Internship at Revolution Race Blog 3/3

It is hard to believe that I am working my final week at RevolutionRace. Looking back over the past ten weeks, I am amazed at how much has happened and how much I have learned, and I want to use this final post to reflect on how things have wrapped up.

Since my last entry, I have finished my work with the Marketplace team. The big project there was building and uploading the summer sites for our third-party marketplaces, taking everything from campaign updates and product listings to the overall seasonal feel and getting it live for customers. It was really satisfying to see a project I had been working on for weeks finally go out into the world and to know that the work would be part of how customers experience the brand this summer.

I had hoped to spend some time with the production team to see how the garments are made from concept to finished product, but unfortunately, scheduling conflicts meant that visit didn't work out. Instead, I have been spending my last two weeks with the social media team, which turned out to be a brilliant way to round off my time here.

With the social media team, my focus has been on helping RevolutionRace broaden its user base into the golf world. I have spent time scouting influencers and profiles within golf and then managing the partnerships and contracts that have been made so far. It is a new side of the business for me, and I really enjoy the mix of research, relationship-building, and the more administrative side of getting agreements in place. Alongside that, I have also worked directly on the company's Instagram and TikTok, creating content, editing videos in CapCut, and putting together drafts for Instagram posts. Getting hands-on with content creation has given me a much better appreciation for how much thought and effort goes into even a single post.

What stays with me most, looking back across the whole internship, is how every team and every small task connects to the bigger picture of how a brand presents itself and reaches its customers. From updating a product page to negotiating a partnership, it all feeds into the same goal.

I am so grateful for these ten weeks. I have learned an enormous amount, worked across so many different parts of the company, and gotten to know a lot of genuinely wonderful people along the way. It has been an enriching, challenging, and genuinely fun experience, and one I will carry with me for a long time. 

Thank you!

Stina Sjöstrand.

Intern Nobo Design 3/3

My last week of internship has now started, and I have learned many different things during these weeks. One advantage of being at a small company is that I have had the opportunity to get a complete picture of how an e-commerce business works, because I have been able to try many different tasks like purchasing meetings, events, and content creation.

Speaking of content, last Friday I had the opportunity to join a photo shoot and video recording with one of the brands we sell. We were at their headquarters by a beach in Helsingør to give the brand extra attention on Nobo’s channels. In the days before, there was a lot of planning, both about what type of content to create and which products to feature with the goal to focus on items that were still in stock while also being suitable for the current season. One thing I have learned about content creation is how much preparation is needed. It is not really the photo shoot or filming that takes the most time, but coming up with a good idea that fits the specific product.

Another lesson I am taking with me from my time at Nobo Design is how important it is to have a good relationship with the sales representatives from the companies that Nobo buys from. This is beneficial for both Nobo and the suppliers. It makes things easier when Nobo needs to exchange a product that has not sold well or handle customer complaints. It is also an advantage for the sales representatives, because a strong relationship and trust can encourage Nobo to buy more products from their brand. During purchasing meetings it is therefore common for sales representatives to both share and ask about personal topics in order to build relationships and loyalty.

Finally, I would like to say that these weeks have given me more confidence about working in this industry, which I will take with me to future workplaces. Toward the end of my internship, I have started taking more initiative on my own and I have noticed that my mentor trust me more and allow me to work more independently. This has been enjoyable and makes me feel positive about the future when I eventually have a full-time job in the industry!

Internship at an online fashion store 3/3

 I am now starting my final week at my internship. The past few months have gone by incredibly fast, and it feels like the internship just started. At the same time, a lot has happened during this period, and I have had the opportunity to gain valuable insights.

Throughout my internship I have got the opportunity to participate in many parts of the business and got a better understanding of how e-commerce within fashion actually works. I have participated in buying meetings, photoshoots, livestream shopping sessions, and created content for their social media. It has given me insights into how different functions work together within an e-commerce company.

One of the most interesting things I have learned is how closely connected marketing, sales and inventory management actually are. Before starting my internship, I primarily viewed marketing as a way to create inspiration and build brand awareness in order to increase sales. During my time at the company, I have seen how marketing is also used strategically to influence sales, highlight specific products and brands, and manage the inventory when products do not sell as well or have a high inventory level.

