Circular Design Sprint: Practical Solutions for Sustainable Fashion

The virtual part of the Circular Design Sprint has come to an end. This marked the end of two intense weeks of interactive collaborations. The event was organised by Sqetch and supported by circular.fashion, as well as the Embassy of the Netherlands in Germany. The workshop series gave participants from Dutch and German companies the opportunity to develop new ideas and projects around sustainable fashion. The success of this will be celebrated in October.

Circular Design Sprint

The Circular Design Sprint is a hybrid event consisting of virtual meeting which took place during the end of May and the beginning of June this year, as well as an event on October 1, 2020 in Berlin. The main focus of the event lies on the question of how fashion designers can redesign products through circular design principles. Together with coaches, the teams worked on practical solutions in the workshops and presented their final concepts in a session at the end of the virtual sprint. Five teams each focused on a specific product category: suit/blazer, jeans, outdoor jacket, leather bag and blouse/dress. “We are thrilled with the results, the level of professionalism and creativity, which the participants have proven in such a short period of time and we look forward to sharing a small glimpse of the final results with you. Each team has developed incredible ideas and solutions, which can be brought to life in the foreseeable future”, the organisers were very pleased with the results.

5 teams, 5 prototypes

The so called “Blazer Collective” presented a customisable blazer, which is sustainable and recyclable and creates a link between the product and its community through its own online platform. With its “Seed to Soul Company”, “Team Denim” developed a sustainable denim brand for men, which produces high-quality jeans. When asked how cotton can be a catalyst for positive change, Seed to Soil answered “with high-quality biodegradable materials”. “Wear, love, store, repeat” - a slogan used by the “Puffair Team”. They have designed a winter jacket that can be recycled in a mono-cycle system. The jacket is made of recycled polyester, which can be recycled continuously. The unisex design is very flexible: the jacket can be worn as a short coat with or without hood. The inflatable air cushions provide additional warmth in cold temperatures, meaning that the jacket can be worn in autumn, as well as during the coldest winter periods. An “Urban Wear Café” with repair services completes the sophisticated concept. Under the title “RAKKA”, the “Team Ledertasche” (EN: Team Leatherbag) transformed a conventional leather bag into a unique product made of plant material, which is described as a “circular product-service experience combo” that “expands your perception of sustainability and at the same time is desirable, inclusive and innovative. Last but not least, “Dress Yourself” was formed by a team which saved a mass-produced dress from landing in the bin. With the ability for consumers to “build their signature style”, the team took the dress apart into its components and created a fully customisable and recyclable piece, which is to be offered with a free after sales service and support.

The participants of the Circular Design Sprint were supported by a team of trainers from circular.fashion (Ina Budde, Luna Mazzolini, Jonna Haeggblom, and Susanne Mira Heinz).

In October, all participants will be able to exchange their ideas face to face and present their projects.