to communicate what they saw as an application for the fabric. The participants perception of the swatches qualities highly affected how they imagined the materials being used. Both had clothing and interior design applications, 61 but Swatch 1 leaned more strongly towards clothing applications while Swatch 2 was more often noted as having interior and exterior upholstery and drapery applications.

Clothing

Swatch 1 has many of qualities mentioned in the Impression section such as its softness, silkiness, and elegance, that cause it to be recommended for use in apparel by FIPs. Participants thought the material could be used for chic dresses and tops. There were 21 total images of either a dress or top and eight verbal references to dresses and tops for Swatch 1. It was considered for sleepwear. There were four references to ‘sleep’ on the boards, two verbal references to sleepwear, four boards had images of what you would wear in bed, two had pajama sets and two had lingerie.

So, I could see it in night ware. But also, even a blouse like you have on, it's kind of, it

would it would lay nicely as it as you put it on. So, I would, I could use it in maybe even

a dress.

Wedding dresses were another option as evidenced by the 10 wedding dress images and emphasized by two verbal references to wedding dresses; “And then it reminds me a lot of bridal material and especially with trends lately where people are wanting less heavy dresses…”. A scarf was also a possible clothing accessory application as there were five scarf images. The fabric was also considered for children in the form of pajamas, other garments, or a swaddle

(three verbal references).

I think I can wear it but it's more for like maybe like the children will like it better. Or

and I have this, I picked this image because I think it's more like for the kids and the

children. 62

The two males that participated in the focus groups were asked if they could see Swatch 1 in any clothing applications for men. While one of them initially thought ‘no’ the other said it reminded him of a white linen shirt that his dad had which he wore to the beach and that he could see his father wearing this material in a similar way. The other male participant changed his mind after that and said ,“Yeah if that was made into like a button-down shirt. That was like one of those Hawaiian shirts with like a modern print on it or something. Yes, I would wear that.”

One of the females in the session also thought it could be used as a tie which the males also agreed with. Pocket squares and bow ties were also discussed as possible men’s wear applications.

Related again to the impression of the fabric, Swatch 2 was considered for clothing applications that had volume or needed structure. This also correlates with the FIPs responses.

There were four verbal references to this use. Additionally, some summer clothing or layered clothing was considered appropriate for this fabric with three verbal references, seven boards had

‘summer’ on them. A few thought it could be used as a scarf, with three images and two verbal references.

…and I could apply this to like dresses, but I don't know if people will like, like, if it's

like, like the very like the first layer So maybe if you want to like layer in a few, I think it

can be like the outside decoration. And I think it's easy to be colored so I think maybe in

the summer clothing, like the tops or blouses like I think it'll be useful to color.

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Interestingly, some people couldn’t see it as a clothing fabric at all, three individuals, and two only saw it as a scarf or other decorative piece around the neck. There were significantly more clothing images on Swatch 1 boards then Swatch 2 boards as well.

I didn't see that (Swatch 2) in any clothing. And so this one (Swatch 1) I felt like just

worked more for me like it seemed like it would work better for clothing in general. So, I

wanted to include some clothes.

I didn't see this as a clothing fabric. It's airy, it seems a little fragile for some things. It

was thin crisp, I thought it more as a decorative fabric. It seems cool. I have a kitchen

there because I thought of it more as an interior design kind of fabric.

Interior and Exterior Design Applications

In a similar way, Swatch 1 and Swatch 2 were both considered applicable for home décor applications but in slightly different ways. The top interior applications for Swatch 1 were bedding and drapes. There were eight verbal references to bedding or bedrooms, five images of bedrooms, three images of pillows, and three with a girl in bed and a pillow over her face. There were also six boards with the word ‘bedroom’. Due to the fabric’s soft hand feel, it was viewed as a possible material for sheets, pillowcases, bed skirts and other bedding applications. Many participants also found it to be a cool fabric which they felt would be great to sleep in, especially if used in a pillowcase. The bedrooms also led to a connection for the use in a nursery. There were three collages ‘nursery’ that used the word nursery and three verbal mentions of nursery.

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So when it comes to like application wise I thought of it in like the nursery, bedrooms, in

the sense of like pillows or blankets or something like you'd like swaddle a baby with

…Also with like the bedroom again of different, I could see it and again in like pillows as

like a pillowcase or something like soft that you'd want like, and it felt very cool to the

touch. I feel like that's huge now with pillows of like putting a cooler pillow like material

close to your face at night.

And then as far as like home use, I would definitely say it’s an indoor fabric. And I could

see it as like pillows or curtains. And I kind of picked this kitchen because it's very, like

clean and crisp and I see it in that kind of setting.

