Unlocking circularity through creativity
At Performance Days last week, Sportstextiles technical editor Sophie Bramel moderated a panel discussion exploring the issue of circularity through the lens of creativity. The session brought together Andrea Rosso, head of sustainability for Diesel and the OTB group, Daniel Hartung, designer and founder of Hartung Paris, and Courtney Samulik, supply chain lead for recycling innovator Circ. (Unfortunately, Mariska Boer, from Boer Group, a collector and recycler, was unable to join).
The panel covered three broad topics
Designing for circularity: are aesthetics compatible with sustainability?
Recycling textiles-to-textiles: the hype vs. the reality
Collaboration across the value chain
The conversation highlighted the role of good design, for all garment components, including trimmings, above and beyond sustainability criteria. Ms Samulik described Circ’s recycling method and pointed out that its ability to take in blended fabrics was a unique advantage point that offers designers added liberty.
On the integration of more sustainable practices into the apparel industry, Mr Rosso pointed out that a company’s organisation has a strong impact on decision-making processes: “One department may find a solution useful or pertinent, but if another department, say the product design team, has a different view, the whole process must go back to the drawing board.”
With a good part of the supply chain gathered under one roof, Performance Days was a perfect setting for the topic of collaboration. For both Mr Rosso and Mr Hartung, the best products are built from the ground up, to purpose. Mr Hartung shared an experience he had when working for Nike: he had found a way to reuse offcuts and thus create a zero-waste production line for one product. “Initially, the manufacturer hated me because I was disrupting his workflow. But two years later, he had applied the principal to other ranges, at no added cost.”
While Performance Days often focuses on the technical issues of circularity, this panel highlighted the importance of creative thinking in changing linear mindsets. It, like the new sections dedicated to creativity at the Munich show, are a reminder that good design can go a long way.
For those who missed the event, and other Performance Days presentations, they will be available to stream online here.
