Fashioning Circular Fashion: A Transformative Challenge across the European Fashion System

Abstract

Today, we are witnessing a shift in the fashion industry’s production paradigm. The impact of different processes along the supply chain is evident. Consumers have started to turn towards brands that invest in effective organizational strategies and supply chain management models that consider their effect on the planet and respect for people. The circular economy is widely recognized as the main business model addressing the highlighted issues in the fashion industry. However, there still needs to be a gap in the environmental, economic, social, and cultural sustainability levels achieved when this model is implemented. In her Ph.D. research, the author investigated this specific dimension of sustainable development, the implementation of the circular economy model in the fashion system, which can take place through the adoption of systemic and project-based actions involving the entire supply and value chain from workers to companies. Working within the analyzed context, from production to the market, the paper illustrates the identified directions that strategically incorporate design-driven solutions to achieve sustainability goals through practices and processes to establish effective and responsible recycling, remanufacturing, and reuse paths.

Keywords

• fashion design for sustainability
• circularity
• innovation
• paradigm transition