Dear Friend,

Last week, on July 31st I hosted my annual Balanced Fashion event in Moscow where I presented my vision of the fashion industry that is circular, transparent, technology-driven and ethical. My friend and colleague, Sergey Moliavko, Co-founder of ShareCloth spoke about on-demand production and together we shared ideas with local industry professionals on how to collaborate on building a new fashion industry in Russia and beyond. 

The Russian fashion industry is still in its nascent stage and requires a lot of knowledge, experience and material investment in order to grow into a more mature and profitable industry. In its nascent stage, I'm noticing an opportunity to support building something that doesn't copy from the traditional way the fashion industry operates globally, but build something so much more forward-looking and innovative. Russia is the country that has learned to survive quickly by taking the ideas from the west and transforming them into something much more logical and powerful - thanks to the great scientific minds this country has been developing for years. 

Moscow fashion scene (designers and businesses) are currently divided into traditional, western-inspired businesses and underground, highly creative movement where financial success is an organic outcome of pure creative expression. I see an opportunity to build something that is uniting these two opposing movements with the aim of supporting sustainable development for the sake of nurturing our planet - and co-create an industry that has a dynamic balance between business and creativity with the goal in mind that is beyond material gain. The industry that is based on the values of transparency, authenticity, and ethics, while powered by raw creativity and unrestrained self-expression. 

I look forward to sharing more with you as we collaborate with local designers there and create a working model for the global fashion industry to get inspired by. Stay tuned!

TOP NEWS:

High Consciousness: Where our industry is heading?

• True sustainability will take three years, predict UK retailers - FashionUnited
• Why retail is betting on virtual try-on for growth - The Current Daily
• For Adidas, Stella McCartney is making new clothes by liquifying old ones - Fast Company
• Measuring Sustainability in the Fashion Industry - FashionUnited
• #TOGETHERBAND - A creative Plan for Action on 'The Global Goals' - Forbes
• Sustainable sourcing at scale: H&M's approach - Supply Chain Dive
• Farfetch partners with Facebook on global blockchain network - Vogue Business
• 5 ways to fix fashion’s biggest pollution problem: dye - Vogue Australia
• A scrappy solution to the fashion industry's giant waste problem - Grist
• Factory Tour: Inside the Denim Factory Your Favorite Sustainable Brands Use Loyally - Fashionista

What do we need to know to prepare for the shift?

• 'We Need Responsible Consumerism': Designer Tracy Reese Speaks on Sustainable Fashion - Gizmodo
• Zara built a $20B empire on fast fashion. Now it needs to slow down - Fast Company
• Gen Z loves TikTok. Can fashion brands learn to love it too? - Business of Fashion
• H&M called out for "greenwashing" in its Conscious fashion collection - Dezeen
• Could a Sustainable Line by Meghan Markle Be the Tipping Point Fashion Needs? - Vogue
• The world is a mess. We need fully automated luxury communism - NY Times
• H&M vs Zara: who is winning the fast fashion war? - Telegraph
• Gamification: the future of luxury retail in China - Jing Daily
• How long will it be until notoriously controlling luxury brands co-opt the resale model? - Fashion Law

TOP EVENTS:

Friday, August 8th

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

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

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

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

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.

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

INTERESTING FINDS - Fashion Brands Edition

• British designer Bethany Williams believes that social and environmental issues go hand in hand and through exploring the connection between these issues we may find innovative design solutions to sustainability.
• Beatrice Sangster-Bullers combines fashion and AI to make “emotionally intelligent” clothing
• Denim Unspun - customized jeans with the smallest impact and the largest life span. Through innovative technology and sustainable sourcing, this brand has gotten rid of sizes.
• Natasha Tonić Is a Sustainable, Hemp-Made Swimwear Label
  

Stay Inspired,