Create the Rules, Don’t Wait to Be Told: Fashion’s Bold Opportunity to Lead the Future
The fashion industry has always prided itself on creativity and innovation. We claim to set trends, define cultural moments, and push boundaries. But when it comes to how we run our businesses – how we design supply chains, manage resources, and engage with consumers – we’ve stayed locked in the past.
Let’s not sugarcoat it: the way we operate today is not just unsustainable; it’s outdated. The linear model of take, make, waste – the engine behind fast fashion – has hit its limits. Virgin resources are dwindling, landfills are overflowing, and consumers are becoming vocal critics. Add to that the impending wave of regulations, like the EU Digital Product Passport and Circular Economy Action Plan, and the message is clear: change isn’t optional. It’s inevitable.
But here’s the real challenge: how do we transform an industry built for speed and volume into one that thrives on circularity, transparency, and collaboration – all while remaining profitable and competitive?
It’s a chicken-and-egg situation. Brands hesitate to embrace circular business models because the infrastructure, systems, and consumer behaviors aren’t fully in place. At the same time, these very systems won’t mature without bold leadership to drive adoption and innovation.
So, what’s the answer? Stop waiting. Start leading.
This isn’t about following the rules that are coming – it’s about creating them. If the fashion industry wants to stay relevant, we need to set the bar, not scramble to meet it. Here’s how.
- Rethink Growth: From Selling More to Selling Smarter
For decades, growth has been synonymous with producing more: more collections, more SKUs, more sales. But let’s face it: this volume-based growth model is reaching its expiration date. Instead of chasing quantity, we need to build smarter, more resilient revenue streams that align with circular principles.
The shift to smarter growth includes:
• Rental and Subscription Services: Consumers are already warming to the idea of renting or subscribing to fashion for access over ownership. Brands like Rent the Runway have shown this can be profitable when scaled.
• Resale and Trade-In Programs: Secondhand marketplaces are exploding. Why let third-party platforms profit from your products? Take control of the resale value of your items and keep customers in your ecosystem.
• Repair and Refurbishment Services: Offering repair programs not only extends the lifecycle of your products but deepens customer loyalty. Patagonia’s repair program is a shining example of how this can be both a service and a marketing strength.
Concrete Steps to Lead:
1. Pilot a subscription or rental service in one product category to test market demand.
2. Build an in-house trade-in and resale platform to capture the secondary market.
3. Launch a repair program with visible marketing to position your brand as a leader in sustainability.
2. Design for Circularity, Not Obsolescence
Every product’s lifecycle starts at the design table. If a product isn’t designed for circularity – repair, reuse, recycling – it will never fit into a circular system. Waste isn’t just a byproduct of production; it’s a failure of design.
Key Principles of Circular Design:
• Modular Construction: Products should be easy to disassemble, repair, and upgrade. Think of it like a car – replace the worn parts instead of throwing away the entire thing.
• Material Innovation: Shift to regenerative materials, bio-based fibers, and fully recyclable components. Circularity starts with inputs that can re-enter the system.
• End-of-Life Planning: Every product should come with a clear plan for what happens after its first use – whether it’s disassembly, recycling, or repurposing.
Concrete Steps to Lead:
1. Implement design briefs that prioritize modularity and longevity as core principles.
2. Partner with material innovators to integrate regenerative and recyclable materials.
3. Add clear end-of-life instructions to all products, empowering consumers to engage in circularity.
3. Embrace Traceability as a Competitive Edge
Traceability isn’t just about regulatory compliance – it’s about building trust. As consumers and regulators demand proof of sustainability claims, full transparency will become non-negotiable. And the brands that embrace this early will gain a critical competitive edge.
Traceability unlocks opportunities to:
• Prove Sustainability Claims: Greenwashing is under fire, and rightly so. Digital product passports, supported by blockchain technology, allow brands to provide verifiable data on materials, sourcing, and production.
• Enable Circular Systems: Traceability ensures that products and materials can flow seamlessly through repair, resale, and recycling loops.
• Build Consumer Loyalty: Transparency isn’t just about accountability; it’s about creating deeper connections with consumers who want to align with brands they trust.
Concrete Steps to Lead:
1. Invest in digital product passports to track each product’s journey and materials.
2. Work with blockchain platforms to build immutable records of sourcing and production.
3. Partner with suppliers to ensure traceability across the entire value chain.
4. Collaborate to Scale Solutions
Circularity isn’t something any brand can achieve alone. The supply chain is too complex, the systems too fragmented. The future belongs to brands that embrace collaboration – not just within fashion, but across industries.
Collaboration looks like:
• Shared Take-Back Systems: Partner with competitors to create unified recycling and collection programs that benefit everyone. Why should every brand build its own?
• Industry-Wide Material Platforms: Imagine a shared resource for recycled fibers, accessible to all participating brands, reducing costs and scaling circularity.
• Pre-Competitive Initiatives: Work with regulators, NGOs, and industry groups to set the standards and frameworks for circular systems.
Concrete Steps to Lead:
1. Join or form coalitions focused on shared circularity solutions, like global textile take-back programs.
2. Partner with tech companies to create platforms for material traceability and recycling.
3. Lead industry conversations on setting ambitious, pre-competitive sustainability goals.
5. Lead the Narrative: From Reactive to Proactive
Waiting for regulations to dictate your next move is a recipe for irrelevance. Instead, lead the conversation. Set the agenda. Rewrite what it means to be a leader in the fashion industry.
Position yourself as a thought leader by:
• Advocating for bold policies that push the industry forward.
• Open-sourcing circularity innovations to scale solutions beyond your own brand.
• Using your marketing to educate and inspire – not just sell.
Concrete Steps to Lead:
1. Publish bold commitments to circularity with clear, time-bound milestones.
2. Share progress transparently, even when it highlights challenges – honesty builds credibility.
3. Use storytelling to show how circularity benefits consumers, the planet, and your brand.
The Rules Are Changing. Will You Lead or Follow?
Here’s the reality: The rules of fashion are about to be rewritten. The question isn’t whether your brand will change – it’s whether you’ll define the change or react to it.
Circularity isn’t a threat to profitability. It’s an opportunity to rethink what growth, loyalty, and success mean in the 21st century. By embracing smarter business models, designing for longevity, and leading with transparency and collaboration, the fashion industry can evolve into a force for good – one that thrives on innovation and regeneration.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽. Let’s stop waiting for someone else to set the standard. Let’s create the rules and build a future where profit and purpose are aligned.
What bold move will you make today to lead the way?
