Brands have developed a way to continue the fast fashion cycle but through recycled, remade clothing. Rather than source from high cost, scarce raw materials, they have developed a cost effective way to mass produce recycled garments through innovations in labor management and sorting/recycling technology. By advertising directly to consumers to frequently return their used clothing, they can tap into an everlasting source of free material feedstock for their collections while fueling their bottom line.

As coastal cities flood due to rising water levels and global warming, there is a massive influx of people moving inland to seek shelter and new homes. Not having the infrastructure to protect residents from extreme weather events, waste accumulates, unemployment sky rockets, the economy tanks, and citizens' happiness crumbles. Seeing as it's too expensive to retrofit existing cities, a solution is decided to create a new eco-protective city. Based on eco-city principles that proved a success in China in the previous decades, the new Infini-Citi is constructed to be a regulated, closed loop, urban ecosystem that shelters its citizens from changing climate. Strictly regulating the inflow and outflow of goods and energy, citizens are provided with a premium, sustainable, urban setting that assures them they are living a responsible, low impact, and environmentally friendly lifestyle. Advanced technology allows for hyper-convenient appliances and smart goods in every home promising everything you need, right at your fingertips.

The Biophilians formed as a response to the failure of companies and government not prioritising the climate crisis. They decided to take matters into their own hands to reverse the climate catastrophe and counteract the past generations of over consumption and complacency. Tired of government and companies' attempts at making profit and pointing fingers after each natural disaster, the Biophilians vowed to live by the principle that everything they will ever need can be found or made with what already exists. Citizens have ceased being consumers and have become stewards of nature. They've created a sheltered community to shield themselves from the waste and corruption of global corporate interests. They believe rapid advances in technology was the main culprit in leading humans to an over-consumptive wasteful life as it allowed for high efficiency in production leading to cheap, mass produced items with easy access to millions of products. They limit their use of technology to only that which can help return and cycle material with the least amount of energy required. Prioritising the health of the planet above all else, they view humans as an interconnected part of nature whose bounds they must not cross again.

Completed as part of a master's project in MA Fashion Futures at London College of Fashion, UAL. 2022

Created by: Rachel Rymar
r.rymar@gmail.com

The year is 2080. Resources have dwindled causing raw material prices to skyrocket. A booming population and frequent extreme weather events required society to shift quickly towards less resource-intensive ways of consuming.

The solution came in the form of the circular economy. However, the successful transition was driven independently by brands, government and citizens, each conforming circular principles to fit their own values.

The following stories are snapshots of the everyday lives of the people living in these disparate circular societies.

BRAND

GOVERNMENT

CITIZENS