In the world of lingerie, the corset has long been a symbol of constriction—a structure that promises shape but often sacrifices breathability. The fashion industry’s current approach to circularity, as laid bare by Debrand’s inaugural 2025 Transparency Report, feels similarly constrained. The Canadian reverse logistics company, which partners with brands like Lululemon (a label that, much like the modern bralette, prioritizes performance over ornamentation) and Canada Goose, has opened what it calls the “black box” of textile circularity. The verdict? The infrastructure to support a truly closed-loop system remains as elusive as a perfectly preserved Victorian chemise in a thrift store bin.
Debrand processed over 2.4 million pounds of apparel and accessories last year, diverting the majority to fiber reclamation—a process akin to reducing a silk slip to shoddy, a lower-grade fiber that recalls the humble origins of cotton rags used in early 19th-century lingerie padding. While 69.54 percent of diverted materials went to such downcycling, only 1.06 percent reached textile-to-textile recycling, a nascent pathway that mirrors the delicate, hand-stitched artistry of a 1920s brassiere—beautiful in concept but difficult to scale. This echoes the struggles of early corsetieres, who relied on whalebone and hand-eye coordination rather than industrial might.
Debrand’s CEO, Amelia Eleiter, frames the report not as a triumph but as a confession: “If we can’t see what’s happening behind the scenes, we can’t meaningfully move forward.” The sentiment is one any museum curator knows well—preservation requires transparency. Until technology, policy, and capital align, advanced recycling will remain a boutique affair, much like the custom-made girdles of yesteryear. For now, 16.32 percent of materials still go to waste-to-energy, a necessary but unglamorous end, like burning a worn-out corset for warmth. The path to circularity, it seems, requires the patience of a lacemaker and the honesty of a historian.
Originally reported by WWD