A circular design knowledge gap and a financial barrier for circular design are the two primary hindrances to implementing circularity at the design stage for fashion companies manufacturing in China and Southeast Asia.
- The problem is accentuated by a clear lack of commitment and collaboration from top management.
- The findings are from a recent survey conducted by Hong Kong-based Redress among fashion professionals in China and Southeast Asia, which account for approximately 60% of global exports of garments, textiles and footwear.
The highlights: The key findings of the study included the following:
- There is a circular design knowledge gap, with 79% of all respondents agreeing, either somewhat or strongly, that implementing circular design poses challenges;
- There is a financial barrier for circular design, with 71% of all respondents saying that cost is a resistance factor when choosing materials to reduce environmental impacts; and
- There is lack of commitment and collaboration from top management, as illustrated by this comment from an interviewee: “The progress towards sustainability is ongoing and requires a topdown approach, where senior management sets policies and goals, followed by cascading objectives at lower levels.
The project: The research included literature reviews and a survey (May 2023) which was answered by 195 global fashion professionals working within the fashion industry, such as fashion designers, creative directors, product developers, merchandisers, consultants, and freelance designers.
- Forty individuals also provided qualitative data through interviews and focus groups conducted in English and Chinese (June 2023). These included fashion professionals working within companies producing apparel for the European, Chinese, and Southeast Asian markets, along with five educators specialising in design and sustainability.
- The project was supported by VF Foundation.
The design context: It is estimated that 80% of a product’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage.
- As the industry begins to embrace circularity, designers are positioned as the key decision-makers in driving the paradigm shift towards a circular fashion industry. Thus, they must clearly define their role, influence, and opportunity to align with this trend.
- From emerging designers with small start-ups to experienced designers in large established companies, fashion designers at all levels have the potential to contribute to the move towards circularity.
- In order to understand where designers can maximise their role to reduce environmental impact, there is a need to understand what the design stage is and who is involved in the decision-making process to expose both barriers and opportunities to embed circularity in products.
The way out: The report has recommended:
Close the knowledge gap: Education and capacity building
• Build the foundation of "sustainability literacy" starting from universities by integrating related topics into education curricula;
• Implement training programmes and cross-divisional sharing sessions to support designers in acquiring additional technical, business, and sustainability knowledge;
• Emphasise the importance of accurate and honest knowledge sharing to design teams from fabric suppliers to facilitate more sustainable material sourcing.
Readdress financial barriers
• Promote longer-term investments in sustainable materials to increase availability and supply and to drive down material costs for all;
• Reposition profit margins for strategic integration of sustainability and circularity into product design;
• Invest into digital design tools to reduce burden on fashion practitioners, allowing them the additional capacity to creatively implement circular practices.
Create a more collaborative and supportive working structure
• Unite the entire organisation towards a common sustainability and circularity goal;
• Promote top-down facilitation of cross-divisional decision-making;
• Give sustainability leads more resources and empowerment to influence senior leadership.
The bottomline: The report contends: “Without adequate support, designers may struggle to exercise their influence, even with the right knowledge—and will not be able to meet their potential in driving the transition to a circular system for fashion.”
