“It concluded that we break up. I ended up in a trash bin. Moved, discarded in a graveyard. My lushness faded. No one heard. I was craving to be back.” — White linen boyfriend shirt
Sustainable fashion is often framed as being “designed to disappear,” but the reality of post-consumer apparel in Sri Lanka tells a more complex story. Vast quantities of clothing are discarded, largely destined for landfills, with minimal efforts toward renewal or reuse.
The Fashion Graveyard project, led by Members of TextileR, Dr. Sumith Gopura with Dr. Ayesha Wickramasinghe and Mr. Kavindu Dharmakeerthi (Research Assistant) at the Department of Textile and Apparel Engineering, University of Moratuwa, explores the reincarnation of garments. With support from the Waste Management Authority and funded by the University of Moratuwa Senate Research Committee Grant, the project investigates the lifecycle of apparel discards and maps Sri Lanka’s post-consumer apparel ecosystem.
The research traces pathways of discarded garments—those that end up in landfills, get repurposed informally, or flow into second-hand markets. By understanding these routes, the team aims to identify sustainable interventions and promote circular solutions.
Crucially, the project explores how to rethink aging apparel through innovative design thinking—extending garment lifespans and reshaping attitudes around clothing disposal. It is a call to reimagine waste as potential.
Just like the white linen shirt resurrected from the landfill, Fashion Graveyard seeks to give discarded clothing a new life—where fashion never truly dies but evolves. Stay updated on the study via sumith@uom.lk