Meet Patrick White, Australian finalist of the eBay Circular Fashion Fund 2026.

eBay named Ragpiq a regional winner in eBay's 2026 Circular Fashion Fund. Co-founded by Patrick White and Gwynn Kijkanakorn,  two uni friends who spent years throwing everything at the wall before landing on the problem worth solving.

Ragpiq is a platform that connects clothing resellers with people who want their wardrobes gone but have no appetite for the work of selling them. By outsourcing the selling to people who are actually good at it, Ragpiq is tackling one of the most entrenched inefficiencies in second-hand fashion: that most people have simply given up on reselling altogether.

A few weeks ago, Patrick travelled to New York City to pitch alongside the global finalists. We caught up with him to hear more.

Could you share some insights into your background and the journey that led you to start Ragpiq?

Gwynn and I met at uni. We got put together on a consulting internship, clicked like no tomorrow, and ended up both being the dux’s of our class. We were both resellers from a young age and both pretty entrepreneurial, so once we realised we worked well together, the question was never if we'd build something, it was what.

We spent the next two to three years throwing absolutely everything at the wall to see what would stick, all of it circling one stubborn idea: secondhand sucked for a lot of people, and there had to be a better way to do it. We built three resale apps. We opened our own physical consignment warehouse in Thornbury that held a whopping 2,000 items at its peak. We basically lived in that building, and every tool and bit of software we made there is what we've since rebuilt into Ragpiq.

The deeper drive is that we both believe innovation is the best industry you can be in. When you look at how asset appreciation has outpaced income over the last 60 years, building something genuinely valuable to society beats a 9-to-5 every time. We'd rather be broke for five years out of uni, get comfortable being broke, and build something that matters.

Take me back to that pitch room. What was it really like, how did you prepare, and what would you tell other businesses heading into pitching opportunities?

A fever dream, honestly. But I felt so ridiculously prepared that it actually felt right. I'd butchered my last two live-audience pitches, so they do say, third time's the charm, but really I think I'd just gotten sick of being nervous and not being myself.

Getting there was its own comedy. When I realised I'd booked flights landing 12 hours before the event, I felt like the dumbest smart founder heading to New York. I slept 12 hours on the plane, then had to somehow find another 8 that night, over room service steak. Pretty scary maths. But the venue saved me: a gorgeous old Georgian hotel in the fashion precinct, right opposite Broadway and all the little cafes. The pitch room itself was a cosy, tavern-style space with low ceilings and plush furniture, so it felt less like a boardroom and more like a comedy night. I'd planned exactly one laugh, and thankfully it landed.

On preparation, it was AI, AI, AI. Every single word got scrutinised by multiple language models, every slide rebuilt and re-rendered in Claude Design until it was almost too perfect. The biggest lesson I learned about memorising a long pitch is that it has nothing to do with how hard you cram and everything to do with how early you start. The number of nights you leave between memorising and performing is what counts, because your mind coagulates and processes while you sleep. That's what makes each slide feel like second nature.

So my advice to anyone heading into a pitch: start ridiculously early, and practice in front of actual people, because pitching to a room is a completely different animal to running lines alone. One tactic I swear by is spiking your heart rate before you rehearse, do push-ups or run a lap outside first. It recreates the adrenaline you'll feel on the day, so the real thing doesn't catch your body off guard.

What inspired the idea of flipping the reselling model?

Two things: the figures, and bitter personal experience. We hated reselling. It's fun the first time, then it's just labour, and eventually you're sitting there going, why am I effectively working a $20-an-hour hospitality shift to sell my own jumper?

Then the numbers backed up the feeling. Around 70% of people's wardrobes go unworn. About 39% have outright given up on reselling. And the number one reason people resell isn't to make money, it's to declutter. So you've got millions of people who genuinely want their clothes gone but have zero appetite for the work of selling them. The obvious answer was to stop asking them to do it. Outsource the selling to people who are actually good at it and enjoy it, and let everyone else just enjoy a tidy wardrobe and a payout.

What do you think about the environmental impact, and does that mission shape your decisions as a founder?

It shapes everything, but I try to be clear-eyed about how it works. The environmental impact is real: every garment we keep moving is one that doesn't get replaced by something new. The average Australian wardrobe is sitting on around $4,000 of unworn clothes, and most of it is destined for a bin bag eventually.

But I've also learned that people don't change behaviour for the planet alone. Around 60% of younger shoppers say affordability is their number one reason for buying secondhand, and most of that generation flat-out doesn't trust brand sustainability claims anymore. So we don't lead with guilt. We make the sustainable choice the easy, profitable, slightly addictive one, then let the environmental upside come for free. If we get the convenience right, the circularity takes care of itself at scale. That's the decision that matters.

How do you build and maintain that trust on both sides of the marketplace?
The most important thing is security: your items are protected by Ragpiq. Our resellers are carefully vetted and go through a scrutinised onboarding process, so you know you're in safe hands. That's exactly why a moderated platform makes more sense than fending for yourself, researching strangers and hoping for the best. It's the same problem Uber solved. People didn't want to climb into a car with someone they'd never met, but once enough people trusted the system, and the system held a genuinely high standard of service, you reach a kind of bliss. That's what we're reaching for.