For drapes or curtains, there were five images and 5 verbal references to them being made from Swatch 1. ‘Living room’ was on five boards as well with it written right below an image of curtains on two collages.

Swatch 2 had a greater focus in the kitchen, as drapes, and also as an outdoor textile like in a fabric cabana. There were six images of drapes, and five kitchens. There were seven verbal mentions of Swatch 2 as a curtain, four as a tablecloth, two for kitchen decoration, and four for interior decoration. There were also six verbal mentions associating this fabric with the beach.

Gear like fabric cabanas and mats to lay on were some applications in this setting. Barn wedding decorations or backyard use was a suggested option as well. A few times people could see the fabric used in the bedroom for a bed canopy as seen in one of the images in the toolkit, there were five of these bedroom images and one person said specifically that this image was for the 65

“things hanging above the bed”. Unlike Swatch 1, these are not applications that get very close to the skin but decorative uses.

This like the cabana thing I should see it more like you see, like, people have them in

their backyards or something too, but more of like an outdoor stance on that. And then I

did put beach because I feel like it's just something to like put in the sand and like sit on

And then you could easily pick it up and it would just like be clean.

Swatch Commonalities

There were some descriptive words, images, and applications that were common between the two fabrics. Both fabrics were considered cool. Swatch 1 had six collage references to cool and five verbal while Swatch 2 had four collage and two verbal references. They were also both considered airy with Swatch 1 having five collage references and six verbal remarks, and Swatch two had five ‘airy’ on the boards and six verbal references. Both of these make the banana fabric appropriate for summer apparel. They both were considered decorative fabrics just for different reasons, Swatch 1 was decorative for apparel and Swatch 2 was usually considered decorative in an interior design context. Both had a significant number of the beach/ocean image that was in the toolkit. Swatch 1 had six and Swatch 2 had five. It is interesting that Swatch 1 had more beach images than Swatch 2 even though the beach was not as much discussed with Swatch 1 as it was with Swatch 2. The images could be representing the sense of summer more than the sense of beach. Another possible interpretation of this phenomenon is the differences in uses at the beach. Swatch 1 you might wear to the beach as a cover up while Swatch 2 is something you can sit on or under. 66

So like the other one (Swatch 1) I felt more like clothing I would like wear to a beach or

that one (Swatch 2) like you said, it was like grittier feeling so I like also connected that

to sand and like it was kind of airy. Like It makes me think of like, like cabanas you have

around beaches like the fabric that’s on cabanas, but it's like a little looser material. So

that's what it made me think of.

And I think one of the applications would be used in a kitchen as in terms of a like a

sheer curtain or perhaps wear something to the beach (Swatch 1).

Collages for both Swatch 1 and 2 used the same curtain image frequently as expressed in the

‘Application’ section above (Figure 11) and the application meaning is identical in this instance.

Willingness to Pay

After the participants had created and discussed their collages for each swatch, they were told the price of both fabrics per meter. Swatch 1 is about $12 USD per meter and Swatch 2, purchased from Offset Warehouse, is about $80 USD per meter. The cost of Swatch 2 shocked most of the participants, but they understood more when they were told the process for the production of that material was mostly by hand. Swatch 1 was found supplied by three different retailers in three different countries, the USA, Canada, and Australia, but none of their official websites made clear the production process. Since the price is so much less, the researcher has made the assumption that the process for this material was much more mechanized. Some of the general comments about the price were as follows: “I just felt like that had more applications for clothing a population. And that. And that one was also less expensive by a lot (Swatch 1)”, and 67

“For me, like I don't know much about the fabrics. So, it when I heard about the price it really like shocked me.”

The groups then discussed what they would pay for a shirt in Swatch 1 and a set of curtains in Swatch 2 because these were common application choices for each of the swatches..

The range for the shirts was $30-$60 and for the curtains $20-$60. The following quotes are what the male participants said they would pay for a beach shirt made out of Swatch 1: “I would have said $30 or $40 for like my dad's linen beach shirt.” The other male participant said, “I probably say in the $40 to $60 range, because I know how expensive those shirts are.”

One participant who is familiar with the increased costs of sustainably made apparel but also still completing her undergraduate degree said,

I assumed that that fabric would be more expensive, especially from like a sustainable

fiber such as that. So, I know, like sustainable, I mean, obviously goes into how like the

shirt is made. But like, they can run like up to $200 for like just a shirt, that's made in a

sustainable manner. But I'd pay a good $40-$60 range.

