Carmen Gama
Director of Circular Design,
EILEEN FISHER, INC.

From our conversation

”We’re all part of the problem. We’re all part of the solution, and we can all reconnect with our values and this awareness of what’s going on in our world and find what part we can play and actually leave it better than we found it.”

Biography

Carmen Gama is a New York–based designer and circularity strategist recognized for advancing innovative business models that transform how fashion systems operate and divert textile waste from landfills. As Director of Circular Design at EILEEN FISHER, she leads the integration of circular principles into design and operations, developing scalable systems that extend product life cycle, recover value and reduce environmental impact. A Parsons School of Design graduate and recipient of the EILEEN FISHER x CFDA Social Innovator Fellowship, Carmen also advises corporations, mentors emerging sustainability leaders, contributes to global dialogues on the future of fashion and has been featured in numerous podcasts and publications, including Vogue, Business of Fashion, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Harper’s Bazaar.

Interview

Innovating Circular Design for a Regenerative Future: Carmen Gama
In this conversation, Carmen reflects on her journey at EILEEN FISHER and her work innovating end-of-life solutions for damaged garments that come back through the company’s Renew take-back program. She explains the dilemma of relying on recycling as the sole solution to the textile waste crisis and the challenges she faces in her work to increase the number of damaged EILEEN FISHER garments that are turned into yarn for new garments. Carmen shares her take on regenerative design as a holistic umbrella for initiatives that take into account all aspects of a garment and its life cycle.