In a pioneering collaboration, Manchester-based sustainable fashion brand GBADEBO has joined forces with CircKit, an innovative fashion tech start-up, to fuse circular craftsmanship with cutting-edge data and technology, setting new standards for transparency and traceability in fashion. The partnership integrates CircKit’s Digital Product Passport (DPP) technology into GBADEBO’s newest upcycled collection, allowing customers to explore each garment’s environmental impact and production journey by scanning a QR code on the label. This collaboration comes as the fashion industry prepares for new EU regulations aimed at increasing product transparency.
Collaborator’s Comments
“I’m proud to collaborate with another Manchester-based company,” says Founder and Designer Kemi Gbadebo. “Having known Joe (Darwen), the founder, for some time, it’s exciting to finally bring our brands together, bridging fashion and technology, to pioneer the adoption of DPPs from such an early stage, and being one of the first UK streetwear brands to champion this level of traceability in my designs.”
“Our mission is to make circularity and transparency feel more tangible for a brand’s audience, rather than theoretical, ” says Joe Darwen, Founder and CEO of CircKit.“ Working with GBADEBO has shown how DPP technology can empower independent, creative designers to communicate the story and impact of their pieces. This partnership highlights how data insights can be seamlessly woven into upcycled collections, particularly as regulations evolve, so brands feel supported to lead, enabling customers to connect with the journey of their products.”
“We’re thrilled to be supporting a local independent designer who is a master of upcycling and embodies the creative future of more sustainable fashion,” adds Annabel Lindsay, Brand & Communications Manager at CircKit. “We’re proud this collaboration championsinnovation in Manchester, highlighting the North’s growing strength in the creative tech ecosystem.”
Industry Insights
Digital Product Passports (DPPs) are a key element of the EU’s Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), designed to increase transparency and traceability across product value chains. Expected to become mandatory for all textile and fashion products sold in the EU by 2027, DPPs provide clear information on a product’s origin, materials, environmental footprint, manufacturing journey, and end-of-life options.
A cornerstone of a circular and accountable fashion ecosystem, DPPs are being creatively applied through the GBADEBO x CircKit collaboration, giving consumers insight into each garment’s impact while empowering them to make informed decisions and become part of the garment’s story.
About the Collection & Where to Shop
GBADEBO introduces their latest collection, blending upcycling with streetwear for their long-awaited release following their win on BBC3’s The Drop Uk and their debut collection in FLANNELS at the end of 2023. This collection reimagines everyday staples through the GBADEBO lens, turning discarded pieces into creatively adapted, wearable, and effortlessly sustainable garments. Comfort and versatility remain at the core, clothes designed to be lived in, loved, and worn on your own terms.
This season marks a deliberate move into womenswear, celebrating streetwear designed with women in mind. Silhouettes are thoughtfully tailored to flatter and complement real bodies while reflecting personal style, giving women pieces that can be dressed up or down with ease.
Each garment is one-of-one, maintaining their upcycled DNA and circular approach while proving sustainability can be elevated, exciting, and uncompromising. These are the essentials you reach for first and last, the pieces that move with you through your day, effortlessly blending statement and comfortability.
Available to shop online from Saturday 10th January 2026 at www.gbadebo.uk
Project Launch & Next Steps
The first GBADEBO products featuring CircKit DPPs launch in January 2026. The launch will be accompanied by social media activations showcasing behind-the-scenes stories of upcycling, sustainability, and technology in action. This marks the completion of phase one of the collaboration, with both parties planning to expand the use of CircKit’s technology and tools in future collections.
Disclaimer
The DPPs developed for this project are early iterations which lay solid groundwork for exploring the full scope and potential of this tool, in bringing transparency and environmental data to consumers. Some data comes from GBADEBO’s internal records, which may include approximations. Full regulatory standards are still evolving, with comprehensive DPP requirements expected by 2033.
About GBADEBO
GBADEBO is an award-winning, upcycle (re)design studio and brand, taking damaged or unwanted textiles and repurposing them into ready-to-wear pieces and visual art. Awarded by the BBC, Vogue business and Visa for our circular business and innovative products, GBADEBO advocates for the implementation of more sustainable practices in the fashion industry. Collaborating with major brands to promote consumer re-conditioning and re-education. GBADEBO is committed to its 4 pillars of; innovation, sustainability, community and culture.
About CircKit
CircKit is the Circular design toolKit that helps fashion and footwear brands unlock circular growth through sustainable product design and lifecycle management. The platform integrates environmental impact, cost, and compliance insights at the design stage, transforming circularity and compliance from guesswork or a tick-box exercise into real positive impact and a competitive advantage. Its user-friendly dashboard provides real-time data on 16 environmental factors, including carbon, water, and energy, for fabrics and materials, enabling brands to reverse-engineer product impact and implement sustainability strategies pre-production.