One woman from the first session said, “I like it, like say a dressy blouse? I would I would probably go $30 $40 if I need to.” In terms of curtains made from Swatch 2, the willingness to pay was very similar to the amount one of these individuals would pay for a shirt, “Well, I was gonna [sic] say I could go as high as $50. But I think like the valence and longer curtain type thing”, and,

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I mean, I just think usually you see those fragile laces, and they you know, they cost

more. So, I think in my head, I'd see that I'd be like, oh, that might cost a little more

because it is like more fragile-y made, you know, so I think I paid like $30-35.

Results Overview

To discover banana fiber’s potential and viability in the fashion industry, qualitative research methods were used in the form of interview, survey, and generative focus groups. The interview with fabric retailer, Offset Warehouse, gave insight on the importance of community for the development of sustainable fibers and social sustainability. Banana fiber also has positive implications for economies, environmental sustainability, and is adaptable to a diverse product offering. Some risks to banana fiber’s viability were the speed of production, finding the right consumer because banana may not meet design and price needs, and the awareness of the material as it is still very unknown and overlooked.

The responses to the surveys from the FIPs showed their impression of the fiber. They found Swatch 1 drape-able, it has a hand that was pleasant, soft, sheer, and shiny. Swatch 2 was also sheer but outside of that it was really opposite Swatch 1. It has a stiff highly structured hand, it was considered durable looking, and it was often compared to other special occasions fabrics like silk organza. Both fabrics were appropriate for Interior/home employments. Swatch

1 was considered useful in women’s wear tops, dresses and skirts as well as a lining. The material would also need to be lined if used as an exterior fabric. Sleepwear was another possible application and Swatch 1 was even considered appropriate for men’s wear if made slightly thicker. Couture and novelty items, especially ones that were structured or voluminous were considered for Swatch 2. There is some connection here to the interview in terms of the appropriate customer. As seen in the interview’s customer section, Swatch 2 is a luxury item. 69

The idea of banana ‘leather’ was a unique recommendation by the participant involved in footwear design. These wide-ranging applications discussed emphasize what was suggested in the interview regarding banana fiber’s many product offerings.

Problems regarding both swatches were in reference to care, sheerness and cost. The cost, even for Swatch 1 at $12 USD, is almost three times what mass market fashion brands pay for material. The hand of Swatch 2, being rough and scratchy was also a downside to most participants and due to its structured volume was considered to have more limited applications.

There was some diversity in how fashion industry professionals thought their customers would view the fabric. Cost could be an inhibiting factor towards purchase as well as a lack of understanding the sustainable qualities of the fiber. The sustainable attributes though are positive factors for industry professionals when considering the fiber. In terms of becoming a fiber viable within the fashion industry, the dye limitations, small cuttable width of Swatch 1, and facts like abrasion testing also need to be addressed by producers of the fiber.

The focus groups, involving a ‘say’ and ‘make’ dimension through collages and group discussion, provided a consumer perspective on the fabrics. The impression of the swatches was very opposite. Swatch 1 was considered drape-y and flowing whereas Swatch 2 was considered able to create volume. Other opposite impressions were Soft (Swatch 1) vs. Tough (Swatch 2) and Elegant vs. Rustic. These impressions were very similar to the FIP’s thoughts on the fabrics.

The applications also generally reflected the fashion industry professionals’ responses. They both agreed on Swatch 1 being appropriate for women’s wear dresses, and shirts as well as menswear and sleep wear. Wedding dresses were another possible application given by the consumers that was not given by the FIPs. For Swatch 2 there were also similarities between the consumers and the FIPs. The consumers saw Swatch 2 within clothing as a layering or volume 70 creating material and both swatches were used for Interior applications. However, consumers had a stronger perspective than the FIPs in using Swatch 1 for bedding like pillowcases and sheets. Both Swatch 1 and 2 could be used for curtains, also seen in the FIP responses. And

Swatch 2 was employable in exterior application as well like outdoor furniture upholstery.

Consumers felt that both of the swatches were cool, airy, decorative, and good for summer use.

The FIPs were correct in some ways about the consumers’ willingness to pay for the products made from banana fiber. The range consumers were willing to pay for a shirt in Swatch 1, both men and women, was $30-60: this is certainly above the budget range for a shirt. This was true for the whole range of ages involved in the survey. The consumers may not be willing to spend

$100 on a shirt made with banana but they are willing to spend more than some might expect.

Swatch 2 is really where the cost of the fabric does not come close to what a non-luxury consumer is willing to pay for a product made from the material. The range starts lower, $20, and reaches the same $60. This willingness to pay does not even cover the cost of 1 yard of the material much less manufacturing, shipping, and mark-up costs.

