On September 10, 2026, during New York Fashion Week, Sutton Stracke—the reality TV star and fashion entrepreneur—hosted the 5th Annual Women Pioneers of Circular Fashion at the Martha Graham Center for Contemporary Dance. The event, presented by her circular fashion house Sutton Brands, honored Susan Rockefeller, Julia O'Mara, and Kristy Caylor for their contributions to moving the fashion industry toward a circular economy. The timing and setting underscore how circular fashion is gaining mainstream visibility, with a prominent celebrity using her platform to spotlight sustainable practices during one of the industry's most high-profile weeks.
The honorees represent different facets of the circular fashion challenge. Susan Rockefeller, an entrepreneur, conservationist, and founder of Musings Magazine, has used storytelling and advocacy to encourage more thoughtful consumption. Julia O'Mara, co-founder and COO of Pickle, is transforming fashion ownership through a shared closet model. Kristy Caylor, founder and CEO of Trashie, has built take-back systems that make it easier for consumers to return unwanted clothing into circulation. Together, they illustrate a growing ecosystem of solutions aimed at reducing textile waste, a problem that has become increasingly urgent as global clothing consumption continues to rise.
Sutton Brands itself is focused on keeping garments in use through curated collections, retail experiences, and take-back partnerships that connect designers, consumers, and reverse-logistics infrastructure. The event also marked the opening of the Name'Em City Pop-Up Tour, a five-city retail experience bringing the circular-fashion concept to New York, Nashville, Dallas, Charleston, and Chicago through spring 2027. This expansion suggests that circular fashion is moving from niche concept to consumer-facing retail, potentially reshaping how shoppers interact with clothing.
"Every year we set aside one evening in New York for the women actually doing this work," said Sutton Brown, founder of Sutton Brands. "Susan, Julia, and Kristy have each solved a different piece of the same problem — how you get clothing moving again instead of sitting unworn. This industry has no shortage of conversation. These three have volume." The emphasis on action over talk highlights a broader shift in sustainability discourse, where measurable impact and scalable solutions are increasingly valued over pledges alone.
The evening also featured a preview of Sutton Brands' Green Label and circular-fashion retail experience, a live performance by the Martha Graham Center for Contemporary Dance, and was filmed for Bravo's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Attendees included Erika Jayne, Tracy Tutor, Brian Atwood, and others, blending entertainment and fashion in a way that amplifies the message to a wider audience. The involvement of a major television network could bring circular fashion into millions of homes, normalizing secondhand and take-back practices.
Previous honorees include Rachel Kibbe, Sarah Barnes, and Dana Thomas, indicating a sustained effort to recognize leaders in the space. As the fashion industry faces mounting pressure to reduce its environmental footprint, initiatives like these may serve as catalysts for broader adoption. For those interested in learning more about Sutton Brands' approach to sustainability, the company provides resources at Sutton Brands Sustainability and general information at SuttonBrands.com. The event's fifth anniversary and the launch of a multi-city tour suggest that circular fashion is not just a passing trend but an evolving movement with growing commercial and cultural traction.
