Translation(s) of Circular Fashion: Production or Consumption?

Abstract

This chapter delves into the translation of the Circular Economy in the Swedish fashion industry, to what is increasingly becoming known as Circular Fashion. A literature overview of these concepts highlights that the concepts have primarily been developed by practitioners. Further, the chapter identifies a number of important actors in the translation of Circular Fashion in the Swedish fashion industry: companies, government, and NGOs. Corporate reports and social media, government proposals and enquiries as well as NGO reports are reviewed in order to elucidate how circular economy and its practices are translated by these different actors. It is found that fashion MNCs predominantly translate production aspects in relation to Circular Economy, whereas SMEs to a greater extent appear to stress consumption aspects. New market actors providing sharing or consumer-to-consumer services tend to translate circularity as prolonged product life, without addressing the need for shifting and reducing consumption practices. Government actors focus on the coupling between Swedish industry competitiveness and Circular Fashion, emphasizing the importance of circularity in designer and post-purchase practices. NGOs instead emphasize the importance of both reducing consumption as well as improving production practices. These varying foci highlight the selective nature of adaptations and simultaneous translations occurring of Circular Fashion. Particularly, production aspects that contribute to the dual goals of legitimacy and profitability dominate. Consumption aspects of care and repair, as well as of reduction are rarely emphasized and uphold a linear system deemed obsolete. Thereby, Circular Fashion has not yet been institutionalized.