We build that trust structurally rather than just promising it. Consignors keep ownership of their items until they sell, so they're never handing over value and hoping for the best. Resellers are vetted and local, not anonymous accounts on the other side of the country, which is where hyper-local really matters: there's real accountability when the person handling your wardrobe is only a few suburbs away. And we keep both sides visible to each other through the whole process, so nobody is left wondering what happened to their bag or their stock.

What does being selected as a finalist mean to your business, and what are you hoping the funding will unlock for Ragpiq?

First, validation. We had so much warm, supportive feedback from people in New York, and trust me, they're every bit as blunt as we are in Australia. They give it to you straight, no emotion. That's exactly why it meant so much, because it told us what we're building isn't just an Australian fix. It's universal, and it's a seriously good way of solving a global problem.

I'll be honest though: we didn't win the final investment, and the reason was traction. We simply didn't have enough of it yet. Far from being a blow, that's been clarifying. It means the job now is to put our heads down, build the flywheel and the system, and obsess over every single customer and interaction so we're ready to win the next one. The whole experience taught me that fundraising, networking and the operational glamour is the devil dressed in fancy clothes, always trying to lure you away from the only things that actually matter: your customers and your product. That's where we'll be 90% of the time for the foreseeable future.

The funding gives us serious runway to push our AI software further, and to completely rebuild our social media and branding so it genuinely speaks to our audience. A good chunk will also go into meeting resellers, boutiques and secondhand stores right across the country. Honestly, wining and dining the best operators in the business is one of the best uses of our money I can think of. So if you're reading this and you're scaling your resale, come find us. You won't regret it.

Discover more about Ragpiq here.

 

Circular Sourcing: eBay Circular Fashion Fund 2026 Australian Finalist

eBay named Circular Sourcing a regional winner in eBay's 2026 Circular Fashion Fund. Founded by Courtney Holm, who spent eight years building the circular fashion label A.BCH before pivoting to tackle the industry's material waste problem at scale.

Circular Sourcing is a platform building the data infrastructure behind physical textiles, making surplus materials visible, accessible and commercially viable for brands and designers.

A few weeks ago, Courtney travelled to New York City to pitch alongside the global finalists. We caught up with her to hear more.


Could you share some insights into your background and the journey that led you to launch Circular Sourcing?
I founded circular fashion label A.BCH in 2016 at a time when sustainable fashion had a few major players, but no one was yet talking about circular design. Over the next eight years, I built A.BCH from concept to beloved brand in Melbourne; we established our own factory and eventually manufactured 100% of our products in-house through an on-demand model. It was through A.BCH that I gained a deep understanding of supply chains, materials and manufacturing. It was also how I saw the enormous waste issues up close. It dawned on me that whatever little universe we created with A.BCH wouldn’t have an iota of impact on the industry at large. So we started small, just as a little esty store, selling surplus here and there for ourselves and then our brand friends, and eventually with a co-funding from A.BCH and Sustainability Victoria and contributions from Full Circle Fibres, MTK Australia and The Social Studio, we built a central platform for this to scale.

That led us to realise the problem was less about surplus being a problem needing to be solved downstream and more that the industry extracts and grossly undervalues important material assets simply because the data behind them is lost. We realised that we could build the data infrastructure behind physical textiles and that's exactly what we're doing today.

You were one out of 8 successful global finalists for the eBay Circular Fashion Fund so take me back to that pitch room. What was it really like standing in front of industry experts, how did you prepare for that moment, and what would you tell other businesses heading into pitching opportunities?

This was honestly one of the most intense pitches I've ever prepped for. The judges are all seriously iconic people in the industry; they know the problem deeply and they will scrutinise every word much more than a generic investor ever could. The pressure was real, including from traveling halfway around the world! But I think I was fairly well prepared..

Prep looks like getting your deck right so the visuals can help you share your story, not distract or cause confusion. It looks like practising a lot, because when you only have 5 minutes, every word you say counts. It's also getting to the point as soon and succinctly as possible. And it's managing nerves and pressure, though the other founders in the competition were so supportive and it made the whole process feel really good, regardless of who won the final prize.

You founded the brand A.BCH in 2017 and built it into a world-leading example of circular design, before making the strategic decision in early 2024 to focus on building Circular Sourcing. What was the defining moment that convinced you the industry needed a dedicated platform for surplus textiles rather than another circular fashion brand?
I guess I talked about it a little already, but I think it was the moment when the scale of impact hit me. It was like, could I dare to think bigger? Globally? Transformationally? Could I go from being heads down, running around and doing my own creative thing in my own little world, to opening myself up to the very public, scrutinised, and tumultuous life of a technology founder where my business is far more likely to fail? Ultimately I chose yes. It hasn't been easy, but it was the best decision I could have made.

Circular Sourcing’s mission is to divert materials from ending up in landfill. How do you go about shifting the mindset of brands and manufacturers from seeing surplus as a liability to treating it as a premium material opportunity?
You know, the cool thing about surplus is, once the data is restructured and the product is made visible, it's actually very easy to get brands on board to use it. It's available immediately, enabling speed to market, it's unique, providing endless story telling opportunities, and the material and impact data work has all been done for them, so it's pretty much a win-win. Brands are coming to us already. What is more challenging is getting brands to think and design for the full circular lifecycle, that is our real challenge and where we are heading, big picture.

