The consortium of ReFashion project met for the second time. The meeting was organized by the partnering organization MIITR in Maribor, Slovenia, on October 13 and 14, 2022.

Situated in the Eastern part of Slovenia, Maribor is recognized as an important wine-growing area (the center of the city boasts the oldest grapevine in the world) and also is the recipient of the Slovenia Green Destination bronze label (https://www.slovenia.info/en/stories/green-story-of-slovenia) .

The meeting was a good opportunity to analyze the work realized together, especially the REFASHION TRAINING CURRICULA, one of the most important results of our project. We also organized some local visits and discussions with people involved in the sustainable fashion sector.

Visit to Luci Clothing store: on our agenda

“Sustainable and timeless pieces made to last through life”, is the vision of the founder of this local initiative visited by us, Luci. We had the chance to meet her and to find her motivation to be involved in the sustainable fashion industry. She studied design and textile materials at the University of Maribor, where she learned all about fabrics and clothing technology. As she understood how much knowledge and resources are behind each piece of clothing, she understood that a sustainable label is the only way to be involved in this industry.

She developed a sustainable business, characterized by some elements:

• Handcrafted – all pieces are handmade with care and attention to detail;
• Local dimension of the activity;
• Sustainable –every piece is designed with consideration on human impact on the environment and social responsibility and is made to last for a long time;
• Minimal waste– the amount of textile waste is minimized; shreds and remains of fabrics are used in other upcycling projects or recycled.

More information about this initiative could be found here: https://www.luciclothing.com/

REFASHION: The European State of the Art Report, 2022

The European State of the Art Report consists of desk research carried out in the project partner countries. It aims at providing an overview of the current national and European conditions in relation to:

• The legal framework concerning environmental sustainability, recycling and circular economy in the fashion and textiles industries;
• The main educational strategies and the main existing VET and academic educational offers in the mentioned fields.

This research allowed the identification of both legislative and educational gaps at national and European level, thus helping the project consortium elaborate tailored and effective training solutions to fill them.

The main insights and conclusions emerging from the report are the following:

• The sustainability sector is very broad and fragmented;
• Very rarely sustainability is the core of an academic/VET course;
• The majority of the existing educational opportunities in the field of sustainable fashion is of VET type;
• The majority of the existing educational opportunities are either aimed at industry professionals with a technical background or at beginners;
• Educational opportunities for creative professional figures are hard to find and there is no curriculum that combines technical and creative knowledge;
• Lack of cooperation and understanding between technical and creative figures, which reflects in the market;
• There is a significant gap between theoretical contents and professional skills searched in the job market;
• Financing for digitalization and technological innovation are not strictly addressing the field;
• In some EU countries, the legal framework concerning not only sustainable fashion but also education on sustainability, in general, is not completely developed;
• However, sustainability in the fashion sector is undoubtedly a topic of great importance at EU level.

Support and follow the development of ReFashion project!

Help us develop a more green, competitive, resilient, and sustainable fashion and textile industry! For more information, check out our social media and our website. 

https://re-fashion.eu/

https://www.instagram.com/refashion.erasmus/