Circular Conversations brings forward thought leaders challenging our relationship to what we wear.
In this edition, we speak with Laura Brown, fashion’s global kingmaker. A decade-long fixture on the Business of Fashion 500, Brown led Features & Creative Direction at W Magazine and Harper’s Bazaar before spending six years as Editor-in-Chief of InStyle. Over three decades, she has shaped the global fashion conversation - and now, as AirRobe’s fashion advisor, she’s turning that influence toward circularity.
“Fashion is based on the thrill of the new,” she says, “but that’s becoming very old fashioned.”
For Brown, the shift is already underway. Driven by a more discerning consumer, expectations of fashion are expanding, beyond the initial purchase to consider what comes next.
We sat down with Laura to discuss what real change looks like in practice and how circularity is reshaping the way people buy, wear, and value clothing today.
“From Ralph Lauren to Calvin Klein to Saint Laurent to Zimmermann… AirRobe’s Circular Wardrobe is something everybody should have. Here’s what you buy from us at the original price, and here’s the resale value,” she explains. “You’re shopping on Zimmermann or whoever you love, and right there next to the price tag, you see what that piece is worth on resale. A $500 dress you can resell for $300. So that actually cost you $200. Once you see fashion that way, you can’t unsee it... It is just good business, good sense, good for the planet, good for your soul.”
And she’s right. Understanding a garment’s value beyond its first wear is no longer a niche idea, but an emerging standard, one that aligns with a broader move toward circularity.
In an industry long shaped by newness, Brown sees the conversation turning toward longevity, transparency, and the continued life of what we wear.
We asked Laura a few questions about where she sees the industry heading.
You’ve been in fashion for thirty years. What feels different right now?
Oh, everything. Look, I spent my whole career in the business of “new.” New collection, new cover, new season. Fashion is based on the thrill of the new, but that’s becoming very old fashioned. The questions people are asking have changed. What happens to it when I’m done? Where does it go next? That’s a completely different conversation. And honestly? It’s a much more interesting one.
How did you first come across AirRobe?
I met Hannon and within about five minutes I was like, okay, this is it. She showed me this concept of a wardrobe that essentially… it knows what you own, what it’s worth, and when you’re ready to move something on, it just... handles it. No friction. It was one of those moments where you think, why hasn’t this existed forever? It wasn’t a sustainability lecture. It was just incredibly smart and elegant.
What would you say to someone who thinks circular fashion is just for the sustainability crowd?
I’d say, darling, it’s just maths. Buy better, keep longer, resell when you’re ready. The clothes carry stories between people. They always have. Your mother’s coat, your favourite pair of jeans. Now we have the technology to make that happen. It is just good business, good sense, good for the planet, good for your soul.