From green claims to factory floors

 Hi,

This is my first blog, and I want to share what i have learned from studying about sustainability in the fashion industry. While going through different research articles, i started to notice something interesting and also a bit surprising.There is no doubt that sustainability has become a central topic in the textile and fashion industry. labels such as eco friendly, made from recycled materials have become more powerful marketing tools. But behind this polished messages lies a more complicated reality.

The  factories operate under very different conditions than brands. Many garment factories are located in developing countries where they face tight profit margins, short term and unstable contracts, high production pressure and limited access to advanced technologies. As a result, sustainability practices are sometimes implemented only partially. For example, a factory might meet the formal requirements of a certification or audit but fail to fully integrate sustainable practices into everyday operations. This situation can lead what is often described as symbolic compliance where the appearance of sustainability is achieved without real transformation.

For real sustainability i think brands and factories need to work together more  fairly. This means paying factories fair prices, building long term relationships, providing support and investment and being honest about real progress.From my reading and learning , i understood that sustainable fashion is not completely false but it is also not fully real yet. There is still a gap between what brands promise and what actually happens in factories.

Purchasing intern Gina Tricot - 2/3

 Hi all :) 

Since my last blogpost, I have completed my time with the heavyknitting team. I really enjoyed my time with them, since they made me feel very welcomed and embraced. I always got to share my opinions and thoughts during sample meetings and was able to look into some trendresearch to show the designer and headdesigner, truly making me feel like a part of the team. I also learned a lot more about their sustainability efforts regarding knitted garments, and that it is very different from the jersey team as they work more with animal fibers. I had very insightful conversations with the knitted team, and it was also very clear that they put a lot of effort and thoughts into these products, since they are a smaller team than the jersey department. I also felt here that they all worked close together (designer, purchasing assistant, purchaser, pattern maker) which made my weeks with them more insightful as I got to see all of the different work aspects. The purchasing assistant I followed these 3 weeks also takes care of the swimwear account. So I go to attend every meeting with her and the designer where we discussed colours, patterns, materials, etc. I enjoyed being able to assist the early meetings of discussion trends, and I'm eager to see what they will come up with next year, knowing that I was apart of the trendresearch! 

Overall, I am super content with my time with the heavyknitting team. Last week i was supposed to start my time with the heavywoven team, but because of some circumstances, I got to be with the lightwoven team for a few days (which makes dresses, blouses, shirts, etc). I actually enjoy being with different departments, since they all work somewhat differently, and I think that it is healthy to see different aspects and how different teams operate and what they focus on, which is also good for my own understanding and interest. From this week on I will be with heavywoven, and here it's also different on how much they do and what they focus on since their primary products are jackets! Tomorrow we will have a in-person meeting with their suppliers from China, which I think will be super interesting to attend and maybe ask they some questions on how they work together with GT. 

That's all for me now, thx for reading!

Zoë

SCArCITY RA Internship - Metrics for evaluating circular business model (CBM) performance in cascaded textile system.

The past couple of weeks has been both challenging and of utmost interest for me. After understanding the topic, finding literatures, screening through hundreds of article an finalizing them it was the time to actually get down to the synthesis and analysis part. Lesrning to do a critical literature review, where I interpreted the existing CE and CBM literature through cascading lens, making connection to the CE indicators framework, finding the gaps, seeing how the study has grown overtime and developingg for almost an completely new topic. I am going to discuss the process in the blog!

The first step was I had 3 different workspace. One for the core papers which were Sirkin and Houten core cascading principles, cascading in textiles literature review, CE and cascading in textiles plus 4 more papers which I read really deeply and made my sheet in the first month. Now it was time for synthesis of articles through the lens of these principles in the excel sheet with my critical reflection added for each paper. And I had another document with the indicator literature (it was added in excel too). This was done for almost 40 articles and during this process the recurring themes started taking root in my head as I worked. 

At this stage in my work I have a rough analysis made, connecting and cross analysing the excel file. I assume that the final detailed analysis which would naturally lead me KPI framework (which is super rough draft now) is the challenging part in the upcoming weeks.My next step for the weeks is deep diving into the analysis and to start writing the paper. Today is the day I plan on starting the report writing as suggested my my supervisor as well. I feel confident in starting now at this stage where I already made the rough draft of what we are looking at. 

