HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – November 3, 2023 – Redress, the Hong Kong-based, Asia-focused environmental NGO accelerating the shift to a circular fashion industry by educating designers and consumers, releases its report on the industry on the role, influence and opportunities for circular fashion designers. Supported by the VF Foundation, the report focuses on the fashion design sector in China and Southeast Asia, which produces around 60% of global exports of clothing, textiles and footwear.[1].
Fashion’s environmental challenges, caused primarily by its current linear system, are well known. Approximately 100 billion items of clothing are produced each year, representing a 50% increase since 2006. The majority of clothing is landfilled or burned within a year of production.[2] As one of the most polluting industries in the world, fashion currently contributes 10% of global CO2 emissions.[3] and on its current trajectory, it is expected to use 25% of the global carbon budget by 2050.[4]
A lot of work is needed to move to a circular fashion system, including transforming the fashion design stage, where it is estimated that 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined.[5]
RESULTS SHOW GAPS – KNOWLEDGE AND INVESTMENT URGENTLY NEEDED
The industry report highlights a lack of knowledge around circular design, with 79% of respondents saying they “somewhat or strongly agree that implementing circular design poses challenges”; financial barriers to circular design, with 71% of all respondents stating that “cost is a resisting factor when choosing materials to reduce environmental impacts”; and that
lack of commitment and collaboration from senior management hinders progress at the design stage.
“Our report findings show that the Asian fashion industry is not equipped to deliver the supply chain of the future,” said Christina Dean, founder of Redress. “Legislation is evolving as the European Union continues to strengthen regulations targeting the environmental and social impact of fashion. This will have implications throughout the supply chain, particularly in Asia, where 70% of EU textiles are manufactured.[6] Urgent investment in fashion circularity is needed, from recycling to new materials, as well as urgent reallocation of resources, upskilling and reskilling. »
Redress’s quantitative survey was conducted among 195 global fashion professionals working at the design stage. Forty qualitative interviews were also conducted with fashion professionals working within companies producing clothing for the European, Chinese and Southeast Asian markets, as well as with five educators specializing in design and development sustainable.
Based on the findings, Redress urges the APAC fashion industry to better support the implementation of circularity at the design stage by closing the knowledge gap through education and capacity building; address financial obstacles from a long-term perspective; and create a more collaborative work structure with support from senior management.
“At the VF Foundation, we know that establishing a more circular system, from product creation to consumer engagement, is essential for the fashion industry to achieve a more sustainable future,” says Gloria Schoch, executive director of the VF Foundation and senior director of VF. Company. “This report reinforces the importance of educating designers and finding opportunities to instill these values in the next generation of designers in order to achieve meaningful progress at scale.”
REDRESS: PROVIDING SOLUTIONS TO BRIDGE THE FUNCTION OF KNOWLEDGE
A key pillar of Redress’s work is training designers in circular and sustainable design theories and techniques. These educational efforts are supported by partnerships with industry leaders and more than 170 universities to provide sustainable fashion programs for the next generation of designers.
The knowledge shared by Redress is in high demand, with the Redress Academy, a free online resource on circular fashion topics, having been viewed over 68,000 times this year. Highlights from recent workshops attended by finalists of the Redress Design Award 2023, the world’s largest sustainable fashion design competition, have recently been shared as educational circular case studies. These include:
“Circular design can be seen as a challenge. But having top-down leadership or management leadership, as we do at TAL, is essential. If leaders don’t understand the financial imperatives of steering their supply chains , innovation at the design stage will become a dead end,” shared Rod Henderson, President of TAL Apparel.
- The customer experience challenge with sustainable luxury packaging experts Delta Global: where participants were asked to build a conceptual packaging solution with product longevity and consumer engagement in mind.
“Investing in circularity R&D and innovations must be the first priority for all businesses as part of their collective goal to future-proof their business,” said Robert Lockyer, founder of Delta Global. “Delta Global will continue to invest time, mentorship and knowledge sharing with best practices to help guide and train emerging designers. Ultimately, we know that investing in knowledge makes good business sense and creates a positive platform for the future.
COLLABORATE TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE FASHION IN CHINA
China being one of the world’s largest exporters of clothing.[7]Redress’s collaborations in China also mark important milestones in the sustainable development of the fashion industry.
Redress presented the findings of its industry report during a panel discussion at Fashion Summit Hong Kong, Asia’s sustainable fashion event, as well as at Shanghai Fashion Week.
Demonstrating that collaboration between supportive organizations and competent designers is essential to the successful implementation of circular practices, Redress also recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the Shenzhen Garment Industry Association, organizer of Shenzhen Fashion Week.
Editor’s notes
-
Sign up to receive Redress’s industry report on the role of circular designers
here. -
Other supporting statistics are
here.
Hashtag: #To sort out
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
