Make Fashion Circular Initiative by Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2017 was one of the earliest and most prominent projects toward circular fashion. In 2022, circular economy is gradually becoming the textile industry's new "lit" thing.
By 2040, the total human population of the earth will be over 9 billion, as per the UN projection. Now the big question is, "is the mother earth ready to cater for the need of such a mammoth population in the coming 20 years?" The answer is a resounding “NO” All industries are looking for a sustainable solution to solve the biggest problem of today- the environmental impact of the ever-growing human population. Undoubtedly, the fashion and textile industry are also not isolated from the idea of sustainability, and circular economy in fashion is the most famous approach to solving it.
Circular fashion- the paradigm shift in the fashion industry The concept of circular motion is simple. The circular fashion idea focuses on designing and producing clothes, shoes or accessories with a single intention- responsible and effective use of products for the longest time possible and then returning safely to the biosphere after no possible human use. More straightforwardly, circular fashion follows four "R" approaches of fashion sustainability- repair, resell, recycle, and rent. It starts at the design stage of the garment lifestyle and ends with successfully decomposing the products into the biosphere without any environmental hazards. The circular ecosystem combines three main factors- circular supply chain, circular products, and circular journeys. Without understanding these components, the idea of the circular ecosystem is difficult to conceive. Circular supply chain Circular supply chain is all about producing as much as is required and optimizing the inventory levels to avoid waste. This involves use of technology (such as AI/ML) to continuously assess the customer demand and recalibrate the manufacturing output to produce the right quantity of the right product. Circular Products The best example of a circular product is the use of old garments, worn out/unused material to make a product such as the ‘Khesh’ Sarees widely acknowledged in the industry for their unique designs that result from the unique manufacturing process
Circular customer journeys
A number of brands are increasingly making it easier for the consumers to share and buy pre-owned clothes. Brands are investing in technologies that facilitate this trade by assessing factors such as age and condition of the product and repricing it accordingly.
Conclusion Circular fashion is clearly going to be a critical strategic decision for the fashion industry considering the increasing number of environmentally conscious customers and their buying preferences. However, the road ahead for most of the brands is long and winding. Big and small players alike need to revisit their business models to align themselves to more sustainable practices. It will be interesting to see how brands minimize the price impact resulting from the realignment and customers willingness to pay more for sustainable fashion
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