Scottish fashion designers encouraged to reduce textile waste

The Circular Economy Textiles and Apparel Grant Fund was launched last November to encourage textile and fashion designers in Scotland to apply for funding from Zero Waste Scotland to help them reduce textile waste.

Zero Waste Scotland hopes that the fund will encourage Scottish designers to adopt sustainable design methods, such as zero-waste pattern design.

The organization also hopes that designers will produce clothes that can be easily disassembled and repurposed and use closed-loop textiles made from recycled materials.

According to the organization, this fund will help designers to adopt innovative methods for a “more circular economy”. The funding is open to textile and apparel designers with a minimum of two years professional experience across performance, technical textiles and clothing, fashion and couture. Designers have until 31 January to apply for the funding.

Zero Waste Scotland chief executive Iain Gulland said that the Scottish textiles industry “has a great heritage” and that this fund will “encourage ideas to ensure the sector grows sustainably”.

From recent research it is known that there are currently no truly circular textile products or services in Scotland, but that the characteristics of country’s textile industry – heritage, provenance, durability, globally recognised quality manufacturing and production make it well placed to develop new ideas.

This is a great opportunity for designers to play a leading role in identifying new innovative products and services for Scotland which could demonstrate how the sector can become truly circular in the future.

Textile designers in Scotland will be able to apply for up to £5,000 each and successful applicants will also receive mentoring from “an industry expert”.