The Renew Project

The body of work that has formed the basis of this report, the Re-New Project, has its focus on services. The report takes a deeper step into the circular economy of fur through a focus on services in the after-sales phase and investigates how it can be understood when examining the value chain between the design process and the end of use. This choice has been made on the basis of our research expertise in this area, whereas the biological circles of farming and fur (biodiesel, waste management, biodegradability, etc.) is better explained elsewhere. As such, the report starts out with a positioning of the project in the so-called technical cycles of the circular economy that is driven by practices and business models for longevity: maintenance, secondary use, mending, repair, re-design, upcycling, etc. Subsequently there will be a description of the projects conducted within the framework of Re-New:
First, a presentation of comparative, exploratory fieldwork conducted in the service sectors of fur and fashion in Denmark and China. Second, a presentation of the way post-sale and resource management has inspired new teaching formats at Design School Kolding as well as adjustments of the Kopenhagen Fur talent competition Imagine Talents. Third, two artistic development projects concerning post-sale and design – a smaller project about upcycling that was completed by designer Mette Julie Bundgaard-Nielsen in collaboration with a subsidiary brand to Kopenhagen Fur, Oh! by Kopenhagen Fur. Finally Solveig Søndergaard, research assistant and MA in fashion design, conducted a large-scale investigation and testing of user- engaging workshops based on upcycling and/or re-design. Based on these projects, the research team has the following recommendations for the fur sector in particular, which we perceive can be generalised for the fashion sector at large:
· Services are relationship building and work to retain value in the product. They are, or can be, an important selling point. Services provide valuable knowledge about the product. They support consumer loyalty, cash flow in retail and workshops, as well as feelings of luxury. We therefore warn that a further move towards fast fashion turnovers will hollow out the value of fur altogether. Also, a market inundated with consumer goods has ignited
interest in experience rather than purchase and ownership, and that is why services can be used as a strategic positioning tool for companies and brands – and also for the fur sector itself.
· In terms of education, it is currently important to develop teaching formats that take into consideration how materials can be kept in the loop. With future material scarcity due to rising numbers of middle class consumers, and with emerging regulations on textile waste management, it is important and relevant to implement upcycling and re-design as part of education and business practice. Therefore it would be strategically wise to further develop design aesthetics that build on re-use and re-cycling, as it would appeal strongly to young ethical consumers, help position brands and designers, and ultimately sustain a healthy bottom line for individual businesses as well as for the fashion sector in general.