In recent years, the application of aesthetic and functional finishing has reviewed considerable attention, mostly in how these developments affect the environment. These finishes are applied all over industries e.g. textiles, interior, electronics and locomotive business to enhance both presence and serviceability. Aesthetic finishes focus primarily on cultivating the visual application of goods making them more attractive to consumers. These are very important for the garment industry. Some of the best fashion design colleges in Nashik train students about finishes in fashion in high-tech labs. Let us take a look at how finishes impact the world of fashion.
Aesthetic and Functional Finishing:
Definitions and Distinctions Finishes like Aesthetic and functional are two dynamic structures in several industries, particularly in textiles, construction and manufacturing. Considering the divisions between these two types of finishing are essential for growing their role in both enhancing visual demand and improving tactile. For the improvement of visual and sensory abilities they mentioned aesthetic finishing processes. They have changes in colour, texture, or pattern that develop the visual attractiveness or tactile experience. Finishes improve tactile and aesthetic qualities of fabric.
Such as, in textiles these techniques like dyeing, printing and adding luster on surface develop a basic fabric with different qualities which gives vibrant and visually attractive fabric. On the other hand, functional finishing is based on changing material properties to meet specific performance standards.
Both finishes deliver its outward appearance without prominently changing comfort, appearance, durability, functionality and sustainability in materials. Water repellency, wrinkle resistance and flame retardancy provide these functional finishes in textiles. Functional finishes in construction might improve thermal insulation, corrosion resistance and energy efficiency. The difference is very important because while aesthetic finishing primarily goals visual appeal and other then functional finishing is focused at improving functional properties. Both play vital roles, often working hand in hand to create products that are both attractive and highly functional.
The Environmental Cost of Aesthetic Finishing: Materials/Processes
The impact of aesthetic finishing on the environment is an important thought because of the time of evaluating the sustainability of products and structures. Visual appeals are developed in fabric through aesthetic finishes. Sometimes marketability of various items from consumer gadgets to architectural basics often come at a significant environmental cost because of the materials and processes working. There are some aesthetic finishes include the usage of synthetic materials and chemicals those materials are not biodegradable and they may produce harmful mixtures during their production, application, or disposal stages.
For example, humans and wildlife have health risks due to contamination of air and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by using conventional paints and coatings. In industry some raw materials for these finishes, such as metals and synthetic chemicals, are resource- intensive practices that contribute to environmental degradation via habitat destruction, water pollution, and significant carbon emissions. Moreover, electroplating and anodising the processes used to apply these finishes, try to use less amount and consume substantial energy and generate hazardous waste that needs careful disposal.
Increased use of resource-intensive and non-renewable materials applied for durability and long-lasting aesthetic application. Nowadays consumers and industries are more environmentally aware, so here focused on developing substitute materials and methods that achieve aesthetic appeal with a compact ecological footprint.
Functional Finishing:
Functional finishing improves their performance and utility without compromising their inherent properties for the processes applied to materials, mostly textiles. These finishes are essential for refining durability, water resistance, stain repellency and even imparting antimicrobial properties to fabrics. However, by developing these improvements they serve consumers a variety of profits, consumers also come with a substantial environmental cost.
Importance of Aesthetic Finishing:
- Raises the new look/textile/feel of products through enhanced colour, surface texture, shine, and design features.
- It serves a high-end refined look on the fabric towards consumer attention/comfort.
- It also improves the sensory knowledge of consumers. It makes items more comfortable and pleasing to handle or wear.
- It also helps to brand uniqueness and raises a stronger emotional connection with the consumers.
- It gives visual impact and practical performance by using blended style with functionality.
Importance of Functional Finishing:
- It creates material properties to increase strength, reliability, and consumer safety.
- It uses some new innovative treatments such as water repellency properties, resistance of fire, UV control, anti-microbial coatings, and wrinkle control.
- It keeps products better suitable for definite environments.
- It increases long-term performance and reduces
- Plays a critical role across sectors such as fashion, interiors, transportation, and construction.
Protection of the wearer:
Most clothing is worn next to the skin. The skin surface can easily absorb chemicals and other products into the body. Since clothing may be worn next to the skin for many hours, there should be answers to the impact of the following.
Bleaches/other finishing chemicals in denim washing
Denim jeans fabric holds the residue of the various finishing products. It is unknown how much of these finishing compounds is absorbed into the skin. We don’t know how much it affects our skin.
Anti-microbial finishing:
By killing bacteria on the fabric, will these finishes also kill the good bacteria on the skin? What are the long-term effects of using silver in anti-microbial finishing? Some important parts we have to know. Nano-finishing extremely small particles are applied to fabric to change its features. Nano-finishes for wrinkle resistance and stain/soil resistance also have the potential for the skin to absorb these nanoparticles. Smaller than usual molecules, nano-molecules can move into the body easily compared to other chemical molecules. The long-term effects of nano-finishing have not been studied.
Microencapsulates:
This new area of fabric finishing shows great promise in medical, military, athletic and consumer applications. The binders used and the long-term effects of the products contained in the microencapsulates have yet to be fully studied. With these encapsulates intended to be worn close to the skin, the impact of the various products contained inside needs to be fully understood.
Concern for the environment:
Fabrics have been enhanced to perform as quality clothing and to meet marketing needs. However, chemicals that are used in finishes, impacted on the environment. Some of the chemicals in finishes, mainly the nano-finishes and micro-encapsulates, have an unidentified impact on the environment, when they are ultimately discarded. The lifespan of these finishes must be understood more fully. Developments in fibre recycling will require analysis of the chemical finishes that have been added to fabrics, especially cotton fabrics. Research is ongoing to learn how to reuse cotton fibre more effectively. It’s very important to learn how to reuse and recycle the final products.
Conclusion
Finishing of fabrics and apparel has a huge impact on the environment and the fashion industry at large. It is important to understand this impact and take measures to combat wasteful and unsustainable finishing techniques that negatively impact the environment. Some of the top fashion design colleges in Maharashtra are training future fashion designers to be more mindful of the environment when dealing with finishes in fashion.