Overall the past weeks have been really productive and interesting. I met with my supervisor yesterday with my data, thoughts and questions and planning to do my first draft this week. I am hopeful to contribute the best I can to the SCArCITY project and a bit nervous too.

Sangavi 

Fashion Events Intern 2/3

Since my last update, I have learned a lot and feel more comfortable in my role and the responsibilities connected to event management at my internship.  No event is the same, and being involved in both the planning process and execution continues to show how varied the work within a members’ club can be, especially when it comes to fashion related events. 

One of the events I was especially excited for was an afterparty connected to the fashion industry, taking place in a more club setting later in the evening. The mingling opportunities and overall atmosphere was different from the daytime events, with a busy environment and guests moving freely between different spaces. On site, my role was both operational and relational, meaning that I supported the team on site and helped ensure that everything ran smoothly during guest arrival while also mingling with members throughout the evening. The setting encouraged the visitors to mingle and move between groups as well as socialize in a spontaneous and informal way. At the same time, there was a mix between members and external (invited) guests, meaning that not everyone attending necessarily had a direct connection to fashion. Thus, I realized that more exclusive fashion focused events could potentially create a more niche environment where people share stronger professional interests and connections. In a club setting, the interaction instead felt broader, more informal and socially driven instead of directly business-driven. 

The second event was a fashion related breakfast event that included a presentation followed by a mingling session. In comparison to the afterparty, this event had a set format, which meant that interaction had to follow the schedule. Guests first gathered to mingle, then listened in for the presentation. Afterwards, the event transitioned into a more open social setting where conversations and networking took place more naturally. What I found particularly interesting was how the presentation created a shared starting point for discussions afterwards, which made the networking feel more intentional and connected to the topic of the event itself. Attendees pitched their ideas and connected more formally than the other event and people stayed for a while afterwards as well. 

By experiencing these two event formats relatively close in time, I gained reflections on how the environment, timing and setting created mingling opportunities in different areas. Even though both events brought together people connected to the fashion industry, as well as other creative industries, the conversations and dynamics felt very different depending on the setting and purpose of the event. These experiences continued to show me how events are more than purely social gatherings, they also creates a space to connect, build relationships and creates a space where people can become part of a wider community through shared experiences and interactions.

Production Intern at Hodakova 3/3

Following my incredibly concise blog post from two weeks ago, I feel semi-obliged to provide a more eventful update. Reflecting upon these past two months seems bizarre - so much has happened that my mind assumes it must've been way longer, but at the same time I still can't really grasp the fact that I'm actually here. Thank God I've got my little diary to remember what I've done.

Although doing the inventory and organising it was boring at first, it actually brought me satisfaction - being a massive perfectionist it was comforting to know everything is now in order, counted and archived in a pretty document. While my ongoing tasks mainly revolve around production and sourcing (e.g. sorting, sourcing in-person, researching new manufacturer opportunities, coordinating orders), the fun part about working for an independent fashion brand is that, as an extra, I get to experience a little bit of everything. For instance, I helped with the organisation of last week's pop-up, where I ensured appropriate merchandise display and helped with set design, which was crazy cool to see from a marketing perspective. Or this week I worked with copywriting, e-com, product pages, and newsletters, which allows me to peek into internal communications a bit more. 

In regards to my factual position, however, I have participated in a round of fittings, making measurements, writing notes and comments, and just observing the entire process of sample adjustments and developments - it's fascinating to see this attention to detail play out in a completely different, technical approach. I definitely learned more about garment construction, specific terminology and the step-by-step of how production is planned and prepared. 

Overall, it's interesting to see how I progress in this job and how my tasks shift toward more responsibility, what makes me feel like I have some agency and input. I think I've never in my life asked this many questions as I have in this job, though. 

2/3 Marketing & PR Intern

Hi,

This is my second blog post from my internship at Envii. The internship has been going well, and I have been getting more responsibility and growing more confident in my work tasks.

As mentioned in my earlier post, these past and coming weeks have involved a lot of preparation for a new collection launching at the end of July. I got the opportunity to participate in a campaign shoot with the team, assisting with everything from steaming and preparing looks for the models to SoMe content creation. The day was intense, starting at 6:30 in the morning and going all the way to 8 pm in the evening. Even though the day was long and full-on, it was a fascinating experience to see the work and coordination that goes into bringing a campaign shoot to life. Looking forward seeing the final results!

