The UK consumes around 1.7 million tonnes of textiles per annum; of this, 1.1 million tonnes are clothing.

Clothing consumption for Millennials is approximately 35% of their monthly spend and evidence suggests that fuelled by a culture of ‘wear it once’, informed by self-branding on social media, the ethical and environmental consequences are significant. Yet this is a complex consumer culture: the degrees of prosumerism evidenced on ebay; the download culture; from Freecycle and Shpock to Rebelle and Vinted, all show the potential for change.

In this exploratory paper, the culture of neophilia is examined through the lens of a will for a more circular economy. The author explores autobiographically her changing perceptions of branding and how the need to recycle, and the skills to repair, must become a priority going forward.

Helen Powell is co-editor of ‘The Advertising Handbook’ (4th edition, 2018) and ‘Promotional Culture & Convergence’ (2013) both Routledge. This talk is open to any colleagues or students interested in fashion promotion and the topic of sustainability in communications and branding.