Without plastics, many of today’s fashions wouldn’t be possible. Plastics help put the stretch in skinny jeans and socks, give dress clothes their shimmer, keep outerwear lightweight and water-resistant and enable accessories to be molded into all sorts of funky shapes. From nylon, polyester and spandex to faux fur, rayon and even recycled plastics, the fashion world has embraced these materials and taken design to heights not imagined at the turn of the century when plastic fibers in clothing first entered the mainstream. Plastic-based fabrics are revered for their versatility and durability, helping fuel designers’ imaginations and consistently allowing artists to create pieces that are cutting-edge, chic and affordable.

Below are just a few of the fibers and fabrics made possible by plastic. For a list of more, please visit www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com/2010/02/fibers/.

Rayon
Rayon was first developed in Paris in the late 1800s as a man-made alternative to silk. In 1894, British inventors Charles Cross, Edward Bevan and Clayton Beadle patented a practical method of making an improved artificial silk that came to be known as viscose rayon. Avtex Fibers Incorporated produced the first commercial artificial silk or rayon in 1910 in the United States. This new material was widely used in the early 1900s and acclaimed for its silk-like sheen and draping effects. Rayon also dyed well and often was used to make lingerie for the lower end of the market. Rayon has endured many new styles and trends though the decades, enjoying a revolution of sorts in the 1970s and 1980s. Today, it is still widely used, often combining with other materials to create velvet, brocade, damask and other fabrics.

Nylon
Nylon is a synthetic polymer that was first developed in the 1930s by Wallace Carothers at DuPont. Intended as a replacement for silk, nylon became popular in many products during World War II when silk became scarce, finding uses in military applications such as parachutes, flak vests and ropes, as well as vehicle tires. Though first sold commercially in a nylon-bristled toothbrush in 1938, it’s more famously known for replacing silk in women’s stockings, which soon took on the generic name “nylons.” Nylon still is manufactured by DuPont and valued for its light weight, incredible tensile strength, durability and resistance to damage. It also takes dye easily, making nylon fabrics available in a wide array of colors for consumers.

Polyester
Scrunch it, pull it, wash it – without any wear and wrinkles. In the 1960s and 1970s, Polyester was the fabric of choice in a changing economy of speed, efficiency and convenience. The innovation of polyester led to many revolutionary uses, including, most notably, performance fleece outerwear and the swimsuits used by many of the world’s top athletes. In addition, polyester can be blended with other fibers such as cotton to create many stylish looks and even recycled beverage bottles can be used to make polyester and fleece, providing the desirable durability of permanent-press traits for modern fashion staples. Indeed, permanent press is also the result of chemistry. In the 1950s, Ruth Rogan Benerito, a researcher at the Cotton Chemical Reactions Laboratory, discovered certain chemicals could make cellulose fibers wrinkle-resistant. Other scientists fine-tuned her formula and soon, permanent-press fabrics were born.

The use of the polyester dropped off in the late 80s and 90s, but it is experiencing resurgence due to the emergence of luxury fibers like polyester microfiber and various polyester blends, ensuring that versatile polyester has a long life in fashion for years to come.

Organza
Organza is a thin, sheer style of fabric traditionally made from silk, but today many organzas are woven with plastic filament fibers such as polyester or nylon to enable them to be more durable and practical than silk. Organza is a staple of formal dresses and other delicate wardrobe pieces. Organza has a fluid movement and graceful drape, valued in full skirts and evening gowns, and wraps using organza produce a decidedly sophisticated look. One of the primary applications of organza is in wedding dresses, helping make the big day all the more special. Between wedding attire and uptown evening fashions, organza’s future in the world of fashion is secure.

Taffeta
Taffeta dates back to medieval Europe and historically has been made from silk – today it’s engineered from numerous fibers, including plastics such as nylon and rayon. Taffeta is found in many garments, from the lining of windbreakers to wedding gowns. Many people associate this fabric with luxury and high end garments due to its famously lustrous appearance. The term “taffeta” actually comes from the Persian words for “twisted” and “woven,” and is believed to have been introduced to Europeans through Persia, a major stop along trade routes.

For more information on how fashion benefits from plastics, visit www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com.