All in all, I have continued with the same responsibilities while also taking on additional tasks. It’s been nice to notice that I have already learned a lot and begun working more independently. Also, no two days are alike, which keeps every day super interesting. It has been really rewarding to see the team trust me with more, and I have felt a lot more included in the team structure. At the same time, I am working on my final report, and it has been a great experience diving deeper into my topic.

Looking forward to my final weeks of the internship!

Blog #2: Loggit

In the weeks since my last post, I have shifted my focus to researching active players in Europe and beyond in the textile recycling industry - everything from collectors and sorters to companies developing new tech to facilitate the process. The goal is to create a general map of the European textile recycling sector and identify potential partners for future projects.

It has been very interesting to see the range and breadth of players in the field, from small startups using AI to sort textiles faster and more accurately to established players that have been mechanically recycling textiles for decades. At the same time, the fact that textile recycling remains such a difficult task despite the number of players already involved and the history of the industry can feel at times discouraging. It shows just how much more work there is left to do in this field.

BLOG 2/3 INTERNSHIP - TOTEME

Welcome to the second blogpost of my internship at Toteme!

About six weeks have passed since I started my internship as a Raw Material Developer Intern. I’m getting more and more comfortable in my role at the company and learning something new every day. At times, it can definitely be a bit stressful working with fabrics for different collections simultaneously, and it can get confusing trying to keep track of everything. But after six weeks, I’m starting to get more used to the pace and the working environment. A part of my role is assisting in keeping daily contact with suppliers and asking for updates regarding stock, pricing, MOQ, lead times, sustainability certificates, and so on. I also spend quite a lot of time working in Excel, filling in files with all the relevant information connected to each fabric.

One thing I’ve also been doing lately is archiving. This means cutting fabric tirellas and bulk fabrics into smaller cuttings (like A4 size) that have been used in previous collections and organising them into archive boxes. It’s been really cool to see and feel all the fabrics used in earlier collections. It has helped me better understand fabrics in general, but also suppliers and which suppliers are typically used depending on the fabric composition and material. One thing that I’ve realised is that it can be quite challenging to find the right fabrics when balancing quality, cost, time, and sustainability all at once. Finding the right balance between these factors is definitely not always easy.

I’ve also been writing daily diary notes both during work and on the bus ride home. I feel like this has given me time to reflect on the tasks I’ve been doing each day, and I think it will be really useful later when writing my final report.

Overall, it’s been a fun and very rewarding experience to see how the fashion industry and raw material sourcing work from the inside.

That’s it for my second blog post. Thanks for reading! 🙂

Peace out,
Noah

Global Marketing Intern 2/3

A few weeks have passed since my last post, and I feel like I've really settled into the role now. I've taken on more responsibility since my first month, and the work has become both more independent and more varied which I'm genuinely enjoying. 

I'm still very much involved in the ongoing work I mentioned in my first post like putting together monthly marketing reports, coordinating with PR agencies and influencer content, and being part of the planning around upcoming activations and events. Alongside this, one of the bigger things I'm working on right now is a project where I'm putting together a framework for how the company can work organically with Pinterest. The goal is to map out how the platform can be used to increase brand awareness and visibility, and what kind of content strategy would make the most sense given the brand's identity. This requires me to think more strategically and take ownership of the process from start to finish, which is very fun cause I think that's the way you learn and gain real experience.

What I keep noticing is how almost every meeting or task connects back to the same question: which initiatives are most important for fashion brands when it comes to strengthening brand awareness? This is something I find genuinely interesting to explore and from a global marketing perspective, it also raises a broader question about how brands maintain a consistent global identity while still adapting to local markets. How do you balance? It's something I'm hoping to dig into further, and as a step in that direction, I have a meeting scheduled with one of the company's marketing directors next week to discuss exactly this.

Intern Nobo Design 2/3

At the company where I am doing my internship, they organize many events of different sizes that I have been able to take part in. The smaller events are aimed at groups of friends who are invited to our showroom, where they are offered sparkling wine and snacks, get a presentation of the new arrivals and how to style them, and then the customers can walk around and try on as many clothes as they want.

