Page 68 - TEXtalks International June/July-2025

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Looking Ahead
While the UNFLN advances ambitious goals, the
path forward will rely on persistent collaboration
On 19 May 2025, the United Nations Fashion and • "Policy for People and Planet" panel, featuring repairing, and recycling—as essential solutions to overconsumption, gender equity in labor, and across UN agencies, governments, developers,
Lifestyle Network (UNFLN) held its fourth annual voices like Sara Ziff of Model Alliance, Abrima Erwiah environmental and resource challenges. Sessions empowering local suppliers to overcome precarious brands, creatives, and civil society. The regional UN
meeting in the iconic ECOSOC Chamber of the UN (Studio One Eighty Nine), Michelle Gabriel, and other like “Zero Waste in Action” featured designers such conditions. Fashion and Lifestyle Hub in Tuscany reflects this,
Headquarters, New York. This high-level gathering advocates as Zero + Maria Cornejo, Zero Waste Daniel, and hosting SDG-focused events throughout 2025 to
united more than 340 members from 125 countries, • "Innovation by Design", moderated by Adriana FABSCRAP’s Camille Tagle, underscoring waste 6. Culture as Catalyst spotlight local innovation. Recover™'s thought
including brands, policymakers, UN entities, Galijasevic, featuring designers Tricia Carey (Avalo), reduction across the design-to-disposal lifecycle. Sessions like “The Art of Change” celebrated the partnership, launching at the 2024 and continuing
innovators, and creatives. Hosted by the UN Office Beth Esponette (Unspun), and Sarika Bajaj (Refiberd) intersection of culture, mental health, and science in through 2025, highlights the scaling potential of
for Partnerships and the Fashion Impact Fund, a • Sessions titled Industry in Transition, “Forever in 3. Innovation and Material Science driving industry transformation. recycled fiber technologies and traceable circularity.
PVBLIC Foundation initiative, alongside the UN Style”, “The Art of Change”, and “Zero Waste in Industry leaders, including Jean Hegedus of Lycra, Initiatives like the UN Tour Guide uniform, along with
Sustainable Fashion Alliance and supported by Action”, each highlighting sustainability, inclusion, spoke on renewable bio-based fibers. Jean shared Showcase: UN Tour Guide Uniforms policy frameworks and second hand market
Lenzing, the event served as a platform to explore and creative innovation insights on Qore, a fiber made from 70% corn waste One highlight was the debut of sustainably designed The Network is co-led by the UN Office for strategies, set powerful precedents for replicable
how the fashion and lifestyle industries can The day concluded with closing remarks from Kerry that could reduce carbon emissions by up to 44%. UN Tour Guide uniforms, developed collaboratively by Partnerships, the Fashion Impact Fund, and UN sustainable solutions across other UN platforms and
meaningfully contribute to advancing the Sustainable Bannigan, Lucie Brigham (Chief of Office, UN Office Recover™, a recycled cotton fiber company, was the Department of Global Communications, the UN DESA, supporting multilateral collaboration from local countries.
Development Goals (SDGs). for Partnerships), and a message from the UN recognized as a 2024 Thought Partner, emphasizing Office for Partnerships, Sofia Hedström de Leo and to global scales.
Alliance for Sustainable Fashion. traceable, circular supply chains. the Swedish Government, with support from the Conclusion
Agenda and Key Speakers University of Borås and Paul Frankenius Foundation. Achievements & Future Commitments The 4th UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network Annual
The event began with opening remarks from Kerry Central Themes and Discussions 4. Digital Strategies and Second Hand Market These uniforms feature digital prints, corozo buttons, The fourth annual meeting reaffirmed UNFLN’s core Meeting marked a transformative
Bannigan, Co Founder of UNFLN and President of 1. Responsibility and Quality in Fashion Second hand markets and digital platforms emerged and eco-fabrics, symbolizing large-scale sustainable mission: to mobilize fashion and lifestyle sectors milestone—amplifying creative leadership,
the PVBLIC Foundation, and remarks from Kerry Bannigan urged the audience to match as key disruptors. Representatives from Vestiaire design. toward a sustainable future rooted in creativity, system-level thinking, and model solutions tailored
Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of the UN Office creativity with responsibility, highlighting the social Collective, Global Fashion Exchange, and Global responsibility, inclusivity, and innovation. Dialogues for sustainability. The event set the stage for the next
for Partnerships. H.E. Erik Ullenhag, Sweden’s and environmental impacts of industry decisions on Fashion Agenda discussed how resale and Network Impact and Reach tackled pressing issues—waste, labor, materials, and series of global and regional actions, including policy
Consul General in New York, offered a special garment workers and artisans. Featured creative technology are transforming consumption, enabling The UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network serves as a policy—while showcasing actionable innovations like alignment, capacity-building, material innovation, and
address on the importance of global collaboration in Aisling Camps stressed the importance of more sustainable behaviors. global coalition of change—340+ members across recycled fiber initiatives, bio-based materials, zero community integration across value chains—and,
sustainability. craftsmanship and rejecting disposable fashion to 125 countries. Members gain opportunities for waste design, and the circular economy. Practical crucially, continued support of the 2030 SDG Agenda.
The programme included diverse sessions such as: encourage long-lasting, high-quality garments. 5. Policy Integration and Worker Rights knowledge exchange, visibility through events, and outputs included launching sustainable uniforms, By equipping stakeholders with knowledge,
• High level fireside chat with moderator Riefqah “Policy for People and Planet” panels spotlighted advocacy aligned with the SDGs. Registered strengthening the role of second hand markets, collaboration channels, and inspiration, UNFLN is
Jappie and Aisling Camps of Aisling Knits Inc. 2. Circular Models and Zero Waste Design policy-driven sustainability and decent work initiatives are showcased on their platform, amplifying engaging designers in zero waste production, and helping fashion and lifestyle sectors evolve from
discussing quality, slow fashion, and zero waste knits Dialogue centered on circular systems, repurposing, standards. Sara Ziff and others tackled challenges of innovative case studies and collaborative solutions. integrating circular materials through collaborations environmental challenges to purposeful, creative
with companies like Lycra, Recover™, Refiberd. platforms for positive global impact.
June/July 2025