Engagement with the wider industry has also been a key part of what we do. The lack of communication in fashion and textiles is one of the key things that is holding us all back as an industry.

As a sector, there is still a lot of fear around sharing. Whether that be techniques, business models, clients etc. We have also gotten so used to fighting for our small corners of work that most companies will do anything they can to keep hold of what they have, even if this means closing out anyone they see as a threat. We are just as guilty of this as anyone else and it is a big factor in what is slowing down the move towards sustainability.

Sharing ideas, exploring new ways of doing business and generally being open and receptive to different ways of working is going to be the deciding factor in which organisations survives the transition to a circular economy.

We have been very lucky to be part of the discussion on what this future may look like in a range of capacities and a big part of what we do now is sharing this information as widely as we can. For the circular economy to work in textiles and apparel we need all to be working together and push in the same direction. So this week where we are looking back over Kalopsia’s history, we wanted to share with you some of the amazing projects and partnerships we have been part of over the years.

2014
Contacted by Zero Waste Scotland regarding a case study in textiles, waste and co-sharing
2016
Hosting Zero Waste Scotland’s Circular Economy launch, as part of The Scottish Government’s strategy: Making Things Last Campaign
2018
Talking at the British Antarctic Survey in Cambridge with leaders from the performance clothing industry, academia, and the entrepreneurial landscape, discussing “Sustainable Innovations in Performance Clothing”
2019
Used as an example by the Scottish Government’s MEP Aileen McLeod at the G7 summit of a circular business model
2020
Panelists for "Next steps for waste and resources policy in Scotland" run by Westminster Business Forum
2020-2021
Participating in RSA’s - (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) and Ellen Macarthur Foundation’s Rethink Fashion Journey

KALOPSIA CIRCULAR MODEL

By retaining the maximum amount of textile surplus and knowledge in this closed-loop production system, we have drastically improved the environmental, social and economic impact of our manufacturing and that of our clients. Kalopsia aims to reclaim the human, economic, and natural resources that otherwise get lost in today’s linear production system and believe that it is by fostering internal and external business ecosystems such as this, that we will as an industry, continue to excel commercially without over-producing and damaging resources.