‘Circular Economy in Fashion’ is Between Conscious’ second masterclass hosted by Francesca Romana Rinaldi and focused on the circular economy and its application in the fashion industry.

F.R. Rinaldi is involved with sustainability in fashion as a consultant, also engaged with international organizations such as UNECE, as well as an active spokesperson on these issues at forums, seminars, and also in TV. She has issued various publications, among these, her most recent work is “Fashion Industry 2030” (Bocconi University Press, 2019).

Since 2009 F.R. Rinaldi is Fashion & Luxury Management Professor at Bocconi University, Milan, Italy.

Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. These are the three “Rs” around which the concept of Circular Economy is structured, that is, a model that aims to minimize waste from the production system (Reduce), keep them as long as possible within the system itself (Reuse), and finally to look at those scraps not as waste but as a secondary raw resource (Recycle).

In the second masterclass of the Between Conscious Program, Professor Rinaldi explains that there is a fourth “R”: Reinventing. Companies across all manufacturing sectors need to completely rethink their business models to ensure that economic and environmental sustainability can coexist.

This masterclass illustrates various solutions for companies wishing to reconvert their business. We start by expanding the offer with innovative formulas for consumers (vintage or renting), with investments in research and development to make fabrics from secondary raw materials. Among the best practices, textile fibers based on organic waste, or even graphite residues.

Understanding the circular economy in fashion, as well as the concept of collaborative consumption, is necessary to adapt not only to the growing consciousness of consumers, but also to an inevitable transformation.