Circular Fashion: A Regenerative Approach
In the fast fashion world, the linear model of “take, make, dispose” has been able to thrive and further encourage over consumption and irresponsible disposal of items by brands who have too much stock to control. In 2018, the Business of Fashion noted that fast companies “have fuelled the high rates of consumption which further magnify the issue of a linear system.”
There are issues at every part of the linear model; from taking way too much from the earth’s resources (which as we know, are finite), to the fast mode of production which endangers those working in the factories, to the (sometimes, not always) poor quality which is not durable and thus disposed of and transported to a pile among many other piles.
150 billion garments are produced a year, and only 1% of all textiles are recycled.
Circular systems employ reusing, sharing and recycling to create a closed loop system.
The intention is to minimize the use of resource inputs and the creation of waste, pollution and carbon emissions. These systems also aim to keep products in use for longer and therefore place importance on improving the quality and productivity of the resources.
As a clothing brand, we understand the importance of clothes as a basic necessity, but also a form of creativity and self-expression, a career choice for some, a hobby or interest for others. Clothing in itself does not need to continue to be a problem, but it’s serious time for the industry to change the way it makes the clothes.
Over 95% of our collection is made with sustainable materials such as organic cotton, hemp, linen, recycled PET, recycled wool, TENCEL™… to name a few. With every collection, we seek to increase the % of recycled materials and materials that are made in a closed loop production.
Our goal by 2025 is to have a collection made entirely of man-made (TENCEL™ for example) and recycled materials.
By shifting reliance from the earth’s natural resources and using what is already there, we close the loop by not letting waste be waste but have a new life. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a front runner for instilling change on a grand scale.
In 2017, they published a report titled; A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future. The report delivered ambitions for the industry using the circular economy model to ultimately change the way clothes are designed, sold and used. Read more about it here.
Image provided by The Ellen MacArthur Foundation.
What can you do? Support brands who use recycled materials in their collections, love your clothes for a little longer, repair when you can and just be aware! There is nothing more powerful than knowledge. And if you haven't seen it yet - The True Cost is a great eye opener to the environmental and societal impacts of fast fashion.