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CHAPTER IV

DISCUSSION

The purpose of this study was to discover whether banana fiber and the fabric it creates is viable in the fashion industry by viewing the fabric from multiple perspectives. Using the venn diagram in Figure 4 and the research questions we will discuss whether banana fiber is viable in the fashion industry and what problems need to be addressed before the fiber is fashion industry ready. The research questions are stated again below:

R1: What are the issues that need to be addressed to make banana fabric production viable?

R2: What are fashion industry professionals’ intentions in working with banana fabric?

R3: What is the perception of fashion industry professional’s on banana fabric as sustainable resource?

R4: What are the perceptions of consumers towards banana fabric? What kinds of products do consumers envision made out of banana fabric and what is their purchase intention?

For R1, ‘What are the issues that need to be addressed to make banana fabric production viable?’, the perspectives of Offset Warehouse and the FIPs were necessary and would fall in the overlap between them in the venn diagram (See Figure 9). Some problems that need to be addressed in banana fiber production are the speed, the dye options, more variations in term of fabric thickness and texture, and higher cuttable widths.

For R2, “What are fashion industry professionals’ intentions in working with banana fabric?’, how the FIPs responded is essential to answering this question but the consumer perspective is also important too because how a customer views the fabric will impact what the

FIP will choose to do with the material and falls in the space between them (See Figure 9). FIPs and consumers were in agreement for using Swatch 1 as a fabric in women’s wear dresses, tops, 72 and skirts as well as sleepwear and some men’s wear. FIPs also would use Swatch 1 as a lining and while that was not mentioned by consumers, they might not necessarily think about lining when they think of clothing. Consumers also brought up wedding dresses. None of the FIP participants claimed that they were in the bridal industry which might be why it was not discussed. There was also a focus on bedding like pillowcases for Swatch 1 with the consumers but there were not as many home applications references or bedding references for the FIPs.

There were no individuals that indicated that they were involved in the interior and home textiles industry however, so that could be the reason. Swatch 2 was considered by both FIPs and consumers to be a material that created structure and volume in garments, and both considered garments made with it more of a novelty piece. Both did reference the material being used for home applications like curtains and table décor. The FIP’s seem interested in banana fiber as a textile but due to the cost they recognize that it is not feasible in most of their companies.

Additionally, as with the problems mentioned for R1, there are some production and availability issues that need to be solved before the material can be considered for most companies.

In terms of the FIP’s perceptions of banana fabric as sustainable resource, R3, the feedback is quite positive. This question fell within the FIPs circle in the venn diagram (See

Figure 9). The sustainable qualities of banana fiber meet the needs of brands trying to increase their sustainability efforts. The material could also replace some synthetic materials and be promoted through sustainable marketing. Some participants also said that their consumers would be interested in the sustainable qualities but may need some education to understand it the fiber.

The last research question R4, on the consumers perception and what they see made with the fiber falls under the consumer perspective circle but was also addressed by R2 as FIPs need to know what consumers think in order to make a viable product (See Figure 9). Consumer 73 insights that were not much addressed by FIP’s were the use of Swatch 1 for bridal material, as bedding, in nurseries, and as scarves. For Swatch 2, consumers considered outdoor applications not much addressed by FIPs like cabanas or beach mats.

Figure 12. Research Question Placement Within Venn Diagram.

Based on the responses by all three parts of the study, the interview, survey, and focus groups, banana fiber does have potential in the fashion in many different products. The contrast seen between both of the swatches in their drape and hand mean that banana fiber can give different impressions and therefore be applied to different applications within fashion and also outside the fashion industry in terms of home and exterior textiles. Applications can be anywhere from sleepwear to backyard décor. 74

There are some issues though that need to be addresses within production and manufacturing before fashion companies would be willing to adopt the fabric. The cost is a barrier as well the qualities as mentioned the discussion of R1: Speed, the dye options, and more variations of the fabric and higher cuttable widths. Also, OW indicated that their material is still mostly created hand with a small portion of the process mechanized. That method of production is not viable if the fiber is to be used at large within the fashion industry. It could, however, be viable in a luxury capacity. If technologies were developed to increase the mechanization of the process it would be more likely to then meet the needs of the FIPs. However, the cost of machinery would be inhibiting to the communities making the fabric now, which then would negate the economy that banana fiber production has brought to some of them.

