The School of Fashion is committed to promoting and advocating sustainable development. In alignment with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and as a member of Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) Canada, a global network of postsecondary institutions, the school has worked to integrate sustainable practices into its teaching and initiatives on campus.
Suad found a passion for sustainability in her first semester of studies in the Fashion Business Management (FBM) program. She participated in several sustainability initiatives and even founded the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Student Hub at Seneca as a place where students across different academic programs could learn about the SDGs, collaborate and realize their potential for making a difference.
A Faculty-Led Program Abroad combines intensive courses with global learning. You’ll travel with a group of students, guided by a Seneca faculty member, to start or enhance your international experience.
In 2024, students explored sustainable fashion in Costa Rica. They learned from local artisans about the cultural and symbolic significance of traditional garments and eco-friendly materials and production methods. They also engaged in traditional weaving, organic dyeing and textile decoration techniques used in different indigenous clothing styles, historical attire and regional variations.
As part of an episode focused on sustainability in the fashion industry, CBC’s Marketplace visited Seneca Polytechnic’s School of Fashion and Professor Sabine Weber to discuss the difficulty of textile recycling.
View the episode and read the article:
Upcycling Possibilities:
Our felting project demonstrates the upcycling potential of dead stock and textile scraps, turning them into functional, eco-friendly accessories. Using a felt loom machine, we needle-felt these materials into cohesive fabrics, creating stylish, durable bags. This method, which layers and felts multiple scraps for added sturdiness, underscores our commitment to sustainability and innovation in fashion.
Gagan Singh, a graduate of our Fashion Business (FAB) program, has developed an innovative app that uses QR codes to provide detailed information on clothing to help consumers make sustainable choices. This initiative works toward reducing textile waste and advancing the circular economy in fashion.
Seneca’s Veterinary Technician and Fashion Arts programs collaborated in a sheep shearing project that teaches fashion students about the process of shearing wool and turning it into yarn and clothes.
Read more about the sheep shearing project:
Under the leadership of Professor Sabine Weber and with the support of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), students from the Visual Merchandising Arts (VMA) program and Professor Shawn Schmidt created a sustainable fashion exhibition together with five industry partners: Fashion Takes Action, Pegasus Shoppe, Kidney Clothes, Brands for Canada and Goodwill Industries.
Fashion Business (FAB) and Fashion Business Management (FBM) students participated in the Seneca Sustainability Fair. Fashion is intricately woven in climate change as both a driver and victim. Students communicated about the role fashion companies can play in reducing greenhouse gas emission and adapting to a much needed change. Featuring the climate change countdown clock, conversations were sparked amongst peers.
The School of Fashion’s “Swap and Style” events encourage students to exchange clothing and embrace sustainability. Hundreds of students joined the most recent event to help reduce textile waste and rethink consumption in fashion.
Sustainable Seneca and the School of Fashion held a week-long exhibit called Dumpster Dive to raise awareness about textile waste.
Learn more about the Dumpster Dive exhibit:
The School of Fashion hosted a series of textile diversion events and research about changing consumer behaviours in fashion consumption and disposal.
Learn more about textile diversion at Seneca:
The Boutique is proud to support the Circular Economy by offering used clothing as part of our inventory. This initiative is rooted in the principles of reducing waste, reusing materials and recycling. By selling pre-owned garments, we not only extend the life of each piece but also reduce the demand for new resources, thereby minimizing our environmental footprint.
Fashion Arts students demonstrate Seneca’s sustainability principles through their collections and projects, including zero-waste design, natural dyes, upcycling and slow fashion.
Recipient of the 2024 Sustainability Award and the Telio Foundation Scholarship Competition Award
Lovely Meadow draws topographic inspiration and incorporates intriguing techniques such as draping, frayed raw edges and deconstructed silhouettes. Upcycled denim is transformed into garments adorned with denim flowers, blending sustainability with a futuristic edge. 3D-printed accessories enhance the overall aesthetic, creating a harmonious fusion of modernity and eco-conscious style.
