To reach more sustainabilty in the area of clothing it is not sufficient to bring production better in line with ecological and social requirements, and to increase resource efficiency. It is also necessary to reduce the mass flow of clothing by prolonging the use phase ('slow fashion'). That means that the entire production process has to be directed to a high appreciation of garments, a long-lasting attractiveness and material quality, as well as a good recyclability.
The focus of the project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research is on the question, if and how design related, technical, economical, and social innovations can contribute to a prolonging of the use phase of garments. The preconditions for a successful diffusion of innovative offers for more sustainable garments into mainstream milieus are another research topic. For this the factors hindering or promoting sustainable clothing consumption are explored. Cooperation with actors in the areas of production, retail market, and recycling of clothing are of great importance for the project.