You deliberately use the term "material streams" rather than "waste streams," viewing all material as a valuable resource. How does that language and philosophy shape the way Circular Sourcing is designed both as a platform and as a business?
I think we just have particular phrases and language that we lean into at Circular Sourcing. The reason why is that we are building a company culture, and a big part of culture is language. We’re also industry operators by trade. Certain words and phrases make supply chain folks bristle. The way things are framed is so important not only for shaping the vernacular but for shaping the actions those words invoke. The call to action for revaluing resources is a lot more powerful than reducing waste.

What does being selected as a finalist for eBay’s Circular Fashion Fund mean to your business and what are you hoping the funding will unlock for Circular Sourcing?

It's epic. I feel so lucky to be building this business at this moment in time. It’s a privilege to be shaping the future industry we want and need. Being selected for the fund is a resounding YES to our central thesis. While I don't know exactly what it will unlock yet for Circular Sourcing, I’m open to the possibilities of who will come alongside us next, because one thing I know for sure is this is not something we can go at alone. So I'm excited for who will join us, partner with us, invest with us next – and what that unlocks.

Discover more about Circular Sourcing through their social media channels or official website.

International Women's Day Edition of Future Makers: Lisa Lake, Director of the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion + Textiles

For our final International Women's Day feature, we're proud to spotlight Lisa Lake, Director of the Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion & Textiles. With a career built on purpose, research and a deep commitment to climate action, Lisa has spent nearly two decades working to shift the Australian fashion industry toward a more sustainable future. 

Read on to learn about the journey that brought her here.

 

1. What was your first start in the industry and can you share your career journey? Was there a pivotal moment in your career that led you or pushed you to where you are today?

 I started in this industry as a sustainable fashion activist, and my environmental passion has shaped my career in the industry. My early professional life was in marketing and branding in the US and Australia, but I quickly felt I needed change and started looking for greater purpose. For nearly two decades, I have been driven to work towards climate action, and it is that internal driving force that has led me to use my unique skills, relationships and opportunities to aid in the sustainable transition of the Australian fashion industry.

Thinking of key moments, 2009 was a big year for me – I had my environmental “awakening” thanks to the film An Inconvenient Truth, completed a master’s degree where I studied – among other things - culture and environmental behaviour change, and started to work for the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). While working at GBCA I wrote my book Sustainability with Style (2012), an eco-memoir documenting my lifestyle changes including fashion, beauty, food choices and more. Thanks to the book, I connected with incredible sustainable fashion pioneers in Australia and around the world, and together with three of them (Carlie Ballard, Kelly Elkin, and Yatu Widders Hunt) founded Clean Cut, producing the first sustainable fashion show on the Australian Fashion Week program in 2014. Putting on the show was a huge labour of love – we all had full time jobs, and called in all the favours imaginable, including with our amazing PR partner at New Future, Elena Silverwood. The show featured eight sustainable fashion labels from around the world (including my current colleague Rachael Cassar and New Zealand brand Kowtow). It was incredibly challenging, incredibly fulfilling, and well received by industry and media.

Just as the fashion show was coming together, I also embarked on my PhD, which allowed me to focus deeply on transitioning the Australian fashion industry toward sustainability. Following completion of my PhD, I had a few years of contract sustainability work and had a couple babies, and then started my role in late 2021 with the Centre of Excellence – it has been an ideal opportunity to support industry transformation as it brings educational expertise and research excellence into collaboration with industry. Looking back, my path in the industry has not been linear, but it’s always been values- and purpose-driven, which feels like a true privilege.

 

2. Are there any mentors or influential figures who played a key role in your leadership style?

I’ve been fortunate to have many mentors - academically, professionally, and personally. As I reflect on them now, I can see they all share traits I deeply value: integrity, intelligence, compassion, and a commitment to leading with values over ego. I try to bring these qualities into my own leadership, which is certainly still evolving.

My time at GBCA was especially formative and I had the privilege of working directly with then-CEO Romilly Madew AO, a natural leader who demonstrates values-based leadership. I witnessed how she could hold her own in an historically masculine industry, command a room of thousands when she spoke, and also nurture a growing team, supporting a culture that made space for employees to thrive. Romilly supported my working part-time while writing my book because she wanted to create a workplace where women could achieve all their dreams, and my role was the first in the organisation to become a job-share, which I shared with a working mum. Rom’s unique blend of extreme talent, work ethic and compassion has greatly influenced my leadership style – and I also think of her every time I’m in the office early and turn on classical music, as I heard her do countless times over the years in those early hours, enjoying the calm before the chaos of the day.

Academically, I’ve been shaped by my PhD supervisor, Professor Natalya Lusty. She is wickedly clever, precise, curious, warm, and direct. She saw potential in my academic work when nearly no one else in our field did, and bolstered me when others challenged the importance of addressing sustainability in fashion. I often reflect on Natalya’s enthusiasm and optimism about the work we all do, and am pleased to also call her my friend. Last but certainly not least, my colleague Associate Professor Timo Rissanen inspires me daily through his compassion, brilliance, wit, and unwavering commitment to meaningful work. It’s a real pleasure when your colleagues are also your mentors.

