Dear Friend,

First of all, I would like to invite you to join me this Tuesday night at Fashion Meets Tech: How Innovation is Creating Sustainability in Fashion. I'll be participating in the panel there, organized by Coresight Research and Fashwire, moderated by Deborah Weinswig - CEO & Founder, Coresight Research. My fellow panelists will be my fellow long-time New Industry veteran, Veronika Harbick - CEO & Founder, Thursday Finest/Same but Different, Lisa Morales-Hellebo - Founder, Refashioned, Daniela Garces - Fashion Designer, Guadaloupe Designs, Kelsey Conophy - Head of Product, ARTA Shipping.

Now for the transparency on what's happening on my side: I've heard your feedback and I am gradually shifting the focus of this newsletter into the proper news curation resource for all of us to get a better understanding of what is happening across the fashion & retail industry and how you and your company may contribute to the shift towards the NEW Fashion Industry*. As a global industry advisor, I'm expanding it from local, NY-based newsletter with events curation into a more global industry perspective, with news & happenings curation, as I'm living my digital nomad life, I'm noticing that my subscribers are now more spread all around the world and are active in the fields that are beyond fashion.

* By the NEW Fashion Industry, I mean the industry that is based on conscious consumption, ethical production and sustainable use of resources, based on its original creativity, enticing and inspiring qualities. 

In order to ground this article, in the current, transitional reality, I'd like to remind that the traditional fashion industry is not only about making clothing for a purpose of covering our bodies and as a source of money earned from selling such basic comodity. Its innate qualities, beyond physical are emotional and cognitive: clothes are inspiring a wearer for free self-expression, non-verbal communication of who the wearer is in our world. I see the fashion industry today as a creative tech industry, where anything we want to build out of it is possible. If you are following me on Instagram and signed up for my newsletter, it means that you most likely have a similar purpose as I do: to make a positive, impactful shift in our community for the greater good of the humanity. If we are aligned with these goals, whatever your community or industry is, you can go on reading this message. If we're not aligned at this time - might as well move on to the next task, as this message may not resonate with you.

My purpose is to be the voice of the truth of what our community of the NEW Fashion Industry could look like and assist businesses in raising up to this truth, seeing the new, exciting opportunities into what is possible and dive into the creative process of the NEW Industry that truly matters at the times like this. I have this cool superpower to paint a vivid picture with my words and emotions on how this industry may look like, embody it by believing in its potential existance and inspire us all in creating a meaningful shift with each of our's life's work.

To break my vision of the NEW Fashion Industry into 3 simple components, I see it as a combination of the following:

1. Fashion as ART 

Traditional craftsmanship, fair-trade, ethical, transparent, sustainable - fashion brands with purpose, impact-driven companies supporting the NEW industry movement, stores as showrooms and galleries, retailers that resell used goods, etc.

2. Fashion as SERVICE

Rentals, subscriptions, recycling/circular fashion businesses, repairs, sustainable production technologies, new fabric science, on-demand production, customer education and transparency technologies, such as RFID & Blockchain etc.

3. Fashion as EXPERIENCE

Digital fashion, VR/AR & 3D modeling & visualizing, analytics/AI/big data used for new shopping experience creation, etc.

I'll unfold these in more detail in the upcoming newsletter editions. 

We've come up with this concept of 3 components with Olga Johnston Antonova, the founder of EcoStyle360 and Circular Fashion education & consultancy, while passionately discussing our favorite topics of innovation in fashion at her Berlin apartment during Berlin Fashion Week this July.

From now on, to assist in our mutual visualization process of the NEW Fashion Industry,  I'll be categorizing the news I bi-weekly curate for this newsletter into these 3 main building blocks. I'll start with general new industry news, and divide news under each building block to bring the maximum clarity of our NEW Fashion Industry vision and end the curation with the OLD industry news - that news that is still playing the old game of survival of the expired fashion industry. The news, written by those who are not yet so open-minded towards the Shift in humanity's consciousness towards sustainable, logical and innovative, impact-driven business activities. We have to be aware of what's happening on the whole field of the Greater Industry in order to be able to make the most obvious, educated decisions. 

