Book Description

Sustainable fashion has gained immense traction in the past decade. While American and Western European initiatives are often credited with being the pioneers of this relatively new segment of the industry, it is important to note that they are not the only ones asking the tough questions, and providing innovative answers on the topic. Eastern Central Europe is full of educators, activists, programs and initiatives that are actively addressing and working with sustainable fashion, yet lack a unified platform on which to collaborate and advance their goals. A cumulative platform was warranted to showcase the diversity of ideas the Visegrad (V4) region has to offer. Based on a 3-day conference that was organized in September 2021 by Fashion Forward, a New York-based not-for-profit think tank, and funded by the prestigious Visegrad Fund, this volume was conceived to present the most pioneering civil society advocacy groups and universities of the region. Representing 8 partner organizations— 4 universities, and each of the V4 nations’ respective Fashion Revolution chapters— conference delegates shared their experience, insights, and knowledge with each other and the public in an accessible, open forum in which active participation and communication were highly valued and encouraged. Following the conference’s format, this volume is divided into three sections: “Sustainability & Accountability,” “Culture & Society,” and “Education & Training.” Interspersed between the partners’ delegates’ essays are “Worlds,” short fictional scenarios that imagine alternative realities around the concept of sustainable dress and fashion. These Worlds were written by delegates in a workshop hosted by Fashion Fictions, a speculative, prototyping fashion project based in the U.K. It is our hope that this publication provides a comprehensive foundation on which to further explore and expand the notion of sustainable fashion in the Visegrad region.