3.2 Design For Longevity

Design for longevity in fashion refers to the intentional creation of clothing items and accessories with the goal of ensuring durability, timeless appeal, and prolonged use. This approach involves selecting high-quality materials, employing robust construction techniques, and considering classic or versatile styles that withstand changing trends. The aim is to enhance the lifespan of fashion products, reducing the frequency of replacements and minimizing the environmental impact associated with disposable or rapidly outdated items. Designing for longevity encourages sustainable consumer behavior by promoting the idea that well-crafted, enduring pieces are more valuable and environmentally responsible choices.

Strategies for design for longevity include: 

• designing for physical durability
• designing for aesthetical durability 
• designing for emotional durability 
• designing for transformability 

Designing for physical durability

An item’s physical longevity is determined by the quality of its construction and design. Making thoughtful selections of premium, long-lasting, and function-appropriate materials and trimmings can improve its durability. The goal is to ensure that products withstand wear and tear, maintain their structural integrity, and have an extended lifespan.

Key considerations: 

• Material Selection: Choosing high-quality materials that are known for their durability is fundamental. An important consideration is to choose fabrics that have a high pilling resistance, especially in the inner arm and thigh areas, where most rubbing occurs. Most durable fabrics and fibers include: twill fabrics (denim, chino, cavalry twill), linen, corduroy, silk, cotton duck cloth, wool tweed, fleece

• Construction Techniques: Durable construction means paying more attention to the way that a garment is sewn, and especially reinforcing the parts that are most susceptible to wear-and-tear, such as: seams, elbows, knees, outermost part of cuffs and hems, collars, pockets, buttons and zippers     
• Attention to Details: Paying attention to small details, such as reinforced stress points, durable hardware, and quality zippers, enhances the overall resilience of the product
• Care Instructions: Providing a care guide for consumers will ensure that the product will be in a good shape for as long as possible. These instructions should include user-friendly language, as well as details about washing temperature, pressure  and frequency, drying and maintenance. A great example is the brand Armedangels https://www.armedangels.com/wo-en/care-guide.
• Repairability: Items should be constructed in a way that allows easy repair, and parts that are most easily broken and clothing hardware should be replaceable without damaging the integrity of the item. Levi’s offers advice on how to easily repair their jeans, as well as offering a repair service for more complicated cases https://www.levi.com/GB/en_GB/blog/article/how-to-repair-denim.

Designing for aesthetic durability 

Designing fashion for aesthetic durability involves creating clothing and accessories that maintain visual appeal over time, transcending fleeting trends and remaining relevant despite changing styles. The aim is to produce items that possess a timeless and enduring aesthetic, ensuring they remain visually appealing throughout their lifecycle.

Key considerations: 

• Timeless Silhouette: Choose classic and versatile silhouettes that have a timeless quality. Avoid overly trend-driven designs that may quickly become outdated. Think about the classics, such as a Burberry trench coat, Chanel  little black dress, Jimmy Choo Stilettos, Elisabetta Franchi Pantsuit, Gucci Horsebit Loafers or the Birkin bag – all staples of elegance and timeless class developed decades ago,  that still represent elements of a  well-dressed person

• Neutral/Classic Colors: Opt for neutral or versatile color palettes that can easily be mixed and matched. Neutral or classic colors tend to have a lasting appeal and can adapt to various styles and seasons. These include: jet black, charcoal, navy, beige, camel, white, off-white, scarlet red, emerald, burgundy, tobacco brown

• Qualitative Details and Embellishments: Incorporate thoughtful details that enhance the overall design without relying on trends. Timeless details, such as well-placed buttons, subtle embellishments, or classic patterns, contribute to aesthetic durability. Make sure that all the used embellishments are securely attached and made from resilient materials that do not get destroyed during washing and wearing
• Balanced Proportions and Great Fit: Design garments with balanced proportions that flatter various body types. This ensures that the items remain visually appealing on a broad range of wearers, as well as creating a flattering, qualitative fit to enhance the appearance of the wearer

Designing for emotional durability 

Designing fashion for emotional durability involves creating garments and accessories that forge lasting emotional connections with the wearer. It goes beyond aesthetic and physical considerations, aiming to evoke positive emotions, memories, and a sense of attachment.

