Moving to a circular business model is essential, as it allows the industry to decouple economic growth from the use of natural resources. Our aim is to be on the frontline of this movement, adopting existing solutions and proactively creating new ones. Circularity is based on three principles: reducing or designing out waste and pollution; keeping products and materials in use; and regenerating natural systems. Since 2020 we have been active in improving our circular practices through our material choices, while supporting the development of new business models, processes and services which can extend the life cycle of our garments.

Created in 2019, our deadstock fabric library is regularly updated and reviewed by our Design team, who now use deadstock materials for collections as well as sampling. This is supported by our Merchandising team, who select materials for potential reproduction and production from remaining materials, enabling us to reduce waste generation and keep materials in loop for longer.

In 2021, around 13% of the materials used in our collections came from what we define as circular materials, which means materials that have a recycled content or materials that have been repurposed: 11% of the fabrics used were made from recycled fibers, and 2% were sourced from our deadstock.

We consider new business models a tool to foster more conscious customer behavior, and we recognise our responsibility to embrace and support the shift from how fashion is consumed to how it’s loved.

To elongate the lifecycle of a garment and ensure it is enjoyed for as long as possible, we offer an in-store repair service beyond the 6-month warranty period for all of our items. We also mend every repairable item in our inventory by including a repair pack with each delivery to our stores, including buttons, linings and other trims, avoiding additional shipments to manufacturers. If a garment cannot be repaired, it is either upcycled through collaborations with universities, remanufactured or recycled.

In November 2021 we launched our ANEW:21 line; a bespoke upcycled collection made entirely from deadstock fabrics, and sold it during the Black Friday period. Available to purchase in limited quantities, the 2021 collection revisited Nanushka’s well-loved silhouettes in new colors and fabrics. Considering the success of this initiative, we decided to launch ANEW:22.

Ultimately, no fabric at Nanushka goes to waste. We sell or donate all of our remaining fabrics so they can be used to create costumes for theaters, support university projects or develop the skills of local disadvantaged communities.

Our progress

Resale

We continued our partnership with TheRealReal to lengthen product life cycles by supporting customers’ second-hand consignments in the US.

Rental

We have started our partnership with Rent the Runway in 2019, and partnered with rental platform Seasons in New York and with HURR on the UK market in 2020 to support more conscious ways of fashion consumption.

Upcycling

2% of the fabrics we used in 2021 were upcycled from our deadstock and we have donated approximately 500 meters of fabrics.

Packaging has a significant impact throughout the fashion supply chain, both from a circularity perspective and the GHG emissions it generates.

Since FW21, we introduced recycled polybags and TIPA home compostable packaging - which decreases plastic pollution when compared with recycled or other recyclable packaging solutions. We use exclusively recycled plastic transit hangers and we switched our desiccant bags from silica gel to bentonite clay, which is an alternative produced without the use of chemicals and water.

Our online orders are sent out in recycled cardboard packaging, and we are also proud of continuing our partnership with RePack, begun in October 2020, to offer a reusable and returnable packaging alternative made from recycled materials.

Our latest data shows that the mix of RePack packaging used for shipping from our online store has increased from 6% in 2020, to 11% in 2021, which means that more customers are now selecting this circular option.

Thanks to the commitment of our customers in choosing this solution, we managed to reach some important savings in 2021 reported below:

-85% of carbon emissions generated compared to using the same amount of single-use packaging

-92% of waste generated compared to using the same amount of single-use packaging

In December 2020, Nanushka launched its first digital connected products as part of the RS21 collection, and we continued to add digital identities to items ever since. Launched in partnership with the New York-based product cloud platform EON, Digital IDs are virtual certificates that can be used to record each item’s history, allowing customers to have access to unique information, content and services. An innovative system driving tangible change in the circular economy.

Since the launch of the campaign, Digital IDs have been included on 2,194 styles (for a total of 99,649 items), and webpages related to our Circular IDs products received 24,595 views.