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β»οΈ Can undergarments go circular?
Published 15 days agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
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Hi Reader,
In this week's CFC newsletter, you'll find:
𧡠How a conscious fashion founder is building a circular lingerie brand from the ground up
𧡠Fashion's most innovative companies, this year's fashion resale report, and a panel on building conscious customer connections
𧡠Funding opportunity for emerging US designers, a sustainable design mentorship session, and new jobs
Cheering you on,
Elizabeth
Director, Conscious Fashion Collective
P.S. Members, don't miss our Monthly Feedback Session today! We'll be talking about building a communications strategy, growing a newsletter, optimizing portfolios, and refining an offer.
Member Spotlight
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Micki Weiner is the founder of Petal + Ash, a circular lingerie brand currently in development, with a mission to empower women through comfortable lingerie, made from materials safe for the most intimate parts of their bodies.
With a Masters in Sustainability Management from Columbia University and design certificates from the Fashion Institute of Technology, Micki brings expertise in circularity, materials impact, and creative problem-solving to the intersection of climate and culture.
In this member spotlight interview, Micki shares:
Why the lingerie industry needs to take sustainability into account,
What does a circular business model mean for a lingerie brand,
And the challenges of being a solo female founder in the sustainable fashion space.
"When our undergarments are at their end of life, and youβve worn them out, you can cut them up and put them in your compost or your backyard β and they will naturally degrade.
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At Petal + Ash, we believe that circularity is a system that everybody needs to participate in. So part of our work is figuring out how we can empower our customers to partake in this system of circularity."
Fast Company revealed their picks for the most innovative companies in fashion on Tuesday. There were several picks from players in the sustainability space including Veja "for making it cool to mend shoes" and Repreve "for making new clothes out of old clothes at scale." Coachtopia β Coach's circular-minded sub-brand β also made an appearance.
Strong storytelling can shape consumer behavior and build brand loyalty. Sustainable fashion brands and businesses have the potential to communicate the stories behind their products and practices to create authentic connections with their audience. But how can they do that? β Join us for an insightful panel discussion with CFC Members Saloni Shrestha, Mari Medina, and Pushpika Freitas.
ThredUp released their much-anticipated annual resale report this week. In addition to the report's usual market analysis β the global secondhand market grew 15% in 2024 and made up 9% of all apparel spend, in case you were wondering β the report covers the impact of AI, social commerce, and tariffs.
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More insights & updates:
π§Suited with Kenya Wiley is a new podcast exploring the intersection of fashion, policy, and law
The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund is looking for their 2025 finalists! The program has directed over $8 million to emerging designers thus far.
Who can apply? Designers with their primary place of business in the US that have operating for a minimum of 2 years. Applicants must have fewer than thirty full-time employees, and under $10 million dollars in annual revenue.
Whether you're a designer or brand founder wanting to refresh or deepen your knowledge in sustainable design and collection development, this live mentorship event with fashion designer, illustrator, teacher, and author ZoΓ« Hong is for you.
Drawing upon her years as a fashion designer, illustrator, and instructor at one of the worldβs most prestigious fashion universities, ZoΓ« Hong has built one of the largest fashion education platforms online.
CFC Members can book a 1:1 mini mentor session with ZoΓ« here!
One of our CFC Members, Marketplace Handwork of India, is looking for a Web and Digital Marketing Manager who is not only skilled in digital strategy but also deeply customer focused.
Secondhand fashion platform Vinted is hiring for several summer internships, including in areas like Partnerships, Creative Innovation, Ethics & Compliance, Influencer Marketing, Operations, Product, and Research.
π Dive Deeper: Become a CFC Member
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π₯ Community Support: Participate in monthly feedback sessions and access our community forums 24/7
π’ Visibility Opportunities: Get featured in a member spotlight interview and get added to our public directories
