Faculty

Technical Design Instructor Sees Environmental Solution in Invisible Bags

Apparel Technical Design Instructor Joy Somerville wants to improve the industry’s environmental impact by encouraging the use of Invisible Bags in packaging, so she’s working with the brand on Marketing and Sales to get the word out. Invisible Bags are a nontoxic, water-soluble, biodegradable solution to plastic waste. The bags disappear in hot water, and are compostable in some settings.

Somerville says, “The fashion industry is number three in the list of worst industries for the environment. We use plastic bags in all phases of manufacturing, from manufacturing the raw materials to manufacturing garments to shipping the garments. As consumers we don’t even think about it when we receive our packages in the mail wrapped in a plastic bag, often 2 bags, the inside garment bag and the outside mailer bag. We have to do better! I would love to see the fashion industry lower on the list, not in the top ten. I’m hoping Invisible Bags will be part of the solution.”

Somerville currently teaches Technical Design and Pre-Production for Apparel in the Merchandise Product Development Program as well as Gerber classes in the Bachelor’s of Apparel Technical Design Program. She also works as a freelance pattern maker and has been an instructor at FIDM since 2005.

Categories:  Merchandise Product Development Faculty