Is Politics the Missing Thread? Circular Fashion Collective by Première Vision Paris Reveals the Challenges of Circular Fashion

Every year, the world generates 92 million tons of textile waste, yet less than 1% of discarded clothing is recycled into new garments. The inefficiency of current recycling practices has resulted in an industry responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. These statistics demand an urgent overhaul of traditional fashion systems.

New European Regulations: A Catalyst for Change

The EU has a Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, including the Green Claims Directive, the Circular Economy Action Plan, and the European Industrial Strategy. New regulations aim to address these challenges, with policies mandating that all textile products be durable, repairable, and recyclable. Producers will bear greater responsibility for their products throughout the supply chain, paving the way for profitable reuse and repair services.

During the kick-off event of The Circular Fashion Collective by Première Vision Paris, Mayouri Sengchanh, CEO at Exalis and Première Vision’s representative for Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Poland, emphasized the importance of preparing for these changes. She highlighted Première Vision Paris’s initiatives to introduce more ethical and transparent sourcing options in its next edition, scheduled for February 10–13, 2025.

Insights from Circular Fashion Designers

After the presentation, Mayouri Sengchanh co-moderated a panel talk with Belvis Soler, co-founder and editor-in-chief at Luxiders Magazine, engaging eight fashion designers in a deep discussion about the challenges and opportunities of circular fashion.

Upcycling has emerged as the new standard for luxury, transforming waste into one-of-a-kind masterpieces. It challenges designers to push the boundaries of creativity, reimagining discarded materials into innovative and meaningful designs. Their insights revealed both the immense potential and the significant hurdles in achieving circularity.

Laura Gerte, specializing in upcycling deadstock materials to create innovative designs, emphasized the need for a large-scale sourcing network for second-hand garments and deadstock textiles. “How about initiating a centralized platform for distributing deadstock garments as raw material? This could make scalable upcycling more accessible,” she proposed.

Human Touch, the Berlin-based brand known for its paint-sewing technique, which imprints human labor directly onto garments, was also part of the panel talk. One of the main challenges with deadstock is the inconsistency in quality and traceability. It’s like a treasure hunt—exciting but risky, she underlined. “The main issues we face are the reliability of the quality and the information of the deadstocks we purchase, like the data on the material. So often we might get 100% cotton fabric or 100% cotton T-shirts, and then when we work with them, we realize it doesn’t feel like 100% cotton. There’s some animal stain in it or the quality is poor. And then the question is, who’s responsible for that? If you buy new fabric directly from a supplier, you can say, your product is not working for me, so please refund me. But with deadstock, you have that risk. So it’s fun using deadstock, like finding hidden gems, but at the same time, you have that risk that you don’t know exactly what you’re getting,” Juliette Seger, co-founder of the brand, explained.

Christine Rochlitz, founder of the vegan and sustainable luxury handbags brand LuckyNelly Berlin, is using biodegradable and plant-based materials, such as strawberries, cork, and agricultural waste. To her, luxury is not just about materials; it’s about stories and values. That’s why she experiments in her kitchen with innovative materials like cabbage leaves. “I started to work with cork because I love cork. And it’s a biodegradable material. And it can be printed and embossed like crocodile skin. And then I wanted to find other things. I found a real sewable wood. It’s a very thin wood veneer and it’s so flexible that you can sew it. So I made belts and some bags out of it. And also I found a genuine slate stone. It’s really made from stone that can be sewn. You cannot believe it is real stone. Now I am using Wastea – it is made from tea waste from the tea industry that is up to 95% bio-based, vegan and sustainable. It feels like leather. I love it. And I work also with another material. It is made from marble or chalk. It’s 100% bio-based and the German company who has developed this gorgeous material is named NUVI. Another next-gen bio-based „vegan leather“ called „Shorai“ made by Rheom Materials, we just also use for our collections, it is made from bacteria.“ As Mayouri Sengchanh added, Première Vision Paris offers a huge area for leather seekers that includes a big area with alternatives to leather, most of them coming from agricultural waste but also from trees.

Gaëlle Lang Halloo, whose streetwear brand integrates natural fibers like linen to achieve performance functionality with sustainability, underlined: “I’m not really interested in polyamide. I wanted to explore some different fabrics, just to go a little bit more into the tricky side. Why not try natural fibers in sportswear? To do so, I was speaking with the Alliance for European Flax-Linen and Hemp about biodegradable and sustainable linen. I think linen is really interesting because it’s breathable. It is natural. It’s more eco-friendly than cotton. So I just got into linen. And what I love with linen is that it’s more casual (…) Actually, it was one of the outfits that most of the people were talking to me.” Indeed, it is all about finding creative ways to merge technical fabrics with natural materials.

