NEWS: Fashion Council Germany draws positive conclusions after the first year of GENERATION FUTURE in partnership with The PVH Foundation

Berlin, September 14, 2023: The GENERATION ZUKUNFT education program, in partnership with The PVH Foundation and PVH Corp [NYSE: PVH], was launched by the Fashion Council Germany last year to provide students with exceptional educational opportunities. Since its launch last summer, numerous secondary schools across Germany with a high proportion of diversity have been visited. To date, a total of around 1,900 students have taken part in the program and were then given the opportunity to put their acquired knowledge to the test. From all the completed tests, 24 students with the best results were invited to the “Fashion Zukunft” conference this November, which the Fashion Council Germany is organizing together with The Prince's Foundation on the estate of the foundation “Dumfries House” in the south of Scotland. There they will have the opportunity to engage more intensively with fashion and make contacts with like-minded students from all over Germany.

“Together with our partner The PVH Foundation, we are very keen to give the next generation of talents, but also consumers, access to educational opportunities and to show them the importance of dealing with fashion. In particular, the aim is to convey an understanding of the impact of the fashion industry in order to make them more aware of it in everyday life and, if possible, to implement it themselves,” emphasizes Scott Lipinski, CEO of Fashion Council Germany.

The teaching units were divided into three main topics: the ecological impact, the social significance and the diverse career opportunities in the fashion industry. For the school materials, the Fashion Council Germany was supported by diversity and sustainability experts, including Carina Bischof, Co-Founder and Chairwoman of Fashion Revolution Germany, Dogukan Nesanir, independent stylist and consultant, and Nina Lorenzen, Co-Founder of Fashion Changers. In addition to the school lessons, five webinars were held in which the students could participate online. Here, too, the focus was on the ecological and social impact of the fashion industry as well as career opportunities for prospective trainees and high school graduates.

“GENERATION ZUKUNFT” has the opportunity to solve the problems of fast fashion and find alternative approaches based on fair production conditions, respect for people and nature and sustainable consumption. The project positively activates young people for sustainable fashion,” says Martina Glomb, fashion designer and professor at Hanover University of Applied Sciences and Arts, on her involvement with GENERATION ZUKUNFT.

Sema Gedik (Founder AUF AUGENHOEHE) comments: “Educational projects such as GENERATION ZUKUNFT are particularly important, as imparting knowledge about the ecological and social impact of the fashion industry as well as diversity and inclusion offers students the opportunity to become conscious consumers in order to positively influence the industry.”

“GENERATION ZUKUNFT: The foundation for Germany's future in fashion. In our modern and fast-paced world, it is essential to show young people real prospects. In the age of social media, however, it is difficult to perceive or even find comprehensible and authentic role models. By acting as role models and actively approaching, engaging and inspiring this target group, we have a very important influence on the development and future lives of these young people. During the discussions and workshops within this project, I have experienced and seen first-hand that this project is more important than ever for this generation,” says entrepreneur and inclusion consultant Michaela Leitz.

The following experts participated in the project together with the Fashion Council Germany and contributed their experience: Ariane Piper (Activist, Sustainability Officer and Country Coordinator at Fashion Revolution Germany e. V.), Carina Bischof (Managing Director & Board Member Fashion Revolution Germany e. V.), Dogukan Nesanir (Freelance Stylist & Creative Consultant, Janice Faith Heinrich (Junior Editor Daddy Magazine, Kemi Fatoba (Founder Daddy Magazine & Consultancy), Martina Glombina Glombina Glombina (Freelance Stylist & Creative Consultant), Janice Faith Heinrich (Junior Editor Daddy Magazine), Kemi Fatoba (Founder Daddy Magazine & Consultancy). ), Dogukan Nesanir (Freelance Stylist & Creative Consultant), Janice Faith Heinrich (Junior Editor Daddy Magazine), Kemi Fatoba (Founder Daddy Magazine & Consultancy), Martina Glomb (Fashion Designer & Design Professor), Michael Pfeifer (Co-Founder & CEO MOOT), Michaela Leitz (CEO & Founder Michaela Leitz Confidence & Style), Nina Lorenzen (Co-Founder Fashion Changers), Sema Gedik (Founder AUF AUGENHOEHE), Sydney Nwakanma (Founder EMEKA) and Thị Minh Huyền Nguyễn (Freelance Author).

The program will enter its second round in late summer after the summer vacations.