How designers are capitalizing on the circular fashion economy

As textile waste stacks up around the globe, some storied designers see an opportunity. From innovating new types of fabrics, intended to be recycled, to launching initiatives aimed at caring for and consigning textiles, famed designers like Stella McCartney, Eileen Fisher, and Phoebe English are positioning for a future-forward circular fashion economy as interest in the sector rapidly expands.

Materials

Designers pivoting toward fabrics that are made to be unmade, emphasizing recycled and recyclable materials. The Stella McCartney brand launched a proprietary wool blend that is made to be recycled and a hoodie made to be infinitely recycled. The Phoebe English brand uses materials tapped from existing waste streams and emphasizes cutting patterns that will further minimize waste. The brand also employs eco-friendly finishes to promote future recycling, ditching zippers for Corozo nut buttons, for example, and exploring plant dyes as a substitute for synthetic chemical dyes, according to the company website.

Repair, Care & Consign

Some designers are also innovating ways to lengthen the lifespan of their products through care and consignment initiatives. In 2016, the Eileen Fisher brand launched the “Tiny Factory” in New York, where the company creates new designs from returned and damaged clothes. In 2014, Stella McCartney launched Clevercare, a campaign to inform customers about sustainable laundry practices to help pieces last. The brand also partnered with a consignment store to offer new life to pre-owned, high-end items.

Things are changing

These examples illustrate a warming industry embrace of the circular economy: in 2024, 75% of fashion businesses recognized circularity as important, up from 40% three years ago, according to the Ellen MacAurthur Foundation, a circular economy think-tank. Cumulative capital invested in circular initiatives has grown by over 70% over the past three years, according to the report.

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