Top reps rally at Global Fashion Summit for net positive industry

This year’s theme ‘Ambition to Action’, galvanised participants to transform ambitions into concrete actions that can drive the industry towards more sustainable practices, both socially and environmentally. Under this premise, the event presented content experiences focused on tangible and evidence-based impact, with over half of the programme dedicated to educational and action-oriented business case studies, GFA said in a press release.

This edition included more speakers and content than ever before, with action-orientated sessions spanning across four different stages. The summit also facilitated more than 10 strategic roundtable meetings that brought together executives and policy makers for productive dialogues on how to address pressing sustainability issues and act accordingly. The content integrated the five priorities of the Fashion CEO Agenda, alongside critical challenges and tangible opportunities relating to some of the key forces that are shaping the fashion industry today—data, policy, and storytelling.

Attendees heard from 137 speakers including the Crown Princess of Denmark; Antoine Arnault, image and environment, LVMH Group; Jonathan Anderson, creative director and founder, JW Anderson and creative director, Loewe; Virginijus Sinkevicius, commissioner for the environment, oceans and fisheries, European Commission; Henriette Hallberg Thygesen, chief delivery officer, Maersk; Aude Vergne, chief sustainability officer, Chloe; Nicolaj Reffstrup, founder, GANNI; Fanny Moizant, co-founder and president, Vestiaire Collective; Noel Kinder, chief sustainability officer, Nike; Oscar Garcia Maceiras, CEO, Inditex; Dr. Lewis Akenji, managing director, Hot or Cool Institute; Rachel Arthur, advocacy lead, Sustainable Fashion, United Nations Environment Programme; and many others.

Prominent brands, retailers, and organisations unveiled new actions and initiatives at the event.

GFA launched the Global Textiles Policy Forum, a platform for governments and textile industry associations from around the world, to align on an ambitious sustainability pathway for the industry and the global policy frameworks needed; raise and amplify supply chain voices; and spread the likely impact of the European Union (EU) Textiles Strategy outside of the EU. GFA also launched a new policy matrix to summarise the key legislations going on around the world implicating the textiles industry.

GFA unveiled responses to the GFA Designer Challenge 2023, presented by Smiley. Heiko Desens, global creative director of PUMA partnered with Nicole McLaughlin whilst, Hillary Taymour, creative director of Collina Strada, created an alliance with Circulose. The outcomes were showcased at the summit alongside the release of two new videos depicting the journeys of designers.

Fashion Redressed is a brand-new online film series launching in September, presented by GFA and produced for them by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and UN Climate Change launched The Sustainable Fashion Communication Playbook, a guide for fashion communicators to align efforts towards sustainability targets. It shows marketers, imagemakers, media, and influencers how to take action through countering misinformation, reducing messages perpetuating overconsumption, redirecting aspiration to sustainable lifestyles, and empowering consumers to demand greater action from businesses and policymakers.

A landmark report from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), the Fashion Pact, and Conservation International was launched. It maps out how the fashion, textile, and apparel industry can implement the first science-based targets for nature.

The eight members of GFA’s newly launched Next Gen Assembly programme in partnership with the Fashion Values Programme and presented by Target, participated in a closed-door Roundtable alongside top industry leaders. The members were able to candidly share their perspectives and stories. Following the summit, the stories of the Next Gen Assembly participants will be collated and communicated throughout 2023.

Led by WBCSD, VF Corporation, and Deloitte Switzerland, the Circular Transition Indicators (CTI) Fashion Initiative is intended to establish harmonised metrics, standards, and best practices for measuring impact, fostering accountability, and advancing sustainable value creation.

This year’s summit also presented an Innovation Forum, enabling small and large companies to meet with 26 sustainable solution providers—equipping them with the concrete tools to quickly turn words into meaningful actions. More than 350 facilitated business meetings between fashion companies and sustainable solution providers took place during the summit, added the release.

“I am filled with a sense of hope following the summit. This year we focused on turning the aspirational to the actual—championing evidence-based actions that can redesign our business models with net positive at the core, improve the livelihoods of millions of garment workers, and protect and enhance our precious ecosystems. The will and intentions are there, I now look forward to witnessing the shift to implementation to truly transform the industry,” said Federica Marchionni chief executive officer.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (NB)