Implications

This research explored whether or not banana fiber was viable in the fashion industry through a three part qualitative study involving an interview (a fabric retailer for a small to medium sized companies), surveys (different FIPs- designers were most of the participants in this particular study), and focus groups (consumers). As stated before, banana fiber does have potential in not only the fashion industry but within interior and exterior design. However, it is lacking in manufacturing, variety, availability, and awareness. Another aspect of banana fiber that needs to be addressed is discussed within the literature review. If banana fiber is going to be considered a sustainable fiber, the potential issues of excessive pesticide use, and labor injustice concerns need to be addressed. Another potential draw from the literature review which could make big strides in some of the concerns addressed by FIPs is the idea of an advocate for the fiber. Piñatex has Carmen Hijosa and Nylon had the company of DuPont but banana fiber does not have that kind of commitment to developing and marketing the fiber to the same extent. 75

QWSTION has some research and promotion but they are certainly not globally known. So, the fashion industry can expand in all of these areas in regard to banana fiber.

As sustainability continues to be more important, entrepreneurs within the fashion industry and also academics developing new materials could also use this three-part study framework as an approach to discover the viability of new materials appropriate for the industry during ‘fuzzy front end’ of design. Involving three different players within the fashion industry can help identify where the different perspectives agree and where there are differing ideas. The method will give a wider view on potential problems, and small innovative ideas by a just a few individuals can be developed moving forward (like with the footwear designers interest in a banana ‘leather’). Including the generative element with the consumers helps to expand the consumers ability to express what they see in a given material as they might not have the education or technical understanding needed to express certain ideas.

There was very little information within the literature on banana fiber regarding the agricultural and labor practices of the industry. While the use of banana as an agricultural by- product would significantly lower the impact of banana agriculture that should not mean that the agricultural and labor practices can be overlooked or written off. While all of the sustainable qualities of banana fiber were expounded upon, the varying needs for water and irrigation, pesticides, other agrochemicals, and various labor issues over the years was not addressed. This thesis gives a more holistic picture on how banana stands as a sustainable fiber and there are certainly issues that need to be addressed within the production system. As interest grows for other minor fibers or even new fibers, both the industry and academics need to be truthful as they discuss both the positive and negative sustainable aspect a fiber may bring. Having flaws in 76 sustainability gives more opportunity for development and improvement and allows other individuals to get involved to solve the problem: community.

Using mixed method approaches for research has proven to be beneficial in the fashion industry like in Jankovsha and Park’s (2019) mixed-methods approach to evaluate hospital gown in terms of fit and comfort. They used surveys, 3D body scanning, scenarios activities, and exit interviews in this study. In a similar way, this study on the viability of banana fiber in the fashion industry used multiple methods, interview, surveys, and focus groups, to understand the potential of banana fiber more holistically.

Limitations

As a small, exploratory, study the results cannot be generalized to the entire population.

Additionally, in the interview portion of the study, having more interviews with either a manufacturer or other vendor would have given deeper insight into the needs on the manufacturing and supply side of materials for the fashion industry. Most of the participants for the survey were designers and having a broader selection of FIPs (merchandising, sourcing, etc) would also have been beneficial because they might consider problems a designer would not consider. Finally, with the consumers so often considering the fabrics as useful for interior and exterior textile application it would be useful to gain perspective from those industries.

Recommendations for Future Research

More research should be done on the current state of work conditions within banana plantations and how their heath is affected by agrochemical use. Additionally, technologies either specifically designed for banana fiber textile manufacture or research on adapting current technologies to be able to process banana fiber would significantly contribute to the use of banana fiber by the industry. The fiber should also be tested in different weave structures, 77 thickness, design, dye and print option. Depending on what is developed in the future using banana fiber, a similar research method could be applied again on the newer materials to determine the best product(s) for the most successful market presence. However, as banana is grown in many countries where an industry in banana fiber production could bring significant economic impact, considerable care and intention should be contributed to the cultivation of

‘Community’ and being able to contribute in a positive way to development, independence, and economic growth within these countries and communities.

Since this study had a fairly small number of both FIPs and consumers, larger quantitative studies on one or both of these groups on perceptions of banana fiber would be beneficial to complete. Doing the larger studies would lead to more conclusion on generalizability for different populations. These studies might be more beneficial however after further development of banana fiber textiles is completed. Additionally, the mixed method approach used in this study to discover a fibers viability by evaluating side by side the perceptions of fabric vendors/retailers/manufactures, with FIPs, and consumers can be used for any new textile or even other products.

