Across European cities, the way people acquire and think about clothing is shifting noticeably. Secondhand and rental platforms that were once niche are now mainstream enough to influence what designers put on the runway, and repair culture, once associated mainly with older generations, has found new life among younger shoppers.

Clothing rental services, popular first in the Nordic countries, have expanded into Southern Europe, offering everything from everyday basics to occasion wear. The appeal is straightforward: access to variety without the environmental and financial cost of constant new purchases. Several Italian labels have begun partnering directly with these platforms rather than treating them as competition.

Repair culture is having its own renaissance. “Repair café” events, where volunteers help mend clothing for free, have spread from their Dutch origins into cities across the continent. Some fashion houses have opened their own in-house repair and alteration services, reframing a garment’s lifespan as part of the product itself rather than something that ends at the point of sale.

On the design side, brands are experimenting with mono-material construction, making garments easier to recycle at the end of their life, and with regenerated fabrics made from textile waste. These aren’t always visually distinguishable from conventional materials, which is part of the point: sustainability is being built into fashion rather than marketed as a separate, premium category.

None of this means the industry has solved its environmental impact, and critics rightly point out that production volumes overall remain high. But the direction of consumer behavior, especially among shoppers under 35, suggests that circularity is becoming an expectation rather than a novelty.