 

3. What has been the biggest challenge you have faced on your pathway, and how did you overcome it?
My biggest challenge is that I don’t always fit in - whether that’s being one of few women in male-dominated leadership spaces, talking about fashion when others were talking about the built environment, entering fashion as an activist, or navigating a hybrid academic-industry role. At times this has meant not being taken seriously, missing opportunities because I framed ideas differently, or facing delays or relationship setbacks because I was challenging established norms. (And let’s be honest, when you’re actively challenging standard business practices to prioritise the planet and people rather than solely profit, sometimes your phone calls just go unanswered).

For me, the key to overcoming this challenge has been to turn it into my superpower. I know that my varied background helps me see problems from different angles. I also ask a lot of questions, put in the time to understand the issues, and treat challenges as an opportunity to approach the work from a new perspective. Due to my time in different industries, I also have a large network of colleagues I can call upon for advice or collaboration – relationships are so important to making a meaningful impact and I deeply value the connections I’ve made along the way. On a practical level, I’ve also taken leadership training to identify my unique strengths, understand different personality types and how to best work together, support a high-performing team, and gained strategic tools that provide structure to challenging, impactful work. Leaning into difference – rather than trying to erase it – has been uncomfortable at times but has been key to navigating many challenges.

 

4. Our industry is 77% female, however this is not the case at executive level. Do you believe the Australian fashion industry has evolved over the years, particularly in its support for women leaders? What can we all do to help change this statistic?
The statistics on women’s leadership are disheartening, but unfortunately not unique to our industry. Women remain underrepresented in leadership positions across all sectors despite high education and workforce participation rates. I can’t speak to how it has evolved in the fashion industry, but I do see clear opportunities for progress.

First, structured mentorship and leadership training tailored to women – not designed to make us like businessmen – is critical. Next we need more realistic expectations around work hours and travel, especially since women still take most caregiving responsibilities for children and aging parents.  Childcare support and paid parental leave for all genders matter, as does continued cultural change, but in this moment in time, so do honest conversations with aspiring female leaders about how leadership roles can work around real lives. By the time a woman has enough experience to enter a leadership position, she is often also considering a family or already has one, and we should not ignore this complexity.

Without becoming too binary or stereotypical in our definitions of gender, we should also be welcoming traditional ‘feminine’ traits  - like empathy, creativity, and multi-tasking – and learning how to use them to the benefit of our organisations. In addition, success should not be measured by speed or burnout, both too common in our industry. Collectively we can change expectations of what success looks by slowing down, reshaping timelines, and genuinely prioritising staff wellbeing as a marker of organisational success. Finally, businesses can work to ensure representation on their boards and leadership teams reflect the gender and diversity make-up of the industry – yes, that means more women than men on boards and leadership teams. But if fashion can’t lead on representation, which industry can?

 

5. What's one piece of advice you’d share with someone aiming to follow in your footsteps?

Listen to your internal voice and don’t back away from doing the hard work. Creating change – especially in complex areas like climate action, social inequality, or shifting long-standing industry systems – is difficult and unpredictable. Your career won’t follow the path you expect, no one ever does. But if you are true to yourself, act with integrity, and take the time to do things properly, you’ll create a positive impact in ways you may not even foresee.

Find more about Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion + Textiles

 

Thank you to Katie-Louise, Lilian, Ebony and Lisa for sharing their stories with us this International Women's Day. Their vision, courage and commitment to building a better industry is exactly what balancing the scales looks like in practice.

Studying Opportunities: The Centre of Excellence Programs

The Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Fashion & Textiles has an exciting line-up of professional short courses running across October and November 2025. From CLO 3D training to sustainability strategy development, these courses are led by industry experts and academics at the forefront of fashion’s transition to a more sustainable future.

October & November Course Schedule

14 October – Intro to CLO 3D (Online)
Delivered by Tracey Willis, this online course introduces you to CLO 3D, one of the leading software tools in digital fashion design and prototyping. 

16 October – Developing a Fashion Sustainability Strategy and Roadmap
Led by Dr Clara Vuletich, this course supports businesses and professionals in building a clear sustainability strategy and roadmap.
💡 Discounts available:

21 October – Intro to Fashion & Sustainability
Led by Laura Washington, Head of School, Fashion Design Studio (TAFE NSW), this 6-week program blends 2 hours of live online lectures each week with 2 hours of self-directed study. Explore the foundations of sustainable fashion and its practical applications.
💡 Discounts available:

10 November – Digital Pattern Cutting Techniques with CLO 3D
For those who have completed Intro to CLO 3D, this advanced course with Tracey Willis takes your digital pattern-making to the next level. 

AFC Member Perks

AFC Members enjoy 15% off selected courses on the following: 

 View all courses: sustainablefashioncentre.com/courses

AFC Members, access your perk here: ausfashioncouncil.com/member_perk/uts-sustainability-short-courses

Don’t miss the chance to learn from leading educators and connect with a community driving change in the fashion industry.

Future Makers: Amy Low, CEO of The Social Outfit

For our latest Future Makers feature, we speak with Amy Low, CEO of The Social Outfit,  the values-led social enterprise redefining the intersection of fashion, ethics and opportunity.

Through career pivots, leadership insights, and heartfelt reflections, our conversation with Amy reveals the transformative power of purpose-driven work.

 

1. What was your first start in the industry and can you share your career journey? Was there a pivotal moment in your career that led you or pushed you to where you are today? 

