When Lebanon’s economy collapsed, it wasn’t only businesses that suffered. Thousands of families especially women lost their income, security, and a sense of purpose. But in the midst of this hardship, a group of women began stitching hope out of what others had thrown away.
That story is Re-suit, an initiative by Swisscontact in partnership with the local organisation Arcenciel, launched under the Tafawoq Project. From 2021 to 2025, Re-suit gave new life to fabrics, proving that with creativity and collaboration, sustainability can empower entire communities.
Lebanon’s textile waste end up in landfills every year. Meanwhile, skilled women tailors and refugees often struggle to find steady work in an economy marked by instability and inflation.
Re-suit changed that equation. Over four years, the project trained and supported more than 100 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the textile and fashion sectors, 80% of them led by women.
Among them, 27 SMEs received direct operational support, 23 led by women, many over age 50. This enabled home-based businesses to recover and thrive during one of Lebanon’s toughest economic periods.
Through hands-on training in business, digital marketing, and upcycling, participants learned how to market their creations online, diversify their income, and adopt sustainable business practices. The project reached 192 SMEs in total, including 59 participants from refugee backgrounds, ensuring inclusivity at every stage.
Environmental impact was at the heart of Re-suit. The project collected more than 32 tons of textile waste, including unwearable garments and factory deadstock. Through innovative up-cycling and creative redesign, participants repurposed around 1,500 kilos of unwanted clothes and dead stock fabric have been up-cycled into more than 3,500 unique pieces. Every part of the materials from fabric to zippers and buttons was creatively transformed into a variety of items, including clothing, accessories, and even some home décor.
Two ethical fashion brands emerged from this effort:
These brands became ambassadors of circular design, showcasing how discarded materials can be reborn through skill and imagination.
Although Re-suit concluded in early 2025, its influence continues to shape lives and businesses across Lebanon. Most SMEs and tailors supported through the initiative have maintained their operations independently, applying the skills, confidence, and business practices they gained during the project. Two SMEs remain ongoing collaborators with Arcenciel, supplying upcycled materials and designs that continue to promote circular economy principles.
A particularly meaningful outcome has been the continued employment of several young professionals who contributed their skills during Re-suit. A fashion designer, a pattern maker, a photographer, and a communications officer, all of whom played key roles in product development, documentation, and brand-building, have retained their positions beyond the project’s closure, demonstrating how Re-suit supported not only artisans and SMEs but also emerging talent within the creative sector.
One participant, a photographer with special needs, has now been fully integrated into Arcenciel’s communications team, highlighting the project’s commitment to inclusion. Additionally, three SMEs continue to access affordable fabric supplies to sustain their small businesses, ensuring ongoing income and household stability.
Meanwhile, Inventi Studio and Style on Repeat have strengthened their visibility and market presence through exhibitions, pop-ups, and online sales, reflecting a growing local appetite for sustainable, upcycled fashion. Their continued activity serves as a testament to the durability and relevance of the Re-suit model.
Re-suit’s influence has extended far beyond its participants.
The initiative has inspired five follow-up workshops on circular economy practices and new project proposals focused on women’s economic empowerment through upcycling.
Partnerships with ALBA University, Notre Dame University (NDU), and City Center Mall Beirut have introduced sustainable fashion education to students and the public. Re-suit teams also led creative workshops with Save the Children, reaching school-aged youth and planting the seeds of conscious design for the future.
As Swisscontact and Arcenciel close this chapter, Re-suit leaves behind a legacy of resilience.
Women who once faced unemployment now run small tailoring businesses. Refugees and older artisans have found dignity through creative work. And across Lebanon, young people are learning that sustainability starts with the choices we make and the fabrics we save.
Re-suit may have come to an end in 2025, but its spirit continues in every piece created, every woman empowered, and every meter of fabric given a new story.
Because sometimes, the most powerful transformations begin with what others choose to throw away.
This project was financed by the Leopold Bachmann Foundation and Katholisch Stadt Zürich, among other donors. This project is part of the Swisscontact Development Programme, which is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA.