This work presents a unified modelling approach for homogenization and de-homogenization, applicable to unidirectional (UD) composite systems. Emphasis is placed on the uniqueness between the forward (homogenization) and the backward (de-homogenization) modelling processes; so the desired micro fields are truly recovered within the confines of mechanics. An inter-scale failure theory that describes matrix cracking in laminates is then formulated, being based on the recovered micro-fields. Laminate matrix cracking in several well-documented experimental studies are simulated using the...