Communications and Commercial Intern 3/3

Communications and Commercial Intern: Post 3/3

Irene Rumiz

Hi!

This is my last blog post, and I can’t believe this incredible experience is coming to an end. I will always be grateful for the opportunity that The Loop Factory gave me to be part of its amazing team and experience working life in Sweden.

During these last weeks, I had the chance to work on a project that truly interested me, focused directly on marketing and communications. It had been a long time since I last worked in this field, as my previous experiences were more centered around management and leading projects (a little boring, honestly). So being able to work again in an area I genuinely enjoy feels amazing. However, the best part is not only that I got to work in a field I like, but that this assignment was created especially for me, based on my interests within the company.

As I mentioned in my previous entry, after I finished my original assignments at light speed, I was asked what I would like to focus on next. The marketing and sales team trusted me with a very important project, convinced that I would deliver accordingly. Feeling valued and considered important by a company that barely knew me, thousands of kilometers away from home, is something that fills my heart with pride and joy.

Working at The Loop Factory has been one of the best experiences of my life, not only because I was given the trust and opportunity to showcase my abilities in a foreign work environment, but also because of everything I learned here. I learned that Swedes have discovered the secret to work-life balance: fika breaks, such a small thing yet so necessary. I learned that we are all the same, no matter if you are the CEO or the intern (me haha), everyone has a place at the lunch table (and if it’s sunny, that lunch will definitely be outdoors). I also learned that this is how work should feel: everyone does their part, but there is no need to work under constant pressure (as if we were in a war zone all day just to function, which is what I was used to). Stability is key.

Regarding the train, it wasn’t traumatic at all. Commuting was a completely new experience for me, and honestly, I enjoyed it. I’m going to miss those train rides and the views from Borås to Varberg, they became an important part of my daily life.

I truly loved this experience: learning from each of my colleagues, being introduced to a whole new world; on one hand, the Swedish working environment, and on the other, the sustainability field. Ever since I started my master’s degree, sustainability has been an area that deeply interested me, and now, after this experience, I can confidently say that I want to keep learning and dig deeper into the possibilities of giving waste, especially textile fibre waste, a whole new life by extending its lifecycle.

Thank you, The Loop Factory, for having me, for believing in me more than I believed in myself, and for giving me a life-changing opportunity. I hope we keep in touch and, who knows, maybe work together again in the future. Thank you for being such an important part of my life in Sweden.

And thank you as well to everyone who read and followed my experience.
Thank you for your time.

Irene

Blog #3: High Precision, High Hurdles - Lessons from my virtual fitting room build

In this final post I reflect on the journey of my virtual fitting room project. Despite the considerable challenges encountered during the full application development, mainly due to the complexity of the real-time cloth physics, the research successfully validated a powerful conceptual open source pipeline.

The Gold Standard for Accuracy A key part of this project has been to demonstrate that a smartphone-based system can meet industry standards. My research shows that by using body proportions and machine learning, an average accuracy of 95.59% can be reached for critical dimensions such as waist, hip and thigh. The secret to the trillion-dollar problem of online returns is keeping errors within a margin of more or less than 2 centimeters.

The greatest challenge is in the technical realities of moving from a static 3D model to a dynamic “digital twin." The enhanced PBD framework is theoretically efficient enough to run in real-time on normal devices, but implementing the complex overlays and wrinkles of fabric in the open-source Godot Engine was a major technical bottleneck within the available time.

What’s Next? The application may not be fully "live," but I have defined a validated roadmap. The pipeline is ready for the next phase, which uses AI like Pix2Pix to help the system “see through” loose clothing and estimate body shape. The pipeline uses MakeHuman for anatomical realism and Mixamo for rigging.

This project shows that the fashion fit crisis has a promising open-source solution – it just needs a little more time in the fitting room of technical development.

Blog #2 : Individual Field Study 2026 - Influence of secondhand fashion on sustainable consumption in the Asian subcontinent: Exploring consumer and retailer perspectives

In my previous blog post, I shared a brief idea on secondhand fashion and my selected topic. In first draft, I worked on the introduction and methodology part, but to move further, the literature review needed more relevant articles. For which I created another search string to support the literature and move forward. 

Using the new search string on Web of Science, I found 15 more articles after continuous screening, which made the total number of articles 40, including the previous 25 articles for the review. Using these peer-reviewed articles, I am now currently working on answering the research question, which I have categorized into three themes: Theme 1: Consumer Perception, Motivation, and Barriers; Theme 2: Environment vs. Actual Behavior; and Theme 3: Platforms and Generation Z. Apart from these themes, I am also trying to cover the issues and challenges experienced by the retailer, which entail business and operational issues, supply challenges, trust and quality control, consumer awareness, and infrastructural limitations faced by the retailers. While working with the literature, the findings reveal that consumer perception is almost similar across the Asian subcontinent and taken as a low-class practice. 

Moreover, it is also influenced by some factors such as hygiene, product quality, and social stigma. In growing markets, these perceptions become stronger due to the cultural attitudes of that region. The findings also included that there is an attitude & behavioral gap among the consumers towards sustainable fashion, which means that consumers may express positive attitudes toward sustainability but do not translate these into actual purchasing behavior. However, it is seen that pricing of the product plays a vital role in purchasing secondhand products. The young consumers take into account the environmental side, whereas for the older consumers, it is found that price wins every time. And from the point of view of retailers, consistent supply challenges of product due to inconsistent size, styles, and quantities are creating barriers to growing the market. Transparency, quality control, and authenticity is also key factors in this case. So far, these insights are helping me in doing the literature review, and I am at the verge of writing my final report. Looking forward for a better outcome. 

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.