Circular Fashion Design: The Role of Designers in Closing the Loop

Circular Fashion Design The Role of Designers in Closing the Loop
Fashion Design

Circular Fashion Design: The Role of Designers in Closing the Loop

The fashion industry already started to respond to environmental issues, and one of the trends is circular fashion design. From such systems as take, make, and dispose, designers are in a position to showcase how the world can adopt the right systems that support the circular economy through recycling, reuse and regeneration. Now let us take a look at what circular fashion design is all about, Let us begin by defining it. 

Introduction to Circular Fashion Idea 

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As the term used, circular fashion design involves coming up with clothes that should be in circulation continuously. Contrary to other forms of fashion whereby an article of clothing is used and then disposed off circular fashion on the other hand promotes the cycle of wearing garments along with recycling, repairing or regenerating them. The idea is to avoid waste have the integration closed and make garments fully recyclable with their parts easily disassembled at the end of life. As we shall see in the ensuing sections of this paper, how circular fashion design reduces waste.

Thus, one of the greatest strengths of circular fashion is the reduction of waste that manufacturers can achieve. As is common in conventional fashion, millions of textile products find their way into the environment, especially the dumping sites. Application of eco-friendly clothing design in fashion will enable designers to develop systems to use the clothes material again or recycle the material reducing the amount of textiles that are dumped into the market. 

The Role of Designer in Circularity 

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It can therefore be seen that incorporating sustainability into the architectural process is an achievable goal and should hence be integrated into architectural education. 

Circular fashion is an upstream social process, and designers among other stakeholders are leading this movement. They are not designed as per aesthetics alone but also as functional wear, easy to repair and Recyclable. The following are ways in which designers can ensure they practice sustainable clothing design; sustainable fabrics should be used in the production of the intended clothes, chemicals that are bad for the environment should be used sparingly, and the intended garments should be designed with durability in mind. The idea is to make every stage in the garment life cycle as sustainable as possible towards the environment. We discuss here key strategies for how circular fashion design reduces waste

There are several approaches that designers can adopt to embrace fashion in circular economy:

  • Material Selection: Selecting biodegradable, organic or recyclable materials makes a great contribution to decreasing the negative effect on the environment. Organic cotton, Tencel and recycled polyester, amongst others, are becoming commonly used fabrics now. 
  • Designing for Durability: Designing clothes that will be fashionable now and in the future may help lower demands for fast fashion. Fabrics used to make high-quality long-lasting garments should be easy to repair to give a longer life cycle to the garment. 
  • Modularity and Repairability: Applying such principles to garment construction also can have a positive impact on the clothes’ durability and longevity and, therefore, elude consumers from frequent shopping. 

Case Studies

Doodlage 

Doodlage is a Buyurism based in India that has considerable expertise in circular fashion design and upcycling and recycling fashion. It is a brand that uses fabric waste from large factories and turns them into high-fashion apparel. As for tendencies, the brand comes to the concept of consequential zero-waste fashion so every piece of clothing produced at Doodlage guarantees that the materials will be reused rather than becoming waste in the landfills. The latter speaks a lot about the aesthetic aspect of circular collections of the brand which complies with the mission of the brand to promote sustainability and eco-friendliness in fashion. 

No Nasties 

No Nasties is a fashion brand based in India with a focus on sustainable fashion and no harm to people or the environment. The brand is sustainable in the fashion industry works under the circular economy of fashion, and only uses organic cotton and offers biodegradable products. In the same manner, it also has a take-back program where customers can bring back old garments for recycling so that the materials will remain in a closed loop. Their concern for the earth’s resources and sustainability is a plus for they present an environmental approach to the use of biodegradable material in fashion. 

Upasana 

Upasana – a fashion company from Auroville, Tamil Nadu incorporates sustainability into its process from the conception of designs. It collaborates with the peasants and uses organic products so in this way, fashion has a sensitive impact on the environment and people. Like with “Kapās,” Upasana contributes towards supporting farmers that use organic materials such as organic cotton. The brand is a perfect example of showcasing the impact of circular fashion design is not just possible, but beneficial for the environment and, thus, local communities as well.

How JD Institute Supports Sustainable Designing Process 

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The concept of sustainability is not a mere lip service at the JD Institute of Fashion Technology but something that has been well incorporated into its syllabus. All the fashion courses offered in the institute incorporate circular fashion design since the institute intends to produce responsible fashion designers who are capable of adopting sustainable fashion practices in their designs. 

Circularity-Focused Modules and Courses 

JD Institute provides a wide range of programs that analyze sustainable design strategies used in Fashion Design such as the circularity of materials. Students are taught about sustainable fabrics and how to minimize the use of fabric and other materials in garments and they are trained about how to design for durability. The program ensures that future designers have adequate knowledge, theories, and practical knowledge of the circular fashion economy to be agents. 

Circular Fashion – Organisation of Student Projects 

The institute enables the students to practice what they are taught in the classroom by carrying out projects concerning circular economy in fashion. These projects enable students to practice different sustainable materials, modularity, and recycling that would enable them to show a portfolio that embraces sustainability. 

The Effect of Circular Fashion System on the Fashion Industry 

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The various purposes of circular fashion is not just waste but help to reduce the carbon emission of the fashion industry greatly. Circulating fashion also cuts on the utilization of energy and water required to produce garments since it encourages the role of materials in circular fashion design instead of raw ones. 

Shortly, the industry will embrace circular fashion design since more brands/designers embrace the idea/practice. A new generation of designers in circular curriculum will be well prepared to solve earth’s challenges hence making fashion circular for the future. 

Therefore, implementing circular fashion design is vital to managing some of the problems affecting today’s fashion industry. This is where designers come in handy by developing apparel, which are durable, recyclable and produced in an environmentally friendly way. Sustainable fashion is not just a trend that has now come into focus, and this is well seen in some of the leading brands and institutions such as the JD Institute. 

Whenever designers have shifted the discussion to methods to eradicate waste circularly and accept pioneering techniques that are needed for a sustainable fashion, they are becoming the harbingers of change for better fashion and a better world.

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