The internship has also allowed me to apply my knowledge from my education in a real business setting. At the same time, it has given me a broader understanding of the daily decision making processes within the fashion industry and the balance between creativity, customer experience and business goals.

Consulting Field Study 3/3

 As I write this final blog post, I am happy to say that I am almost finished with my report. There are still a few references to double-check and, of course, several rounds of proofreading to fully process and reflect on everything I have accomplished. Looking back, I feel both content and proud of the work I have achieved and of my own development throughout the project. I believe my findings, analysis and conclusions answer the research question in a clear and well structured way.

One thing I have learned about my writing process is the importance of moving forward. As I mentioned in my second blog post, I felt stuck in the introduction chapter for quite some time, and my progress was moving slowly. Once I moved on to the discussion chapter, where I could begin analyzing and interpreting the findings, the writing became much easier and more enjoyable. The conclusion chapter was especially rewarding, as it became very clear what I wanted to communicate and what the study had ultimately contributed.

During this final week, my focus will mainly be on creating the poster and preparing for the final presentations. Yes, presentations in plural. I will present my work for Digital Business Lab, for Jenny, and finally travel to Värnamo to present the results to Värnamo of Sweden, the company involved in the field study.

I am also looking forward to spending less time in front of my computer. Despite exercising regularly, both my body and mind are asking for a break after many weeks of long hours, poor posture and constant thoughts about DPP. A big stretch and some distance from the topic feel well deserved.

Overall, I have truly enjoyed this journey. I have learned a great deal about both the subject itself and about how I work as a researcher. The project has strengthened my analytical and critical thinking, and it has shown me how much I enjoy exploring complex topics through research. Perhaps most importantly at the end, I have learned to be less critical of myself and my progress. Throughout the entire project, my curiosity has been my strongest driving force, and I hope to continue building on that in future research and professional opportunities.

Can small adjustments improve sustainability communication through corporate websites? 3/3

After two months, the consulting field study project has finally reached its final stage. I am grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with Värnamo of Sweden and the Business Lab to explore how sustainability communication can be improved through corporate website design.

To investigate whether small design adjustments could improve users’ speed of noticing and interacting with sustainability information, increase their exploration range, and enhance their perception of sustainability communication, I redesigned the website based on field observations, literature review, and VSME framework. One of the key design principles was placing the main navigation menu in a higher position rather than at the bottom of the page. Another important strategy was the repetition of sustainability-related content across different touchpoints. Finally, I conducted an experiment involving 22 participants using eye-tracking devices and questionnaires, and I analyzed how users perceived and interacted with the two website versions.

The findings showed that the version with higher navigation placement and repeated sustainability content performed better in several aspects, including notice speed, intuitive guidance, and viewing range. However, one construct related to user perception did not show a significant difference. This suggests that although improvements could be observed in user behavior, users’ subjective perceptions may still remain similar, highlighting the challenge of measuring and influencing user feelings and attitudes.

Overall, this experience not only deepened my understanding of website design and user behavior, but also provided valuable insights into sustainability communication. Although the journey was sometimes bittersweet, it inspired me to continue exploring sustainability strategies more deeply in the future!

Blog #3 Internship at the Swedish EPA

As my internship at the Swedish EPA continues, I’ve started to gain a clearer understanding of how sustainability work operates beyond theory and into practice. One thing that has stood out to me over the past weeks is how much environmental policy depends on collaboration, communication, and longterm planning.

Recently, I have been involved in work connected to upcoming EU regulations and internal coordination processes within the agency. It has been interesting to observe how different departments contribute with their own expertise to interpret legislation and discuss how new policies can be implemented in a practical way. Seeing these discussions firsthand has given me a broader perspective on how complex sustainability governance really is.

A large part of my current work has focused on mapping textile material recycling in Sweden and the Nordic region. This has involved identifying key actors, processes, and bottlenecks within the textile recycling value chain, as well as examining what is still missing to create more circular textile flows in the Nordics. Working on this project has given me valuable insight into both the environmental and structural challenges connected to textile sustainability, especially as new EU requirements continue to emerge.

