During Melbourne Fashion Week 2025, our Seamless Circular Changemakers event brought together leaders committed to challenging business as usual and driving circularity across the fashion industry. Among them was The Sussan Group, home to iconic Australian brands Sussan, Sportsgirl, and Suzanne Grae, which has been a foundation member of Seamless since its inception.
We caught up with Claire Mellios, Quality and Sourcing Manager at Sussan and Sportsgirl, to discuss why circular design matters to the Group, the benefits of being part of Seamless, and how the lessons from their Circular Clothing Design Implementation training are already influencing their collections.
The Sussan Group joined Seamless as a foundation member — why was that important?
The Sussan Group, which includes iconic Australian fashion brands Sportsgirl, Sussan, and Suzanne Grae, joined Seamless as a foundation member because our Group Retail CEO wanted us to take accountability for the impact of the garments we sell and to be part of Australia’s first clothing product stewardship scheme.
Textile waste is a complex problem, and we felt it was essential to work alongside other like-minded, responsible brands to create meaningful change.
“Joining Seamless allows us to adopt best practices for the full product lifecycle of our garments, reducing environmental impact while focusing on designing responsibly. Being part of an established framework means we can start developing practical solutions immediately, rather than building the system from scratch.” - Claire Mellios.
Your team recently completed Seamless Circular Clothing Design Implementation training. Can you tell us about some early outcomes and how the outfits we saw brought these to life?
Working closely with our suppliers, we created samples using circular design principles that showcased small but impactful changes, from biodegradable buttons to natural fibres and low-impact dyes.
These thoughtful practices create a ripple effect. By engaging suppliers and sharing learnings, we’re helping drive industry-wide momentum toward more responsible and regenerative design.
We’ve also begun adapting future collections to include these circular design elements, taking concrete steps toward our goal of creating thoughtfully designed, high-quality garments at accessible price points.