Iconic Fashions Throughout History Made Possible By Plastics:

• Patent leather hobo bags
• Stretch body shapers
• Skinny jeans
• Weather resistant trench coats
• Performance fleece jackets
• Faux fur collars and jackets
• Lucite shoes and accessories
• Platform heel shoes
• Vinyl mini skirts
• Mesh sneakers
• Non-iron shirts and T-shirts
• Faux horn-rimmed eyeglasses

Plastics Today
As winners of the Plastics Make it PossibleSM and Gen Art designer contest, designer duo WesFeld created an entire collection of womenswear using plastic fibers and plastic-based materials. Known for their draping and unique structuring methods, the two have been using plastic materials such as nylon mesh, poly-satin and plastic boning for years, which allow them to create clean, sophisticated shapes and lines. Plastic fabrics also are very versatile, and many are easy to dye and to manipulate into waves and curves that bring to mind the animals and nature that inspired WesFeld. Visit www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com for more information on WesFeld and to view behind-the-scenes photos and videos of them creating their debut collection.

Hi, We’re Daniel Feld and Wesley Nault, also known as WesFeld, the design team that won the Plastics Make It Possible^SM designer competition. The response we’ve been getting over the first few weeks, since winning, has been so wonderful! We are so excited to be part of this and about participating in New York Fashion Week. So, we thought we’d give everyone some insight as to how we got involved with Plastics Make It Possible^SM, and answer a few of the most popular questions we’ve been asked….

What’s the mood in the work studio?
We are pretty calm — unless the tension builds up, and then we may briefly butt heads. But, we are getting prepped for our first ever show at New York Fashion week after all! We’re working at such a frantic pace, trying to express our vision through our pieces that we haven’t had time to worry or be stressed – we barely have time to eat, sleep or take a shower! There have been times where we haven’t left our studio for three days! I know, kind of gross, right? But we are dedicated to our vision!

What has taken up the most time?
We have been spending many days and hours on one dress! This particular beauty involves 35 yards of plastic-based, nylon mesh fabric from four different places, which we then dye ourselves to get just the color combination we want. The effect lets us essentially create our own pattern. The dress is draped with grey and pink ruffles and layers – our hands ache from sewing it! But it’s a showstopper and we can’t wait to show it off to everyone.

Follow us online!
We’re currently working with a fabulous web designer to create our web site, but in the meantime, you can check us out plenty of ways online. Become a fan of WesFeld on Facebook or follow our handle on Twitter: @wesfeld. We’re continuing to post updates on our progress and when we’re not working 24/7, we’ll be interacting with our fans!

What are you most looking forward to seeing at Fashion Week?
We’re looking forward to seeing the city come alive with people and seeing inspiration on every corner. It’s a magical time that the whole fashion community bands together to promote innovative thinking, new talent and to steer the trends for the forthcoming months. What do you want us to report on for the week? What are you most excited to see?

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.

Thanks so much!

Dan & Wes

In this photo from Plastics Make it Possible^SM, Former Project Runway contestants, Wesley Nault, center left, and Daniel Feld, center right, of WesFeld, pose with models wearing their line of plastic- based fashions at the Plastics Make it Possible show in New York, Wednesday, Feb 10, 2010.

Actress and jewelry designer Molly Sims, third from left, joins the winners during the unveiling of the duo’s plastic-based fashions.

Here, Molly Sims poses on the red-carpet at the unveiling of WesFeld’s plastic-based fashions .

Thanks to all the designers who entered the Plastics Make it Possible^SM Design Competition, and to those of you who submitted the 15,000+ reviews that helped us choose our winner! More than 160 designers from all over the country submitted their creations, which were posted online and open for review from the fashion community and general public. While WesFeld, the Plastics Make it Possible^SM winners work to finish their line, here is a selection of looks from the submitted designs:

The Plastics Make it Possible^SM design competition began on October 29th and the deadline for submissions was Friday, December 11th.

We’re counting the days until WesFeld debuts the line at Gen Art’s “New Garde” show at New York Fashion Week on February 10. Since we got a sneak peek, we thought we’d share some of the photos we took at WesFeld’s studio:

We’ll be adding photos, video and guest blog posts from the pair as the line develops, so check back often!

Hi, We’re Daniel Feld and Wesley Nault, also known as WesFeld, the design team that won the Plastics Make It Possible^SM designer competition. The response we’ve been getting over the first few weeks, since winning, has been so wonderful! We are so excited to be part of this and begin our journey to New York Fashion Week. So, we thought we’d give everyone some insight as to how we got involved with Plastics Make it Possible^SM, and answer a few of the most popular questions we’ve been asked….