Panos Gotsis designs timeless luxury menswear using 95% deadstock materials. He also collaborates with traditional craftsmanship schools in Greece. They produce cotton fabric on traditional looms. “Rather than wait for change, we must be the change we want to see. Supporting local craftsmanship and eliminating plastic are core to my values,” Panos stated. “Saving resources like water and energy is a struggle. But you have to have a clear vision of what you want to put out there,” he added.

Angelika Kammann, Artistic Director and founder of Société Angelique, focuses on honest sustainability and transparency. “My last collection was made with deadstock material in jeans from C&A. Sometimes, as we know, they buy more fabric than they need. And I use this fabric to create a new collection, not with C&A, but with my own suppliers.” When asked about which circular processes and innovations can be implemented to reduce production waste, Angelika responded, “During the cutting process, you have lots of waste. And I’m working with another startup, which is called Brain of Materials. Together, we’re collecting the waste from the cut and repurposing it into new materials. They already do that for the automobile industry. And they’re selling fabrics there, for example. I used one of these fabrics to make a project. And it worked very well. It’s also in stores. And the clients really like it. So there we are coming close to a creative concept. But it’s a long way to go.” Angelika is using a QR code at each garment. So the end consumer can go on the QR code in their clothes and can see where the production is made and who has touched the garment, the exact composition. 

Damur brand focuses on urban luxury. “Sustainability shouldn’t just be a buzzword. We need unified certification systems that make it easier for designers to comply and for consumers to trust,” he argued. Damur originally comes from Taiwan, Taipei. He was living in Europe for 20 years. Next year will be his 10th-year anniversary. “After living in Germany almost 10 years, I feel like sometimes the goal is too high. We almost want to set the whole world just by an independent designer.” To Damur, the big problem is bureaucracy. “We have to pay custom tax, and that’s very annoying. The tax is very expensive, so that’s why I don’t want to do it. This is something other countries are not having (…) Our wool comes from Poland but knitwear, jacquard, jersey, comes from Taiwan. As much as I want to produce everything in Europe, I can’t just find it. So it’s kind of sometimes I feel like, yes, in the theory, everything is great. But when we go on the production side, you cannot change that.” he underlined.

Estelle Adeline Trasoglu, from Plaid-À-Porter, transforms vintage handmade textiles into wearable art. “Those new wardrobe heirlooms you give from generation to generation, are actually often representing a third use of a fabric. For instance, if you take a patchwork kilt like the one I’m wearing today, which is actually from 1940, it’s already a creative reuse of fabric.”

“Every piece tells a story. Through history tags, I connect consumers with the origins of the fabric, creating a personal and emotional bond,” she said. “I would like to build a loyal customer-based brand, which is working very well. Once they buy, they come back to me to get a second piece. They have to love to be individual. They have to like wearing their personality.”

Talking about the best way to communicate, she said: “Digital marketing, social media are my main practices, lots of videos, the stories about how do we create our pieces. Also, customer involvement is very important. I give people the possibility to design themselves a little bit, which means they can choose from our materials, from our silhouettes… They can also buy matching garments for moms and kids.”

The Future of Circular Fashion: Themes and Vision

The discussions revealed key themes that define the future of circular fashion.

• Regenerative Design: Creating systems that restore and renew resources.
• Longevity: Designing durable and repairable garments from high-quality materials to extend their lifecycle.
• Transparency: Implementing unified certification systems to trace materials and ensure ethical practices.
• Creativity and Exclusivity: Leveraging upcycling to produce unique, high-quality pieces that redefine luxury.
• Technological Innovation: Developing recycling technologies to make upcycling desirable and scalable.

Bridging the Gap Between Policy and Practice

While the Circular Fashion Collective by Première Vision showcased inspiring innovations, it also highlighted systemic gaps. Most of the designers underlined there is an inadequate recycling infrastructure, which poses a significant challenge. The need for knowledge exchange, best practices, and government support is more crucial than ever.

In this context, Circular Fashion Collective by Première Vision represents a transformative opportunity for the industry. By uniting designers, policymakers, media, and consumers, we can build a future where fashion not only minimizes its environmental impact but also becomes a force for regeneration. The Circular Fashion Collective by Première Vision Paris has taken an important step in this direction, but the journey is just beginning. We invite you to stay tuned to the evolution of this platform. We are confident it will bring many solutions to the industry.