ArtEZ launches research project Care & Repair: solutions for circular fashion and textiles
- Design
- Fashion
How can we extend the lifespan of clothing? That question is central to our new research project Care & Repair. The project is led by Elise van der Laan, Associate Professor in Fashion & Design Research at ArtEZ University of the Arts. She works closely with our Fashion and Design Professorships, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, and many partners from the fashion and textile sector. The research is supported by CLICKNL and will run until April 2028.
Care & Repair: attention for design, textiles and user behaviour
Worldwide, more and more clothing is being produced, while garments are often only worn for a short time. Care & Repair investigates how maintenance (care) and repair can become a natural part of fashion practice. While many initiatives focus on new materials or recycling, this project zooms in on the use phase: how do we wear, wash and repair clothes in daily life? And what role can brands, designers and tailors play in influencing this behaviour in a positive way? The project pays close attention to bringing together these different roles so that Care & Repair is embedded in a system that supports maintenance and repair behaviour.
If we truly want to create a circular fashion industry, we need to learn to relate to clothing differently. Repairing and maintaining are just as important as creating new designs.”
Partners in Care & Repair: from Miele to local design studios
With Care & Repair, we bring together as many stakeholders around maintenance and repair as possible. Alongside the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, the project’s core partners are repair platform Mended, fashion designers Leemans & Wicker, production atelier Fabriek Fris, and social design studios Comuun and morgenmakers. A wide variety of other parties are also involved: from professional washing and repair services to major brands such as America Today, Livera and Miele. Non-profit organisations like Milieu Centraal and New Order of Fashion and Amsterdam School of International Business are also part of the project. Together, we co-create strategies and practical tools to keep clothing in circulation for longer. Think of designs that are easier to repair, new business models for brands, and ways to make caring for clothes feel natural again.
Part of NewTexEco: towards a circular fashion industry
Care & Repair is part of our wider research community NewTexEco, in which we work together with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Saxion University of Applied Sciences and around thirty companies to move towards a circular textile and fashion industry.
Care & Repair research project
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