Does sustainability really mean longevity?
Because the truth is, nothing lasts forever.
We recently asked our founder and Sustainability and Programs Lead to share their thoughts on the question.
And one thing became clear:
Products aren’t designed to live endlessly, so sustainability isn’t about making things last forever. It’s about how fully we use what already exists.
What would it look like if we lived in a world where waste didn’t exist?
Where we thought first about reusing, repairing, and exhausting the value in what we have before creating more?
So the question isn’t just what we make, but how we use.
Are we using things fully, or replacing them too quickly?
Nothing lasts forever.
But we can do better with how we use, reuse, and reduce what already exists.
So many insightful perspectives came out of this conversation.
#Sustainability
#CircularEconomy
#SustainableSystems
#ZeroWasteThinking
#ReduceReuseRecycle
From July 19, 2026, large fashion companies in the EU will no longer be allowed to destroy unsold clothing, footwear, or accessories under the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).
But what makes this regulation particularly interesting is that “destruction” doesn’t only mean landfill or incineration, even recycling unsold goods can count as waste if reuse was still possible.
The regulation pushes brands to rethink overproduction, inventory systems, and responsibility beyond the point of sale. Companies will also be required to publicly disclose the quantity of unsold products discarded, why they were discarded, and what percentage was reused, recycled, or disposed.
This shifts the conversation beyond sustainable materials alone and toward a more systemic approach to sustainability:
How much are we producing?
What happens to what remains unsold?
And who remains responsible after consumption?
Sustainable production is not only about what brands make, but also about what they choose not to waste.
The future of sustainable fashion begins with asking whether everything being produced truly needs to exist.
Photo credit: (Photo doesn’t belong to us) photo is of Raspberry Processing House: Premium Ozone Treatment for Garment Care (Image sourced from Pinterest)
Credit : /2026/02/19/eu-to-ban-destruction-of-newly-made-clothes-accessories-and-shoes/
#Sustainability
#CircularEconomy
#WasteReduction
#SustainableSystems #ConsciousConsumption #SlowFashion #ExtendedProducerResponsibility
Sustainability Is a System, Not a Product Choice
Sustainability is often approached as a material decision — switching to organic fabrics or recycled inputs.
However, this view is limited.
Sustainability is systemic. It involves how materials are sourced, how products are made, how waste is managed, and how value flows across the supply chain.
A brand can adopt sustainable materials and still operate within an inefficient or waste-heavy system.
The conversation needs to shift from not only what we use to also how we operate.
#sustainableliving #systemsthinking #buildingsustainably #process #materialflow
Photo credit :
Cotton Shri Dnyaneshwar Ginning Pressing factory (India) VIA GETTY IMAGES
@foodandwine@gainsboroughweaving@francesv.h_mohair
Re-capping our Sustainable Adire Workshop from this past weekend, through the eyes of @wovenbykhadija
Beeswax over paraffin for design.
Cleaner dyes, same vibrant results.
A system that treats water before it leaves.
And the real lesson—
how do we keep our craft alive and truly sustainable?
The conversations, the curiosity, the shift in thinking—this is where change begins. We are grateful for the openness and engagement in the room. See you at the next one!
#SustainableAdire #Adire #circulareconomy
Are you interested in learning basic Adire resist techniques and design? Do you want to learn how to dye fabric using cleaner reactive dye methods? Are you curious to learn about safer ways to handle dyes? And gain some understanding around simple ways to manage dye water and reduce waste? Then this workshop is for you!
In collaboration with @designers_consociate we're hosting a 1 day workshop on the 18th of April where we will help artisans, textile makers and other creative practitioners improve their process in a cleaner and safer way for our health and the environment.
If you are a dyer, designer, or creative, please join us. Beginners welcome also!
Payment details are on the flyer. Please send payment details to number above. The workshop will take place on the mainland in (Bariga, Lagos).
To learn more, please visit: | or email [email protected]
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❌ REGISTRATION NOW CLOSED ❌
What does it mean to make Adire today?
As tradition meets scale, how do we preserve the soul of the craft while evolving the process?
In collaboration with @afrikstabel , we’re hosting a 1 day workshop and together we’ll learn:
- Basic Adire resist techniques and design
- How to dye fabric using cleaner reactive dyes (hands-on)
* Safer ways to handle dyes
* Simple ways to manage dye water and reduce waste
Our goal is to help artisans, textile makers and other creative practitioners improve their process in a cleaner and safer way for our health and the environment. If you are a dyer, designer, or creative, please join us! Beginners welcome also!