Most of the customers who come to these smaller events have attended events at Nobo before and are familiar with both the concept and the employees. This creates a more personal atmosphere where we connect with the customers through a lot of conversation. Some customers even shook hands when they arrived because they did not recognize me from before.

At the larger events, there is not the same personal connection with the customers because there is not enough time for it. Instead, more free services and products are offered. Sparkling wine and snacks are still available, but on a much larger scale. There were also hairstylists on site who styled customers’ hair, and everyone who made a purchase received a goodie bag.

One thing that has been fun to see is how much the customers encourage each other to shop by giving compliments and motivating each other to try on clothes, which makes our job easier :)

Blog 1/3 : Building bridges through ENGAGE

Hello,

I am currently doing my field study within the ENGAGE project, where I am working and thinking like a project leader who is responsible to build the foundation for the project that build a bridge between different stakeholders.

At first, I thought of ENGAGE mainly as a project that should focus on improving contact between students and companies. But the more I work and think strategically about it, the more I understand that ENGAGE can create meaningful connections between students, teachers, alumni, and external partners in a way that supports long-term career development.

So far, my work has mainly been exploratory. I have been involved in reviewing literature that supports such initiatives, discussing the direction of the initiative with my teammate and Digital Business Lab, and helping develop preliminary interview questions for students, program leaders, teachers, alumni, and companies who are divided into primary and secondary stakeholders. This has shown me the importance of first understanding people’s actual needs before trying to design or strategize solutions.

One insight that I have reflected on a lot so far is that professional development is not only about what happens in the classroom. Along with the study material access to networks, real industry contact, and the opportunity to understand professional expectations can also shape a student’s future in a constructive way. Even something as simple as a conversation with the right person can create confidence, direction, and opportunity.

One, out of many things, that I find especially valuable in this project is that it encourages me to see from the perspective as a student and as a researcher. It is making me reflect not only on what kind of support students need, but also on how a university can build stronger and more deeper relationships with the world outside of the designated curriculum. 

For me, working in this project is giving me a better insight of how to go through networking much more effectively that focuses on creating solutions. As the pilot questions being ready me and my teammate is slowly moving towards interviews, which I will talk more about on my next blog post. For now, this is the first of the three blog post that gives an overview of the field study I am doing.

Internship at Revolution Race Blog 2/3

It has been a couple of weeks since my last blog entry, and quite a lot has happened since then. My time at Revolution Race continues to be a really rewarding experience, and with each week that passes, I find myself gaining a deeper understanding of how a modern outdoor apparel brand operates behind the scenes.

One of the highlights recently has been the chance to step outside my own department and spend some time with the social media team. This gave me a fascinating look into the more creative side of the business, specifically, how visual content is produced and edited for use in marketing campaigns. I got to learn and practice various photo editing techniques across industry-standard platforms, including Adobe and Lightroom, developing a better understanding of how imagery is carefully refined to align with a brand's identity and seasonal direction. The photos I worked with are destined for Revolution Race's upcoming summer campaigns, which gave the whole experience a real sense of purpose. It was refreshing to engage with a different team and pick up new skills outside of my usual day-to-day.

Back in my own department, Marketplace, things have picked up considerably as summer approaches. My main focus has been contributing to the build of the summer website, which includes updating campaigns, aligning product listings, and shaping the overall feel of the site to reflect the season. Alongside this, I have also been involved in planning push notifications sent out to customers around summer sales, which has been a good exercise in thinking about different communication strategies such as considering timing, tone, and what will actually resonate with the audience.

What I continue to enjoy most is how much I am learning about the relationship between markets, products, and customers. Every task feeds into a bigger picture of how a brand positions itself, and there is real satisfaction in seeing how individual contributions connect to the wider strategy.

Looking ahead, I will be finishing up the summer website in the coming weeks, and I am also really looking forward to visiting the production team to see firsthand how Revolution Race's products are made, from initial concept all the way through to the finished garment. I think it will give me a much more complete picture of the brand and how it operates. 

Consulting Field Study 2/3

My progression with the field study is going well and moving in the right direction, even though I wish I were a quicker writer and did not get stuck in my own reflections. I often end up searching for more information and falling into rabbit holes that may not be particularly relevant to the final results. However, I feel that I am learning and am driven by my own curiosity and desire to understand. 

