lective

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Overview

This work was presented at the Multispecies Lab Festival at Parsons School of Design (The New School, New York) on April 9, 2026.

Through DAGO Collective, this research explores how biodiversity loss is entangled with fashion systems, and how soil, plants, insects, and ecosystems can be reframed as collaborators rather than resources.

Founded in 2020, DAGO Collective operates as a living laboratory, developing approaches that connect local contexts in Madagascar to broader global challenges.

The framework proposes a shift from linear and extractive systems toward relational, multispecies systems, structured through four stages:

relationships → value creation → coordination → amplification

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1. Starting Point: Relational Networks

The work begins with the understanding that systems operate as networks rather than hierarchies.
• No single center governs the system
• Multiple nodes interact simultaneously
• Value emerges through relationships

DAGO Collective brings together a multidisciplinary network of artists and researchers, reflecting the complexity of ecological and social issues.

The approach focuses on:
• mapping relationships
• making invisible connections visible
• understanding biodiversity loss within fashion systems

This relational mapping becomes the foundation for engaging with multispecies systems.

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2. Context: Madagascar as a Living System

Madagascar serves as a critical context for this work.
• 80–90% of biodiversity is endemic
• ecosystems are highly interconnected across soil, plants, insects, and microorganisms

At the same time, fashion systems operating in this context are largely extractive, contributing to biodiversity loss with global impact.

A central issue is that:
• many living systems involved in these processes
• are excluded from decision-making structures

This highlights a dual challenge:
• ecological degradation
• and lack of representation of non-human actors

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3. Methodology: Co-Creation and System Alignment

The DAGO methodology is based on co-creation, where value emerges through relationships rather than individual actors.

Key principles:
• All actors are co-creators of value
• Both human and non-human stakeholders are included
• Systems are understood as dynamic and feedback-based

The process involves:
• listening to stakeholders
• observing interactions
• identifying tensions within the system

This enables a shift:
• from competition
• to shared interests, alignment, and common goals

Rather than imposing new systems, the methodology works with existing conditions, aiming to:
• align with the system
• adapt to its dynamics

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4. From Extraction to Coordination

This stage addresses the transition from extractive systems to coordinated and regenerative flows.

Material systems are reframed as:
• cyclical rather than linear
• regenerative rather than extractive

Key shifts include:
• from isolated production to interdependent coordination
• from efficiency-driven models to recognition of ecological limits

Even advanced frameworks such as efficiency and compliance systems remain constrained by:
• planetary boundaries
• systemic limitations

The focus therefore shifts toward:
• understanding flows
• recognizing limits
• and designing within these constraints

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5. Toward Symbiotic Systems and Collaboration

The final stage envisions systems as dense relational networks, where value emerges through multiple connections.

In this model:
• value is distributed
• relationships generate meaning
• systems function through interdependence

The goal is to move toward symbiotic systems, where:
• actors communicate openly
• actors respond to each other’s needs

DAGO Collective functions as:
• an open platform
• a space for experimentation
• a collaborative framework

It invites participation from:
• creators
• researchers
• institutions

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Conclusion

Multispecies systems are not fixed structures, but evolving relationships.

Multispecies mapping provides:
• a tool to understand complex systems
• a method to reveal hidden connections
• a framework to rethink value creation

This work acts as a starting point for:
• making relationships visible
• reframing non-human actors as collaborators
• amplifying meaningful connections across systems

Ultimately, it proposes a shift toward systems where:
• relationships are central
• value is co-created
• coordination emerges through alignment
• and amplification happens through connection

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Keywords

Multispecies · Fashion Systems · Regenerative Design · Biodiversity ·
Nonhuman Stakeholders · Systems Thinking · Parsons School of Design