Circular Fashion — Systems, Design & Impact

What you will learn

A clear, structured, honest look at circular fashion

Too much of what is called “circular” in fashion today is marketing, not strategy. This short course helps designers, brands, and sustainability leads cut through the noise and understand where real leverage sits: in systems, in decisions, and in how the work is communicated.

• Why circularity often fails in practice
• Where designers and brands really have leverage
• Business models for circularity, and when they work
• How to avoid oversimplification and greenwashing
• How to communicate circular impact with clarity and credibility

Programme

Two live sessions of 3 hours each, building from systems thinking to practical application

Session 1 — Systems & why circularity fails (3h)

• What “circular fashion” really means — beyond materials and recycling
• The systems view: why most circular initiatives stall in practice
• Where designers and brands actually have leverage
• Common traps: oversimplification, false trade-offs, and the limits of “closing the loop”

Session 2 — Design, business models & credible impact (3h)

• Circular business models: resale, rental, repair, take-back — and when each works (or doesn’t)
• Designing for circularity: durability, disassembly, and material choices that matter
• Communicating circular impact with clarity — and avoiding greenwashing
• Working session: applying the framework to participants’ own products and contexts

Sessions are interactive and discussion-based. Participants are encouraged to bring their own product or brand context to get the most from the working segments.

Outcomes

What you’ll be able to do afterwards

• Assess whether a circular initiative creates real impact or just marketing
• Identify where your products and processes offer genuine circular leverage
• Choose the circular business model that fits your category
• Communicate circular claims credibly and avoid greenwashing