During the past few weeks, I have made valuable contacts that have led to even more, resulting in access to useful information, seminars, discussions, and meetings. One of the seminars was held by the magazine Environment & Development (“Miljö & Utveckling”), which invited speakers from RISE and the fashion brand Lindex. The theme of the seminar was “How can companies prepare for the DPP?”, which provided valuable insights into how companies such as Lindex have been working with the Digital Product Passport on a pilot level, including their challenges, opportunities, and recommendations.

Furthermore, I had a productive meeting with Evidi, a leading Scandinavian company that offers technical and digital solutions based on Microsoft platforms to improve data flow and IT infrastructure within companies across different industries. They have developed their own Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system, called PISA, with a focus on the textile and apparel industry. During the meeting, I received an introduction to the system and gained a clearer understanding of several of my questions.

Last week, we had our mid-term presentation at the Digital Business Lab with our mentor Marianne and my fellow peers. I greatly appreciated the session, along with our regular Monday meetings, because they provide an important opportunity to step outside of one’s own thoughts and research and gain insight into the work and progress of others. It is valuable to hear different perspectives, thoughts, and ideas and to support each other throughout the process. I was particularly intrigued by participating in two eye-tracking tests and interviews.

The Hidden Life of Textile Waste in Bangladesh’s Garment Industry

When we consider the garment industry, we often think about finished clothes: shirts, trousers, dresses, and jackets that travel from factories to shops around the world. However, my IFS has made me look at a different part of the fashion system, the materials that are left behind before clothes even reach consumers.

My study focuses on informal waste management in Bangladesh's garment industry. More specifically, I am conducting a systematic literature review on how post-industrial textile waste is managed, what role informal actors play, and what the outcome means for sustainability and global textile value chains. 

Post-industrial or pre-consumer textile waste includes fabric scraps, cutting waste, rejected materials, leftover textiles, and other residues created during garment production. These materials seem useless at the first glance, but the literature shows that they often continue to have value. They can be collected, sorted, sold, reused, recycled, or downcycled. This means that textile waste does not simply disappear after production. Instead, it enters another system, one that is often informal, less visible, and not fully reorganized in official sustainability discussions. 

One important part of my study is understanding the role of informal actors. These may include waste collectors, local traders, sorters, small recyclers, and other workers who handle textile waste outside formal company systems. Their work may not always be documented or protected. But it contributes to keeping materials in use. In this sense, we can already see informal waste management as a form of circularity. 

So far, I have gained one of the most interesting insights from my reading. The circular economy is often discussed as something modern, technical, and policy-driven. It is connected to recycling technology, traceability systems, brand responsibility and sustainability, and sustainability goals. However, in Bangladesh, informal actors have already been practicing certain forms of circularity by recovering and redistributing textile waste. Their work shows that circular practices do not only arise from formal innovation. They can also come from everyday survival, local knowledge, and informal economic networks.

At the same time, informal waste management systems face many challenges. Workers and small traders may have limited bargaining power, limited income, unsafe working conditions, and little formal recognition. Waste flows may also be difficult to trace, which creates challenges for global brands and sustainability standards. As textile recycling becomes more valuable, there is also a risk that formal recycling companies and global supply chain actors may take greater control over waste streams while informal ones are pushed aside. 

This creates an important question for my study: when textile waste becomes valuable, who gets to benefit from it?

In global textile value chains, companies create value not only by producing and selling garments. You can also create value from waste. Fabric scraps and leftovers can support recycling businesses, help factories reduce waste, allow brands to make sustainability claims, and provide income for informal workers. However, benefits have not always been shared equally. This is why governance is important. Governance refers to the rules, standards, policies, and power relations that decide how textile waste is managed and who is included in the process.

My research questions focus on three areas. First, I want to understand what roles the informal sector plays in managing post-industrial textile waste in Bangladesh. Second, I want to identify the main challenges faced by informal waste management systems. Third, I want to examine what these practices mean for sustainability and governance in the global textile value chains.

Since my field study is a systematic literature review, my area of focus is the existing research. I am studying academic articles from databases like Web of Science and Scopus. Through this process, I am learning how different researchers are describing textile waste, informal recycling, circular economy, and global value chains. Some studies focus directly on Bangladesh, while others provide comparisons from other countries or broader theoretical perspectives.