Recipient of the 2024 Material Innovation Award
Alley Cat Threads draws inspiration from urban coolness and a streetwise attitude. Upcycled denim is woven into fringe-effect details in zero-waste designs. Sustainably sourced end-of-roll grosgrain taffeta, wool suiting and vegan leather are used throughout the collection. Draped body-con corsets contrast with oversized silhouettes, while Toronto’s geographic coordinates are stencilled to reflect street culture.
Recipient of the 2024 Avant-garde Award and the Vivienne Poy Knitwear Award
Thread of Thoughts is an avant-garde collection born from adversity, weaving tales of resilience. Garments are crafted from end-of-roll cotton shirting, twill, and denim in serene white, fiery red, classic blue, and lime green. Motivational quotes are embroidered onto the garments to inspire. Upcycled tulle, dyed with an ombre effect, is used on machine-knit appliqués to embellish the collection.
The Visual Merchandising Arts program integrated sustainability into student project work by using recycled and upcycled materials.
Inspiration: Upcycled/Recycled
Category: Home Décor
Process: An asymmetrical modern shelving unit, utilizing various types of upcycled panels of wood to showcase minimalism can be done responsibly.
Materials: Reclaimed wood
Team: Mehra Farhadi, Mona (Zahra) Hadaegh and Yanny Yi
Inspiration: Upcycled/Recycled Materials
Category: Home Décor
Process: Wooden pallets were upcycled and used as a textured backdrop, while empty wooden wire spools are used as risers.
Materials: Upcycled wooden pallets, wooden wire spools and paint
Team: Mehra Farhadi, Mona (Zahra) Hadaegh and Yanny Yi
Inspiration: Pop of Colour
Category: Fashion Brand
Process: The bright colours of the handmade daisy props (made from recycled materials) contrast the dark colour of the Daisy Nike Air Max 1 sneakers and backdrop.
Materials: Bristol board, upcycled styrofoam balls, coloured vinyl and foam core
Team: Melissa Mora, Bill (Ngo Anh Dung) Tran and Paula Marin
Inspiration: Upcycled/Recycled Materials
Category: Environment
Process: Denim garments were deconstructed to create a dress (bustier made from pockets and skirt from strips of denim) and angel wings.
Materials: Upcycled denim jeans, paint and vinyl
Team: Melissa Mora, Bill Tran and Paula Marin
Inspiration: Inspired By Nature
Category: Beauty & Wellness
Process: The bees are suspended using skewers creating depth and movement. Hexagon shapes mimic the beehive while creating a focal point around the product.
Materials: Upcycled Kinder Surprise™ yellow plastic capsules (bees), paint, coloured vinyl and foam core board
Team: Rebecca Lee, Yejin Lee and Saki Hattori
Inspiration: Home Décor
Category: Upcycled/Recycled Materials
Process: Old file folders were deconstructed to create flowers and the leaf props to resemble the floral arrangement (also made of paper). The metal ribs of the file folder create the cube that is suspended and showcases the handmade floral arrangement.
Materials: Upcycled file folders
Team: Sen (Xiusen) Zhang, Mark (Zening) Zhang and Serena (Xiaomeng) Tang
Inspiration: Upcycled/Recycled
Category: Fashion Accessories
Process: Wires were stripped, twisted and coiled artistically to create seaweed and fish props.
Materials: Coloured paper, copper and silver wire sourced from Seneca’s e-waste
Team: Sen (Xiusen) Zhang, Mark (Zening) Zhang and Serena (Xiaomeng) Tang
Inspiration: Upcycled Materials
Category: Environment
Process: Plastic bottles are fabricated to resemble a tortoise caught in a net made from coloured electrical wire. Painted fish behind and in front on the glass add depth to this dark ocean environment.
Materials: Recycled plastic bottles, coloured wire, recycled artificial cherry blossom branches, paper and paint
Team: Sen (Xiusen) Zhang, Mark (Zening) Zhang and Serena (Xiaomeng) Tang