Key considerations: 

• Storytelling Through Design: Develop designs that tell a story or convey a message, creating a narrative that resonates with the values and experiences of the wearer. This narrative can be expressed through materials, patterns, prints, or thematic elements. A great example is Rothy’s, brand that dives into the concept of biomimicry by replicating the natural look and feel of its origin materials in their design: https://rothys.com/pages/materials.
• Personalization: Provide opportunities for personalization, allowing individuals to customize certain aspects of the garment. Personalized items often hold greater sentimental value for the wearer. studio heijne allows a high degree of personalization and custom fitting through their online platform: https://studioheijne.com/the-concept/.
• Symbolism and Meaning: Incorporate symbolic elements or meaningful details into the design. These can be subtle symbols, motifs, or features that hold personal significance for the wearer. Swiss brand Komana is a great example for that: https://komana.myshopify.com/pages/about#.
• Collaborations and Limited Editions: Collaborate with artists, influencers, or other brands to create limited-edition pieces. Limited availability can enhance the perceived value and exclusivity of the item, fostering a sense of uniqueness. H&M is notorious for their yearly collaboration with a big high-end designer house to bring their staple designs to the general public at affordable prices. Some of their collaborations so far include Jimmy Choo, Moschino, Karl Lagerfeld, Viktor and Rolf, Mugler and, as of latest, Paco Rabanne https://www.zoemagazine.net/119618-history-of-giant-hm-designer-collaborations/.

Best practices related to Design for Longevity

Best practices: Armedangels, Elementum, Komana, Studio Heijne, OCRU, Malìa Lab Atelier, Eating the Goober, O-Bag

Name:	Armedangels – Sustainable production brand
Link:	https://www.armedangels.com/wo-en https://directory.goodonyou.eco/brand/armedangels
Industry sector:	EU Product Passport & RFID, Sustainable fabrics, Design for Longevity
Location:	Germany
Description:	Armedangels is a German fashion brand that is dedicated to creating sustainable and ethically produced clothing. They prioritize transparency, fair labor practices, and environmentally friendly materials. One notable best practice employed by Armedangels is their use of organic and eco-friendly materials. They prioritize certified organic cotton, which requires less water and fewer chemicals compared to conventional cotton production. They also utilize other sustainable materials such as Tencel® lyocell and recycled fibers, reducing their environmental impact. Transparency is another key aspect of Armedangels’ sustainability practices. They provide detailed information about their supply chain and production processes, including the factories they work with and the certifications they hold. This transparency allows consumers to make informed decisions and understand the social and environmental impact of their purchases. The full production process is available to the user through an app that allows the full tracing of the product.  Armedangels also emphasizes longevity and durability in their designs. They focus on creating timeless and high-quality garments that are meant to last, discouraging fast fashion consumption patterns. By encouraging customers to invest in long-lasting pieces, they reduce the overall environmental impact of the fashion industry.
Impact in numbers:	Member of GOTS, FairWear Foundation and Responsible Wool Standard
Environmental benefits:	sustainable production with lowered waste and emissions, use of sustainable materials, transparency and traceability
Social & economic benefits:	Ethical working conditions, open information to the public to empower their sustainable decision-making process
Technological & innovative benefits:	An app that allows tracing and tracking of the production of an item, and delivers the information to the user in an easy, quick and understandable manner  (circularity.ID)

