Goodbye Fast Fashion? Redesigning a New Textiles Economy to Make Future Fashion Circular with Helene Smits

In today’s episode, Helene Smits shares about her work with companies and brands to close the loop in the textiles sector. Helene reflects on what brands are currently doing to implement more sustainable business practices, such as using recycled content and addressing environmental impacts of production. She also discusses successes and challenges she’s encountered over the past few years of working with brands to close the loop, and emphasizes the importance of also addressing consumption habits within the textiles and apparel sector - even if that means asking ‘Do I really need this?’ before you make your next purchase.

Helene Smits founded Circle Economy’s Textiles Program in 2014 and recently launched her own independent consulting firm called Stating the Obvious. She focuses on collaborative projects that drive the practical implementation of circularity in the industry and works with a wide array of pioneering organisations including Recover, The Alliance for Responsible Denim, Textile Exchange, Amsterdam Fashion Institute and Fashion for Good.

Highlights

• Our existing textiles system [01:45]
• What brands are currently doing [04:00]
• Challenges/opportunities for closing the loop in the apparel industry [10:30]
• New fashion business models and are they really beneficial? [17:25]
• What you can do – consumption and brands making a change [23:30]
• Future visions for the textiles sector [28:25]