Anyone else starting to think the weather might finally be warming up?
It’s been a long northern winter, the kind that encourages a little seasonal hibernation, but with brighter mornings creeping back in, it feels like the city (and community) is slowly re-emerging again!
March already feels like a moment of momentum. We’ve spent the last few months speaking to many of you on what youd like to see more of in GM, whether that be support, opportunities, or community! We are listening and look forward to speaking with more of you and sharing your voice to make a real difference!
🌱 Community Announcements
Making Room — Studio Space Opportunity
Big news from Making Room at The Yard, Jess and James have recently expanded their studio space and are now exploring opportunities to share it with other designers, makers, and circular fashion practitioners.
If you’re looking for workspace within a collaborative manufacturing environment, this could be a brilliant opportunity to work alongside like-minded creatives.
👉 Interested? Reach out directly: info@making-room.uk
Permaculture & Fashion Ecosystems
As we continue exploring what fashion ecosystems really mean, one thing becomes increasingly clear: understanding how natural systems function helps us rethink how regional industries should operate too.
The Northern Permaculture Institute is launching a new course in Todmorden, welcoming new learners interested in regenerative systems thinking, land use, and ecological design.
Our own Joe has been undertaking the Permaculture Design Course in Broadbottom and highly recommends it, particularly for anyone interested in systems change, circular economies, or community-led infrastructure.
If this intake feels too soon, additional courses are running throughout the year.
🤖 Robotics, Manufacturing & Circular Futures
“What Manchester does today, the rest of the world does tomorrow.”
— Benjamin Disraeli
Last month we hosted a workshop at the Manchester Fashion Institute’s Robotics Living Lab, bringing together designers, manufacturers, charities, educators and circular economy practitioners to explore what robotics could mean for the future of fashion and textiles in Greater Manchester.
A clear message emerged: robotics should not be viewed as a standalone technological fix, but as part of a wider system transformation.
Discussions highlighted that successful adoption will depend on robotics responding to real industry needs, particularly within repair, remanufacturing, textile sorting and disassembly, areas essential to building a functioning circular economy but currently difficult to scale.
Accessibility was another major theme. For most SMEs and independent designers, owning robotics systems is unrealistic. Instead, shared access models, delivered through hubs, communal manufacturing spaces, or service providers, may offer the most viable pathway. These approaches lower financial barriers while enabling wider participation across the ecosystem.
Importantly, participants emphasised that robotics should enhance human creativity and craftsmanship rather than replace it. New hybrid skills will emerge, combining traditional making knowledge with digital and technical capability, reinforcing the need for accessible training and industry-led learning pathways.
Ultimately, robotics presents a powerful opportunity for Greater Manchester — not simply to modernise production, but to support regional manufacturing resilience, circular infrastructure, and future skills development. Its success, however, will rely on collaboration, shared governance, and thoughtful integration into the wider ecosystem already emerging across the city.
📅 Events This Month
GM Green Summit 2026
The Greater Manchester Green Summit is happening this week (Tuesday!), bringing together organisations, communities and businesses working towards a greener, fairer city region.
If you’re attending, keep an eye out; we’d love to connect.
We’re also working behind the scenes on several Future Fashion Fair events and collaborations planned for the coming months. As soon as details are confirmed, the community will be the first to know.
🤝 Join the Community
Thank you for being part of the Future Fashion Fair community.
Whether you’ve attended an event, contributed to our research, shared ideas or simply followed along, your support, energy and curiosity are helping build a stronger circular fashion movement across Greater Manchester.
👉 Join the WhatsApp community here
When textiles stay in circulation, communities thrive and businesses discover new value. This is where real sustainability begins.
Every little helps.
Find answers to common questions about circular fashion and textile systems.
Circular fashion is a system where textiles stay in use as long as possible through repair, resale, remanufacturing, and recycling. Instead of the linear model of make-buy-dispose, garments move through multiple lives and purposes before eventually becoming something else entirely.
Begin by mapping what already exists in your community or organisation. Understand who's repairing, collecting, and designing for longevity. Then identify one small intervention you can make and measure what happens. Start small, learn quickly, and expand from there.
Circular systems depend on coordination between communities, businesses, and institutions. No single organisation can build this alone. When these groups work together, they can identify gaps, share resources, and create infrastructure that actually works.
Communities are essential because circular systems only work if people understand why they matter and choose to participate. A repair workshop needs customers. A swap shop needs participants. Building genuine engagement takes time and listening, not marketing.
Policy can create incentives for circular approaches through extended producer responsibility, right-to-repair legislation, and investment in repair infrastructure. The most effective policies are designed with input from communities, businesses, and the people actually doing the work.
READY TO BUILD
CIRCULAR FASHION?
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