Longevity and Cyclability

Looking into all the alternate sustainability focuses the one that resonated most with myself as a textile/fashion designer is the importance of cyclical business models and additionally the longevity of products. These two areas of sustainability interest me most as a designer and exploring these two alternate processes of sustainability will be critical in my development as a designer and my progression in my professional practises.

When developing an understanding I came across the article.

'The trends and trailblazers creating a circular economy for fashion'

https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/articles/the-trends-and-trailblazers-creating-a-circular-economy-for-fashion

The figure simply shows the decline in clothes utilisation and how consumers continue to purchase items when in real life they simply have the garment already and are not using it to its full potential and simply purchasing another with small dissimilarities.

In a simple format the article displays the simple method of circular business models in the fashion industry, displaying simply how it can be done. Although missing many steps and oversimplifying the business model it provides a great outline and understanding into how the model works.

Additionally, this figure highlights the importance of longevity within a company and clothing. Understanding that the increased longevity of a product has a huge knock on effect with waste, recycling and consumer behaviours.

"In a world heavily influenced by social media, more young people are living and expressing their lives online. There is a growing trend of buying clothes just to showcase them on Instagram. Many are not worn more than once and end up being wasted."

The main issue is the prolonged notion that everyone needs the next best thing, the newest coat, the newest style and even the newest colour. This consumer behaviour is something that needs to be addressed with the ever developing concentration on sustainability the notion of longevity, repairs and second hand purchases will have to rise. As well as looking into other areas of concentration within brands to increase their sustainability.

"Millennials and Gen Z are one of the strongest drivers of this movement, and also represent USD 350 billion of spending power in the US alone. Within this group, an estimated 74% prefer buying from ‘conscious brands’ and are willing to pay more for a product that offers complete transparency. This movement is now influencing the fashion industry. More and more brands are responding by integrating social and environmental themes into their products and services. A number of companies have announced bold ambitions such as H&M committing to use 100% recycled and sustainably sourced materials by 2030; and C&A considering making 50% of their products C2C-certified within a decade, and Target aiming for 100% sustainability sourced cotton by 2022."

The article shows the development of certain brands 4and explored the necessity of cyclical fashion well. Allowing a greater understanding of the benefits and downfalls of certain aspects of the fashion business models.

"Making fashion circular is no small task. The processes, incentives, and systems in place today have been built on many years of the take, make, waste mindset. To put the fashion industry on a more positive course requires a design rethink across the textile value chain. By thinking about how the product will be made, how it will be provided and used, and what will happen to it afterwards, designers can make sure the principles of a circular economy are taken into consideration from the outset.

The good news is that this shift won’t take place from a standing start. There are bright spots of progress emerging throughout the fashion industry, from the large brands raising ambition levels and investing in research, to the startups launching disruptive new business models, and a growing group of citizens demanding better, safer products, and transparency and responsibility from those that make them. By harnessing the creativity and innovation of the industry to connect and scale these efforts, we can create a fashion system that’s beautiful — inside and out."

An article well worth the read.