From Waste to Wardrobe: The Various Approaches Fashion Brands Use to Embrace Upcycling
By Jiwoon Kim & B. Ellie Jin
With growing concerns for sustainability, the textile and apparel industry is seeking innovative circular solutions to reduce textile waste and mitigate its environmental impact (Aus et al., 2021). Upcycling, in particular, is drawing attention as it incorporates sustainability with creativity, giving new life and added value to materials that might otherwise be discarded.
What is Upcycling?
Upcycling refers to the process of creatively transforming used or discarded products and materials through repurposing, repairing, upgrading, and remanufacturing in a way that increases their value (Singh et al., 2019). It is a recycling approach in which waste materials are developed into products of greater value or quality than the original product, in contrast to downcycling, which produces recycled items of lower value (Kamble & Behera, 2021). For instance, used glass bottles can be upcycled into decorative vases, or discarded denim jeans can be transformed into unique patchwork apparel. On the other hand, shredding old garments into low-grade fibers for carpets exemplifies downcycling. Upcycling is recognized as an environmentally friendly recycling method that creates high-value products.
Upcycling in Fashion
In fashion, upcycling is commonly understood as a design-based approach (Aus et al., 2021). In contrast to other textile recycling processes that decompose fabrics into raw materials, upcycling involves repurposing existing fabrics and products through creative design (Cassidy & Han, 2017).
The upcycling design process is different from the regular design process in that it relies on the availability of textile waste and leftovers, which can vary in type, shape, and quantity (Aus et al., 2021). This variability makes the mass production of upcycled fashion products infeasible (Cassidy & Han, 2013) while making each of the products inherently unique. Various design techniques, such as patching, cutting, adding, and material mixing, are employed in the upcycling design process to develop new designs from limited and inconsistent materials (Seo, 2025; Figure 1). Refer to the doctoral dissertation of Dr. Hyesim Seo, a recent graduate of the Wilson College of Textiles, for more details on the fashion upcycling process and upcycled clothing.
Figure 1. Examples of upcycled clothing featuring patching, cutting, adding, and material mixing techniques.
Source: Seo (2025)
Examples of Upcycling in the Fashion Industry
From mainstream labels to luxury designers, more and more fashion brands are embracing upcycling by offering upcycled products. Fashion brands’ adoption of upcycled products can be categorized into three types. First, some brands focus entirely on upcycled fashion. An example is Freitag, a brand well known for using upcycled truck tarps to create bags and accessories. The second category consists of brands that feature upcycled product lines as a part of their brand, like Urban Outfitters’ Urban Renewal. The third category is brands that release limited-time collections of upcycled items. For instance, Stella McCartney showcased upcycled items made with surplus materials in their Summer 2023 collection. Table 1 shows these three approaches and brands.
Table 1. Examples of Fashion Brands Embracing Upcycling.
| Category | Brand | Country | Year |
| Brands dedicated to upcycled fashion | Freitag | Switzerland | 1993 |
| RE;CODE | South Korea | 2012 | |
| E. L. V. Denim | UK | 2018 | |
| 1/OFF Paris | Netherlands | 2019 | |
| Bettter | UK | 2020 | |
| Revibe | France | 2021 | |
| Upcycled product lines within a brand | Urban Outfitters – Urban Renewal | US | 1983 |
| RE/DONE x Levi’s | US | 2014 | |
| Patagonia -ReCrafted | US | 2019 | |
| Miu Miu Upcycled | Italy | 2020 | |
| Tommy Remixed | US | 2021 | |
| Coachtopia | US | 2023 | |
| Limited-time collections for upcycled products | Charles & Keith | Singapore | 2020 |
| Diesel | Italy | 2020 | |
| Ganni | Denmark | 2021 | |
| Louis Vuitton | France | 2021 | |
| Madewell | US | 2021 | |
| ThredUp | US | 2022 | |
| Nike | US | 2023 | |
| The RealReal | US | 2021 | |
| Adidas | Germany | 2021 | |
| Stella McCartney | UK | 2023 |
Source: Modified from Seo (2025)
Note: The year indicates either the establishment year of the brand or product line, or the launch year of a specific upcycled collection.
Upcycling offers a promising way to reduce waste and add value in fashion. However, its true impact depends on how it is implemented. Upcycling should aim to create real improvements in sustainability, rather than serve as a marketing tool to showcase a brand’s eco-friendly image. Brands adopting upcycling should consider not only the potential benefits of offering upcycled products but also whether their approach is truly authentic and meaningful. When done thoughtfully, upcycling can transform the fashion industry into a more responsible and innovative space.
References
Aus, R., Moora, H., Vihma, M., Unt, R., Kiisa, M., & Kapur, S. (2021). Designing for circular fashion: Integrating upcycling into conventional garment manufacturing processes. Fashion and Textiles, 8(34), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40691-021-00262-9
Kamble, Z., & Behera, B. K. (2021). Upcycling textile wastes: Challenges and innovations. Textile Progress, 53(2), 65-122. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405167.2021.1986965
Seo, H. (2025). Green or unique? How design typicality and material domain distance influence purchase intentions for upcycled clothing [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. North Carolina State University.
Singh, J., Sung, K., Cooper, T., West, K., & Mont, O. (2019). Challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses – The case of textile and wood upcycling businesses in the UK. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 150, 104439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2019.104439
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