Sustainable collection practices and life cycle strategies – a fashion design perspective

The fashion collection is a primary format in fashion design. Nevertheless, literature on the phenomenon is limited. In the transition towards new sustainable ways of designing and producing fashion garments, it is important to understand (1) how designers can promote change through their core collection design practice, and (2) how collection practices manifest within life cycle strategies for design. The study is constructed as a qualitative comparative analysis of interview data from three designers in a company context. The data is analysed in two modes: first through a framework for sustainable collection practices and second through a life cycle strategy framework. The study contributes with insights on how designers work with sustainability strategies in their collection building design practice and the key role that both material choices and design for garment longevity play in driving the strategies. Furthermore, it shows that the represented approaches to sustainability: circular system, slow fashion and fibre sourcing, reside within technical life cycle strategies with slowing and closing circular loops objectives, and that strategies solely in biological life cycles appear nonexistent. The study is small scale, and insights are therefore indicative.