Africa Textile Talks 2026: Creating thriving textile futures
Join this two-day convening for innovation, regenerative materials, trade, production and African textile and clothing futures
Tag: circular economy
13 South African sustainable swimwear brands
Your guide to swimwear made with care
Africa Textile Talks Day 3: Thread with Care
From indigenous knowledge and fibre innovation to decentralised manufacturing, the final day of Africa Textile Talks 2025 explores how care, culture and circular thinking are shaping the continent’s textile future.
Africa Textile Talks Day 2: Wool, nature and people
Exploring wool from farm to fibre, Day 2 of Africa Textile Talks 2025 highlights regeneration, traceability and the people shaping one of South Africa’s most valuable natural fibres
Africa Textile Talks Day 1: Circular solutions for South Africa’s textile industry
From life cycle assessments to textile recycling and policy reform, Day 1 of Africa Textile Talks 2025 examines how circularity could reshape South Africa’s fashion and textile industry.
Explainer: How to measure the true cost of your clothes
Do you know how to measure the true cost of your clothes? Read on to learn about Life Cycle Assessments. We’ll be learning about life cycle assessments (LCAs) on the first day of Africa Textile Talks, Tuesday, 29 July. Days...
Q&A: How Vogueish curates luxury goods, consciously
Vogueish offers a curated selection of pre-owned designer items, aiming to make luxury shopping more accessible and more sustainable. The online platform works to extend the lifecycle of every product through upkeep and, if necessary, refurbishment, ensuring pieces stay in...
A new pact aims to build a circular future for the SA fashion and textile industry
Can collaboration help fix fashion? In South Africa, Green Cape has launched an initiative to unite retailers, recyclers, designers, and policymakers to co-create a circular economy pact for the textiles industry. From local tailors to large manufacturers, the future of...
The Textilhafen turns textile waste into community action in Berlin
Every week, Berlin’s Textilhafen receives 11 tonnes of donated clothes. What happens next is a remarkable story of circularity, community, and care—redistributing second-hand textiles to unhoused people, low-income families, and sustainability-minded artists.
Your go-to guide to thrift stores in South Africa
Thrifting can be a wonderful way of shopping sustainably and affordably while finding one-of-a-kind gems. However, as the popularity of thrifting rises, so too do the prices of these once-cheap clothes, as well as unsustainable market practices. Because of the...
Explainer: Old is the new new
Old is in — and the resale market is booming. Luxury bags are flying off virtual shelves in seconds, and Gen Z are factoring resale value into every purchase. But is resale really slow fashion, or just a guilt-free way...
Explainer: Colours to dye for
Cherry red, lavender blue, lime… We all want to wear the AW25 colours − but at what cost? Anyone who has watched the 2006 film about high-fashion publishing, The Devil Wears Prada, will know about the power of colour in...
Can the leather industry be sustainable? I visited Mossop Leather to find out.
Is leather sustainable? There is no clear-cut answer. On one hand as a by-product of the meat industry, it’s a practical, durable, creative, and stylish way to reduce waste. On the other hand, the production of leather often involves animal...
Explainer: What circularity means for a fashion system
Right now, the fashion system follows a linear path: take, make, waste. This system needs to change by closing the loop instead, and making it circular? South Africa has the potential to build a thriving circular fashion economy, but there are...
Meet the fixer: Catherine Malherbe is a ceramics restoration artist
Meet the fixer is a new series highlighting businesses or individuals who play a role in the circular economy by repairing and restoring the items we already own. As a salve to throwaway culture, fixers give precious items a new...