Worn Again Technologies is part of the Circular Fashion Ecosystem Advisory Board

The British Fashion Council (BFC)’s Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF) has announced the Advisory Board for its first project, the Circular Fashion Ecosystem (previously known as ‘The Waste Eco System Project). The Board is made up of nine industry experts: Alan Wheeler, Director, Textile Recycling Association; Claire Bergkamp, Chief Operating Officer, Textile Exchange; Cyndi Rhoades, Founder, Worn Again Technologies; Dax Lovegrove, Director of Sustainability, Jimmy Choo; Franz von Bismarck-Osten, Senior Director of Sector Development for the eRetail & Fashion Industry, DHL; Jalaj Hora, Vice President of Product Innovation and Consumer Creation, Nike; Judith Rosser-Davies, Head of Government Relations and Education, BFC; Shailja Dubé, IPF Programme Lead and Circular Fashion EcoSystem Project Lead, BFC and Sonia Thimmiah, Head of Sustainable Brands and Customer Partnership, Reckitt Benckise.

The organisation also welcomed sustainability consultancy 3Keel who will work alongside Founding Partner Vanish, part of Reckitt Benckiser, and DHL to support the initial stages of the Circular Fashion Ecosystem.

Launched in October 2020, the Circular Fashion Ecosystem (CFE) programme is the inaugural project of the IPF. Its aim is to focus on the creation of a circular fashion economy in the UK. The programme will work with industry, academia and government to inform and implement change.

Collaboration across the industry is needed now more than ever. The CFE programme will help determine what a new ecosystem looks like, the responsibilities of each stakeholder, and what are the practical next steps needed to arrive at the key programme objectives:

• To accelerate industry-wide ability for textile recycling in the UK
• To make the UK a major fashion “revalue” centre within the global industry
• To influence consumer behaviour into adopting responsible consumption habits

This is a multi-year, multi stakeholder endeavour which will establish a roadmap for change to enable a circular UK fashion economy.

As part of London Fashion Week February 2021 Presented by Clearpay, the BFC hosted a panel discussion on Tuesday 23^rd February in line with the start of the research phase in order to raise awareness of the programme. Hosted by Caroline Rush, BFC Chief Executive, the CFE Advisory Board will discuss the project to enable a call to action to welcome collaborators, including NGOs, brands, big business, government agencies and innovators.

Listen to the talk panel: Circular Fashion Ecosystem Project, A Conversation

The Circular Fashion Ecosystem consortium will be led by Oxford-based certified B-Corp 3Keel LLP, an award-winning firm of sustainability advisors with particular focus on product supply chains. Comprising six core practice areas, 3Keel’s mission is to work with others to create a better future for people and the environment, through ideas, evidence, and by bringing people together. They have considerable experience of delivering lasting change through working with businesses, policy makers, and non-profit organisations. To maximise impact, 3Keel purposefully pursues collaborative projects such as the recently launched BRC Climate Roadmap, their Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs) programme and the ground-breaking Podback scheme.

The consortium will comprise four other partners, collectively combining expertise in circular business models and strategy, consumer trends, and behaviour change in the fashion and textiles sector.

• QSA Partners: a specialist team of circular economy and sustainable business experts with more than 30 years’ experience working with the fashion sector on resource efficiency including significant experience in circular textiles.
• Flourish CSR: a team of industry-leading corporate social responsibility specialists with deep fashion sector knowledge and the network to match.
• Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow: one of the world’s top 100 universities and home to leading researchers in the fields of consumer research, marketing and sustainable clothing consumption.
• Icaro: a leading consumer insights agency with expertise in market research and behaviour change who apply the latest insights from behavioural economics to help their clients understand their audience and design change strategies and interventions.

The consortium will be led by Dr Alex Hetherington, who heads up 3Keel’s Circular Economy Practice and has extensive expertise in partner engagement, stakeholder management, circular economy and LCA in addition to practical end-of-life solutions and circularity for difficult to recycle materials.

About Institute of Positive Fashion

The Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF) helps the British Fashion Industry lead in the goal to be more resilient and circular through global collaboration and local action.

Leveraging global expertise and resources we will adopt standards, develop and establish frameworks, to reset and create a new blueprint for the industry. Through identifying common challenges, we will call for collective action and investment in innovation to make a difference.  We want to bring our industry in tune with the needs of the planet by taking an holistic approach across environment, people, community & craftsmanship.

Established by the British Fashion Council, led by a steering committee of industry experts, supported by advisory groups comprising industry, government and academia.

 For more information, please visit instituteofpositivefashion.com

About British Fashion Council

Formed in 2019, the BFC Foundation brings all its charitable initiatives under one umbrella supporting the future growth and success of the British fashion industry by focusing on three areas: Education, Grant-Giving & Business Mentoring and the IPF.

The BFC Foundation aims to improve equality and opportunity so that the fashion industry remains diverse and open to all, helping talented

Strengthen British Fashion in the global fashion economy as a leader in responsible creative businesses.

Empower and engage all within the British Fashion industry to play their part in positive growth.

We will do this through championing diversity, building and inviting the industry to actively participate in a network to accelerate a successful circular fashion economy.

For more information, please visit www.britishfashioncouncil.co.uk