Start Care & Repair: working together to make clothes last longer
At the Fashion Research & Technology Group, we believe fashion does not end on the catwalk or in the store. The real story begins afterwards, in how we wear, care for, and sometimes even bring our clothes back to life with needle and thread.
We recently celebrated the launch of Care & Repair, a research project led by ArtEZ University of the Arts, bringing together nearly twenty partners to explore how we can extend the life of clothing. Together we are exploring ways to extend the lifespan of clothing. Why wait until something is worn out, when we can give it a second, third, or even fourth life? Until April 2028, Care & Repair will experiment, investigate, and build towards a future in which caring for clothes is as stylish as fashion itself. The project is part of NewTexEco, the research community in which we work with Saxion, ArtEZ, and dozens of companies on creating a truly circular fashion and textile industry.
Troy Nachtigall, Professor of Fashion Research & Technology:
‘’Fashion tends to forget about clothing the moment it is sold, only occasionally being annoyed by the clothes that need to be recycled years later. Care & Repair looks deeply at the USE of fashion and creates data about that use to make new textile ecosystems.”
With partners such as Miele, America Today, and Livera, as well as creative makers including morgenmakers, New Order of Fashion, Denim City, Fabriek Fris, MENDED, and Leemans & Wicker, we are developing new strategies and tools. In co-creation, we are finding ways to cherish clothing for longer - not as a burden, but as a valuable ritual.
While many innovations in the fashion industry focus on recycling or new materials, we turn the perspective around and look at everyday practices: how do we wash, how do we maintain, and what do we do when a seam comes loose or a tear appears? How can designers and brands encourage and inspire this behavior so that care and repair become as natural as buying something new?
From our research group, we look forward to working with our partners step by step -stitch by stitch - towards shaping a more sustainable fashion industry.