Students from the Fashion Design and Fashion Styling and Communication programmes at IED Barcelona have taken part in an upcycling project for the Japanese multinational, transforming ten imperfect garments into new unique pieces and designing their respective communication campaigns
News
Fashion and Circularity with UNIQLO
Date
12 March 2026
IED Barcelona has once again collaborated with UNIQLO on the upcycling project SECOND LIFE, SECOND STORY, aimed at third-year students of Fashion Design and Fashion Styling and Communication. The initiative invited participants to reflect on the impact of the key processes within the textile industry and to explore how to integrate sustainability criteria into the Japanese brand’s products, transforming ten garments with imperfections into new, one-of-a-kind pieces using upcycling techniques. In parallel, they also developed their respective communication campaigns and business strategy proposals.
The process lasted almost three months, during which Fashion Design students analysed the life cycle of each garment before going on to design a new product, always under social and environmental sustainability parameters.
Meanwhile, students from Fashion Styling and Communication worked on the conceptualisation and production of a communication campaign for each of the looks presented, constructing a visual narrative aligned with the values of sustainability, innovation and responsibility underpinning the initiative.
Among all the projects completed, five were selected by UNIQLO as finalists and exhibited at the brand’s flagship store on Gran Vía in Madrid for two weeks (from 25 February to 20 March). In addition, the winning team delivered a public upcycling workshop at the RE.UNIQLO Studio space. An initiative that brought emerging talent from IED Barcelona closer to the public and highlighted its committed vision, shared with the Japanese multinational, for more conscious fashion.
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