The Fashion Stitch – On Fabrics, Facts and Feelings

How Can We Make Our Clothes Last?

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🎙️ The Fashion Stitch – On Fabrics, Facts and Feelings

Episode 3: Quality over Quantity – How Can We Make Our Clothes Last?

From nylon stockings to fast fashion, we’ve come a long way — maybe too far. In this episode, host Clare Press asks: what does quality mean in fashion today? And how can we extend the life of our clothes?

💡 Beyond the problems, we spotlight solutions:

  • Upcycling and resilience in Ghana’s Kantamanto Market

  • The benefits and trade-offs of fiber blends

  • New EU strategies for sustainable and circular textiles

  • The rise of repair culture and what makes garments truly durable

    • Featuring:

    • Yayra Agbofah – Founder of The Revival, on textile waste and upcycling in Ghana’s Kantamanto Market

    • Annika Sauerhöfer – Product Manager, OEKO-TEX®, on fiber quality, blends, and material innovation

    • Carolin Franitza – Stakeholder Manager, OEKO-TEX®, on EU textile strategy and circularity

    • Monika Hauck – Founder of Repair Rebels, on repair, craftsmanship, and redefining quality

      • 🔑 Topics we cover:

      • The story of nylon and the birth of synthetics

      • How synthetic and blended fibers changed quality

      • What “quality” really means — and why price doesn’t guarantee it

      • Textile waste and circularity in Kantamanto Market

      • Repair culture and consumer responsibility

      • How regulations are redefining durability and recyclability

        • 📌 Sources and further reading:

        History of nylon stockings:

        - Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek – Nylon – of silkworms, mother-in-law silk and stocking riots: https://www.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/content/blog/nylon-von-seidenraupen-schwiegermutterseide-und-strumpfunruhen?lang=en
        - Nylon – Wikipedia:
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nylon

        Readings on synthetic fibers:

        - Textile Exchange – Materials Market Report 2023:
        https://textileexchange.org/knowledge-center/reports/materials-market-report-2023/
        - European Union – Plastics in a Circular Economy (2017): https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/plastics-circular-economy_en
        - Changing Markets Foundation – Fashion’s Plastic Paralysis (2024): https://changingmarkets.org/report/fashions-plastic-paralysis/
        - Dr. Viola Wohlgemuth, „Vergiftete Geschenke” in Forum Rundbrief (2025) (in German):
        https://www.forumue.de/rundbrief-i-2025-kleider-machen-probleme/

        Figures on textile consumption:

        - European Environmental Agency– Circularity of the EU textiles value chain in numbers (2025):
        https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/circularity-of-the-eu-textiles-value-chain-in-numbers
        - “On average, we discard clothes after just seven to ten wears”:
        https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/fashion-and-the-circular-economy-deep-dive

        The Revival:

        https://www.therevival.earth/
        Repair Rebels:
        [https://www.repair-rebels.com/]

        💌 Want to dive deeper?

        Sign up for the OEKO-TEX® newsletter for extra insights and updates:
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        🎧 Credits:

        The Fashion Stitch is brought to you by OEKO-TEX® in partnership with Fashion Changers.
        Concept & Script: Vreni Jäckle and Nina Lorenzen
        Editorial: Nina Lorenzen
        Cover Design: Vreni Jäckle
        Host: Clare Press
        Production & Sound Design: Studio Tongoetze

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        The Fashion Stitch – On Fabrics, Facts and FeelingsBy OEKO-TEX Service GmbH & Fashion Changers