– Michael Braungart, Willian McDonough, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things 

 Introduction 

The circular economy, championed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the United Nations and many other academics and non profits is often defined as a design-driven movement that eliminates waste, extends product life cycles, and regenerates nature. While this sounds like an exciting mandate and one that’s easy to collectively rally around, it cannot be created upon the same foundation as the current, exploitative systems we function within. If we are to salvage the good, we’ll also need to weed out the inherited misperceptions, limits and exclusionary social hierarchies that constitute the invisible, but formative, subtext of industry.

This is nowhere more apparent than within the fashion industry, which both grotesquely reflects back to us the most damaging narratives in our culture, and carries a certain hope of its redemption. In order to successfully transition from mainstream fast fashion to a circular model, we need to better understand current breakdowns in power dynamics between brands & producers, imagine a new ecosystem, and think globally and courageously about solutions that empower individual expression, while honoring planetary limits. 

Why Is The Supply Chain Slow to Change? 

On the heels of the Covid crisis, Circular Leap Asia, a nonprofit dedicated to bringing upstream actors in fashion to the table, collaborated with leading sustainability consultancy, Forum for the Future, to publish a research report that explored one critical question—if everyone recognizes the need to transition towards a circular production model, why is there so much resistance along the way?

The research pointed to the unequal distribution of risks and rewards between brands and producers. Producers are pushed to operate on very tight margins, while shouldering all the risk if production is unexpectedly canceled, as in the case of Covid-19, where in Cambodia alone, 400 factories shut down and 150k workers were unemployed.  

However, these aren’t just unfair business practices, these dynamics have their roots in histories of colonialism and attitudes of extraction and dehumanization. Celine Semaan, fashion designer and founder of Slow Factory, points out:  

“Since we live in a global economy that is still very much the product of European colonialism and imperial exploitation, sustainability must be discussed in relation to colonialism, and I have previously written about the relationship between the two. If we look at where the resources to make our clothes come from by mapping trade routes — for resources such as cotton, wool, and silk — we can observe how these map directly to historical colonial routes proving that colonialism is a continuing economic reality. ” (Celine Semaan, Teen Vogue)

The Making the Leap to Circular Fashion report connects the dots between equitable partnerships and the need for circular innovation. Without more agency, trust, and empowerment across the supply chain, the fashion industry won’t be able to develop the solutions, synergies and new systems that are so desperately needed to curb waste, ensure efficiency, and promote creativity. 

This means brands must take a historically-informed lens towards reforming production practices, and show up as partners and allies, rather than top down and demanding managers, or harsh enforcers of supply chain environmental policing. As traceability and innovation become more urgent, we’ll also see more vertically integrated supply chains, ethical storytelling and direct access to end-consumers via digital channels.   

What Would an Alternative Model Look Like? 

In the same report where the challenges the fashion industry faces are laid out with such honesty and nuance, there’s also a case study for what a supply chain for a fashion brand/purchase may look like in 2030. In addition to a highly organized secondhand market (where the majority of purchases take place), the case study also proposes a digitally enabled tailor service, TailorMe, that links the ability to commission bespoke made-to-order pieces with a global fabric library, talented designers and local maker resources. The case study looks to the future and imagines that, “responding to consumer preferences for  customized products and fully transparent supply chains, garment manufacturers have moved away from pursuing fully automated mass production lines, working instead to build networks of tailors and seamstresses, who receive localized orders on demand, via platforms like TailorMe.” (Making the Leap to Circular Fashion, 2020, p.15)

While still in the early stages of ideation, case studies such as these are imperative in questioning assumptions, and beginning to design new ecosystems of makers, designers, consumers and conglomerates that are anchored in radically new principles of distribution and production. 

What About the Present Damage? 

Finally, as we reckon with the past and project into the future, we must also embrace agile, experimental and iterative means of rehabilitating and restoring the urban landscapes, like Accra in Ghana that have been inundated and warped by the well meaning but pernicious charity market of second hand clothes. 

The OR Foundation reported that 40% of the clothing that arrives in Accra’s resale hub—The Kantamanto Market, leaves as waste, creating massive landfills with nearly 70 tonnes of new trash being dumped every day.

Going from fast fashion to fair fashion means looking seriously at such collateral damage, and factoring it into the overall intervention strategy. In other words, it isn’t enough to innovate new materials or donate used clothing. We have to clean up both our supply chains, and our waste lines. 

Whether through bold enterprises like “The OR” foundation that document on the ground conditions and educate consumers, new taxes and policies that create greater accountability and support, or technological interventions that create new options for recycling garments, there’s a global mandate to address the fallout of the current fashion paradigm, and those it most negatively impacts.       

If we can reckon with the past, envision a new future, and do right by the present, we stand a chance of transitioning fast fashion into fair fashion, and preserving both the cultural and social capital that allow fashion to be an engine for expression, and connection. 

About the Author : 

Sofiya Deva

Founder and fair fashion activist, Sofiya Deva, grew up in a combination of India, New York, and Dallas, and has felt like a global citizen for as long as she can remember. She’s been a yoga teacher, a magazine editor, a creative director, and a marketing exec, but at her heart, has always dreamed of creating a smaller, stranger world. Inspired by travel, the strength of women in shaping the community, and the artistic process of cross-pollinating cultural currents, she founded The Postcard Edit (www.thepostcardedit.com) as a way for fashion lovers to discover, shop and support designers off the beaten path.

