Designing for durability: How fashion brands are encouraging longer garment life through consumer behaviour change.

The fashion system is confronted with a complex range of challenges, one of the most pressing of which is the unsustainable impact of the industry, that is responsible for a significant portion of world’s pollution and textile waste. The fashion industry’s linear model is environmentally destructive, as it relies on the extraction of excessive resources. In response to the linear models that have been prevalent in the fashion industry, alternative forms of collaborative retailing have emerged in the context of the Circular Economy, seeking novel solutions to promote more conscious and sustainable consumption. In this context, a growing number of fashion brands are taking proactive measures to educate consumers about the importance of garment care and durability, thus focusing on the final phases (‘use’ and ‘postuse’) as an integral asset of the transformation into a more sustainable fashion paradigm. The strategies adopted include maintenance and repair services; take-back schemes; awareness and marketing campaigns and collaborative business models. In this context, which is predominantly discussed from a managerial and marketing perspective, it is crucial to contribute to the discourse from a Design standpoint and identify its potential as an agent of change. This paper employs a qualitative approach, supported by a literature review and case study analysis, to examine the strategies employed by brands and platforms to raise consumer awareness about extending the life of clothing, thereby facilitating a shift in consumer behaviortowards fashion circularity services and actions. In particular, the analysis considers the macro strategies of Care, Recommerce and Reverse Logistics services and practices, exploring how these are implemented to sensitize the consumer to a more sustainable consumption habit.