As seen in the venn diagram, there were question that were answered by more than one group. Insight on R1 was given through both the FIPs and the retailer, and R2 by the FIPs and the consumer. However, there was no question that involved the retailer/vendor and the consumer it could prove beneficial to explore that relationship more thoroughly.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the three-part qualitative study was able to provide a broad perspective on potential product applications for banana fiber within the fashion and other textile-based industries: Banana fiber can be applicable in many different products from dresses to table 78 decorations. There are some risks to the fiber that would keep it from expanding. Improvements in mechanization would be significant contributors to the fiber as well as advanced research on its dye acceptance or how it responds to other fabric treatments and its care properties.

Developing a less sheer version of the material but that would either maintain the softness or structure could also be impactful. As development occurs in banana fiber, the knowledge should contribute to the economic and social sustainability of the areas where banana is grown. The mixed methods framework used for analyzing banana fiber’s potential with the fashion industry in this study can also be adopted as a tool within the fashion industry and in other areas of design research. Banana fiber could be used for many different product applications, but it depends on individuals continuing to invest in the improvement and education on the fiber and the fabric it creates.

APPENDICIES

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Appendix A

IRB Approval for Interview

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Appendix B

IRB Approval for Surveys

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84

Appendix C

IRB Approval for Focus Groups

85

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Appendix D

Interview Questions

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Interview questions (audio recorded)

Hello XXXXXX, I am Evelyn Rossol. Thank you for skyping with me today to talk about your company and some of its products.

1. What is the name of your company/the company you work for?

2. Why did you start this company? (if they are the founder)

3. What is your companies view on sustainability?

4. You offer many sustainable fabrics; can you tell me a little about them? (Your favorites? Most economical? Best sales? Etc.)

5. We are having this interview today because of your banana fiber product. Can you tell me about the fabric? How is it made? What is the country of origin? What are its properties, particularly in terms of sustainability? What is the care like?

6. How do you perceive the market for this product currently? Do you know what kind of products it is currently being used in?

7. Are there any difficulties with the production of this fabric? If so, what are they?

8. Have you had any difficulties sourcing this fabric? If so, what were they?

9. (If there were any problems discussed from 7 and 8) What do you think would need to be changed to address these difficulties?

10. Do you think banana fiber has a place in the textile and apparel industry? If yes, what role do you see it filling?

11. Is there anything else you know about banana fiber textiles that you would be willing to share?

Thank you for your time.

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Appendix E

Summary of Banana Fiber Sent with Survey Packet

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Short Summary on Banana Fiber

Banana plants take nine months to grow a bunch of bananas (The surprising science 2017). Once the fruit has been harvested the mother plant will never produce bananas again, each stem bearing fruit once (Sanders, n.d,, Ortega et. al, 2016). The banana’s trunk is referred to as a pseudostem and fibers can be extracted from the pseudostem after the fruit is harvested (Mantra workshop, 2013). Other stems are either planted or grow up from the existing rhizome system; a stem underground that produces roots and new pseudostems (Sanders, n.d.). Banana fiber can be removed from the pseudostem through several different processes. Manually (Phukan et. al, 2015) by machine (Das, et al. 2010), or through retting (Ghorpade & Balasubramanya, 2013). The machine and retting are the best fiber removal processes. The outer layers (4-6) produce a course fiber, the middle layers (6-8) produce a shiny and soft fiber while the inner layers have an even softer fiber (Vigenswaran et. al, 2015). Banana Fiber is strong, shiny, light weight, absorbs and releases moisture quickly, is biodegradable, has a fineness of 2400Nm on average, has low elongation when compared to other fibers, and can be spun (Phukan et al, 2015). It has good elasticity, tensile strength, and stiffness and it has better spin ability than ramie or bamboo (Subagyo & Chafidz n.d.). Some other fibers that banana can be blended with are jute (Aparna & Devi, 2012) cotton, wool, and polyester (Ortega et al, 2016). An especially important quality of banana fiber is its sustainable qualities. Unlike other natural fibers, banana fiber is an agricultural waste product (Ortega et. al, 2016). From the outer layers alone, 1.5 million tons of dried banana fibers can be produced (Vigneswaran et al., 2015). In other words, banana trees could be used for two reasons in two different industries, one, to grow food, and the other for the production of textiles with the same amount of effort currently going into the growth of the plant. Currently only 10% of the banana stems are being reused and farmers usually pay to remove them or must burn them which contributes to air pollution (Wealth from waste, n.d.) The fiber is also biodegradable (Vigneswaran et al., 2015). When buried in soil it quickly loses strength (Subagyo & Chafidz n.d.).

