Circular Economy has become a hot word in everyday conversation, but we know it is something representing a big, complex, challenging - but fundamental - value if we want to talk about a new generation of textile system.

The circular economy is a model of production and consumption created to extend the lifecycle and so the value of products. This means reducing waste to a minimum and it involves new business models such as sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible.

This recent C.L.A.S.S. smart voice shed the light on four different and complementary case histories that are able to cover at different level the new generation of wardrobe with a circular approach, four outstanding journeys representing smart solutions for the contemporary wardrobe enabling the consumer’s approach to circular economy offer. Circularity is for sure on top of their minds:

- Andreas Röhrich, former Director of Product Development and Textile Sourcing Wolford  AG, now consultant for sustainability and innovation in textile

- Ettore Maria Carfagnini, Co-founder of REVIBE, leading online marketplace for upcycling fashion in Europe, that have a relevant background in circularity

- Circularity expert Adriana Galijasevic, Founder & CEO at Cocircular Lab

- Tricia Carey Chief Commercial Officer – Renewcell

Watch the latest instalment of C.L.A.S.S. Smart Voices - Circularity as a state of mind…

Key takeaways from the speakers

"We chose the title "Circularity as a state of mind" as circularity to us is not just a hot word, and the speakers, during the session, shared incredible information, experiences that have for sure shed interesting lights on what circularity truly means and have  also been very inspiring and interesting case histories for the community: circularity on top of mind.” Giusy Bettoni, CEO and founder C.L.A.S.S.

"Circularity is here to eliminate the concept of waste. Today, this means using waste as a resource and designing with an intent for next use.  Ideally, these two should be combined. However, considering that waste we have today was never designed to be reused in the first place, we often have to opt for one or the other.  True circularity to me is design according to Cradle-to-Cradle philosophy which is inspired by nature." Adriana Galijasevic, Founder & CEO Cocircular Lab.

“Our recycling technology breaks down used cotton and other cellulose-rich textiles and transforms them into a new, biodegradable raw material: Circulose pulp. Our pulp is different because it is made from a 100% textile waste. We re-use the cellulose and keep those molecules alive, keep them going, and it is recyclable again and it has the quality of the original virgin quality." Tricia Carey, Chief Commercial Officer Renewcell.

“At Wolford, we started with our Aurora pioneer circularity project in 2013, then it took us five years of hard R&D work. But at the end, we were really proud as in 2018 we achieved the Gold certificate for cradle-to-cradle for the bio cycle and after one year we also achieved the certificate for the technical cycling. At that time, we were the only fashion brand with both the certificates for both cycles. We started from a bra and today we offer a full range to our consumers, together with a new generation of communication.” Andreas Röhrich, on behalf of Wolford AG where he was former Director of Product Development and Textile Sourcing, now consultant for sustainability and innovation in textiles.

"REVIBE is a marketplace dedicated to upcycled fashion, the leading one at European level. The main part of our business is the community. When we were in Paris, we ended up meeting a lot of upcycling designers, and we realized that what was missing at that time was a shopping location where you could actually buy, see and learn about these new brands that are trying to make fashion more circular."  Ettore Maria Carfagnini, Co-founder REVIBE

Smart Voices by C.L.A.S.S. is a virtual programme of digital talks, with the aim of sharing ideas, knowledge, stories and innovations able to "shake up" the fashion system with a responsible attitude.

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