As an advocate of sustainable and circular fashion, it is usually part of my day job to look into the future, visualising what I’d love to see. While I often paint a very optimistic lot, the reality is, we have a lot of work to do today. The future of fashion goes beyond digital trends like NFTs, virtual fashion shows, augmented reality or even artificial intelligence. Regardless of the innovations we are witnessing today, which are fantastic, our future lies in our ability to focus on the longevity of our clothes and their environmental impact.
By now, you’ve likely heard the term “circular fashion,” which generally encompasses much. That said, it’s also relatively self-explanatory: think of it as the never-ending journey of a fashion item that starts at the beginning and goes on (and on) in various forms to expand its lifecycle. In this article, I will explore why the future centres around circularity, sustainability and inclusion.
What is Circular Fashion?
With climate change and sustainable fashion gaining more attention, many brands are joining the green movement. Most are exploring materials outside fossil fuel, adopting climate-friendly practices and implementing circular procedures. However, “greenwashing” continues to make it difficult to differentiate between genuinely sustainable initiatives and marketing ploys. Let’s clarify what circular fashion means based on circular fashion adoption from a few fashion brands.
Circ and Zara
Peter Majeranowski, CEO of textile recycling firm Circ, defines circular fashion as apparel, footwear, or accessories designed, sourced, produced, and distributed responsibly, with the intention of being reused, remade, or recycled. The goal is to maintain the highest value of these items while reducing textile waste.
Circ recently collaborated with Zara to launch a capsule collection made using recycled fibres that can be recycled again after use. Although Zara is known for its fast fashion, Majeranowski chose to collaborate with the brand due to its commitment to adopting better material alternatives and investing in circularity solutions. The collection, featuring Circ’s recycled polyester and lyocell, proved that recycled fibres could be as good as virgin materials in terms of quality and design. Circ and Zara’s collaboration is an excellent example of repurposing garment waste into new clothes, keeping valuable resources in circulation and out of landfills, oceans, and incinerators.
Primark
Primark has also launched its circular collection of products created for reuse or recycling, marking a significant step towards embracing a circular future. This launch coincides with the release of the company’s new circular product standard (CPS), which provides the framework for the collection design. The eco-conscious clothing range includes 35 items spanning kidswear, menswear, and womenswear, all designed with a strong emphasis on three key areas, including recyclability.
The collection’s designs allow for the easy removal of trims and buttons, enabling items to be repurposed into new fibres or products. Customers can conveniently drop off their used clothes at designated textile donation points, currently accessible at select Primark stores in certain markets.
According to Primark, the clothing items in this collection are made of at least 95% cotton sourced from Primark’s sustainable cotton program, which educates farmers on sustainable agricultural practices. The remaining 5% comprises trims, embellishments, or buttons that can be either removed or recycled, further solidifying the brand’s commitment to a more circular and eco-friendly fashion industry.
AG and Coach
Other brands are utilising their garment waste to create new pieces. Denim brand AG and Coach are embracing circular fashion in their own ways. Coach’s subbrand Coachtopia features colourful handbags, shoes, and accessories made from recycled leather scraps. AG’s AGain initiative allows customers to return their preloved AG pieces for recycling and receive a discount on new items. Jon Rossell, Director of Marketing and Creative at AG, states that recapturing products at the end of their lifecycle can decrease the consumption of virgin materials.
Rossell emphasises that educating consumers and the fashion industry about circular fashion is crucial to sparking innovation and creating a more sustainable industry. Consumers need to see the value in thinking more sustainably and for other brands to be inspired to adopt sustainable solutions.
Accessibility of Circular Fashion
Accessibility is a critical aspect of circular fashion. Majeranowski wants circularity to be available at various price points, not just luxury items. Collaborating with Zara, a brand known for its affordability, demonstrates that sustainable fashion can be inclusive.
Primark also drives the theme of accessibility through the collection’s price points. Primark says clothes in the collection are affordable, with pieces ranging from £4–20, and will be available from this month. At the same time, this has raised eyebrows, especially with cries about fair and living wages for fashion workers. The company plans to release further circular clothing later this year.
The Power of Consumers in Shaping a Circular Future
As we continue to learn and research sustainable practices, we must remember that adopting these habits is a journey. The first steps are being mindful of where you spend your money and supporting brands prioritising sustainability. As Majeranowski says, “As long as consumers support these initiatives and brands continue to improve their material inputs, we will see a more circular future for fashion.”
As consumers, our buying power is crucial in shaping the industry. When more people choose sustainable and circular options, brands take note and adapt accordingly. Every small step counts, and with a collective effort, we can create a more environmentally friendly and inclusive future for fashion.
Conscious consumer must support live commerce marketplaces like Fillip where these circular products are traded. We at Fillip are creating a marketplace for sustainable and circular fashion businesses to connect with conscious consumers through shoppable videos. We believe the future of ecommerce is live commerce, where engagement and storytelling are the bedrock of interactions and transactions.