METAMORPHOSIS Day 2 Talks - Berlin Fashion Week

July 2, 2025 Angelina Russo

Key Insights from The Circular Shift: Scaling Impact with Smart Systems

July 1, 2025 marked a pivotal day in fashion's transformation journey as industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators gathered to discuss how circularity is moving from ambition to implementation. IT was also the day that my old blogging skills returnedt!! For the complete METAMORPHOSIS schedule and speaker directory, download the full program guide.

European Policy Leading the Charge

The Political Reality Check

Dr. Christian Ehler, Member of the European Parliament, delivered a powerful message: "Policy takes you seriously – no longer talking about ambition – now talking about implementation." The days of destroying surplus inventory are numbered, with major brands required to completely rethink their business models from 2026.

Key Policy Developments:

Surplus Destruction Ban: Companies will no longer be allowed to destroy unsold inventory
€2 Billion Horizon Fund: Dedicated to creative industries transformation
ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation): Will revolutionize B2C relationships through digital product passports
End of Cotton Dominance: "Within 10 years we will leave the cotton world," predicts fundamental textile revolution

The conversation with Ann Claes from Masjien highlighted how regulation is becoming an opportunity for direct consumer connection, potentially eliminating the need for traditional platforms as brands can tell their story directly through QR codes.

Building Circular Culture from the Ground Up

Education as Transformation

Daniela Felder, Co-Founder of FELDER FELDER & Future Fashion Concepts, shared how her brand evolved from linear to circular thinking: "We realize that the way that we do it is not possible anymore." Her educational initiative through Future Fashion Expo gives students hands-on experience with next-generation materials, instilling hope rather than despair about the industry's future.

Storytelling for Transparency

Buyana Tsogtsaikhan from NOMAD X COLLECTIVE emphasized the power of authentic storytelling in building trust: "Consumers don't trust what they see online anymore because of all the greenwashing. We encourage our brands and designers to be more open, creating personal connections."

Her platform connects shared visions through:

Online Community: Featuring recycled and upcycled brands
Offline Workshops: Building awareness and creativity
Cultural Emphasis: Highlighting traditional craftsmanship and authentic stories

Platform-Scale Implementation

Dr. Saskia Meier-Andrae from eBay Germany provided impressive scale insights: "Circularity is part of the DNA of eBay for 25 years. 40% of all items are 'non-new' items." eBay's approach focuses on three pillars:

Trust: Authentication centers and grading systems
Convenience: AI-powered listing tools
Transparency: Clear quality promises and accurate descriptions

Unlocking the Trillion-Dollar Opportunity

The Massive Untapped Market

Henri Jaanimägi, Global Head of eBay Ventures, revealed staggering numbers: "1-1.5 trillion locked in fashion inventory – less than 10% gets to resale." With $700B addressable market in US, DE, and UK alone, the potential is enormous.

Key Friction Points Identified:

Selling Effort & Complexity: Traditional listing takes 9 minutes per item
Closet Blindness: People forget what they own
Low Enjoyment Factor: Resale perceived as a chore

Innovative Solutions:

AI Listing Tools: Reducing listing time to under one minute
Digital Wardrobe Apps: Whering (600K active users) and ACloset
Rental Platforms: The Volte and Pickle for peer-to-peer monetization
Repair Services: Sojo and Repair Rebels extending garment life

The Avant-Garde of Upcycling

Industrial-Scale Transformation

Julie Pelipas from BETTTER shared her vision of making upcycling a global industrial tool rather than just craft: "We managed to build software able to work with any brand at any scale – translate end stock into new products."

Her conversation with Venya Brykalin from Vogue Ukraine revealed three critical value propositions:

Environmental Value: Sustainable by design
Customer Value: Truly desirable products
Business Value: Economically viable solutions

Key Insight: "Customers are more ready than brands to implement – 80% of customers are ready for regenerated products while companies want to make everything the way they made it before."

Practical Circularity in Action

The Repair Revolution

The final panel brought together diverse perspectives on embedding circularity:

Dr. Monika Hauck from Repair Rebels highlighted the untapped repair market: "50% of all Germans have never visited a seamstress store, 30% have never repaired anything in their lives." Their platform converts 30% of users who have never repaired before, proving the market potential.

Michael Pfeifer from MOOT Upcycling focused on scale: "You need to find an economically feasible way – good processes at scale." His goal is making upcycling as normal and desirable as secondhand.

Human Rights at the Core

Louise Xin brought crucial perspective: "70% of the world's garment workers are living under living wage. Unless we have control of our supply chain, we need to give agency to solutions."

Heritage as Innovation

Estelle Adeline Trasoglu from Plaid-à-Porter demonstrated how high fashion can change narratives: "When high fashion embraces reuse, old becomes aspirational. We don't just make it more accessible, we make it desirable."

Looking Forward: The Transformation Imperative

Day 2 of METAMORPHOSIS revealed that the circular shift is not just about environmental responsibility – it's about economic opportunity, consumer demand, and technological innovation converging to create new business models.

Key Takeaways:

Policy is driving real change, not just aspiration
Technology is solving friction points that previously prevented circular participation
Consumer readiness exceeds brand readiness for circular solutions
Economic viability is essential for sustainable transformation
Human rights must remain central to any circular strategy

The trillion-dollar opportunity in circular fashion is real, measurable, and increasingly accessible through innovative platforms, policy support, and changing consumer behaviors.

Resources & Links

Organizations Featured:

Innovative Platforms Mentioned:

Whering - Digital wardrobe management
The Volte - Peer-to-peer fashion rental
Sojo - On-demand alterations and repairs

For the complete METAMORPHOSIS schedule and speaker directory, download the full program guide.

Next: Day 3 focuses on "Lead & Thrive: Building the Business of Tomorrow" featuring Edward Buchanan, Toni Garrn, and insights into strategic leadership in fashion innovation.

METAMORPHOSIS - Dialogues About Change is organized by Fashion Council Germany in partnership with eBay as part of Berlin Fashion Week 2025.

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