Overall, this topic has changed how I understand waste. Waste is not only an environmental problem. It is also connected to work, income, inequality, responsibility, and global trade. The fabric pieces left behind in garment factories may seem small, but they reveal bigger questions about sustainability and justice in the fashion industry.

For me, the most important lesson so far is that a sustainable textile system should not only focus on recycling materials. It should also recognize the people and networks that already manage those materials. If informal actors are ignored, circular economy strategies may become incomplete. A fairer approach would include them in future discussions about textile waste, recycling, and global value chain governance.

 

2/3 Creative Content Intern

Hi, count this as my second check in regarding my internship as Creative Content Intern. 

After completing just over a month of internship, I have not only become more settled and confident in my daily tasks and responsibilities but have also started to see clear patterns in regards to my report topic of the integration of AI into creative workflows. 

As I close every week with writing reflective diary entries on the main tasks, the specific usage of AI and the effects on factors such as speed, quality and creativity, I have been able to observe how AI usage is not a fixed task but more of an evolving process which I am learning through. This includes observing how differently I have been using it. From the idea generation to optimization or the analysis of KPIs to reflecting on my personal views and emotions that come with "outsourcing" certain tasks to AI. 

While this past month has definitly made me more curious for all the different usages and endless of AI in creative marketing I am also keeping critical distance at the same time. I also keep questioning what it changes in the creative process. Where does authorship sit? What happens to authenticity when AI is involved? For the second part of the internship I am eager to try and figure out those questions above as I know they are not just something that is interesting for me striving for a career in creative positions but for the industry itself.  

So far, I have been enjoying this internship, the contributions I have been able to make to the company, and the curiousness to new processes supported by my managers. 

Thank you for reading,

Nora 

 

 

 Blog #1 : Individual Field Study 2026 - Influence of secondhand fashion on sustainable consumption in the Asian subcontinent: Exploring consumer and retailer perspectives

Hi Everyone,

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend. This is my first blog post. As a part of the field study course, I am doing a systematic literature review on the “Influence of secondhand fashion on sustainable consumption in the Asian subcontinent: Exploring consumer and retailer perspectives." In the first debrief seminar, our course coordinator Jenny Balkow briefed us on how to proceed with individual field study, and later on, Olga Chaknikova guided us on the progress of the literature review. 

I have selected this topic in order to study how secondhand fashion is seen in the Asian subcontinent, focusing on consumers and retailers and what the motivations and barriers are to introducing this niche in that region. Since it is a growing market, the expansion occurs for various factors such as consumer motivations, market conditions, and sustainability awareness. However, the growth comes up with unique sustainability challenges such as environmental impact, social and cultural barriers, etc. This study will address the impact, possibilities, and challenges of secondhand fashion, answering the research questions and providing a constructive outcome on how to address these issues for fostering a sustainable secondhand market in that region.

In the last few weeks, I have worked on the keywords, literature, building up the research question, and structuring the report. Starting with the keywords, I have created a search string and used it to find relevant articles that are coherent with my topic, which helped me to finalize 25 peer-reviewed articles for my topic. These articles were selected through continuous screening after exporting the articles into an Excel file. Based on this, I have submitted the first draft, completing the introduction and methodology, and am currently working to create another search string in order to get more relevant articles using Scopus and Web of Science to support the literature review and complete the rest of the sections. So far, it has been a good learning experience for me, enabling me to build my strength in research. 

• Mahir Musleh Rafi

 Post 1

My IFS topic is Post-consumer Textile Waste Management: A Systematic Literature Review of Challenges and Opportunities for Circularity. Here is my search string:

( "post-consumer textile waste" OR "post-consumer clothing" OR "post-textile waste" OR "used clothing" OR "second hand clothing")

AND

("waste management" OR recycl* OR "circular economy" OR upcycl* OR reuse OR "resource recovery")

AND

(challenge* OR barrier* OR opportunit* OR solution* OR strateg*)

 

Blog post 3/3

 

Who Decides What Gets Sold?

 

During my internship at Erikshjälpen, I began to realize that the sorting process is not simply about organizing clothes, but about making decisions. At first, it appeared that garments were only being grouped into categories. However, over time, it became clear that each step in the sorting process involves structured decisions that determine the outcome of every item.

