This week, fashion retailer ASOS launched its eco-friendly circular collection which it confirmed to VegNews is all vegan. The collection features 29 items made with principles of circularity—a concept of keeping a piece of clothing in use as long as possible, allowing it to be reused, recycled, and re-purposed, while creating minimal waste. The collection features oversized cardigans, tees, blazers, and denim with microprints and acid washes that evoke a ‘90s aesthetic. The line also includes accessories such as crossbody bags, vegan boots, and beanies.

ASOS based its collection off of eight principles: 

  • zero-waste design (such as cutting design patterns that most efficiently utilize the fabric)
  • minimized waste (which seeks to minimize material waste in both design and manufacturing) 
  • recycled input (using materials with recycled components)
  • durability (selecting long-lasting materials to maximize use)
  • versatility (creating pieces that can adapt to multiple trends)
  • mono-material (using the same materials throughout a piece to allow for ease of recycling)
  • disassembly (creating items that can easily be taken apart which makes them easier to recycle) 
  • upcycle (creating new items from old pieces). 

“We’ve been on an incredible journey in ASOS over the past few years to discover how circular design can work in practice in an organisation like ASOS, and working closely with our suppliers to apply the circular design principles that we’ve set ourselves,” ASOS Head of Design Vanessa Spence said. “What this collection shows is that you don’t need to make a choice between the circular economy and fashion, and that you can make sustainable products without compromising on design or on price. With all of our designers now trained in circular principles and our first circular collection out the door, we’re excited to see how we can take this project forward and use our size and scale to share our expertise with our suppliers but also other brands and retailers.”

The collection was made as part of the commitment ASOS—which is part of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular—made at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit in 2018 to train all of its designers in circular design by 2020. Each garment features a tag with a code customers can scan to learn more about circular design and waste-free fashion. 

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