Circular Fashion

The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters to the earth, both brands and consumers must take action with the planet in mind. With sustainability and ethics being words thrown about a lot in recent years, circular fashion is still very new. So, what, why, and how can brands and consumers get involved? It first starts with understanding.

What is Circular Fashion?

Circular fashion is a holistic design process, meaning that every aspect of the design process is carefully considered regarding its impact on the planet. It is unlike the linear fashion model that fashion currently operates under, which maximises the production and consumption of clothing.

The process starts with the design. The garment is designed to have as much longevity as possible and created to be a timeless piece that can stand the test of time and new trends. The materials are then considered in all aspects, from their sustainability to how ethical the production is. This includes the treatment of workers, working conditions and animal rights. Once the garment comes close to the end of its life cycle, this is when it is either redesigned or repaired.

How circular fashion came to be?

The term circular fashion first came about in 2014 in Sweden by Anna Brismar. Being the head of the Green Strategy consulting firm, Brismar says that the term was used simultaneously while working with H&M. This term gained huge popularity in Sweden and has quickly spread to the rest of the world.

The term ‘circular fashion’ itself comes from the “circular economy.” The circular economy is a model that exchanges the typical cycle of take-make-waste in favour of as much reusing and recycling as possible. This combined with sustainable and ethical fashion creates circular fashion. Fast fashion creates a tremendous amount of pollution in the environment, so this shift toward circular fashion is much needed.

Why circular fashion?

Global consumption is set to double from 62 million to 102 million by 2030. However, clothing consumption has dropped by 40%. This means that textile waste is becoming a bigger issue, with some materials taking hundreds of years to break down and the decomposition releasing toxic gases. The Business of Fashion 2022 Sustainability Report explains that around 40 million tons of textile waste are sent to landfill or burned to be destroyed. Most clothes are made by using fossil fuels, and oil-based polyester is the most used fabric in the world with 60 million tons being produced in 2019.

COVID-19 has had a major impact on the number of products wasted and unsold due to store closures, lockdowns and a lack of new clothing products needed. However, even before the pandemic, overproduction was a growing issue as 60 per cent of garments were sold at full price. COVID-19 just highlighted the issue as the excess inventory began to pile up and become more visual to the public.

Although many companies are now offering take-back schemes and rental schemes, it is not enough and so a move towards circularity is a massive opportunity for the industry to make a change.

“The future of fashion is circular. It has to be.” Stella McCartney

Companies are already seeing the importance of circular fashion. For example, Selfridges wants to make almost 50 per cent of sales circular by 2030, with 45 per cent of transactions of products coming from recycled materials or through services like resale, repair, or refills. Inditex also wants to make a change through its most recent investment of 30 million dollars in a lean technology company.

How to make the change from linear to circular fashion?

Circularity in fashion is still a new term, and while there is no certified definition of

requirements for what constitutes a product to be circular, there are some actions that can be considered. Other than informing consumers about how they can repair, or access repair services, they can:

These include:

Design products to be timeless
Make their products from safe and recycled or renewable inputs
Make their products to be remade in the future

Products should be made as durable as possible to be utilised for a long time, with recyclability being the most important aspect. Products must be designed for longevity and simple to deconstruct and transform into new materials. Construction should be considered, and the product must be easy to repair.

How can consumers support a circular fashion economy?

Consumers first need to be informed about what circular fashion is and how they can contribute. Knowing what materials are sustainable, taking into consideration the background of the brands

you are buying from and buying less are just a few things consumers can do. However, here is a list of things to consider:

Buy less and choose well, consider more timeless pieces that can be worn with multiple different outfits.
Consider borrowing from a friend or renting outfits for events, maternity, and other temporary occasions.
Shop second hand
Review your wardrobe before making a new purchase
Support more sustainable and ethical fashion brands
Look after and care more for your clothes
Utilise take-back schemes, recycling, and repair programs
Consider how ethical and durable the materials are