NEW INDUSTRY NEWS

• How Copenhagen Fashion Week is winning the Scandi drive for sustainability - Vogue Australia
• What would happen if we cancelled fashion week? - Dazed
• Extinction Rebellion wants to ‘shut down’ London Fashion Week -  Dazed
• Fashion activist Marina Testino: How to rethink consumerism - Sportswear International 

• Future Dust Is a New Instagram Account Confronting Fashion’s Sustainability Crisis - HighSnobiety 

FASHION AS ART

• Sustainability in Fashion: the power of product design - Sportswear International  
• Sustainability in Retail: What Sustainable Initiatives Do You Think Consumers Value? - FashNerd 
• There's never been a better time—or more need—to buy your clothes used - Quartz 
• How New Technology Is Helping Fashion Retailers Enable True End-To-End Transparency - PSFK

FASHION AS SERVICE

• When It Comes to Sustainability, Hemp Is The Fabric of Fashion's Future - HYPEBEAST
• Fast-fashion industry veterans are shifting gears to sustainable businesses - Glossy
• Fast Fashion's “Sustainability” Endeavors Need to Be About More than Fabrics, Recycling - The Fashion Law
• Inside Nuuly, Urban Outfitter’s attempt to take on the rental clothing market - Modern Retail
• Bloomingdale’s Enters Fashion Rental Market With Subscription Service - Footwear News
• Banana Republic will launch apparel rental next month - Retaildive

FASHION AS EXPERIENCE

• Facebook’s vision of glasses that read your thoughts isn’t just a dream - Fast Company 
• A guide to virtual beings and how they impact our world - Tech Crunch

OLD INDUSTRY NEWS

• Opinion: Fast fashion and sustainability will never be compatible - Los Angeles Times
• The golden age of Instagram marketing is over - Business of Fashion
• Why are fashion supply chains so wasteful? - Retail Dive
• The unsustainable cost of free returns - Vogue Business
• Sustainable Fashion Wants You to Ask About the Environmental Impact Of Your Outfit - Vanity Fair
• H&M, Zara, and other fashion brands are tricking shoppers with vague sustainability claims - Fast Company
• Is Sustainable Fast Fashion Just a Marketing Scam? - HYPEBAE
• Zara uncovered: Inside the brand that changed fashion - BBC News
• The challenges of building a socially conscious brand - Vogue Business
  

TOP EVENTS in NYC:

Tuesday, August 20th

5:00pm Fashion Meets Tech: How Innovation is Creating Sustainability in Fashion (I'll be speaking at this panel)

Inviting you to join me at this event by Fashwire - I'll be speaking at the panel moderated by Deborah Weinswig, CEO Coresight Research. Immediately followed the panel, we will have a fashion show with sustainable brands from the Fashwire platform. Price: TBD Location: blueprint + co, 214 W 39th St Penthouse

Saturday, August 24th - Sunday, August 25th

11am Hackathon Blockchain 4 social impact, SDG, sustainability, responsibility

We will use our passions, talents and skills to build projects, solving real world problems with deep technological innovations and increase the influence of both Blockchain and Social impact Communities. Price: Free Location: 450 West 17th Street

Tuesday, August 27th

6:30pm – 9:00pm Night School: Marketing Ethical, Sustainable, and Fair Trade Fashion

Join Andrea Reyes, Chair of the NYC FTC and founder of A. Bernadette for a discussion on the state of the ethical, sustainable, and fair trade market. What are the current terms used in marketing? How does a company decide which niche within sustainability they should attach themselves too? And how to get through the noise to present a clear message to your customer. Price: $25 Location: WeWork 1460 Broadway Suite 4053

Thursday, August 29th

5:00pm - 9:00pm The Sustainable Fashion Community Meeting: Greenwashing in the Fashion Industry

The sustainable movement must be built on transparency, authenticity, and the constant push to do better. Brands marketing and communication can conflict with this mission because of the nature of marketing itself. How do we highlight our products in a positive way without oversimplifying the negative impacts products have on the environment? How do we educate our customers on the importance of buying with intention and perhaps sometimes encouraging to not buy? These and other questions will be explored during out monthly Sustainable Fashion Community Meeting. Price: $10 Location: WeWork 1460 Broadway 6 FL

Wednesday, September 4th

6:30pm – 8:30pm How To Go Zero Waste and Live More Sustainably: A Workshop

This workshop is for everyone and anyone who wants to be more sustainable, eco-friendly and overall consume less as a human. If you've given up plastic straws and carry a reusable water bottle but don't really know what else to do, this is the workshop for you! Price: $12.41 Location: The Yard: Lincoln Square, 157 Columbus Avenue

Sunday, September 7th & 8th

11:00am - 5:00pm Thre3fold Sustainable Pop-up Shop at NoMad

Who They Are and THR3EFOLD will be joining forces to host a special Ethical Fashion Pop Up during New York’s coveted Fashion Week to uplift and celebrate ethical and freedom business brands that are changing the landscape of the Fashion Industry. Price: Free Location: Arlo NoMad, 11 E 31st St

Monday, September 9th

11:00am – 5:00pm VR & AR Tech Summit (Future Tech Week)