Another part of my internship that I have enjoyed is participating in projects related to communication and stakeholder engagement. Organising webinars and interacting with participants has shown me how important knowledge sharing is within environmental work. Sustainability is not only about creating policies, but also about making information accessible and encouraging cooperation between different actors.

What I appreciate most about this internship is how it connects many of the topics I have studied at university with realworld challenges. Issues connected to circular economy, textiles, and resource efficiency are no longer just concepts from lectures, but something I now see being discussed and developed in practice every day.

This experience continues to strengthen my interest in sustainability policy and environmental governance, and I look forward to learning even more during the final part of my internship.

Blog 2/3 : Building bridges through ENGAGE

Hello

In this blog post, I want to talk about how the ENGAGE project has developed since my first blog post when much of our work at that time focused on understanding the purpose of the project and exploring how ENGAGE could build stronger connection between different stakeholders. Now, me and my teammate are going through interviews of different stakeholders to understand the view they have towards such project.

The most important part of this stage has been preparing for interviews of the primary stakeholders. My teammate and I have been working on pilot questions that can help us understand different perspectives of the stakeholders connected to ENGAGE. However, working on creating these questionaries for the interview and sitting with interviewees has made me realize that asking questions is not as simple as it first seems. A good question should not push people toward a specific answer. Rather it should create a safe space for honest reflection for both participants.

For me, one reflection I have had during this stage is that different stakeholders of the same category may see the same problem in different ways. As for now, I am taking the interviews of the students who are one of the primary stakeholders and I can see students from different region think about access to opportunities, confidence, and future employment differently. Thus, understanding these different perspectives is important before suggesting any possible suggestion for the ENGAGE project to hold on to. Because when I am thinking critically regarding the responses from the students from different regions, a lot of their responses seems similar in a lot of cases even though their perspective might differ in the broader scale.

This realization has been one of the most valuable learning points for me in this field study course. Because of this, I have beginning to understand how to create a connection between different stakeholders that matches the expectations, mitigate the communication gaps and establish the practical conditions that affect whether collaboration of such scale can be meaningful for both parties.

At this stage, the ENGAGE project feels going towards the right way than it did at the beginning. The direction we want to steer this project is becoming clearer, and the interview process will hopefully help us identify the possible patterns, needs, and areas for development based on the responses from the stakeholders. I am looking forward to finding out if the students and other stakeholders share similar views, or there are differences among the perspective of different stakeholders that need to be considered carefully.

In my next blog post, I am looking forward to reflect more on what we have learned from the interviews and how those insights may shape which direction this ENGAGE project lean towards in the future.

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.

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 in the right direction, even though I wish I was a quicker writer and not get stuck in my own reflections and end up searching for more information and ending up in rabbit holes that may not be that relevant in the end results. 

However, I feel that I am learning and am driven by my own curiosity with the will to understand. 

These past weeks I have gotten good contacts which has led me to more, resulting in valid information, seminars, discussion and meetings. 

One of the seminars was held by the magazine Environment & Development (“Miljö & Utveckling”) inviting speakers from RISE and the fashion brand Lindex. The theme of the seminar was “How can companies prepare for the DPP?”, which gave me valid insights on how companies like Lindex have been working with the DPP on a pilot level, together with their challenges, opportunities and recommendations. 

Further on, I had a great meeting with Evidi, who is a leading company in Scandinavia who offers technical and digital solutions based on Microsoft platforms for a better dataflow and IT-infrastructure within companies in different industries. They have developed their own Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system called PISA with the focus on the textile and apparel industry, in which I got an introduction about and got a clearer understanding of some of my questions. 

Last week we had our mid-term presentation at the digital business lab for our mentor Marianne and my fellow peers. I appreciated it along with our regular Monday meetings, because it has been necessary to get outside of your head and your own research to get insights about someone else's work and progress. It is valuable to hear others' perspectives, thoughts, ideas and to be able to help each other in this process, like eye-tracking tests and interviews which I was very intrigued by.

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