Changing the Fashion System From Within

The talk was hosted for WATF by Tom Palmaerts, trendwatcher at Trendwolves, and joined by Karla Basselier, CEO of Fedustria, together with REANTWERP co founder Ruth Goossens and designer Tim Van Steenbergen.

“We cannot keep looking away,” says Ruth Goossens, co-founder of REANTWERP and former editor-in-chief of Knack Weekend.

“There are already generations of clothing on this earth. That should be enough.”

After more than twenty years in fashion journalism, she reached a point where reporting felt insufficient. “I felt I could keep writing about it from the sidelines, but that would not change anything.”

Together with designer Tim Van Steenbergen and the social organisation Gatam, she took a different path. “We decided, let us stop talking about change and start doing it.” REANTWERP grew from that decision into a social atelier built on deadstock fabrics, newcomer makers and a commitment to reshape the system from within.

Inside the atelier, shared craft takes precedence over shared language.

“Most of the people who come in speak very limited Dutch or English… but we speak textile.” 

Newcomers arrive with sewing experience, tested through intake. “The level has to be high enough.” Yet what forms inside the space goes beyond skills. 

“You really feel this becomes a kind of home. It is a small family.”

People come from very different situations. “Some people came from real sweatshop environments, we had to teach them to slow down.” Others arrive with strong technical ability but must adjust to Belgian aesthetics or REANTWERP’s methods. “It is all very tailor made.” Above all, there is dignity. “People are just happy to be treated like a normal working human again.”

The materials in the atelier carry their own story. “We just started reaching out. We went into the stock at Dries, Christian Wijnants, Raf Simons… and selected from there. Everyone responded really positively.” Working with these fabrics demands consistent standards. “For us, quality is key. That is why we only work within Europe and only with high quality partners.”

But goodwill from brands cannot be the long term structure. “If a brand changes its policy, we suddenly have a problem. On the other hand, they also do not know what to do with all that stock. So there is potential, we just need to organise it.”

As interest in their work grows, finding the right rhythm remains a challenge. “Sales are going very well, but production is lagging behind.” 
Their recent pop up in Antwerp sold out completely. Still, they refuse to let their pieces drift into exclusivity. 

“We do not want our products to become super expensive. It is a social and sustainable project, but we also want our items to remain accessible. So we are still searching for the right path.”

Creatively, REANTWERP builds from what already exists. “Tim used to design based on trends. Now he looks at what fabrics we have and who is in the atelier. That becomes the basis of the collection.” Their patterns remain stable so the process can be passed on as people rotate. Some designs include the possibility of transformation. “Our oversized shirt can later be transformed into a dress or something else because the pattern allows it.” Working this way, Ruth says, “is the most refreshing way of working.”

Throughout the discussion, the question of responsibility kept surfacing. Karla Basselier, CEO of Fedustria, noted that many companies want to work with recycled fibres or activate deadstock, but the financial framework around sustainability often remains challenging. 

She added that companies who genuinely want to make progress also need “a business model behind this, otherwise they will not hold on.”

For Ruth, this is exactly why policy matters. “For me this is like smoking in bars and restaurants. It was normal for a long time. When Europe banned it, everyone panicked at first. Now we find it completely normal that we do not smoke inside. We need legislation. Without it, change will not happen, or not fast enough.” She has seen how quickly sustainability commitments fade when regulation weakens. “Some companies simply fired their sustainability manager or reduced their role. That was really shocking.”

Deadstock remains a blind spot. “Recycling is important, but deadstock is still overlooked, maybe because people do not know it well enough. So we try to lobby for that.” Through calls with Flanders Circular, research with the University of Antwerp and conversations with Belgian contributors to European policy, REANTWERP keeps the topic visible at a moment when it risks falling between the lines.

The rise of ultra fast fashion intensifies the problem. 
“We now have ultra fast fashion like Shein and Temu flooding the market and even entering the second hand market with new clothes. That puts extra pressure on social economy and circular business models.” 
Sorting and reuse are possible, she adds, “it just costs money.” Luxury groups “could definitely pay for it if they wanted to.” 
But in the end, “If policy does not force them, they will not do it.”

Consumer behaviour forms another crucial piece. Karla shared insights from research among generation Z. “85% percent say they are very sustainable. When we asked if they are willing to pay more for sustainable clothing, only 28% said yes.” The gap between intention and action is clear. Ruth links it to a cultural shift. “Somewhere around 2010, something went off the rails. When I was young we saved up to buy clothes. Now browsing fast fashion every week has become a pastime.”

Tom Palmaerts asked a simple yet powerful question: what message REANTWERP would place on three billboards for the sector. Ruth answered directly.

For young designers: “Start building your practice with all the puzzle pieces on the table. Think about deadstock, recycling, where you produce, who makes your clothes.”

For policymakers: “We desperately need policy. It has to come at European level. Otherwise it will not have enough effect. The system is out of control.”

For consumers: “Think about what you buy. Curate your wardrobe. Fashion is not a simple consumption product. Give it value again.”

And for the industry: “Do not treat sustainability as a marketing trick. Take it seriously and look at your entire chain with more awareness.”

Ruth returned to the core of why REANTWERP exists and where it must go from here.
Growth will come, but only in ways that stay aligned with their principles.

“If it feels right socially and sustainably, we can take the next steps. We know we need to grow beyond our small atelier, but that growth also has to make sense.”

REANTWERP continues on that path, shaping a model where clothing, craft and care are given their value again from the inside out.