 

As garments move through light and heavy sorting, they are assessed based on criteria such as brand, condition, and garment type. These factors influence whether an item is sent for sale, export, repair, or removal. What is important is that these outcomes are not random, but follow a consistent system guided by internal rules and standards.

 

One observation that stood out to me is that decisions are not always based on appearance. Some garments that look new and in good condition are still redirected or removed, while others continue through the process. This shows that sorting goes beyond visible qualities and reflects deeper considerations such as quality, usability, and organizational guidelines.

 

At the same time, I began to realize that sorting is only one part of a larger system. While staff make decisions during sorting, the types of garments that enter the system in the first place are influenced by consumers. What people choose to buy, use, and donate shapes what arrives at second-hand stores. If many low quality or fast fashion garments are donated, this affects the availability of items that can successfully pass through the sorting process and be resold.

 

This creates an important connection between consumers and secondhand retail. On one hand, sorting determines what reaches the shop floor. On the other hand, consumers indirectly influence what is available by shaping the input of the system. In this sense, both sorting practices and consumer behavior play a role in deciding what ultimately gets sold.

 

This experience has changed the way I view secondhand stores. What is available for purchase is not simply a reflection of donations, but the result of both structured decisions and consumer patterns. It highlights that secondhand retail is not only about reuse, but also about selection and control.

 

Overall, sorting functions as a decision-making system that filters garments, while consumers influence what enters that system in the first place. Together, these processes shape what is visible, what is reusable, and what is ultimately given a second life in the market.

 

Therefore, the question of who decides what gets sold cannot be answered by looking only at secondhand organizations. Sorting staff make decisions about what continues through the system, but consumers also influence these outcomes through the types of garments they buy, use, and donate. In this sense, what gets sold is shaped both by organizational sorting practices and by consumer behavior.

-Suror-

CFS on Sustainability Communication with Värnamo of Sweden 2/3

In the consultancy field study with Värnamo of Sweden and business lab, I focus on how SMEs can develop sustainability communication. This has been an interesting learning process, as many SMEs face limited resources when trying to keep up with the latest sustainability trends.

To better understand sustainability communication in practice, I started learning website design using Figma. It was my first time using this software, and I encountered several challenges, such as layout adjustments, loading performance, and animation settings. However, it has also been a valuable experience, and I would like to explore it further in the future. During the design process, I also reviewed some papers on UI/UX design and found that user behaviour plays an important role in shaping effective design outcomes. This reminded me of the concept of design thinking. With a user-centred approach, later design prototypes can better align with users’ contexts and habits, making the communication more effective. Although it is a complex process, I believe it should be more emphasis.

In the past two weeks, I have also started conducting my experiment using eye-tracking and questionnaires. I look forward to gaining deeper insights when I analyse the data later.

Internship at an online fashion store, 2/3

During the last couple of weeks of my internship I’ve got the opportunity to participate in the company’s customer event at their showroom. What became clear for me was how significant the relationship with the customer is, and how events and personal meetings are used to create both engagement and sales.

The company has both smaller events during the evenings, but also larger ones a few times a year. Leading up to the large one, there’s a lot of preparations, such as styling and doing visual merchandising in their showroom, contacting sponsors and preparing goodiebags, and inviting brands to show their clothes. It was a fun week of preparations before the event and many things I haven’t thought about that need to be prepared before an event. 

During the event I observed that there were a lot of returning customers that already had a relationship with the company and employees. Several customers tried on clothes, asked for styling help and interacted with the employees. I also experienced that the event was not only about selling, but also creating an experience and strengthening the relationship with the customer. By assisting in styling, personal conversation and an inspiring environment I think it created a more exclusive and personal feeling around the company and the products. 

Another thing I observed was how products were placed strategically in order to promote specific brands and garments. Products that the company wanted to sell more of were placed more visible and were recommended more often to the customer. It made me more aware of how customer meetings and marketing in fashion retail is not only about inspiration and service, but also impacting customers' attention and purchase decisions.

After participating and working these events I think I have gotten a deeper understanding of how customer relationships and events works in premium fashion retail. It has also made me reflect more on how closely connected customer experience, marketing and sales are in practice.