How’s the collection going?
Actually, great. We’re about halfway through designing and finishing the collection we are showing at the New Garde show during New York Fashion Week. It’s very whimsical and fun. The challenge is that we want to design complete looks: accessories, shoes… so we’re working pretty much around-the-clock to realize the vision.

How did you get involved in the competition?
We have been dreaming up this collection for a while. When we saw the Gen Art announcement, we thought it was a perfect fit. We had the two dresses almost done, and because we like working with innovative materials in ways people don’t expect, we thought that we had a good chance.

What does winning the competition mean to you?
To get this grant is just incredible. The funding means that now we have the time to immerse ourselves in our design work, to pay for studio time and rent. We’re just really grateful for the opportunity. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance, and we’re lucky that our current employers were nice enough to let us out of our day jobs to do this collection.

Especially in today’s economy, it’s really difficult to showcase your art as a young, unestablished designer. We’ve been given a really rare opportunity, and we are putting our hearts and souls into this collection.

Plastic? Fashion?
Oh yes. Plastic-based fabrics are allowing us to realize our vision and innovate in ways no other fabric can compete with. They allow us to be really creative. For example we found this amazing nylon mesh that is just so easy to work with: incredible texture and we can even dye it. It’s great. What many people don’t realize is, nylon is actually made with plastic fiber.

Especially in drape and structure, these plastic-based fabrics give us a really clean look and finish. Fabrics like duchess satin and linen, two commonly used fabrics, leave terrible creases as soon as you wear them. The plastic-based versions are more resilient and don’t do that, which make them incredibly easy to work with.

That’s it for now… back to stitching! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to leave them below.

Thanks so much!

Dan & Wes

ARLINGTON, VA (January 12, 2010) – Plastics and plastic-based materials continue to rule the runways as the hottest trend in fashion with top designers featuring sky-high Lucite® shoes, lots of sequins and plastic minis in their latest collections. Plastics Make it Possible^SM, an initiative sponsored by the plastics industries of the American Chemistry Council, celebrates emerging designers inspired by this trend and is excited to announce WesFeld, a team comprised of two up-and-coming designers, Daniel Feld and Wesley Nault, each of whom was featured on season 5 of the hit television show “Project Runway,” as the grand prize winner of its national design competition in partnership with Gen Art.  The team will receive $10,000 to create and showcase their new collection during 2010 New York Fashion Week.

Announced in October at Gen Art’s “Fresh Faces in Fashion” show in Los Angeles, the nationwide design competition challenged fashion designers to create two dynamic womenswear looks made from plastic and plastic-based fabrics. More than 160 designers from all over the country submitted their creations, which were posted online and open for review from the fashion community and general public. More than 15,000 votes, comments and reviews were generated during the competition, leading to the selection of WesFeld as this year’s winner.

“Designers frequently use plastic-based materials such as nylon, chiffon and sequins in their collections because they allow for extreme versatility and creativity, while also being durable and cost-effective,” said Steve Russell, vice president, Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council. “It’s been inspiring to see the creations and different ways plastics were used to produce such dynamic pieces throughout this competition. WesFeld’s designs demonstrate the true heart of the contest and showcase just how beautiful plastic-based fabrics and accessories can be. We can’t wait to see the full collection debut at 2010 New York Fashion Week!”

WesFeld’s winning designs are whimsical and romantic creations inspired by elements of water and nature. The pale pink evening dress features poly-organza, poly-taffeta and plastic boning to create a shape that resembles a conch sea shell with a pearl inside. The designer’s second look is a more structured and textured dove gray gown made of poly-organza, plastic woven interfacing and plastic boning, with poly-satin piping detail. This gown was inspired by a fossilized exoskeleton of an ancient sea creature and a seahorse’s paneled body.

Both Feld and Nault were formally educated at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and in their early careers have collectively apprenticed and worked alongside such designers as Donna Karan, Melinda Eng, Heatherette, Nicholas Patrou, Marc Jacobs and Zac Posen. The two met when both were contestants on season 5 of “Project Runway” and formed a partnership after discovering that they share similar aesthetics and influences from nature that are evident in their work. The duo strives to push the boundaries of fashion to design their own interpretation of beauty, innovation and fantasy.