Swatch 1 Details. Banana Sylk Supplier 1 Supplier 2 100% Organic Banana Fabric 100% Organic Banana Fabric Width: 44 Inches Wide Width: 44 Inches Wide Price: $12.00 Per Meter, minimum 5 meters $13 AUS= $9 USD for a minimum of 20 meters Country of Origin: India Country of Origin: India (1 meter = 1.0936 yards = 39.37”) (1 meter = 1.0936 yards = 39.37”) Increased Cost for Natural Dye services Natural Dye Services available, Consultancy Weight: 75gsm $300 AUS= $210.72 USD

Swatch 2 Details Banana Organic Cotton Taffeta 50% abaca/banana (Philippines) 50% organic cotton (USA) 90

Width: 150 cm/ 59 inches Price: £ 63.50= $80.61 USD (1 meter = 1.0936 yards = 39.37”) Country of Origin: Philippines Additional Information: Azo-Free, Co-Op, Low Energy, Low Water, Minimisation of Waste, No Genetically Modified Crops, Sustainable, VOC-Free, Vegan, Organic (non-certified)

References

Aparna, P. & Devi, A. S. (2012). Mechanical and comfort properties of banana blended textiles. Man- made Textiles in India. 40(7) 234-237. Retrieved from Ghorpade, R. & Balasubramanya R. H. (2013). Microbial retting of banana pseudostem for extracting textile grade fibers and its applications. Man-made Textiles in India. 41(5), 149-153. Mantra Workshop on banana fibre fabrics. (2013). COLOURAGE, (3), 98. Ortega, Z., Morón, M., Badalló, P., Monzón, M. D., & Paz, R. (2016). Production of banana fiber yarns for technical textile reinforced composites. Materials, 9(5). 370-385. doi:10.3390/ma9050370. Phukan, A. R., Choudhury, S., & Gogoi, M. (2015). Banana Fibre – A new perspective. Textile Trends, 58(4), 53-54. Sanders, A. (n.d.). How Long Does a Banana Tree Live? Retrieved September 22, 2018, from https://www.hunker.com/13426633/how-long-does-a-banana-tree-live. Subagyo, A. & Chafidz, A. (2018). Banana pseudo-stem fiber: Preparation, characteristics, and applications. Intechopen, doi:10.5772/intechopen.82204. The surprising science behind the world's most popular fruit. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/urban-expeditions/food/food-journeys- graphic/. Vigneswaran, C., Pavithra, V., Gayathri, V., & Mythili K. (2015). Banana fiber: Scope and value added product development. Journal of Textile and Apparel, Technology, and Management, 9(2), 1-7.

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Appendix F

Survey Questions

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Hello Participant,

Before beginning the survey please take some time to examine the swatches, costing sheet, and additional facts sent in the envelope.

1) What gender do you identify with? Please circle

Male Female Other

2) What is the general category of your job title? Please Circle

Design Merchandising Sourcing Product Development Other

3) What kind of company or department do you work in? Please Circle

Men’s Wear Women’s Wear Children’s Wear Home Goods

4) My company cares about sustainability. 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Strongly disagree Agree

5) My company cares about sustainability and implements some sustainable initiatives. 1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Strongly disagree Agree

6) Sustainability is a core value of the company and is implemented in almost every area.

1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Strongly disagree Agree 7) I personally care about sustainability. 93

1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Strongly disagree Agree

8) Sustainability is a core value of mine and is implemented in almost every area of my life.

1 2 3 4 5 Strongly Strongly disagree Agree

9) What is your initial impression of these banana fiber swatches?

Swatch 1:

Swatch 2:

10) From this list of words please mark which you believe apply to this swatch. (Circle with a red color for Swatch 1 and blue for Swatch 2)

Soft Diaphanous Lacy Ribbed Threadbare

Crisp Shinny Thin Chic Durable

Breathable Fleecy Loose See-through Stretchy

Abrasive Pleated Dense Flimsy Elegant

Distressed Frayed Plush Sheer Wooly

Cheap Subtle Feathery Crude Seductive

Flexible Plain Magnificent Gaudy Decayed

Warm Airy Neat Causal Personal

Manmade Colored Industrial Economical

94

Sunny Silky Synthetic Lush Non-functional

Social Elastic Cool Decorative Sleazy

Tough Curious Substantial Fun Rustic

Athletic Fancy Events Sleep Fragile

Spring Fall Summer

11) What kind of products do believe are appropriate for this fabric?

Swatch 1:

Swatch 2:

12) In the diagram below, please fill out a SWOT analysis of this fabric a. What are some strengths of this fabric? b. What are some weaknesses of this fabric? c. What do you see as opportunities in this fabric? d. Are there any threats that you currently perceive in this fabric?