Payment details on the flyer. Please send payment details to number above ✨
Workshop will take place on the Lagos Mainland.
To learn more, please visit: | or email [email protected]
Adire, the centuries-old Yoruba resist-dyeing tradition, remains an important part of Nigeria’s textile and cultural economy. Beyond the beauty of the fabrics, it sustains craftsmanship, community creativity, and generations of indigenous knowledge.
But as Adire production continues to evolve, new questions are emerging - from the use of industrial chemical dyes to concerns about water pollution and environmental responsibility.
Which brings us to an important question: What does it truly cost to keep colour alive?
Learn more about our findings in our report, link in our bio to download. ✨
#sustainableliving #Adire #color #circularfashion #circulareconomy♻️ #designersconsociate #print
A closer look at Sustainable Adire, our recently released must - read report that uncovers data, insights, strategies, and emerging opportunities within the adire industry that will shape the future of indigenous textile systems in Nigeria.
To download the full report, click on the link in our bio!
#InnovateUK #Afrikstabel #DeMontFortUniversity
#Adire #TextileResearch #CircularEconomy #SustainableDevelopment #TextileReport
What does it cost to color?
Our Sustainable Adire Report is finally here!
With the support of Innovate UK and the Lead Customer Programme Grant, we began a beautiful journey in 2024 — to reimagine Adire dyeing in Nigeria.
Our mission? To honour the traditional wax-resist craft we love, while finding cleaner, scalable dyeing methods that protect both people and the environment.
By the end of the project we piloted:
• Reactive dyeing — a safer alternative that replaces the harsh chemicals used in vat dyeing with simple, natural low-impact salts and potash.
• A wastewater treatment system — filtering and sanitising dye water before it ever reaches our gutters (and opening doors for future water reuse).
• Other valuable discoveries you can read about in the Report!
By blending science with heritage, the Sustainable Adire Project shows that tradition and technology can truly co-exist — creating:
👩🏾🎨 safer working conditions for artisans
🌊 cleaner waterways for communities
🧵 sustainable, colourfast textiles for industry
💫 and a future where Nigerian craft can thrive for generations
Endless gratitude to De Montfort University, Dr. Claire Lerpiniere, Dr. Edward Smith, the Society of Dyers and Colourists, Pearl Laboratories, and the wider UK–Nigeria Circular Fashion Innovation Network.
🎥 Video Credit: Huge thanks to @oluwole_ola and @apexmedia360 for your craft, time, and attention to detail — and to the amazing @tumi_fied for helping us bring this story to life!
#SustainableAdire #CircularCraft #CleanColor #InnovationMeetsTradition
Heritage in Motion begins today!
Through the revival of inherited techniques and skills, we reveals how the past breathes quietly within the present, sustaining creativity, identity, and belonging.
Rooted in local traditions yet inherently pan-African in spirit, the exhibition celebrates collaboration, material integrity, and the enduring beauty of the handmade. A living dialogue between past and future, heritage and imagination.
We are so proud to have these distinguished collaborators :
@johannabramblecreations@lisafolawiyo@nya_lagos@c.q.studio@mekekadesigns #SussFabrics
Thank you for sharing your exceptional work with us. It is an honor to collaborate with such visionary creatives!
Thank you to our partners @maisonmondesafricains@franceinnigeria@growink_@16by16@iwalewabooks@designers_consociate@add_apt
#HeritagelnMotion #AfricanDesign #CraftAndCulture #SustainableDesign #Contemporary Craft #DesignExhibition #CulturalHeritage #CreativeContinuity #ForumCreationAfricaLagos
That’s a wrap on our Making Zero Waste 2025 Workshop! Thank you to the brands who attended, and to everyone who dedicated their time, shared skills, and engaged in meaningful dialogue throughout the workshop.
From rethinking off-cuts to innovative layout shifts, each session unlocked new ways to design with intention and reduce waste. Over the course of eleven days, we witnessed collaboration, curiosity, and a profound shift in mindset.
The future of fashion is zero waste and it’s already happening.
Making Zero Waste was kindly supported and sponsored by @lagosxparis@af.lagos@zwdcollective@designers_consociate@joinroundabout@creative_pattern_cutter@decodecodecode@stitcherystudio
See you next year!
#MakingZeroWaste #DesignWithIntention #SustainableFuture