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Being self-taught at just 19 years of age Natalie has gained extensive knowledge of what it is like to be a business owner and building your skill and mindset to achieve your ultimate career goals. 

During the early months of COVID-19, her hometown of NYC was heavily impacted by high cases and lack of PPE. Natalie took this initiative to sew masks named “Style & Protect” a fashionable and breathable cloth mask. Meant for the consumer to look good while staying safe. It became a best seller and allowed the philanthropist business owner to donate a portion of sales to a COVID-19 relief fund supporting resilient non-profit organizations helping low-income new yorkers in the neighboring boroughs, becoming one of her most remarkable achievements. 

Tell us about who you are and what you do. 

My name is Natalie Santini. I’m a 20-year-old college student and entrepreneur born and raised in The Bronx, NY. I’m a student at St. John’s University in Queens, NY majoring in Communication Arts with a focus in media management. Outside of school, I am a business owner and designer to The Santini and freelance consultant at Nat San Media. Over time, I have learned that I love the field of working behind the scenes, creating, and analyzing strategies for businesses so I am very involved in marketing, creative direction, and content on social media. 

Tell us how you created this brand and what was the sole idea behind it. 

I created my brand in summer 2019 where I had nothing to do, but let my mind wander. At the time I had already been focusing and applying my passion for fashion, music, art, pop culture, and community to my digital magazine, 8coast. As a college student, I’ve always been one to never wait until after I graduate to start my career journey longing for something to fulfill my creativity and innovation. My thoughts were of starting a business but had no idea what to base it on or how to even start one. Spending all my days writing in a notebook and on my laptop watching videos and reading articles. I love conducting research especially on topics that interest me. Ironically it all took me back to a place of my childhood. Fashion has always been a part of me since I could remember. Being a young girl I would watch shows like Project Runway, Rachel Zoe, and sketch out outfits. I wanted to create a brand where I am the designer behind all of the unique pieces, so I took time out to figure out what was my desirable style and brand message to focus on. I also conducted research in the world of e-commerce and social media today and how it will grow for the next decade and decided “Yes. This is where I want to be.” 

Go in detail and tell us about how your brand works. You may keep this from the audience’s perspective. 

‘The Santini’ is a contemporary brand by myself Natalie Santini.

The brand represents the individual with an extreme personality that is daring, bold, and marked by originality. It is designed uniquely for compelling creative direction and the modern-day statement piece. Slow fashion becomes our priority as our items are all handmade. Designs are created in house and reflected in the quality. 

Our pieces are all limited edition and exclusive and we are proudly Latina owned. It has a heavy New York lifestyle influence and has a consistent brand message of stepping out of your comfort zone in who you are and what you wear. I see the designs I create as something my highest self would be wearing and you should too. 

What is your giveaway idea through this interview? Highlight something that may interest the readers on a one to one basis. 

You can start with no background in anything. Business is something that was intimated to by because I had a perception you needed professional knowledge and lots of money to start. You can start with what you have and invest in growth. Dedication and truly seeing yourself obtain that potential is key. 

Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis? 

Owning a fashion business comes with many challenges. I decided early on the type of clothing brand I’d like to have. You can either pivot into wholesale or create the products yourself. The slow fashion ethical movement is something that is growing daily and in awareness. I had my unique ideas that I truly wanted to stick to, so designing and creating these pieces myself brings so much joy and has a backstory for customers to understand and value. Since I am self-taught and never attended fashion school, my creations don’t often match up to my extreme designs, but giving up is never an option. I usually almost always take a break and go back to learn and practice what was done wrong to fix it. Now in a year in business, I’ve learned so many skill sets that are useful in creating clothing. I look forward to now having a more clothing based catalog in 2021. 

How do you manage your finances through the services you offer. Any fundings etc received? 

I like to set my prices at a range that is reasonable for my target audience and myself as a designer and business owner. As a handmade clothing brand, you’re paying for time and resources spent on designing, research, production, and packaging. 

Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level? 

I have so many big goals for my business. Over the past year I’ve been in business I truly found out that this is what I’m meant to do as my career in life and not just anything temporary. It’ll eventually allow me to branch out and give back to my community, family, and have new experiences for myself. I’d love to have a celebrity such as Bella Hadid, Rosalia, Snoh Aalegra, Kylie Jenner and so many more female figures wear my pieces. Have my brand reach consumers internationally to expand and grow recognition. Taking it to the next level for me would be becoming a known name as a businesswoman and designer, but also a tremendous public figure.

What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it? 

To anyone who would love to start a business or passion project, I say go for it. It is going to take a lot of time for building, but truly use that time to find out in what areas you’d like to be different, knowing your target audience, and how you will present yourself and get your business out there. There are times where you feel like time moves slow, but that’s where the growth is. Everyone’s journey is different, but dedication and believing in yourself is what gets you ahead. 

For more information visit: www.thesantininyc.com 

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