Sustainable fashion experts from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) have partnered with leading brands to create comprehensive guidelines aimed at eliminating wasteful design practices and promoting durable fashion that supports reuse and recycling.
Addressing the global fashion industry's significant contribution to greenhouse gas emissions (approximately 10 per cent), the new guide, ‘Refashioning: accelerating circular product design at scale,’ outlines practical steps for makers to transition from a linear to a circular design model. This shift focuses on maximizing the lifespan of products and materials.
Professor Alice Payne, Dean, RMIT's School of Fashion and Textiles and Project Lead, emphasizes, the guide challenges traditional design thinking with actionable steps for change. It provides a systematic approach to implementing circular clothing design that all organizations can adopt, regardless of size, she says, Based on extensive industry research, the institute has created practical steps to improve the circularity of their outputs. 'Refashioning' uniquely offers a systematic methodology for both slowing the flow and closing the loop, she informs.
The new guide emphasizes considering material choices, product purpose, durability, and end-of-life options early in the design process to enable material recycling.
The guide's development was a collaborative effort between RMIT, Country Road Group brands (Country Road, Trenery, Witchery, and Politix), and independent experts Courtney Holm and Julie Boulton.
Highlighting the project's success in connecting industry, government, and academia to tackle textile waste, Matt Genever, CEO, Sustainability Victoria, says, the project is a prime example of how cross-sector collaboration can deliver impactful results in the transition to a circular economy
The guidelines were rigorously tested on actual products by design teams across the Country Road Group, ensuring their practical application. Erika Martin, Head –Sustainability, Country Road Group, states, the project has fostered a common understanding and approach to circular design across their brands.
The guide was co-authored by Alice Payne, Yassie Samie, Jenny Underwood, Saniyat Islam, Rebecca Van Amber, and Regine Abos from the RMIT.