Blog #2 - Internship at the Swedish EPA

Over the past weeks, my internship at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency has become increasingly handson. Working within the department for a Resource efficient continues to give me valuable insight into how sustainability policies are developed, coordinated, and implemented in practice.

One of the most interesting experiences so far was giving a presentation on environmental monitoring and trend analysis within the textile industry. Preparing for it helped me better understand the complexity of sustainability challenges connected to textiles, especially regarding circular economy goals and upcoming EU regulations.

I have also taken part in several internal coordination meetings connected to new EU legislation. Since many of these regulations affect multiple areas within the agency, collaboration between departments is essential. It has been interesting to see how different expertise comes together to interpret regulations.

In addition, I have been involved in organising webinars and communicating with participants, which has given me insight into another important part of sustainability work: knowledge sharing and stakeholder engagement. What continues to stand out to me is how interconnected sustainability work is. Environmental issues are rarely isolated; they are linked to economics, industry, policy, and communication. Seeing these connections in practice has made my studies feel much more tangible, and I’m excited to continue learning and contributing during the rest of my internship.

Communications and Commercial Intern 2/3

Communications and Commercial Intern: Post 2/3

Irene Rumiz

Hi!

After a little over a month as a Communications and Commercial Intern at The Loop Factory, I’m feeling really motivated. I’m genuinely happy to be part of a company that listens to its people and trusts their talent and potential.

Coming from the Dominican Republic, my previous work experience was… let’s just say intense. On the bright side, I seem to have unlocked “2x speed mode,” which meant I wrapped up my main tasks faster than expected.

So, when I sat down with the team to talk about what was next, I assumed I’d just get more tasks (which would’ve been totally fine). Instead, they asked me what I wanted to learn more about, which areas interested me most, and how they could shape my role around that. Honestly, that meant a lot. Being able to express my interests and have them taken seriously has made this experience even more valuable.

My ideas are actually considered, and I’ve even been given a slot in general team meetings to share my progress. That small (but big!) detail makes me feel really happy, and genuinely part of this amazing team. It’s also really nice that, even though meetings are usually held in Swedish, everyone switches to English so I can follow along and be part of the conversation. That kind of consideration doesn’t go unnoticed.

Now, while I’m still actively involved in communication tasks, I’ve also started exploring the commercial side of things and supporting the team there. It’s been great to get a broader view of the company.

As for commuting, it's still going strong. It can get a bit tiring sometimes, but there’s always the option of a strategic train nap (alarm included, of course… lesson learned).

I’ll keep you posted in part 3!

IR

 Blog #2: From Pixels to Personalization – The Tech Behind the Avatar

In my previous post I talked about the “why” of my virtual fitting room. Now, let’s get to the “how.” That is, how do I take two basic photos from a smartphone and turn them into a dynamic, anatomically realistic 3D mesh?

I have blended RealityScan and MetaHuman concepts to morph my MakeHuman base models to avoid the "too smooth" look of generic software. My pipeline uses a powerful open-source engine named Godot to host the 3D environment. The magic begins with Otsu’s thresholding, which produces a binarized image and extracts a clean silhouette. The system then automatically finds key landmarks to measure based on existing anthropometric ratios; for example, the waist should be three-eighths of a person’s height.

The real challenge is not only to create a static model but also to let it walk. I can rig the skeleton with Mixamo so I can try out dresses in dynamic poses like “reaching” or "stepping." This is where Enhanced Position-Based Dynamics (PBD) comes in. PBD, in contrast to traditional simulations, enables me to observe real-time "draglines," diagonal wrinkles indicating a garment is too tight, thus allowing me to perform a subjective fit analysis that numerical data alone might miss.

I'm currently struggling to implement high-fidelity cloth physics in Godot directly. Is this technical deep dive into morphing and landmark detection making sense, or do I need to explain more about the specifics of the “3/8ths rule” math?

Production Intern at Hodakova 2/3

 Post 2/3 

Building upon the previous post, one solution to limited sourcing availability is inventory - throughout these weeks, I have learned that although in traditional supply chains inventory is often considered a burden, in chains relying on deadstock inventory can be life saving. Inventory management, therefore, becomes another crucial part of production processes. Despite being rather time-consuming (sorting, categorising and inspecting quality of material, counting, labelling, measuring), knowing your inventory is crucial for future production planning, particularly when relying on deadstock garments which availability is often volatile.