Feature Photo Credit: Sopa Images/Lightrocket via Getty Images
This year, during Zero Waste Week, I revisited a familiar area of the sustainability conversation—fashion—one I’ve explored deeply through both my Master’s studies in ethical fashion and through teaching it to my students. While zero waste principles can be applied broadly, I am especially interested by their connection to the fashion industry.
I first learned about the Redress Design Award—the world’s leading sustainable fashion competition, whilst I was living and working in Vietnam. Organised by Redress, a Hong Kong-based environmental NGO, the award challenges emerging designers to embrace circular design challenges and rethink fashion by minimising textile waste and creating garments that work in harmony with the planet.
One outstanding example is Le Ngoc Ha Thu, my translator during my time teaching in Vietnam and now a menswear designer, who earned significant recognition by winning the competition in 2020. This inspiring initiative is reshaping not just how we view fashion, but how we create it. So today, I am going to delve deeper.
WHAT IS ZERO WASTE FASHION?
Zero waste fashion is precisely what it implies: a mindful effort to eradicate waste from the fashion production process. However, it encompasses more than just utilising every scrap of fabric; it takes a comprehensive approach that involves:
- Selecting garments crafted from sustainable or recycled materials
- Designing with minimal fabric cutting
- Upcycling or repurposing old clothing
- Repairing and reusing instead of throwing away
In essence, zero waste fashion focuses on preventing textiles from ending up in landfills. This is particularly critical, as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation states that every second, a volume equivalent to one garbage truck of textiles is either landfilled or incinerated worldwide.
The fashion industry is infamously one of the largest contributors to pollution globally. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has found that it accounts for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, surpassing the combined emissions from all international flights and maritime shipping. That’s A LOT. Additionally, it is a significant consumer of water; producing one cotton shirt requires 2,700 litres of water, enough to satisfy an average person’s drinking needs for two and a half years. As I already said, that’s A LOT of waste.
THE REDRESS DESIGN AWARD
Discovering the Redress Design Award truly opened my eyes to the impactful role of education and design innovation in promoting sustainability. Each year, this competition guides designers through months filled with workshops, university lectures, and practical challenges, all aimed at addressing fashion waste at its core.
Designers are challenged to transform discarded textiles into stunning, scalable garments. These are not just DIY creations for the runway; they are practical and wearable collections that demonstrate that fashion can be both responsible and commercially successful. The winners gain significant career-launching opportunities that help disseminate their sustainable message worldwide. I found myself feeling genuinely inspired.
the redress award 2025
Now in its 15th cycle, what distinguishes this award is its genuinely global platform. Finalists are invited to Hong Kong for an all-expenses-paid trip to participate in an engaging and comprehensive sustainable fashion bootcamp. During this experience, they gain practical education, mentorship, and the opportunity to refine their zero-waste, upcycled, and reconstructed fashion collections—all crafted from textile waste. The journey culminates in the Grand Final Fashion Show in September 2025, where these aspiring fashion leaders unveil their collections on an international stage. The runway serves not only as a display but as a launchpad. Finalists receive career-defining prizes and remarkable global visibility to transform their ideas into viable, market-ready solutions.
Supported by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) as the Lead Sponsor, this award is part of a larger mission: to revolutionise the fashion industry from within, one designer at a time. If you’re a designer or simply someone who believes in the potential of fashion to create positive change, this is a movement worth closely following.
TYPES OF ZERO WASTE FASHION
As I delved deeper, I realised that zero waste fashion is not a one-size-fits-all approach; rather, it exists on a spectrum. Instead, I learned that there are many different ways we can embrace this lifestyle.
Upcycling
Upcycling involves revitalising old clothing. Rather than discarding that faded denim jacket, consider adding patches, altering its shape, or mixing it with other materials to create something completely new. This method not only reduces waste but also fosters creativity and personal expression.
Repurposing
Repurposing takes the idea even further by transforming a garment into an entirely different object. For instance, an old cotton shirt could be reimagined as a chic tote bag, a cushion cover, or even patchwork wall art. This creative process gives new life to old textiles.
Minimalist & Capsule Wardrobes
A capsule wardrobe focuses on versatility and timeless elegance. The concept involves owning fewer, high-quality pieces that can be easily mixed and matched. This approach not only saves money and time but also minimises waste. The less you buy, the less you throw away.
DIY Fashion
Whether it’s knitting a cosy sweater or sewing a personalised dress, DIY fashion empowers you to take charge of production. When using sustainable fabrics or repurposed materials, it becomes a meaningful expression of zero waste principles. Imagine being able to make yourself a whole wardrobe from scratch: everything would look and feel exactly as you want, and it would be good for the environment too. Just think that your money won’t be fuelling the fast fashion industry, and that’s already enough to convince you to start doing this.
Slow Fashion
Slow fashion stands in stark contrast to fast fashion. It promotes mindful purchasing by choosing garments that are well-crafted, ethically produced, and designed for longevity. Brands that champion slow fashion tend to operate in small batches and cultivate strong relationships with suppliers to ensure transparency. This concept goes hand-in-hand with the one of building a capsule wardrobe.
