Kate Daly, Executive Director of the Center for the Circular Economy at Closed Loop Partners, is a supporter of innovation and collaboration. Daly is a leading voice within the circular economy—aiming to transition the industry into one in which materials are re-used and shared. She brings this expertise to the C/LF*I designers as a mentor to this year’s cohort.
We caught up with Daly to chat sustainability, where she sees the industry heading, and her advice to designers.
Sustainability is becoming a topic of global conversation within the fashion industry. That being said, what obstacles do you still see designers, such as those in the CFDA + Lexus Fashion * Initiative facing in today’s climate? What opportunities do you see?
One big obstacle is access to information on how to make the right supply chain and design choices without incurring unintended consequences. That’s why CFDA’s sustainability initiatives are so important. Emerging and student designers are hungry for guidance on these issues. In terms of opportunities, we have a lot to learn from the faster pace of fashion hubs in Europe and India, which are integrating sustainability into mainstream fashion more and more every year and supporting entrepreneurs exploring the complex challenges of rental and sharing models, innovative fabrics, and zero waste design.
How do you encourage designers to find their voice in the conversation of sustainability?
We know that design will always be primary. But what fashion designer wants their creation to be destined for a landfill? Designers who create desirable clothes and accessories that are not associated with harm to our planet will someday soon have a competitive market advantage. There are 10 billion pieces of clothing produced each year on a planet of 7.5 billion people. Time is running out on our linear system. The circular economy represents an opportunity to allow for growth and revenue that doesn’t rely on increased overproduction, and it’s still cutting-edge in the United States—that’s an opportunity for new voices to emerge.
What is one piece of advice that you would give designers starting off on their sustainability journey?
I’d advise them to experiment more with upcycled materials and always consider the full lifecycle of their designs. Whereas consumers are downstream of decisions made much earlier in the supply chain, designers have a tremendous amount of power. They should use it! We need to give them the tools to exercise that power in a way that allows for their design vision to flourish in a healthy circular way.
How would you describe the circular economy to someone completely new to the topic?
The circular economy is about transitioning from a take, make, waste system to one that keeps materials in play— without sacrificing profit.
Can you tell us a bit about your work with Closed Loop Partners?
Closed Loop Partners is an impact investment firm focused on sustainable consumer goods, recycling and the development of the circular economy. We launched the Center for the Circular Economy to support innovation and collaboration across sectors, including apparel. We’re working on a number of exciting initiatives, from reinventing the paper to-go cup, which is difficult to recycle, to transforming plastic waste into the building blocks for new materials.