“We think it’s interesting that plastic-based materials are fairly common in fashion, yet most people don’t realize that plastic is in many of the garments and accessories they wear on a daily basis,” said Wesley Nault, winner of the national Plastics Make it Possible^SM design competition. “You don’t tend to think about plastic in high-end couture, but plastic-based fabrics are very easy to work with because of their durability and versatility. We were excited to showcase what’s innovative and beautiful about using plastics in fashion through this competition.  We’d like to thank Gen Art and Plastics Make it Possible^SM for helping us fulfill our dream to show our pieces at New York Fashion Week.”

WesFeld’s looks will be showcased alongside some of the industry’s hottest rising talent at Gen Art’s “New Garde” show sponsored by Plastics Make it Possible^SM during 2010 New York Fashion Week on February 10. The collection will be part of live model installations in a dynamic, non-traditional fashion presentation featuring elaborate set-designs enabling designers to create a cohesive mood and environment for their work. Gen Art’s show traditionally attracts over 1,000 attendees; past designers include Project Runway winner Jeffrey Sebelia, Geren Ford, Society for Rational Dress, FORM and Kit Pistol.

To view WesFeld’s submitted designs, as well as selected submissions from other designers, please visit www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com.

About Plastics Make it Possible^SM

Plastics Make it Possible^SM highlights the many ways plastics inspire innovations that improve our lives, solve big problems and help us design a safer, more promising future. This initiative is sponsored by the plastics industries of the American Chemistry Council.  For more information, visit www.plasticsmakeitpossible.com.

About Gen Art

Gen Art is the nation’s leading arts and entertainment organization dedicated to showcasing emerging fashion designers, filmmakers, musicians and visual artists. Gen Art produces over 100 events annually, ranging from weeklong film festivals to massive star-studded fashion shows, live music performances, art exhibitions, multimedia events and more. Since 1993 Gen Art has been championing the arts by creating and producing events and exhibits that have helped accelerate the careers of hundreds of young artists.

Though competition was fierce, WesFeld rose to the top with their use of plastics in creating the two looks they submitted.  These wave-like dresses feature materials, such as poly-organza and poly-taffeta, while plastic woven interfacing and plastic boning structure each panel. Even the piping, which gives the dress a satin-like luxury shimmer, is poly. From fiber to fit, these shell inspired gowns truly are made possible by plastics.

Thanks again to all of the talented designers who contributed their and hard work and gorgeous ideas. We hope you all will join us in congratulating Wesley and Daniel as they collect their $10,000 stipend to create their first full collection. Come back often to keep tabs on Wesley and Daniel’s progress as they work toward unveiling their collection at the kickoff of New York Fashion Week 2010!

Here are a few of the shots of the winning looks the team submitted for the competition:

About WesFeld:

WesFeld is a collaborative duo that joined forces to design the future in luxury American fashion.  Formerly competitors on the 5th season of Project Runway, Daniel Feld and Wesley Nault decided to team up shortly after the show wrapped filming in 2008.  Now the two focus their talent and energy on being at the forefront of fashion.

Both were formally educated at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and in their early careers collectively apprenticed with design icons that include Donna Karan, Melinda Eng, Heatherette, Nicholas Patrou, Marc Jacobs and Zac Posen.  Their credentials also include costuming and designing for several theatrical companies, such as Sotu Productions and the Box.  Daniel and Wesley share similar aesthetics and influences from nature, often resulting in a juxtaposition of raw emotional power and focused rational thought.  The duo strives to push the boundaries of fashion to design their own interpretation of beauty, innovation and fantasy.

In 2008, WesFeld received the honor of working with the Steinbrenners to create custom uniforms for the luxury suite staff of the new Yankee Stadium that opened in April of 2009. Since then, the pair has created numerous costumes including show attire for the openings of the Hilton Hotel in Berlin, the Detroit Institute of Art’s Annual Gala, and the Horseshoe Casino in Chicago. Other projects include dresses for Maybelline; People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People event; the Ovarian Cancer Charity Auction; promotional outfits for the Audi A-4 car launch; and an edible vegetable dress for Food & Wine.  In 2009 WesFeld became spokespersons for Brother International, speaking at conferences and hosting more intimate workshops with young aspiring talent at several design schools. While juggling many side projects, the team has worked persistently on a powerful capsule collection.

The press has also taken an interest in the pair.  Daniel and Wesley have appeared on the cover of the New York Post and featured in MTV News, Time Out New York, People Magazine, Yankees Magazine, Maariv, Luxury Fashion, Food and Wine, Noise and Plastique among other publications.

What made this show unique was its focus on sustainability and mentorship of fashion designers who were involved.