Collaborative Research and Design Symposium and Exhibition linking New York City and Tallinn, Estonia. February 8-11 in New York 10.02.2026

Circular Dialogues is an international symposium and design exhibition exploring the future of circularity in fashion and textiles, bringing together researchers, designers, and policymakers to share real-world insights and innovative responses to sustainability challenges.

Symposium

The symposium brings together fashion and textile professionals, academics, and designers from New York and Tallinn to explore key challenges in implementing circular design. Through case studies and shared expertise, participants exchange best practices and examine real-world approaches to circularity.

The event offers a collaborative space to discuss the transition toward circular models and to identify strategies that support sustainable transformation at both regional and international levels.

Welcome: Victoria Rosner–Dean of NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study.

Exhibition

Circular Dialogues is a research and design exhibition that explores how circular design is shaping the future of fashion and textiles. Presenting real-world examples from New York and Tallinn, the exhibition highlights how circular strategies—such as industrial and local upcycling, reuse, repair, recycling, and redesigned production systems—are implemented in practice.

Through selected case studies, the exhibition examines both the opportunities and challenges of circularity, including the technical, organizational, and regulatory conditions that influence how fashion is produced today.

Eileen Fisher, Wendy Waugh, Reet Aus, Shelly XU, Sandra Luks, Artur Aus, Kairi Lentsius, Any Bag, Ava Hudson, Eva-Karlotta Tatar, Cärol Ott, Anthony Luciano, Liis Mõttus, Raffael Flores-Contreras, UPMADE, RTV fabrics


Moderator:  Mary Gehlhar, author of Fashion Designer Survival Guide

Lecturers: Shelly Xu, SXD
Reet Aus PhD, UPMADE
Kat Hoelck, Any Bag
Raffael Flores-Contreras, Raw Meat & Repair Co
Sandra Luks, LUKS
Adam Baruchowitz, Return to Vendor

RSVP

This event is hosted by NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study, the Fulbright Program, Estonian Academy of Arts, Estonian Association of Designers, Erasmus+, and The Canvas — co-sponsored by the NYU Office of Sustainability and openEARTHstudio, an NYU initiative dedicated to integrating creative practice with climate and sustainability work.