My introduction to the industry was working in a store in The Strand Arcade in Sydney. I was a casual retail staff member, selling formal dresses for weddings and special occasions. When a group of women all try on the same dress in a colour they didn’t choose, you learn quickly about dress fittings and customer service.

I came back to the industry to start a shoe business with a friend. We made mens shoes with artisans and Italy, beginning a steep learning curve in supply chain management, sales, marketing and business operations. Friends and family told me that I was brave to leave a career as a lawyer to start a shoe brand. Whilst there was a lot of naivety about what was involved, I knew that I wanted to pursue something creative and put something into the world that was beautifully made.

2. Are there any mentors or influential figures who played a key role in your leadership style? 

I have been an avid supporter of The Social Outfit since it began, joining the Board in 2015. 

Seeing leadership in action with Founder Jackie Ruddock, and Chair David Hardie, gave me a new way to think about values and purpose. They are both clear-eyed, compassionate and approachable. They put people first in a way I haven’t seen often in the corporate world. Now that I am CEO, I can see more clearly how their leadership style has shaped mine.

3. What has been the biggest challenge you have faced on your pathway, and how did you overcome it? 

There can be so much turbulence in the workplace. Like so many friends in the industry, I’ve been made redundant before, and felt lost about what to do next. When a job change is not voluntary, the job hunt seems even more daunting and competitive. It forced me to think about what my strengths are, and where they might be of greatest value. It helped to ask people for advice, to get confident about what I bring to the table, and opportunities I may have overlooked.

4. Our industry is 76% female, however this is not the case at executive level. Do you believe the Australian fashion industry has evolved over the years, particularly in its support for women leaders? What can we all do to help change this statistic? 

There’s more that can be done to support the careers of female leaders, particularly in the business side of the fashion industry and in operational decision making. Women are incredibly resourceful, resilient and creative - all excellent entrepreneurial traits of benefit in the fashion industry. 

Done with intention, simple actions such as inviting a younger colleague to attend a decision making meeting can offer invaluable experience and signal what leadership opportunities are ahead.

5. What's one piece of advice you’d share with someone aiming to follow in your footsteps? 

Stay curious and ask lots of questions. There are so many opportunities, if you spend some time learning about how it all fits together.

 

Find more about The Social Outfit here.

 

 

New Default Energy Rates Announced: How to Stay Ahead of FY26 Price Changes with Choice Energy

The end of the 24/25FY is here, which means energy prices are set to increase and could have a direct impact on your operational costs.

From July 1, 2025, for businesses in Queensland, New South Wales, and South Australia, and August 1, 2025, for those in Victoria and Tasmania, new energy Default Market Offers (DMO) and Victorian Default Offers (VDO) will come into effect.

While these "default offers" act as a safety net, capping prices for businesses on standard retail plans, they often don't represent the most competitive rates available. The announced changes highlight a mixed outlook, with some regions facing significant price adjustments.

 

What's Changing and Why It Matters:

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and Victoria's Essential Services Commission (ESC) have finalised their default offer determinations for the 2025-26 financial year. Factors like wholesale energy costs, network charges, and evolving market dynamics drive these changes.

These default rates are indicative; many energy retailers are also adjusting their market offers. This means that even if your default offer sees a smaller increase, a better deal could be waiting in the market.

 

Your Proactive Energy Strategy: Two Essential Steps

Every dollar saved is a dollar reinvested into your business. Proactively managing your energy costs is no longer optional – it's essential.

  1. Review Against FY26 Offers: Choice Energy is already equipped with the latest FY26 energy offers from various retailers. This is your immediate opportunity to compare your current FY25 pricing against these new market offers. Don't assume your existing plan is still competitive; a tailored market offer could unlock significant savings.
  2. Conduct a Network Tariff Assessment: This is often the most overlooked and impactful area for savings. Your network tariff is the charge for using the poles, wires, and infrastructure that delivers electricity to your premises, and it can account for over 60% of your total energy bill. These charges are set by your electricity distributor and are based on your usage patterns. If your business has evolved – perhaps with new machinery, altered operating hours, or seasonal shifts – your current network tariff might be costing you unnecessarily.

     A detailed Network Tariff Assessment involves analysing your historical energy usage (ideally 12 months of interval data) to determine if a more cost-effective tariff structure is available. This could mean switching to a time-of-use tariff to leverage off-peak periods or optimising demand charges, which are based on your highest usage spikes. Choice Energy offers free network tariff reviews, working directly with your electricity distributor to manage any necessary changes seamlessly. 

AFC MEMBER OFFER

As an exclusive benefit for AFC members, Choice Energy is offering $1500 cashback when you install a 20kW or larger solar system, plus a complimentary energy bill health check to help reduce your electricity and gas costs.

To access your member offer, click here.

RMIT Launches New Guide to Accelerate Circular Fashion Design

The global fashion industry is consistently cited as one of the most environmentally destructive and polluting sectors.

The new guide, Refashioning: Accelerating Circular Product Design at Scale, outlines steps for makers to transition from linear to circular design, focusing on maximising the lifespan of products and materials. Project lead and Dean of RMIT’s School of Fashion and Textiles, Professor Alice Payne, said the guide challenged traditional design thinking with practical steps to enable change.

“This guide provides a systematic and methodological approach to implementing circular clothing design in a way that all organisations can implement, regardless of their size,” she said.