The VR Tech Summit is the world’s most exclusive event featuring VR tech investors, entrepreneurs and influencers coming together to address the world’s greatest challenges via VR technology. The summit also serves to teach fundamentals of VR technology, leading applications of VR, and startup development strategies via exclusive workshop sessions with award winning experts. The program concludes with a high profile call to action VIP gathering speakers and partners. Price: Free Location: Microsoft 11 Time Square

Tuesday, September 10th

11:00am – 4:00pm Blockchain Tech Summit (Future Tech Week)

The Blockchain Tech Summit is the world’s most exclusive event featuring hundreds of entrepreneurs, investors, pioneers, and creatives under one roof to address humanity’s greatest challenges via blockchain technology. The summit also serves to teach fundamentals of Blockchain technology, leading applications of Blockchain technology, and startup development strategies via exclusive workshop sessions with award winning experts. Price: Free Location: Microsoft 11 Time Square

4:00 - 7:00pm Textile Tuesday: The Value of Deadstock with Queen of Raw

Once each month, Re: Source Library invites a sustainable textile vendor to present their materials, fibers and/or processes. Join them for September's Textile Tuesday with Queen of Raw in their new space in NYC's Garment District. Price: $5-$10 Location: Re:Source Library, 520 8th Avenue, Suite 1202

Thursday, September 12th

10:00am – 5:00pm Ai Tech Summit (Future Tech Week)

The Ai Tech Summit is the world’s most exclusive event featuring Ai tech investors, entrepreneurs and influencers coming together to address the world’s greatest challenges via Ai technology. The summit also serves to teach fundamentals of Ai technology, leading applications of Ai, and startup development strategies via exclusive workshop sessions with award winning experts. Price: Free Location: SAP America, Inc., 10 Hudson Yards

8:00pm - 11:00pm FASHION WEEK: Eco-Streetwear Debut + Comedy

"Sustainable Fashion is Hilarious" is Zero Waste Daniel's latest New York Fashion Week (NYFW) program. Daniel's comedy routine and one-of-a-kind eco-streetwear are part of his collaboration with the NYC Department of Sanitation's foundation. Daniel is leveraging decommissioned Sanitation Department attire and hard-to-recycle materials to create his latest fashion line. Price: $20 Location: The Ace Hotel - NoMad, 20 West 29th Street

Thursday, September 19th

FashionHub "Future of Fashion Conference" (I'll be moderating "Sustainability is a need, not a trend" panel)

FashionHub is brought to you by Elucid Magazine. Join us to learn how technology is becoming the catalyst for personalization of fashion & beauty solutions and discover the latest new products from innovative brands. FashionHub comprises fashion show, speakers panel led by experts in the space, digital presentations and a tabletop expo by leading brands. It is an event and opportunity to connect with the creative experts and forward-thinking fashion & beauty tech community. Price: $43 – $85, use promo code balancedfashion for 20% discount. Location: The Clemente Center 107 Suffolk St.

Friday, September 20th

3:00pm - 6:00pm NYC Fair Trade Coalition Sample Sale

Join the NYC Fair Trade Coalition community for an interactive look at the brands putting ethics first. Grab samples, past season classics, and beautiful ethical fashions. Price: Free Location:  WeWork, 1460 Broadway, Suite 4053

Tuesday, September 24th

1:00pm – 7:00pm Making Global Goals Local Business - USA

In partnership with the UN Global Compact, Making Global Goals Local Business – USA will be Global Compact Network USA's next regional meetup. This half-day event will be convened on the side of the UN General Assembly on September 24 at SAP Next-Gen Innovation Lab as a high-level conference featuring corporate sustainability leaders and UN representatives. Price: $266.85, Free for members Location: SAP Next-Gen, 10 Hudson Yards, 347 10th Avenue

REPORTS

• Luxury Resale Report 2019 - Exclusive data from The RealReal charting marketplace trends and best-selling brands in women’s and men’s fashion, fine jewelry and watches, and home decor.

INTERESTING FINDS

• CaaStle – “Clothing as a Service” platform providing rentals business model to brands and retailers
• Point Off View - a fashion brand that runs in a series of limited quantity capsule collections each uniquely designed by different artists.
• Extinction Rebellion - a socio-political movement with the stated aim of using civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance to protest against climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and the risk of social and ecological collapse
• LISSOME - an international online magazine and creative agency, elevating the notion of sustainability in fashion with its high-quality photography and writing
• Luxiders Magazine - the New Intelligent Luxury Magazine for conscious women and men.
• Future Dust - the Instagram account archiving the world's coolest sustainable fashion

Stay Inspired,