When Upcycling Meets Fashion: The Hidden Struggle Behind Sustainable Design
While preparing new episodes from Ayamola for our Trash to Treasure podcast, we talked with fashion designers who work with upcycling— turning old clothes, fabrics, and discarded materials into new creations.
What we found was both inspiring and sobering.
When it comes to clothing, upcycling is rarely economically sustainable.
Most designers can’t live solely from their upcycled work. Production tends to be small-scale and handmade, and finding the right materials is often unpredictable, making regular output nearly impossible. Above all, competing with the giants of fast fashion ( who flood the market with low-cost clothes ) is simply unrealistic.
The designers didn’t hold back in their criticism of the industry.
Many described it as a shark tank, where small creators can’t survive. Others went further, calling it a criminal system that harms everyone along the chain —from exploited workers in distant factories to consumers trapped by toxic beauty standards and overconsumption. On top of that, fashion remains one of the most polluting industries on the planet.
In this context, one of their biggest frustrations has been the lack of effective regulation. The European Union has started to propose measures such as the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, which aim to make production more transparent and less wasteful. Designers acknowledge these efforts but remain cautious, noting that real change will depend on how such laws are implemented and whether they can stand up to the pressure of powerful industry lobbies.
Anyway, none of them have lost their sustainable spirit.
Many have adapted by shifting from pure upcycling to eco-conscious design — using local fabrics, natural dyes, or organic fibers to stay true to their values while keeping their businesses alive.
Others have found success creating upcycled accessories, which are easier to produce, more in demand, and often more profitable.
And a few have taken new paths altogether — one even turned to visual arts, using installations and video to denounce the consumerism and waste driven by the fashion world.
What we learned is clear: sustainability in fashion isn’t a straight line. The challenges are tough — from economic pressure to systemic barriers — but so is the determination of those who keep pushing for change.
No matter how difficult the context, these creators won’t give up.
Their resilience and creativity keep proving that fashion can evolve — to be both beautiful and responsible, not just to look good, but to do good.