“Based on extensive research with the industry, we’ve created practical steps businesses can take to improve the circularity of their outputs.

“Although other circular design guides are available, Refashioning is unique in providing a systematic methodology that enables designers to both slow the flow and close the loop.”

The dominant production and consumption method used by most brands today creates clothing for a linear economy - a system of take, make and waste. To switch to a circular method that allows materials to be recycled, critical aspects such as material choices, product purpose and use, durability, and end-of-life options need to be considered early in the design process.

Funded by Sustainability Victoria, the guide’s production was a collaboration between RMIT, Country Road Group brands and two independent partners, circular design expert Courtney Holm and sustainability expert Julie Boulton.

Sustainability Victoria’s CEO, Matt Genever, said the research connected industry, government, and academia to address textile waste.

“It’s an example of how effective cross-sector collaboration can generate impactful results in the transition to a circular economy,” he said.

“By fostering partnerships across sectors, Sustainability Victoria enables meaningful change that moves beyond theory and into real, actionable solutions.”

Applied expertise was central to the design of the guidelines, as they were tested by users on actual products. For over a year, the team worked with eight product and design teams across four brands within the Country Road Group - Country Road, Trenery, Witchery and Politix – to test and refine the guides in a commercial context.

Country Road Group’s Head of Sustainability, Erika Martin, said working on the guide’s creation has started the Group on a journey towards having a common understanding and approach to circular design across its brands.

“This project delivered a clear vision for circular design, and leveraged the expertise in the industry, academia and our own business,” she said.

“The opportunity to help create guidelines based on real life feedback and challenges and not just academic theory was a key driver for our involvement, alongside our commitment to building a better future.”

Refashioning: Accelerating Circular Product Design at Scale, with RMIT co-authors Alice Payne, Yassie Samie, Jenny Underwood, Saniyat Islam, Rebecca Van Amber and Regine Abos, is published on refashioning.org.

 

Find out more about RMIT’s Refashioning: Accelerating Circular Product Design at Scale here.

Media Release: eBay Australia announces Shopfront as the winner of the 2025 Circular Fashion Fund, advancing circularity in the fashion industry

Today, eBay Australia, in partnership with the Australian Fashion Council (AFC), proudly announced Shopfront as the winner of eBay’s 2025 Circular Fashion Fund, recognising their innovative approach to driving progress in circularity and tackling Australia’s ongoing textile waste crisis.

Now in its second year in Australia, the Fund awards Shopfront $100,000 AUD, while runners-up HATCH + make and Hello Tailr will each receive $50,000 AUD to further their circular business solutions. In addition to the funding received, the three recipients will receive bespoke mentoring sessions, educational workshops and networking opportunities.

In 2023, over 222,000 tonnes of clothing were sent to Australian landfill, reinforcing the need for urgent, systemic and lasting change.¹ To address this, eBay launched the Circular Fashion Fund to foster innovation and support businesses that reduce waste and promote circularity, aligning with the industry’s 2030 goals.2 This year’s winners were chosen from a competitive shortlist, pitching their transformative ideas to a panel of industry experts.

Shopfront's victory not only provides funding for their business but also earns them a place in eBay's global competition. They will join winners from the UK, US and Germany to pitch their ideas to eBay's venture capital arm, eBay Ventures, for the chance to be named 'Circular Fashion Innovator of the Year' and receive a potential $300,000 USD additional investment.**

 

eBay Australia’s Fashion Lead, Anne-Marie Cheney, said: “Circularity is no longer an aspiration—it’s a necessity for fashion’s future. At eBay, we’re proud to support businesses reimagining every stage of the fashion life cycle, from design to resale and repair. Following the success of our 2024 winners, we’re excited to see how this year’s businesses use the mentoring, networking opportunities, workshops and funding to drive change. Our 2025 winners prove that a more circular future isn’t just an idea—it’s already in motion.”

 

More about the winners

Shopfront aims to make fashion resale seamless, scalable, and sustainable. Using an AI-powered tool to streamline listings across multiple marketplaces, Shopfront simplifies the shopping experience to drive circularity. Sellers simply upload photos, while Shopfront removes backgrounds, generates listings, and posts them to platforms like eBay – making it easy for sellers to connect with and manage multiple platforms and scale their resale success.

HATCH + make creates sustainable knitwear through low-waste design, eco-friendly production, and a focus on natural fibres. Its Brood line, launched in December 2024, helps brand partners reduce development costs. Using efficient knitting methods and local production, HATCH + make supports small runs to cut waste and ensures transparency across the supply chain lifecycle. Over the next three years, the brand plans to upskill more designers and expand its impact, building on the more than 30 organisations it has supported.

Hello Tailr promotes circular fashion by extending garment life and empowering brands to follow suit. As an online clothing tailor and alteration platform, it offers door-to-door pickup, mail-in, and drop-off services at over 7,500 locations nationwide for added convenience. Hello Tailr also helps fashion brands coordinate repairs in their pro platforms while managing logistics and technology. Catering to businesses and consumers, more than 72% of the brand’s services are completed by social enterprise partners, supporting communities and the greater recommerce ecosystem.