Name:	Elementum
Link:	https://elementum.store/ https://www.instagram.com/elementum.store/?hl=en
Industry sector:	Sustainable fibers, Sustainable sourcing, Design for Longevity, Design for reuse and reduce, Circular business model
Location:	Portugal and Netherlands
Description:	One best practice that Elementum applies is their use of organic and natural fibers. They source materials such as organic cotton, linen, and hemp, which are grown without the use of harmful chemicals or pesticides. These materials have a lower environmental impact and are biodegradable, contributing to a more sustainable fashion industry. In addition to their material choices and ethical production, Elementum promotes slow fashion and designs garments with longevity in mind. They create versatile and classic pieces that can be worn across seasons, encouraging consumers to invest in quality clothing that will last. Elementum also implements a circular approach to fashion. They offer a recycling program where customers can bring back their old Elementum garments, which are then upcycled or recycled into new products. This initiative reduces waste and allows customers to actively participate in closing the fashion loop. Furthermore, Elementum strives to educate consumers about sustainable fashion practices through their online platform and social media channels. They raise awareness about the environmental and social impact of the fashion industry and provide tips for conscious and responsible consumption.
Impact in numbers:	What is the measured impact of this practice? (provide information if possible, if not please delete this row)
Environmental benefits:	Sustainable production with lowered waste production and lowered use of resources and energy
Social & economic benefits:	Impact on community of sustainable designers, promoting collaboration and sustainable fashion ideologies, ethical working conditions

Name:	KOMANA
Link:	https://komana.myshopify.com/
Industry sector:	Sustainable fabrics , Design for longevity
Location:	Switzerland
Description:	One unique best practice that KOMANA implements is their focus on reviving and promoting traditional textile crafts. They collaborate with local artisans and communities skilled in hand-weaving and knitting techniques. By incorporating these traditional crafts into their designs, they preserve cultural heritage and support the livelihoods of artisans. KOMANA also emphasizes the use of locally sourced wool. They work directly with local sheep farmers in Bulgaria to obtain high-quality wool, reducing the environmental impact associated with transportation and supporting the local agricultural economy. By promoting local sourcing, they contribute to the sustainability of their supply chain. Furthermore, KOMANA embraces a slow fashion philosophy. They create timeless pieces with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring durability and longevity. By encouraging consumers to invest in quality garments that can be cherished for years, they promote a more sustainable approach to fashion.
Environmental benefits:	Sustainable production with lowered waste, repurposing waste, slow production
Social & economic benefits:	promoting collaboration and sustainable fashion ideologies, ethical working conditions, local production, awareness raising, revival of local textile craftsmanship

Name:	Studio Heijne – Customized fashion
Link:	https://studioheijne.com/
Industry sector:	Design for Longevity
Location:	Stockholm, Sweden
Description:	The concept of Studio Heijne starts with the idea that clothes should be created for each individual’s body. Therefore, they offer the customer the option to use their own measurements, as well as customize the item they want to buy. Then, the item is produced on demand. Through their website, the customer can make a series of alterations to each garment in terms of color, fit and length.  These are generated in real-time on a model. Of course, the customizations are limited by the platform to what makes sense to them, as a company. They produce on demand only.
Environmental benefits:	Emissions related to production and consumption are significantly decreased due to on-demand production
Social & economic benefits:	Costs associated with production are decreased due to on-demand production model Impact on consumer behavior – customizable clothing has a big potential to create emotional value for the customer, resulting in a better care of the items and a longer lifespan
Technological & innovative benefits:	Changes that a user might make are shown in real-time on the platform directly, making the customer experience very easy

Name:	OCRU – Using deadstock to create multiple-use pieces
Link:	https://www.dichisar.ro/ocrustudio/despre
Industry sector:	Design for reusing and reducing waste, Design for longevity
Location:	Timisoara, Romania
Description:	The products from OCRU are made from deadstock fabrics with minimalist design ethics, focusing on how to minimize waste throughout the entire production process. All products are produced locally.   All their garments can be worn in multiple ways, have no size or gender, and are designed with innovative zero waste pattern techniques.  Most of the pieces can be mixed and matched in different styles, being designed with simple lines that fit many body shapes and offer adjustment possibilities on the same article in order to fit the body in a harmonious way.  Due to the nature of their sourcing, the pieces produced are very limited editions.
Environmental benefits:	Reuse of deadstock material and zero waste patterns are minimizing impact and waste, the multipurpose style of the garments enables a user to wear them for a longer time therefore increasing the product lifespan and decreasing the need to purchase new items (less production and shipping emissions, less use of resources, less waste), less waste due to only making one size
Social & economic benefits:	Lower costs associated with using deadstock materials, lower costs from only producing one size, no leftover stock  in odd sizes
Technological & innovative benefits:	The minimalist, adjustable and multi-purpose, one-of-a-kind design of the products contribute to creating emotional attachment and decreasing the need for buying multiple pieces