Swatch 1:

Swatch 2: 95

13) Do you think that the company you work for would be interested in using Banana fabric in any products?

14) How do you think your companies’ consumers would respond to this fabric being used in a product?

15) Do you have any other comments on the swatches provided

16) (OPTIONAL) Please create a sketch in which this fabric is used.

Thank you for your time! And please return the survey in envelope provided. There is no need to return the swatches or the fact sheet. If you have any questions, please call me at 419-410-3048.

Evelyn Rossol

96

Appendix G

Focus Group Tool Kit

97

Soft Crisp Non-functional Sleazy

Breathable Abrasive Decorative Fun

Distressed Cheap Rustic Fragile

Diaphanous Shinny Athletics Inside

Fleecy Pleated Fancy Pool

Frayed Subtle Events Kitchen

Lacy Thin Sleep Hiking

Loose Dense Summer Hospitals

Plush Feathery Spring Living Room

Ribbed Chic Fall Basement

See-through Flimsy Outdoors Malls

Sheer Crude Dinner Nursery

Threadbare Durable Bedroom Restaurants

Stretchy Elegant Coffee shop Bank

Wooly Seductive Books Hotel

Flexible Warm Beach Museum

Manmade Sunny Cars Travel

Social Plain School Laundry Room

Airy Colored Decayed Personal

Silky Elastic

Curious Tough

Magnificent Neat

Industrial Synthetic

Cool Substantial

Gaudy Casual

Economical Lush 98

99 100

101

102

- 103

104

Appendix H

Interview Codebook

105

Name Description References

Community Communication, collaboration with others, and 19 a sharing of information in order to educate and ensure sustainable practice in fashion production, especially in relation to banana fiber fabric production; related to social sustainability Positives for banana fiber Qualities that increase the likelihood of banana 16 viability fiber’s viability in the fashion industry Diverse Applications Banana fiber has many different possible 4 applications Economy Banana fiber production can be beneficial to 4 communities and economies in countries where it is grown Environmental Qualities that make banana fiber 5 Sustainability environmentally sustainable Risks for banana fiber Issues in manufacturing, production, labor, 13 viability and sustainability and would inhibit bananas viability in the fashion industry as a sustainable fiber Awareness Consumer and Industry awareness of banana 4 fiber Production Slow process, weaving communities need 7 some guiding, lack of mechanization The customer Finding the right customer to purchase banana 3 fiber textiles

106

Appendix I

Survey Codebook

107

Name Description References

Application Ways in which fashion industry professionals 110 could see banana fiber fabric being used in clothing or other textile product Application swatch 1 Ways in which fashion industry professionals 64 could see Swatch 1 being used in clothing or other textile product Interior and Home 6 fabrics Lining 14 Men's wear 8 Sleepwear 7 Women's wear 29 Application swatch 2 Ways in which fashion industry professionals 46 could see Swatch 2 being used in clothing or other textile product Banana Leather 2 Couture Market and 19 Novelty Interior and Home 12 Textiles Structured Garments 13 Commonalities Themes that applied to both Swatch 1 and 56 Swatch 2 Consumers How do the industry professionals believe 16 consumers will act towards the fiber Mass Market Some additional suggestions, requirements or 20 Requirements expectations for a fiber used at large by the fashion industry Sustainability How the sustainable qualities affect the 20 opinion on the fiber Impression Fashion industry professional’s impressions of 143 banana fiber Impression Swatch 1 Fashion industry professional’s impressions of 74 Swatch 1 Drape Swatch 1 13 Hand Swatch 1 35 Sheerness Swatch 1 19 Shine Swatch 1 7 108

Name Description References

Impression Swatch 2 Fashion industry professional’s impressions of 69 Swatch 2 Durability Swatch 2 8 Hand Swatch 2 34 Similarity to Other Swatch 2 7 Fabrics Stiff & Structured Swatch 2 20 Problems and Problems in one or both swatches that could 108 Weaknesses prevent banana fiber from being viable in the fashion industry Cost or price The cost is a concern for both Swatch 1 and 2 22 in terms of being a viable fiber in the fashion industry Problems and Problems in Swatch 1 that could prevent 28 Weaknesses Swatch 1 banana fiber from being viable in the fashion industry Care Swatch 1 10 Sheerness Swatch 1 18 Problems and Problems in Swatch 2 that could prevent 58 Weaknesses swatch 2 banana fiber from being viable in the fashion industry Application Swatch 2 14 Limitations Care Swatch 2 7 Hand Swatch 2 24 Sheerness Swatch 2 13

109

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