Small but Perfect

The aim of the Small but Perfect project, with 28 SMEs and their European transnational partners was to ‘accelerate the accelerators’ by working alongside business support organisations to embed circularity, social and environmental sustainability into support and showcasing initiatives. Over its 30 month duration the project was designed to develop a network of stakeholders from across the industry that could exchange knowledge, learnings and best practices to effect wider systemic change in the fashion SME sector. Showcasing was the perfect opportunity to open up conversations with each of the SMEs and their communities to question the current system and find new ways to talk about the circular, purpose-led industry we all want to be working in, and the resulting clothes we want to be wearing.

The brief was to showcase the research & development phase of the project, as much as the final outcome. For some SMEs, the R&D was the business – new material innovations and new production cycles, that source their raw material from the customer’s wardrobe. The Fashion Revolution initiative Fashion Revolution Open Studio has been working with designers around the world since 2017 to shine a light on best practice, often the small and radical pioneers and emerging talent leading the way for the rest of the industry to follow.

The idea was simple: create a platform for businesses to be able to show their work, find market places where sustainable innovation is valued, and exchange ideas and knowledge.

The reason Fashion Revolution Open Studio was chosen as a showcasing partner supported by Studio MM04 was because of its track record in creating transnational events and has developed a platform and a community capable of curating and organising showcasing events that encourage brands, designers and services to show the processes behind the product. The R&D phase of the Small but Perfect project was the focus of the showcasing rather than the final outcome. Studio MM04 are connected with the Fashion Revolution Germany team and have worked with Fashion Revolution Open Studio previously and were able to support with their contacts with Permium Seek trade show in Berlin and 202030 Summit – Berlin Fashion Week to create partnerships and discounted rates for the SbP SMEs to take part.

As Orsola de Castro, founder of Fashion Revolution and Fashion Revolution Open Studio says: “Fashion Revolution Open studio stands for innovation in showcasing, radical transparency, and a belief that to challenge the system, we need to champion the radicals. Fashion is changing, and emerging designers are looking for different ways to express their creativity and reach their customers. By looking at the people and the processes behind the collections, Fashion Revolution Open Studio creates an intimate thread between the maker and the user.”