Name:	MALÌA LAB ATELIER
Link:	https://malialab.com/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1AfXOVXHXE
Industry sector:	Sustainable fibers, Design for Longevity
Location:	Guardavalle Marina (CZ) Calabria – Italy
Description:	Malia Lab is an artisan company founded by Flavia Amato, which produces and sells bespoke, handmade clothing in ateliers and online. These garments are produced with certified organic fabrics, which guarantee controlled yarns quality, and without additives and dangerous substances.These products are used to create clothes to be worn in all seasons, thanks to the thermoregulatory capabilities of natural fabrics, and made to last over time, thanks to an evergreen design suitable on all occasions, never out of fashion. To avoid waste and reduce returns, the company offers “made to order clothes. At the end of the product’s life, the materials are fully recyclable. In recent years, Malia has joined the broom processing chain, which used to be a widely used resource in southern Italy, with the SMAFINE /Smart Manufacturing project for natural and eco-sustainable fibers, funded by Regione Calabria.
Environmental benefits:	Malia Lab uses only natural fabrics from certified crops; linen, cotton, hemp, silk, bamboo or innovative materials such as Tencel or Lyocell (made from algae and eucalyptus trees), milk fiber or cupro (made from cellulose fiber) and also broom. All these materials are fully recyclable.
Social & economic benefits:	Broom is a spontaneous plant which doesn’t need  treatments with insecticides and other toxic substances. The recovery of an ancient production through innovative technologies offers new opportunities for work and professional development to young people and local communities.
Technological & innovative benefits:	Malia has joined the broom processing chain, with the SMAFINE /Smart Manufacturing project for natural and eco-sustainable fibers. It’ is meant to recover an ancient production through innovative technologies.

Name:	Eating the Goober
Link:	https://www.eatingthegoober.com/
Industry sector:	Design for longevity
Location:	Athens, Greece
Description:	Feminine clothes are designed as polymorphic to enable the user style the same clothing in various ways. The aims are to maximise each item’s utility and minimise consumption.Moreover, producers in Eating the Goober use exclusively recyclable materials (e.g., avoiding polyester and elastane that are both non-recyclable).
Environmental benefits:	Feminine clothes are designed as polymorphic to enable the user style the same clothing in various ways. Moreover, producers in Eating the Goober use exclusively recyclable materials (e.g. avoiding polyester and elastane that are both non-recyclabe).
Social & economic benefits:	Maximise each item’s utility and minimise consumption.

Name:	O-Bag
Link:	https://www.obag.eu/eu/brand
Industry sector:	Design for longevity
Location:	Padova, Italy
Description:	O-bag is an Italian fashion brand established in 2009. The brand started with a focus on producing watches but later expanded to include bags and a range of fashion accessories. Its products are known for their minimalist and modular designs, which allow for significant customization, with a strong emphasis on sustainability and ethical production.
Impact in numbers:	O-bag is present in more than 40 countries with over 200 stores and extensive coverage in over 500 multibrand stores. O-bag’s O.zone project aims for a green production chain with the use of 55% to 63% recycled materials, striving for full recyclability in the coming years. They also have a 100% Italian production for many of their products.
Environmental benefits:	The brand uses XL Extralight® plastic and recycled E.V.A. for its products, emphasizing sustainable practices and reducing environmental impact. The modular and customizable nature of the products potentially reduces waste through longevity and adaptability. O-bag’s approach to fashion accessories allows customers to personalize their products, catering to individual tastes and styles, and likely enhances customer satisfaction and brand loyalty.
Social & economic benefits:	The brand promotes ethical fashion by abolishing animal fur in favor of high-quality faux fur since the F/W 2016-17 collection. It also focuses on creating products that are customizable, catering to individual styles while maintaining ethical standards.
Technological & innovative benefits:	The brand’s focus on materials free from heavy metals and other hazardous substances and the use of renewable energy in production highlight its commitment to innovation and sustainability.