Circular by Design: Fashion – Enter Ltd Included In ISS Institute Fellows Groundbreaking Report on Regenerative Textile Futures

In April 2025, Fashion-Enter Ltd (FEL) and the Fashion Technology Academy (FEL) in Haringey proudly welcomed Lisa Piller from Australia’s International Specialised Skills Institute (ISS Institute) as part of a global research tour investigating innovation in sustainable fashion and circular textile systems. Her visit formed part of a broader Fellowship titled Circular by Design: Global Stories for a Regenerative Textile Future, which has now been officially published and is available for download.

(Lisa Piller visiting FEL with FEL Director Caroline Ash)

Sponsored by the VET Development Centre (VDC) research spanned five weeks and 39 key stakeholders across South and Southeast Asia, the EU, and the UK. With a clear focus on circularity in fashion and textiles, Lisa’s research explored international best practices in design, repair, reuse, recycling, and vocational education. FEL was selected as one of the case studies for its unique integration of manufacturing, education, and repair within a single ecosystem.

At FEL, Piller toured the multi-functional site, including its ethical garment production unit, educational facilities, and the London hub of the United Repair Centre. Her visit highlighted how FEL is not just producing garments but building the infrastructure for a new, regenerative fashion model—one rooted in transparency, community, and skill development.

Key Insights from the Fellowship Report

The report concludes with a powerful message: “Australia is home to many of these same trailblazers – and with the right support, there is immense potential to craft a bold and distinctly local story of textile circularity.”

Among the report’s major recommendations:

• Mandate Circular Practices: Implement a Seamless clothing stewardship scheme, eco-design and labelling standards, and strong enforcement of anti-greenwashing regulations.
• End Textile Waste Exports: Invest in onshore infrastructure and logistics to manage unwearable textiles, funded through levies on fast fashion and low-quality imports.
• Strengthen Ecosystems: Develop detailed textile ecosystem maps and reward impactful outcomes such as community benefit, consumer engagement, and the displacement of new production.
• Support Local Makers: Provide incentives for SMEs and local producers through tax breaks, local procurement, and support for take-back and repair programs.
• Invest in Skills for the Future: Expand enterprise-based, hands-on training that values technical expertise, heritage skills, and local knowledge.
• Make Technology Accessible: Ensure that innovations like Digital Product Passports benefit small makers and recyclers—not just large brands and consumers.
• Celebrate Grassroots Leadership: Recognise and fund the work of social enterprises, councils, and charitable networks already proving that circular systems work—especially when built on care, community, and skill.

A Global Vision with Local Impact

The report features insights from global changemakers including Christopher Raeburn, Fashion For Good, SATcol (Salvation Army Trading Company), Wieland Textiles, FibreSort, and the United Repair Centres in both Amsterdam and London. Fashion-Enter Ltd’s inclusion underscores its reputation as a pioneering model of vertical integration, circularity, and vocational education in the UK fashion sector.

Download the Full Report:
Circular by Design: Global Stories for a Regenerative Textile Future