The Circular Fashion Expo (CFE), the University of Illinois' premier fashion event, gives thousands of students the power to buy, sell, trade, swap, design, and model secondhand and recycled fashion each school semester. As part of the CFE founding team, I provided insight to ensure the event was 'surely circular' and developed a keynote presentation to educate students and other attendees on what a circular fashion future looks like in practice.

The event ethos and educational presentation included:

• Issues with the linear fashion business models of today

• Points along the garment lifecycle where value is lost

• How alternative forms of currency can capture clothing value and encourage exchange of used pieces

• Existing examples of circular fashion in action

Years after piloting, CFE continues to engage and inspire generations of students to care about the impact of their wardrobe.

Credits:
Joshua Jay James, Founder
William Hohe, Co-Founder
Rebekah Phaiboun, Co-Founder
In partnership with the Siebel Center for Design

Photos:
Rishi Mohan
Angel Saldivar
Kingston Tai