Rediscover Fashion promotes circular design by giving new life to unwanted textiles

Rediscover Fashion
Start/End date
Ongoing
Yes
Type of funding
Description

The Rediscovery Centre is the National Centre for the Circular Economy in Ireland, a creative movement connecting people, ideas and resources to support greener low-carbon living. It brings together the skills and expertise of artists, scientists, designers and craftspeople united in a common purpose of sustainability.

Rediscover Fashion is Ireland’s leader in circular fashion and textiles, based at the Rediscovery Centre in Ballymun, Dublin. It was established in 2008 as a social enterprise to produce 100 % redesigned and repurposed clothing, accessories and home ware ranges from unwanted textiles. It creates training opportunities for the long-term unemployed and all revenue generated from its activities are reinvested in the enterprise.

At Rediscover Fashion, a space has been created where the circular fashion model can be brought to life through training, lectures, workshops, and by developing innovative products that highlight circular design principles. These products are then sold in the Centre's Eco Store along with other sustainably designed brands.

Main activity field
Main results

Rediscover Fashion

  • has provided critical job and skills training to over 40 programme participants (long-term unemployed), with the vast majority of participants going on to full employment or further education
  • hosted Ireland's first Circular Fashion conference in April 2019: the innovative conference brought together designers, suppliers, retailers and makers to discuss how Ireland can move towards fashion circularity
  • prevents textile materials from being sent to landfill
  • sells its 100% redesigned and repurposed, clothing, accessories and home ware range creations and other sustainably designed brands at the Rediscovery Centre's Eco Store.

All revenue generated from its activities are reinvested in the enterprise.