The Fashion Commission has announced the latest of its key initiatives for 2021: Fashion Futures. Launched in Riyadh in 2019 as the Kingdom's first-ever dedicated fashion event, Fashion Futures is being re-engineered in 2021 as a digital platform. Accessible from anywhere in the world, the platform will launch on June 17 with Fashion Futures Live: Moving Towards Sustainability, Diversity & Innovation, broadcast live from studios in Riyadh and New York. Speakers and audiences will be able to join through a bespoke, interactive virtual platform and engage with the program assembled in collaboration with Fashinnovation, a global platform focused on sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurship in the world of fashion. Speakers including Susan Rockefeller (Chair & Trustee, Oceana — a nonprofit ocean conservation organization), Rebecca Minkoff (designer & author of upcoming book, Fearless), Oskar Metsavaht (environmental activist, Amazon guardian & founder of Osklen), Helen Aboah (CEO, Urban Zen), and Abrima Erwiah (co-founder, Studio 189), will discuss topics ranging from diversity and the Sustainable Development Goals, to entrepreneurship and innovation. Jordana Guimaraes (co-founder of Fashinnovation) will moderate the discussion in New York City, alongside TV presenter and journalist Taghrid Alhowish in Riyadh. Fashion Commission CEO, Burak Cakmak, said: "We are honored to be welcoming some of the world's greatest business sustainability minds to discuss the most pressing issues faced today." "With no single sector untouched by these issues, virtual platforms like Fashion Futures enable conversations to transgress borders by engaging experts from all over the world in this critical dialogue. Through collaboration and the exchange of ideas, we can draw on a broad range of experience and strive toward the sustainable global fashion industry." "The Kingdom can be a stellar example of how to build an innovative, sustainable, locally and culturally relevant fashion ecosystem in a country. Through engaging with innovators across the value chain and partnering to bring education, business development, entrepreneurship and retailing experiences, Saudi Arabia will be able to transform local businesses to achieve the highest standard in their operations and branding that can be celebrated globally," he added. In addition to live events, the Fashion Futures platform will offer masterclasses, workshops and training opportunities to nurture an environment for knowledge-sharing, innovation, and ideation amongst experts. 2021 will culminate in a physical event set to take place in December in Riyadh. Fashion Futures will not only support the development of the domestic fashion industry, but hopes to lead the charge for a more sustainable fashion sector globally. Established in 2020, the Fashion Commission is one of 11 cultural commissions launched by the Ministry of Culture to oversee the development and success of each cultural sub-sector.
