What does circular fashion look like in practice? And how can sustainability move beyond concepts toward measurable, technical implementation?
The DBU-funded research project 'Circular Microfactory Berlin', led by Prof. Marte Hentschel on behalf of BSP Business & Law School (Faculty of Creative Business) in collaboration with VORN eG – The Berlin Fashion Hub, explored exactly these questions.

The project established a functioning microfactory demonstrator in Berlin to test whether knitwear can be designed, produced, and recycled within a localized, digitally connected circular system.
The research focused on the intersection of design strategy, material science, and production technology and was conducted in collaboration with third-semester students of the Sustainable Fashion Design and Management BA programme.

A central finding was that circularity is largely determined in the design phase.
Decisions regarding fiber type, monomaterial use, stitch structure, gauge, and joining techniques directly influence whether a garment can later be disassembled and its yarn recovered. Through extensive testing, more than 120 knit swatches and final poducts were produced, washed, unravelled, and reknitted to evaluate yarn-to-yarn recycling potential. Results showed that certain merino wool constructions achieved recovery rates of up to 80%, while coarse knit structures proved significantly easier to recycle than finer gauges.

In addition, digital prototyping workflows were implemented to reduce material consumption during development. Compared to conventional sampling processes, material use in the prototyping phase was reduced by approximately 60%. The microfactory also demonstrated the feasibility of small-batch, on-demand knitwear production with a pilot capacity of up to 500 pieces per month.

The project culminated in the publication of the Design Guide “Designing Knitwear for Circularity”, translating research findings into practical methodologies for designers and product developers. For prospective students of Sustainable Fashion Design and Management at BSP, the project illustrates how research, technology, and creative practice are integrated to develop scalable circular solutions. Sustainable fashion is not treated as a trend, but as a field requiring analytical thinking, technical understanding, and systemic design competence.

Download the free Design Guide here: https://www.shift.vorn-hub.com/research-and-development#circularity

Learn more about the research project here: https://medium.com/@marte.hentschel/circular-microfactory-berlin-designing-knitwear-for-circularity-from-research-to-a-practical-b6fcce9971c4