 

2025 Circular Fashion Fund winner, Shopfront Co-Founder & CEO Nate Spiteri, said: “We’re incredibly honoured to receive the 2025 Circular Fashion Fund and grateful to eBay and the Australian Fashion Council for their commitment to driving circularity in the fashion industry. At Shopfront, our mission is to make fashion resale seamless, scalable, and sustainable. This funding will help us enhance our AI-powered tool, streamlining the resale process across multiple marketplaces and making it easier for sellers to extend the life cycle of garments. We look forward to collaborating with industry leaders and mentors to accelerate sustainable solutions for the future of fashion.”

CEO of the Australian Fashion Council, Jaana Quaintance-James, said: “The 2025 Circular Fashion Fund winners exemplify the innovation we need to transform Australia's fashion ecosystem. Innovative businesses like HATCH + make, Shopfront, and Hello Tailr are critical for driving forward practical solutions that extend product lifecycles, minimise waste, and build resilient supply chains. With continued collaboration between government, industry leaders like eBay, and our pioneering winners, we can accelerate Australia’s transition to a lower impact future.”

Participants were evaluated based on three criteria: innovation, circularity and business viability/scalability. Selected businesses showcased new or improved products or processes and offered creative strategies to address circularity in fashion. They also demonstrated scalability and a track record of success, indicating their ability to effectively utilise the funding.

eBay Australia, along with the global markets, will run the Fund with the goal of forming an international alumni of circular fashion businesses, helping to pave the way for a more circular future.

eBay’s Circular Fashion Fund will provide a total global investment of $1.2 million USD** to start-ups in the global markets by the end of 2025 and over 200 hours of mentoring and networking support for applicants from industry experts.

 

-ENDS-

1https://australiainstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/The-Australia-Institute-Textiles-Waste-In-Australia-Web.pdf

2 Australian Fashion Council, 2023 Industry goals: https://ausfashioncouncil.com/program/seamless/

**The currency exchange rate for the $300,000 USD investment will vary depending on the time of payout.

 

For further information, please contact:

Emily Fookes, Pulse

PH: 0438 854 883 I E: emily.fookes@ogilvy.com.au

 

About eBay

eBay Inc. (Nasdaq: EBAY) is a global commerce leader that connects people and builds communities to create economic opportunity for all. Our technology empowers millions of buyers and sellers in more than 190 markets around the world, providing everyone the opportunity to grow and thrive. Founded in 1995 in San Jose, California, eBay is one of the world's largest and most vibrant marketplaces for discovering great value and unique selection. In 2024, eBay enabled $75 billion of gross merchandise volume. For more information about the company and its global portfolio of online brands, visit www.ebayinc.com.

 

About the Australian Fashion Council:

The Australian Fashion Council (AFC) is a not-for-profit and the peak body for the Australian fashion and textile industry, representing the sector for over 70 years. AFC members are Australian founded or majority owned businesses involved in producing fabric, clothing, footwear or accessories, including individuals that contribute creatively and economically to the Australian fashion and textile industry. The AFC champion and advocate for a prosperous and creative Australian fashion and textiles industry, with the purpose of building a vibrant, inclusive ecosystem for our member community through education, collaboration and innovation. Find out more here: https://ausfashioncouncil.com/.

Hello Tailr: Redefining Clothing Alterations and Repairs with Convenience and Technology

eBay Australia, supported by the Australian Fashion Council, has proudly announced Hello Tailr as a shortlisted winner in eBay’s 2025 Circular Fashion Fund, recognising their innovative approach to revolutionising clothing alterations and repairs.

Hello Tailr offers a simple, convenient service that allows customers to arrange clothing alterations and repairs with ease. By providing door-to-door shipping options and making the process as seamless as online shopping, Hello Tailr is transforming the way consumers think about clothing maintenance. Their goal is to make clothing repairs and refashioning as common and accessible as purchasing new items, promoting a more sustainable approach to fashion.

We spoke with Owen about the journey behind Hello Tailr, the lessons learned in building a service focused on convenience and sustainability, and how the company is shaping the future of clothing repairs.

 

1. Could you share some insights into your background and the journey that led you to start Hello Tailr? 

Hello Tailr was inspired by my own frustrating experience. Like most online shopping today, buying a pair of pants online was effortless—they arrived at my doorstep a few days after ordering. The experience gets frustrating from there. As a shorter person, nearly every pair of pants I own needs shortening. Having recently moved to a new suburb, I had to spend time researching "tailors near me," only to find options were limited. Eventually, I found a tailor that was quite a drive away, dropped the pants off, and returned days later to pick them up—only to discover they'd mistakenly shortened them by six millimetres instead of six centimetres. Having to repeat this tedious and inconvenient process sparked the idea that there must be a better way, and that's how Hello Tailr was born. 

 

2. Having founded and served as CEO of Obee, what inspired you to start this venture, and how does it dier from your previous business experiences? 

Obee started from a personal frustration back in 2010. I was trying to book a restaurant for a date, but after multiple unanswered phone calls, I finally secured a last-minute spot. It got me thinking—why was something as simple as booking a table so difficult? That experience led me to build Obee, and over the years, I watched as phone bookings became less common and online reservations became the new norm. 

Hello Tailr has come from a similar place—another personal frustration, this time with clothing alterations. After struggling through a tedious process just to get a pair of pants hemmed, I found myself asking the same question: why is this so inconvenient? Is there a better way? Hello Tailr seems like a much bigger challenge. Technically it's a challenge to make the range of services simple and easy, but also we'll need to see a mindset shift where repair and circular fashion become the norm. The experience I gained from Obee gave me the confidence to take this on. I’d love to see another societal shift happen—this time towards people rewearing, repairing, and refashioning their clothes as a natural part of how we consume fashion.

