The Social Dynamics of Circular Textile Economies: Three Case Studies From Australia

Mainstream representations of circular fashion systems, designed with the goal of delivering economic and environmental benefits, often emphasise technocratic or idealised solutions. However, these models frequently overlook the critical role social interactions play in facilitating circular fashion. Employing a framework of social practice theory, this article examines three small‐to‐medium enterprises in Brisbane, Australia that have developed circular textile practices in conjunction with the communities they serve. SWOP is a clothing exchange that markets second‐hand fashionable products to a young demographic, Practice Studio is an independent design studio offering repairs and alterations, and The Nest is a charity that re‐circulates donated fabric and haberdashery to a growing market of amateur makers. Using these enterprises as case studies, we challenge the dominant perception of social cohesion and community well‐being as secondary byproducts of circularity. Instead, we argue that fashion and textiles are inherently social practices that foster new fashion communities and forms of engagement, and that this intrinsic sociality might be leveraged to support transitions to circularity. By reframing circular fashion as a socially situated practice, this paper calls for broader understandings of circular textile economies that fully integrate the social dynamics of fashion.