ReLead: Tech enabled regenerative leadership for fashion and textile designers

The European Industry 5.0 vision emphasises worker well-being and sustainability. To achieve this in the
fashion and textile industry (FTI), a shift from traditional, top-down leadership models to more collaborative,
participative approaches is necessary. Rethinking leadership and business practices is essential, adopting
regenerative leadership to actively improve social and ecological systems. With technology integral to our lives
and businesses, exploring its role in fostering regenerative leadership is vital. Although designers often see
themselves as 'creators' rather than leaders, they are ideal candidates for leadership roles.
The ReLead project, successfully led by The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) in partnership
with i-did, aimed to promote regenerative leadership in the FTI through a tech-enabled leadership
transformation toolkit. This toolkit and the future i-did leadership academy have been designed to help creative
designers become regenerative leaders. The research team at THUAS reviewed existing literature on
leadership in the FTI and developed a conceptual model showing how technology facilitates regenerative
leadership. They conducted observations and interviews with the founders of i-did and Elvis & Kresse to
document their unique leadership approaches. Additionally, interviews with established and graduate
designers in the Netherlands helped map key leadership challenges. This research resulted in an interactive
PDF toolkit containing practical tools, frameworks, and multimedia resources for leadership transformation. A
preliminary business model for the i-did academy was also developed to test and validate the toolkit. Although
the academy is still in progress, the toolkit was tested and refined based on designer feedback, enhancing its
usability.
Apart from supporting the broader goals of sustainability and worker well-being in the FTI, these resources
can also be integrated into educational programs to help prepare future designers and industry professionals
to lead sustainably and innovatively.

Various studies suggest that the fashion and textile industry need to move away from traditional, extractive leadership models. Dreier et al. (2019) show how traditional top-down, hierarchical leadership approaches are not effective in fostering sustainability, and argued that a more collaborative, participative approach is needed to implement true and long-standing change. Moreover, research also shows how fashion and textile designers don’t see themselves as leaders but instead as ‘creators’ who employ others to manage their business and lead the team.

This change in leadership is also necessary to achieve the European vision for Industry 5.0 (2022), which places the wellbeing of the worker at the centre of the production process. If we want to find solutions to the problems we face today, we need to change the way we think, lead, and do business. This calls for regenerative leadership which involves not only minimising negative impacts, but also actively working to restore and enhance the social ecological systems in which an industry operates. And since technology has become ubiquitous in every aspect of our lives (including business), it is important to explore its role in helping us become better regenerative leaders.

With ReLead, The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) aims to amplify consortium partner i-did’s social and environmental impact. Since its inception in 2009, i-did has helped more than 400 people become gainfully employed while helping recycle almost 60.000 kgs of textile waste. This has been possible due to the transformation of i-did’s founder (Mireille Geijsen) from a creative designer, into a collaborative and mindful leader. The intended outcome of this project is to create a tech-enabled leadership transformation toolkit and leadership academy that helps creative designers transform into regenerative leaders.