 

3. Hello Tailr is revolutionising the way we think about clothing alterations and repairs. How do you see the role of technology in extending the life cycle of garments, and how do you envision its future? 

I’ve now spent over a year and a half in this space—which isn’t long compared to many—but what excites me the most is the craft! I encourage everyone to look up "visible mending" on Instagram and TikTok. Go down the rabbit hole of creative repair techniques and explore specific techniques like darning and Sashiko, and suddenly, clothes with holes will become something you will get excited about—an opportunity to refashion and reimagine, not just throw out. 

The challenge, though, is that these skills are rare, and most people are too time-poor to learn them, let alone do it themselves. I believe technology is the unlock. If we can fuse together the convenience economy with social enterprise partners that have these skills, then it’s a win for everyone. As a founder with experience in tech, I feel like I bring a unique perspective because I’m thinking about how we can use technology to bridge this gap, connecting skilled makers and social enterprises with the people who are just looking for a simple and hassle-free experience. 

 

4. What do you see as the biggest barriers to widespread adoption of clothing repairs and alterations, and how is Hello Tailr helping to overcome them? 

The biggest barrier is convenience. We live in a world where almost anything—fashion, groceries, even pet food—can be ordered at the click of a button. The convenience economy has reshaped consumer expectations, making traditional clothing repairs and alterations a stark contrast, typically requiring at least two store visits—one to drop off and another to pick up. 

Hello Tailr is addressing this head-on by reimagining how clothing repairs and alterations can be delivered online. We have over multiple shipping options—including a door-to-door service and printer-free options—with the aim of making the service as convenient as possible. If we can provide a simple, easy-to-use service with a wide range of services, we hope to make clothing repair as easy as online shopping—ultimately helping shift consumer behaviour towards more sustainable fashion choices.

 

5. What have been some of your most significant lessons learned in growing a business focused on clothing repairs and sustainable fashion practices? 

There are so many wonderful people and businesses that genuinely care about sustainability, circularity, and social impact. It’s incredibly humbling and inspiring to see their dedication and long-term commitment—many have been driving change for over a decade. With the rise of new initiatives like Seamless Australia and other circularity-focused policies emerging globally, there seems to be growing momentum. Hopefully, now is just the beginning of the broader population embracing these values, making sustainable fashion choices the norm. 

 

6. If you could impart one piece of advice to someone looking to create a fashion tech startup with sustainability at its core, what would it be? 

Develop a clear, fundamental hypothesis—what is the core problem you are trying to solve? Try and articulate it in one short, sharp, clear sentence. Then, ask yourself honestly: Is this a real problem, or am I trying to create a problem for a solution I have already thought of? Being real with yourself now will save you a lot of wasted time later. 

Next, figure out the fastest and easiest way to test your hypothesis. Can you validate that other people share your problem quickly? As an example, sending something as simple as a short survey to friends, family, or colleagues can give you answers very quickly—you don’t need to spend thousands building a website or app upfront. 

Once you’ve validated the problem, focus on the “how”—is the solution an app, a website, a service, a physical store, or a product? Pick one approach and laser-focus on delivering and testing it as fast as possible. Even a big idea like opening a restaurant or store can be tested and de-risked by running pop ups or events first. Avoid distractions—keep a long list of ideas for later, but stay committed to the task at hand. Choose something achievable in 1-2 months, launch it, promote it for another 1-2 months, then assess: double down if it’s working, and pivot and test another approach if it’s not. 

The biggest mistake I see in startups is trying to do too many things at once. Stay focused, iterate, and most importantly—good luck! You’re going to need a bit of that too!

 

Discover more about Hellor Tailr through their social media channels or official website.

Womenswear giant Sussan Group joins Seamless Foundation Members

The Australian Fashion Council is proud to share that the Sussan Group (Sussan, Sportsgirl & Suzanne Grae) have proudly signed on as a Foundation Member of Seamless, Australia’s national clothing stewardship scheme that aims to make Australian fashion and clothing truly circular by 2030.

The landmark scheme has been set up to change the way Australians consume and recycle their clothes and reduce the 200,000 tonnes of clothing that goes to Australian landfill each year.

The Sussan Group is delighted to join fellow Foundation Members David Jones, Big W, Rip Curl, RM Williams, Lorna Jane and The Iconic. “Together we are working towards shaping a sustainable future for the fashion industry,” Group Retail CEO Rebecca Hard said.

“The Sussan Group is looking forward to helping shape the conversation and recommendations for the proposed scheme. We are excited to be working alongside our Seamless partners on potential solutions to solve the issue of textile waste,” Ms Hard continued.

"It is so pleasing to see Sussan Group stepping up as a leader in our industry by becoming a Seamless Foundation member and making a genuine commitment to the future of the Australian fashion industry,” said Danielle Kent, Project Director of Seamless. “These organisations will play a pivotal part in building the foundational elements of the scheme and ensuring it has the best chance of success.”

The National Clothing Product Stewardship Scheme design and the Roadmap to Clothing Circularity will drive the industry towards clothing circularity by 2030 through:

Register your interest for Seamless