Alyssa Loera
Our twenty-Sixth member of the month is Alyssa Loera
UCRF is running a ‘Member of the Month’ feature on this blog, where a member, selected at random from the membership database, is sent five questions to give us all an overview of our members. Our twenty-sixth participant, Alyssa Loera, is the founder of ReMade in Cambodia, where she transforms textile waste into opportunity by blending sustainability, arts, and social impact—empowering young designers, supporting local ecosystems, and celebrating Khmer culture through circular fashion.”
—1 How would you sum up your research/practice?
My work centers on transforming textile waste into opportunity by fostering a circular fashion economy in Cambodia. Through ReMade in Cambodia, I integrate sustainability, arts development, and social impact by empowering young local designers to upcycle waste into wearable products. My practice blends creative expression with environmental engagement, using fashion as a tool to highlight the impact of textile waste while celebrating Khmer culture. Additionally, I focus on building ecosystems that support local artists, from incubator programs to upcycling services for businesses.
— 2 How do you address fashion and sustainability in your work?
address fashion and sustainability by tackling the environmental and social challenges of textile waste through upcycling, education, and economic empowerment. ReMade in Cambodia collaborates with garment workers, designers, and brands to find innovative solutions for repurposing fabric waste. We also organize public events like fashion shows, workshops, and panel discussions to raise awareness about sustainable practices and ethical fashion. At a broader level, I work on policy, industry partnerships, and creative storytelling to shift consumer behavior and industry norms toward circularity.
— 3 What are the conflicts you have encountered around fashion and sustainability in your work?
One of the biggest challenges we face is the limited public knowledge on the issue of textile waste and its environmental impact. While plastic pollution is widely recognized, textile waste is often overlooked in sustainability discussions, particularly in Cambodia. There is also a lack of research and data on textile waste flows, making it difficult to develop informed solutions or compare Cambodia’s situation to global trends.
At ReMade in Cambodia, we’ve highlighted that 20% of waste found in Cambodia’s rivers consists of textiles, a statistic gathered through our collection partner, everwave. This raises critical questions about the sources of this waste, whether from local garment factories, secondhand clothing markets, or fast fashion imports. However, we lack comprehensive research to confirm these assumptions or to compare them with textile waste in other countries. Without solid data, it is harder to engage with systemic change, implement targeted interventions, or push for policy reforms addressing textile waste at both national and regional levels.
— 4 What do you consider the key sources and cases when it comes to fashion and sustainability?
ReMade in Cambodia: Our fashion platform that transforms textile waste into wearable products while empowering local artists. The organization hosts upcycling fashion shows, collaborates with the garment sector, and builds community-led solutions to sustainability challenges in Cambodia.
The Or Foundation (Ghana): Works on textile waste solutions in Kantamanto Market, one of the largest secondhand clothing markets in the world.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation: Provides extensive research on circular fashion systems and sustainability frameworks.
Fashion Revolution: Advocates for transparency in the fashion industry and publishes the Fashion Transparency Index annually.
Re/Make: A movement pushing brands toward ethical and sustainable fashion, with a focus on garment worker rights.
Cambodia’s informal waste sector: The role of waste pickers and local recyclers in textile waste management is often overlooked but essential to sustainability discussions.
— 5 Could you recommend some less-known sources or cases you think should be more widely shared?
Indigenous Cambodian textile traditions: Cambodia has a rich history of handwoven silk and natural dye techniques that could be integrated into sustainable fashion practices.
Dorsu (Cambodia): A Cambodian brand producing ethical and long-lasting basics while advocating for better labor conditions.
The role of garment workers in sustainability: Sustainability isn’t just about materials—it’s also about labor rights. Understanding the intersection of fast fashion and worker exploitation is crucial for creating ethical solutions.
Sustainable initiatives in the Global South: Much of the sustainability conversation is dominated by Western perspectives, but initiatives in the Global South (such as zero-waste design in local tailoring practices) should be recognized as key sustainability models.
Cambodia’s secondhand market: The thriving secondhand clothing trade in Cambodia has sustainability potential but is often disrupted by policies like import bans, which push more waste into landfills instead of reuse systems.
Thank you, Alyssa, for sharing your work!
