Global fibre production represented 116 million tonnes in 2022, and is expected to grow to 147 million tonnes in 2030 if business continues as usual (1).  Regrettably, around 15% of fabric ends up on the cutting room floor when garments are cut and sewn (2). When textiles are wasted, so too are the resources which were invested and embedded into the textiles.

In this case study, we will discover and discuss what it takes to design your products with a life cycle in mind.

In this case study, see how Levi’s identified their waste hotspots across the supply chain. Not only did they significantly reduce their environmental impact across the product’s life cycle, it also led to new industry standards and innovative solutions towards cleaner denim.

In this case study, we will explore and discuss why Patagonia designs their products to last, and encourages care and repair for longevity.

In this case study, see how the designer’s attitude allows for a different approach to recreating fashion. Understanding how specific pre-existing garments or products were initially constructed was key to reconstructing them in a whole new way.

In this case study, learn why planning the life cycle for your products involves mapping out your materials in order to allow for circular business models.

As designers, there is a real opportunity to partner with manufacturers and other industry partners to design out waste within the supply chain and through to consumer use. In the Circular Redesign Challenge with TAL Apparel, we challenged our Redress Design Award Finalists to create an outfit using defective shirts, ​​inspired by an exclusive circular design collection from The R Collective x Garcia Bello.

This guide explores opportunities to build a sustainable fashion business, and discusses the importance of sharing your values both internally and externally to strengthen your brand identity.

Designing for circularity goes beyond the design of the garment itself. Through packaging and messaging, there is an opportunity to communicate and share your brand story to build your customers’ emotional attachment with your product and thereby encourage longevity of use. In partnership with leading sustainable packaging expert Delta Global, we challenged our Redress Design Award Finalists, joining forces with marketing and product design students, to inspire customers through fashion’s packaging.

Here are some places to build your community and network with those suppliers and resources who make it their business to work with better materials. We hope this will support your sourcing needs, enabling you to contact them directly and learn about their products and services. This directory will be reviewed often, to keep you updated on available resources.

In this case study, we ask tonlé founder, Rachel Faller, about her biggest challenges, successes, and top tips for building a circular fashion business.

In this case study, Camilla talks about why fibres are so important to design decisions and how to take control by understanding their lifecycle.

This guide provides an introduction to the key role of fibres in the circular fashion system and gives you an overview of the environmental impact of natural and man-made fibres.

Digital technology is on the rise, with 3D design and video conferences among the most promising trends not only because of the reduction of time and distance for a global industry, but also for the practical advantage of minimising sampling.

Watch how finalists of the Redress Design Award 2022 come up with solutions for reusing textile waste in an intensive six-hour challenge for Icebreaker.

This guide provides an overview of the reconstruction design technique. You will learn about the different waste streams for reconstruction and how to develop reconstructed designs.

This guide focuses on factors that contribute to physical and psychological longevity with examples to guide you how to extend the active life of clothing through design.

Kay Wong from Hong Kong-based Fashion Clinic shares how they prolong the lifespan of garments through high-end repair, alteration, and redesign services.

On this interactive website, create your very own pair of jeans and see its environmental impact while learning about innovations that are transforming fashion sustainability.

This guide provides an introduction to the current existing recycling methods and the design factors which contribute to a garment’s recyclability.