The Colorado State University Department of Design and Merchandising hosted the Fashion and Circular Economy Symposium April 14-15 at the Nancy Richardson Design Center on the CSU campus. Sonali Diddi, associate professor in the Department of Design and Merchandising and engaged faculty lead with the Office of Engagement and Extension, was the symposium organizer. CSU students and faculty as well as national and international researchers in fashion sustainability submitted abstracts relating to research, teaching, or creative concept and presented at the symposium.
Symposium goals
The fashion industry is increasingly incorporating Circular Economy principles to address the harmful environmental impacts across its entire supply chain. “The aim of the symposium is to provide a transdisciplinary platform to advance scholarship and education related to fashion circularity,” said Diddi. “Topics such as Climate BeneficialTM fibers, soil health and regenerative agriculture practices on fiber farms, transparency across the supply chain, technological advancements contributing to fashion circularity, and creative approaches such as Design for Disassembly (were) the focus of the symposium.”
Keynote speaker, Rebecca Burgess
The event featured a keynote address from Rebecca Burgess, executive director of Fibershed, a non-profit organization in California focused on sustainable fiber development and production. Fibershed’s goal is to “develop regional fiber systems that build soil and protect the health of our biosphere.” Burgess is also the author of Fibershed: Growing a Movement of Farmers, Fashion Activists, and Makers for a New Textile Economy and the host of the Weaving Voices podcast. View a recording of Burgess’s keynote address.
Circular economy research
The symposium theme aligns closely with Diddi’s research area of Sustainable Fashion Consumption and Production. Diddi’s research is also featured in Colorado State University’s Impact Map which can be viewed online and at the CSU Spur campus. Diddi – along with Professor Dawn Thilmany and Research Scientist Rebecca Hill, both in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics – is working on a grant from the Colorado Agricultural Experiment Station titled: Visioning a Sustainable Colorado Fiber Systems Collaborative – Implications for Colorado Fiber Producers and Small Businesses Economic Vitality. The project focuses on building a regional fiber economy grounded in regenerative agriculture practices. The interdisciplinary collaboration aims to examine Colorado’s fiber industry to understand the physical and social infrastructure currently available, as well as possible strategies to strengthen Colorado’s rural fiber industry and understand its market potential.
Images from the event
The symposium was a lively two-day event with fantastic presentations from leading researchers and industry partners, networking opportunities, and an exhibit of creative work. The event was supported and attended by both the Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, Lise Youngblade, and the Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences, James Pritchett. Look through images from the event in the CHHS Flickr Album.
The Department of Design and Merchandising is part of CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences.
