Making Circular Design Guidelines: Reflections on a longitudinal practice research project which strategically explored sustainable, circular, local and biobased textile/fashion narratives

This paper explores fashion textile design methods and practices which address a concern for the environment, through the sustainable, circular, ‘local’ and biobased frameworks and approaches. A series of upcycled shirts are reviewed, which uncover new opportunities and insights to support future design pioneers in the field.

Fashion textile design has changed rapidly in the last decade. As the climate emergency has gathered pace and become the most pressing issue of our time, designers and educators have been using the remaking and overprinting of clothing in research practices to uncover the new thinking and actions needed to drive and support changes in industry practices. Sustainable and circular fashion textile design offers designers the opportunity to create compelling visions and practical roadmaps to just and equitable cultures, that value people and planet over profit. Designers can build new bridges between the sciences, and between economics, politics and industry – creatively framing emergent spaces for discourse and action – challenging us through new modes of making, thinking and sharing.

Through different approaches to making textiles and remaking second-hand polyester shirts; and through parallel forms of enquiry including workshop facilitation, design thinking, teaching and consultancy, this paper aims to articulate guidelines for textile design and practice researchers in creating materials and systems fit for a more resilient future. The paper demonstrates the different approaches explored in tackling sustainability in practice by focusing the creative brief on different issues when upcycling – adding value through design. The paper considers a set of ten shirts which explored circular design and an extended use lifecycle of 50 years; as well as the use of AI, biobased materials made from agriwaste and the potential for circular clothing to also be ‘local’ in production, use, disposal and regeneration.