Design portal for buyers and sellers of sustainable fabrics

Designers can already tap Material Short Stories for advice and suggestions on sustainable new materials. Aiming to provide a more comprehensive source of the ongoing possibilities, Source4Style offers a design portal that can connect sellers and buyers of sustainable fabrics and materials. Brooklyn-based Source4Style lets designers and others in charge of sourcing search through a comprehensive and curated selection of materials and services, review technical and sustainability specs, calculate lead and ship times, connect with suppliers, and source swatches, yardage and product through a seamless online transaction. Bast fibers, cottons, leather, manufactured fibers, silk, wool and wood-derived materials are among the categories listed on the site, which currently includes more than 35 suppliers and some 1,300 different products. Suppliers pay monthly user fees of between USD 10 and USD 15 per month to list their products. Buyers can search and purchase on the site for free, but Source4Style also offers premium memberships with additional benefits including discounts and more extensive materials information. Membership options launch next month at prices starting at USD 40 per month. A forthcoming Directory of Services, meanwhile, will let registered users access an extensive database of socially compliant and environmentally conscious textile mills, manufacturers, cut-and-sew facilities, dyers, cooperatives, converters and jobbers throughout the world. Workshops and consulting are also part of Source4Style’s services. The focus on sustainability is clearly here to stay, opening up a new world of opportunities for those who can help “grease the wheels,” so to speak. One to localize in your part of the world — or try out for your next eco-minded design…? (Related: Library of green building materials.) Spotted by: Lori Webb