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A gathering for fashion innovators, sustainability advocates, students and researchers interested in sustainable and ethical fashion.
Aftermovie Just Fashion Transition Symposium Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam from Creative Desk on Vimeo.
What you wear matters. How it’s made matters even more. Join us for a transformative event where fashion, sustainability, research, and creativity converge. Discover how you can be part of shaping the future of fashion at the Just Fashion Transition seminar.
Are you curious about the true impact of your clothing choices? Dive into discussions led by experts who are pioneering change in the fashion industry. Gain insights into pressing issues such as transparency, ethical production, and sustainable practices.
Conservative approximations reveal that around 40% of garments produced worldwide remain unsold annually. Unfortunately, major brands are reticent about sharing their figures. Achieving transparency regarding production volumes, recycling rates (currently estimated at a mere 1%), management of unsold inventory, production conditions, carbon footprint, fair pricing, and wages is crucial for transitioning the fashion industry towards a more conscientious business model. Simultaneously, raising consumer awareness is vital to foster shifts in purchasing habits. In short, a systemic change is urgently needed.
Keynote speakers
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Mariangela Lavanga
Professor at Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication
Mariangela Lavanga is Associate Professor of Cultural Economics and Entrepreneurship at the Arts and Culture Studies department at Erasmus University Rotterdam. She is the Academic Lead on Fashion Sustainability Transition at the Design Impact Transition (DIT) platform. Next to this, she is the Academic Coordinator of the MA in Cultural Economics and Entrepreneurship as well as co-founder and coordinator of the Minor Fashion Industry. Current projects she is involved in are the Horizon Europe project ‘FABRIX – Fostering local, beautiful, and sustainably designed regenerative textile & clothing ecosystems’ with Rotterdam and Athens as case studies, and the Convergence Resilient Delta project ‘Towards Textile-form Futures’ which focuses on on-demand and local production of circular textile-form systems. -
Brigitte Stepputtis
Global Head of Couture at Vivienne Westwood
As the Global of Head of Couture at Vivienne Westwood, Brigitte oversees the couture service and the bridal collections, as well as celebrity dressing. She is implementing Green Carpet projects and initiating, supporting and co-ordinating various commitments of the brand's sustainability strategy. She was one of the Co-founders of the Ethical Fashion Forum and contributor to DEFINE, the European fashion tech network. She is a member of the Medinge Group. -
Hilde van Duijn
Director Circle Economy Foundation
Hilde van Duijn is the Managing Director of the Circle Economy Foundation. Circle Economy aims to empower decision-makers across industries, cities and nations with clear and actionable ways to make their spheres more circular. Hilde leads the work on circular global value chains, guiding public and private actors on their journey to circularity by supporting the development of their knowledge, evidence base and solutions. She works extensively throughout the textiles value chain, from garment manufacturers to sorters of post-consumer textiles. -
Jeremy Even
COO at Primal Soles
Jeremy Even is COO at Primal Soles, on a mission to reduce our Planet's landfill waste by at least 1 million pieces of footwear waste with circular Primal designs. We are on a quest to shake up the footwear industry with circular and nature-positive shoe insoles and hotel slippers. It was the Portuguese cork-oak forest and its incredible generosity that inspired us to take the first step of our entrepreneurial journey. Today, we want to give back to this endemic ecosystem as much as it has given us.
Program information
Join us on June 4th and be inspired by thought leaders in academia, business, and society.
Location Erasmus Pavillion
9:30-10:00 – Registration
10:00-10:10 – Welcome by Margo Strijbosch, Director Erasmus Research Services
10:10-11:30 – Key insights by academia, business, society and sustainable startup.
- Academia: Mariangela Lavanga, professor at Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication, will discuss the broader transformation agenda for research and education and outline her vision.
- Business: Brigitte Stepputtis, the Global Head of Couture at Vivienne Westwood, shares her invaluable insights on the countless sustainable choices they've made over the years in their operations.
- Society: Hilde van Duijn, Director Circle Economy Foundation, will delve into recycling processes and waste streams, shedding light on crucial sustainability practices.
- Sustainable startup: Jeremy Even, COO at Primal Soles, explains how his company aims to reduce waste by at least 1 million pieces of footwear through circular designs.
11:30-12:10 – Panel Discussion, moderated by Astrid Manden-Benneker, Innovation manager cultural and creative industries (ERS).
