Roberts Group International (RGI) is supporting a live industry design project with the University of Chester, inviting students to explore how circular thinking and material innovation can unlock new possibilities for unwanted textiles.
Developed with students studying Fashion Design and Product Design, the live brief positions RGI as a real-world client and challenges participants to rethink textile waste not as disposal, but as opportunity.
Students are asked to research, design and propose innovative products and concepts using textile waste and recycling by-products in new and imaginative ways.
At the centre of the challenge is an important question: how can materials traditionally viewed as waste be transformed into something functional, valuable and conversation-starting?
The project encourages experimentation, curiosity and circular design thinking while exposing students to real-world sustainability challenges facing the fashion and textiles sector today.
The brief was designed to encourage students to rethink waste as a resource and explore how discarded textiles can become useful and meaningful products.
Students have been encouraged to explore a wide range of material pathways inspired by RGI operations and innovation activity, including textile composites, insulation-derived materials, moulded fibres, textile-filled products and difficult-to-recycle waste streams such as uniforms and high-visibility textiles.
As part of the project, Lewis Webster, Head of Marketing at Roberts Group International, recently visited the University of Chester to meet students developing ideas in response to the brief.
The visit provided an opportunity to see concepts taking shape, discuss material possibilities and offer constructive feedback as projects continue to evolve. Students shared early ideas and explored how circular storytelling, material provenance and sustainability messaging can strengthen both product design and impact. He said;
“Working with students through a live brief like this is incredibly important to us because it brings fresh thinking into real industry challenges.
Circularity depends on creativity as much as infrastructure, and it has been inspiring to see students exploring how materials often considered waste can be reimagined with purpose and value.
Welcoming Alex to RGI through her internship is another exciting step and reflects the growing relationship we are building with the University of Chester.”
Alongside the live brief, RGI is also pleased to welcome Alex Eggert, a Fashion Design student from the University of Chester, who is joining the business as an intern across sustainability and circular projects this Summer.
Alex recently visited RGI alongside Fashion Design Course Leader Jen John, touring operations and gaining insight into how materials move through sorting, reuse and recycling processes.
Their visit provided an opportunity to explore how academic learning and industry experience can work together to support more circular thinking and practical innovation. Jen said;
“Live industry projects give students the opportunity to engage with genuine design challenges and develop the confidence and professional thinking that industry expects.
Working with RGI has allowed students to explore circular design in a meaningful and practical way, while connecting creativity with sustainability and real-world application.”
While the live brief offers many students the opportunity to engage with industry through a real-world challenge, Alex’s internship represents a further step in the developing relationship between RGI and the University of Chester, creating opportunities for shared learning, practical experience and future collaboration.
Many of the students plan to transform textile waste into functional and creative products, demonstrating how innovation can emerge around shared challenges.
Materials in Motion…
