Recycling sounds simple, but fashion makes it complicated. A garment is rarely just one material. It may contain polyester, cotton, elastane, thread, dye, lining, zippers, trims, labels, and finishes, all combined into one object. Once these elements are stitched together, separating them becomes technically difficult and often economically unviable.
This is why the recycling rate for fashion remains so low. The European Parliament reports that only around 1% of used clothes are recycled into new clothes. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation has also highlighted that much of what is collected for recycling is actually downcycled into lower-value products such as insulation, padding, or cleaning cloths.
The problem is not only what happens after disposal. It begins at design. If garments are not designed for durability, sorting, repair, reuse, and recycling, they are unlikely to re-enter the fashion system at high value. A circular future requires better materials, clearer composition, improved collection systems, and a new standard for what clothing is meant to become after its first life.
For Dorna Milan, recycling is not an afterthought. It is part of the design language. Waste has to be considered before the silhouette is cut, before the fabric is chosen, before the garment enters the world.