Preloved & Vintage Shopping
One of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to join the zero waste movement is through secondhand shopping. Thrift stores, vintage shops, and online resale platforms like Depop or Vinted are treasure troves filled with unique items that deserve a new lease of life. Alternatively, and possibly even better, just have a walk around any charity shop or thrift market to find some unique pieces.
Related – An A-Z of the Best Vintage & Pre-Loved Shops & Marketplaces
UNDERSTANDING THE LIFECYCLE OF A GARMENT
Every item of clothing goes through a lifecycle, from raw material to production, wear and disposal. There are generally two models to describe this:
- Cradle-to-Grave: A linear lifecycle where a product is created, used, and eventually discarded.
- Cradle-to-Cradle: A circular model that allows materials to be reused or upcycled indefinitely.
Right now, the fashion industry overwhelmingly follows the cradle-to-grave model. But a shift is happening, and many innovative brands are starting to design with the full lifecycle in mind. I have added a few honourable mentions in my “Celebrating Zero Waste Day” article last month, if you want to take a look:
Related – Celebrating Zero Waste Day
Cradle-to-Grave
The Cradle-to-Grave model describes the entire life cycle of a product in a linear economy—from raw material extraction to final disposal. It is one of the three main Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models, used to evaluate a product’s full environmental impact across five stages:
Raw Material Extraction (Cradle)
Manufacturing & Processing
Transportation
Usage & Retail
Waste Disposal (Grave)
The Cradle-to-Grave model defines the scope of the LCA, also known as system boundaries. Data is collected for all inputs (materials, energy) and outputs (emissions, waste) across all stages and provides a complete picture of environmental impact, helping companies avoid merely shifting problems between life cycle stages.
It’s worth noting that there ia also another comparative model called Cradle-to-Gate, which only includes stages up to the product leaving the factory (Stages 1–2).
Cradle-to-Cradle
Cradle-to-Cradle is a circular life cycle model that goes beyond traditional waste disposal by designing products and systems in a way that materials are continuously reused, recycled, or upcycled—rather than ending up in landfills or incinerators.
The term “cradle to cradle” was coined in the 1970s by Swiss architect and industrial analyst Walter Stahel, as he developed a closed-loop approach to industrial production that reduces waste, conserves resources, and encourages long-term sustainability.
Unlike the linear “cradle-to-grave” model, cradle-to-cradle views waste as a resource, enabling products at the end of their life to become the input for new products. This model supports a regenerative approach, reducing the need for virgin resources and minimising environmental harm. It often involves eco-design principles, material passports, and take-back systems to ensure materials maintain quality and value across multiple life cycles.
WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ALONG THE LIFECYCLE?
To understand why zero waste fashion matters, it helps to look at how traditional fashion impacts the planet.
- Fibre cultivation: Cotton farming is extremely water- and pesticide-intensive. Meanwhile, synthetic fabrics like polyester come from non-renewable petrochemicals.
- Textile production: This phase is energy- and water-heavy and can produce dye-related pollution.
- Design and manufacturing: Generates fabric offcuts, discarded samples and consumes a lot of energy.
- Transportation: Each step, from factory to warehouse to store, adds greenhouse gas emissions. The further away production is from the warehouse, the more emissions are emitted.
- Retail: Physical stores use energy, packaging and generate waste from unsold clothing and countless returns.
- Consumer care: Washing and drying clothes account for up to 80% of a garment’s carbon footprint.
- Disposal: Most clothes are sent to landfills, where synthetic fibres can take hundreds of years to break down.
This is why designing for circularity and reducing waste at every point along the lifecycle is so critical.
Design-Led Sustainability
Most brands are aware of only about 7% of their supply chain, creating a significant knowledge gap that complicates the identification of actual environmental harm. However, tools like the Higg Index and Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) are assisting brands in tracking, measuring, and enhancing their environmental impact. The Higg Index incorporates social and labour aspects, providing a comprehensive perspective; while LCA concentrates solely on environmental data, delivering detailed insights into each stage of a garment’s lifecycle.
As brands begin to implement these tools, we can expect greater transparency and accountability within the fashion industry. But in order to optimise the process of circular fashion, design is key. 80% of a garment’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage. That means designers hold the key to a more sustainable future.
If we want to truly shift the industry, it starts with reimagining how we design clothing. That includes experimenting with techniques such as zero-waste pattern-making, upcycled textiles, modular and repairable garments, and recyclable or biodegradable materials. And the great news? These techniques already exist.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Zero waste fashion isn’t about perfection, it’s about progress. It’s about making more mindful decisions, choosing clothes with intention, and challenging the old ways of thinking about fashion. The Redress Design Award and many other initiatives show us what’s possible when creativity meets sustainability.
This journey has taught me that fashion can be beautiful and responsible. Whether you’re a designer, a consumer, or someone just curious about sustainability, there’s room for everyone in this conversation. Because every choice, every stitch, matters. Let’s keep the conversation going. Have you tried any zero waste fashion techniques or found any brands that are doing great work in this space? I’d love to hear your thoughts.