This book was written in recognition of fashion’s huge potential to move towards a circular economy and in homage to its creatives – passionate pioneers on the constant search for reinvention.
Due to popular demand, this book is no longer available to buy.
The fashion industry needs a redesign
A new mindset - This book offers a creative lens through which to discover and develop new products and navigate radical transformation, while addressing many of the world’s most pressing challenges.
A contribution to a growing global circular design movement - Design decisions shape how we interact with the world around us, and creatives across every industry and demographic are embracing their role in reimagining products, services, and systems.
Insights from over 80 early circular design practitioners in fashion - They include established luxury brands - Gucci and Vivienne Westwood, independent labels - Kevin Germanier and Marine Serre, high-street giants - Gap and H&M, pioneers of the virtual fashion experience - Alvanon and The Fabricant, and clothing resale and rental specialists - thredUP and Vestiaire Collective. While achieving a completely circular economycircular economyA systems solution framework that tackles global challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution. It is based on three principles, driven by design: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials (at their highest value), and regenerate nature. will take time, these practitioners have all started their journey. Their perspectives and insights have helped build a rich understanding of circular design and what it means for the fashion industry.
The gateway to a world of creativity - It seeks to ignite curiosity, giving the inspiration and encouragement to explore, learn, and cultivate a new design mindset.
Circular design is a mission-led practice of design based on the principles of the circular economy and systems thinking.
Circular design goes far beyond rethinking single products or services, it has the potential to redefine how the entire fashion system operates. It’s a chance for anyone in the fashion industry – regardless of job title – to support the shift to a circular economy where, by design, waste and pollution are eliminated, products and materials are kept in use, and natural systems are regenerated.
Circular design is a pioneering practice of design. It’s the creative opportunity of the coming decade for the creatives, innovators, and pioneers who seek to reshape the fashion industry.
Circular design has the power to expand our vision, boost our creativity, and create a more resilient and thriving fashion industry.
Explore the stories and legacies of four circular design pioneers whose brands were recognised at the 2022 CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards - EILEEN FISHER, NKWO, Timberland and Vestiaire Collective.
As contributors to Circular Design for Fashion, their stories highlight how fashion can be redefined through circular design and the journey they’ve taken to get there.
The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) Sustainable Fashion Awards provide a unique platform to highlight how fashion can be redefined through circular design, and in 2022 the Ellen MacArthur Foundation collaborated on the Awards.
With Dame Ellen MacArthur as Chair of the Jury, the Awards acknowledged those setting ambitious targets and taking concrete action towards change, with a strong focus on sustainable and circular innovation. Through highlighting the winners and nominees that are redefining the future for fashion on a world stage, the hope is that creatives everywhere are encouraged to rethink how they too can design for a regenerative, circular economy.
This book has been co-created with:
adidas | ADIFF | Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL) | Alvanon | Art Partner | ASOS | Atelier & Repairs | Bank & Vogue | Bethany Williams | Browns | Burberry | Bureau Betak | By Rotation | Candiani Denim | Circular Systems | Critical Textile Topologies | Duran Lantink | DressX | Eileen Fisher | Eon | FarFarm | Fast Retailing | Ferdinando | Verderi | FFORA | Fibershed | Gabriela Hearst | Gap | Germanier | Good American | Gucci | H&M Group | Hallotex | Hirdaramani | ICICLE | I:Collect | IDEO | Inditex-Oysho | Jaypore | Kering | klee klee | La Bouche Rouge | Lacoste | Maggie Marilyn | MARINE SERRE | Month Day Year | Nkwo Onwuka | Orange Culture | Patrick McDowell | Pepijn van Eeden | Phipps International | Point Off View by Marina Testino | Powered by People | Proclaim | Provenance | PVH Corp. / Tommy Hilfiger | QAALDESIGNS | Reclothing Bank | Redress | Renewcell | RSA | RÆBURN | SAMUEL GUÌ YANG | Sara Sozzani Maino | Sellalong | Shantanu & Nikhil | Stella McCartney | Style House Files - Lagos Fashion Week | Susannah Frankel | Taylor Stitch | Teemill | The African Rack | The Fabricant | The Renewal Workshop | The Restory | The Sustainable Angle | Future Fabrics Expo | ThredUP | Tillmann Lauterbach | Timberland | Unmade | Vestiaire Collective | VF Corp / Napapijri | Vivienne Westwood | WGSN | W.L. Gore & Associates | Wolfgang Blau | YCloset | Yehyehyeh | YKK
This book is part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Design Programme, which aims to empower and equip the world’s designers and creatives in fashion, food, packaging, and beyond, to respond to the circular economy opportunity.
Now is time to reinvent ourselves even further. The circular economy can take us beyond simply trying to do less harm — it is a bigger idea, one that has the power to inspire a new generation of designers. As this book sets out, it is an opportunity to create a fashion industry that is part of the solution to challenges like climate change, biodiversity loss, waste, and pollution, and an industry that can thrive in the long term.
Sara Sozzani Maino
