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The fashion industry and the circular economy.

What's it all about?

Moving the main fashion business model to a circular business model requires new thinking.

The dawn of realisation. We are all slowly beginning to realise how fast fashion is incredibly detrimental to the environment. We make our buying decisions mainly on what we can afford.

If I hold up 2 t.shirts and the one on my right is made locally from organic cotton and retails at $100 and the one on my left looks pretty much the same but retails at $10. Which one are you going to buy? It’s just a t.shirt right?

It’s only when you handle it can you feel a difference in quality. Look closer and you may see the workmanship isn’t great in the cheaper tee. But hey, it’s only $10 so you choose that one because you think who cares if in a couple of months it starts to look shabby, pills, or some other quality issue. It’s cheap enough, just throw it out and buy another one.

By choosing the cheaper option we are adding to our landfill crisis. However if we chose the better quality t.shirt, it’s likely to last a few years if you look after it.

Buying the cheaper option is how we’ve been trained to think. We are the throw away generation. We all do it. And this blog is not meant as recrimination, judgement or blame. It’s to educate a little, to get us all to start thinking about how we can do better. It’s 2020 soon, we all need to change our thinking and buying behaviour.

Don’t get me wrong. There is a groundswell happening. A tipping point is close.

The demographic I teach is mainly 20-30 year women and they are on it. If they’re not, I open my Diploma course with showing them a movie called The True Cost. It’s a hard movie to watch but everyone should watch it. It really will open your eyes and change your thinking.

The ranges most of my students want to design consist of choosing sustainable organic fabrics and ethically manufactured – these are their priorities and are highly researched and considered.

Currently it’s not easy to produce a range that is affordable, made locally, kind to the environment and ticks all the boxes.

The circular economy influences how we design our products and the way we want to buy in the future.

You may not have heard the term, but we all need to know about it and more importantly, contribute, live it, innovate, walk our talk as much as we can.

It needs to be strategised, thought about, discussed.

There are of course, innovative businesses deep in this already. The ReTuna shopping mall in Sweden that only sells recycled goods. Repair cafes are opening up everywhere with the philosophy of repair it, don’t throw it away. Re-construct pre-loved clothing. Online clothing rental has the capacity to disrupt the industry within the next few years. Eileen Fisher, for example, has generated impressive traction with its take-back and repair lines, taking back over 1 million pieces since 2009.

The list of innovative businesses creating new ways to help us overcome our fast fashion addiction is growing every day.

Currently, fast fashion is the main business model used and it’s linear.

Take > Make > Waste.

This model produces cheap and disposable fashion.

And we’re in big trouble because of it.

Landfill is overflowing across the globe. Billions of tonnes of it. Mountains of our discarded clothes that can’t break down for centuries. It’s estimated that it takes over 200 years (some quote 500 years) for one polyester top to degrade in landfill.

Take a moment to think about that statistic. The photo below shows you what just 27 tonnes looks like.

Takes your breath away right?

French artist Christain Boltanski’s ‘No Man’s Land’, was made of just 27 tonnes of discarded clothing.

This is where the circular economy comes in.

Simply put, all the materials and products we use ultimately should be circulated for as long as possible, in the least harmful way to our environment. This important model is calling out to all manufacturers of course, not just fashion, but cars, white goods, building materials, interiors like flooring etc.

But I’m talking specifically about fashion here, because that’s what I teach.

Would it shock you to know the clothing industry is the 2^nd largest polluter in the world, second only to oil?

For brands and designers, it’s verging on irresponsible NOT to start designing with purpose and intention.

As a designer, circularity means when beginning to design, start by thinking about where your garments are likely to end up. Ask questions of yourself and others. About the fabrics you’re going to use, where and how is it produced, is it biodegradable? Could you design it so it’s zero waste? The trims, embellishments, hardware and accessories, are they recyclable, can they be removed easily? Perhaps part of your design includes recycled fabric or trims, how do you design this? If the fabrics can’t be up-cycled into other garments, are they safe to go back into the earth, free of any hazards? Is your make and fabric of such good quality, that the garment will last long enough to be second hand or reused?

If you’re a retail buyer, take responsibility in your selections. Know if the styles you’re buying are doing as little harm as possible. Can they be recycled, is the quality high enough to be handed down? Will the fabrics biodegrade without leaching chemicals into the environment? Educate yourself. Ask for information from the brands you’re buying from or from the fabric suppliers and manufacturers. Talk to the decision makers on both sides, ask them if it’s possible to make changes.

Start the conversation.

Importantly, as a consumer, it’s up to all of us to take responsibility of what and how we buy.

There’s a couple of clever and easy to remember quotes out there. Ask yourself ‘why before you buy’ and to ‘use, wash and repair with care’. It means renting, loaning, swapping, buying second-hand, wearing hand-me-downs, redesigning, and buying quality as opposed to quantity.

A thought-provoking blog from Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) explains it’s not simple, there needs a good deal of thought and discussion to make this work for everyone.

https://www.bsr.org/en/our-insights/blog-view/getting-circular-economy-right-lets-put-people-at-the-center-of-circular-fa

Inspired by https://www.globalfashionagenda.com/, Nike has created ‘Circularity: Guiding the Future of Design’. It’s 10 principles support a Universal call to action for the fashion industry, asking us all to come together to have a more positive impact on our planet.

“Nobody has the golden answer. But our questions about our own processes and learning from others moves us all forward” —Golnaz Armin, Senior Director Materials Design, Nike Sportswear

It’s an informative read: https://www.nikecirculardesign.com/

Stella McCartney is a long-time leader in designing with purpose and intention, doing as little harm as possible to the environment. She said in an interview with BoF a few years ago:

“Everyone can do simple things to make a difference, and every little bit really does count”

Powerful and simple. I quote that often to my students. I think the calm and non-judgmental manner in the way Stella talks about fashion and sustainability is awesome and relevant, because when you think about the enormity of our situation it becomes overwhelming and we tend to freeze up because you think the little bit you’re doing is not enough, how can it possibly contribute or make a difference? And you could end doing nothing.

However, if you’ve designed 20% of your range in a sustainable way, feel proud of your efforts. Maybe you start with sustainable packaging. Or maybe you’ve decided not to use leather or PVC in your range. Maybe you change your business mode to ‘make to order’. I encourage students who are launching their brand to think about this model. It has a lot of business benefits too. Holding stock of the wrong product is a profit killer. Moving to this type of model is a win/win.

Every little bit helps.

Women wear 80% of our wardrobe 20% of the time. Now think about the huge mountains of discarded clothing spreading out across the globe.

It’s time to do something impactful, powerful and immediate.

Start with making yourself aware, research the circular economy with a focus on fashion then share your knowledge, talk about it, exchange ideas.

Together we will make a difference.

Some links below of worthwhile reading/watching.

Excellent video:

https://kenniskaarten.hetgroenebrein.nl/en/knowledge-map-circular-economy/what-is-the-definition-a-circular-economy/

Thank you to everyone below who have produced such informative articles:

https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/what-is-the-circular-economy

https://www.globalfashionagenda.com/

https://circularfashion.com/ (thank you to Anna Brismar, PhD, owner of circularfashion.com for some of the info above)