On March 5, the European Fashion Alliance (EFA), led by Scott Lipinski, EFA Board Chair and FCG Managing Director, hosted the first ever "The Status of European Fashion" conference in Brussels, Belgium.

The event brought together industry leaders, policymakers and stakeholders to discuss key issues shaping the future of European fashion. In preparation for the conference, EFA conducted a comprehensive Europe-wide survey on the upcoming sustainability legislation for the fashion industry, with results and recommendations to be published by the end of April. The aim of the survey was to assess the current state of the European fashion landscape and identify key challenges and opportunities in light of the upcoming legislative changes. Initial findings were presented to the audience.

In his opening speech, Scott Lipinski, Chairman of the Board of EFA and Managing Director of FCG, stressed: "We founded EFA because we saw that there was a gap. There was no organisation representing the creative side of the European fashion industry. There are many local organisations, but there was a missing link for a European alliance - an alliance of knowledge sharing, an alliance of common interests and a great ambition to create a better fashion ecosystem in the future."

At the conference, 150 participants experienced a dynamic programme with lectures, a presentation of the survey "The Status of European Fashion" and four exciting panel discussions that took place after a presentation of the key facts of the study by Elke Timmerman, Board Member of EFA. The study showed that the negative image of the industry is influenced by fast fashion, but that positive change is influenced by SMEs. According to survey participants, three main solutions would help improve public opinion: consumer education, regulatory measures and sustainable business models. Another key finding from the survey is that, despite justified efforts and investments in sustainable services to ensure the longevity of fashion products, SMEs are not fully prepared for the upcoming EU regulations. Important and long overdue positions for CSR managers cannot be created most of the time due to a lack of resources. In the subsequent panel discussions on policy, education and innovation, led by prominent representatives of the fashion industry, the panelists were able to share their perspectives and expertise on the evolving sustainability landscape.

The first panel discussion, moderated by Simone Cipriani, UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, Founder of the Ethical Fashion Initiative, ITC, focused on policy and included Guy Morgan, Director of Sustainability at Chanel; Henrik Vibskov, fashion designer; Ruth Reichstein, Coordinator for Policy in the Cabinet of von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Julia Aruni Kirschner, Director of Impact and Innovation at Armedangels. The discussion looked at the intersections between EU sustainability policy and legislation for SMEs, including insights into the Green Deal, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR), digital passports, upcoming legislation and the international impact of EU decisions.

The second panel of the conference looked at the future of skills development and education systems and their role in promoting sustainability and empowering young talents and entrepreneurs. The discussion was moderated by Jasmien Wynants, co-founder of Masjien, with experts Prof. Dilys Williams, Director of the Centre of Sustainable Fashion, Paolo Naldini, Director of Fondazione Cittadellarte, and Carlota Barrera, fashion designer.

The third panel focused on the transformation in the industry and covered topics such as supply chain transparency, digital product passports (DPP), digital fashion, digitalization, new skills and innovative business models. The discussion was moderated by Christine Goulay, Founder of Sustainabelle Advisory Services, and included Semora Mangnoesing, Commercial Director of EON, Alexandre Capelli, Deputy Environmental Director of LVMH, Federico Brugnoli, Founder and Sole Director of Spin360, and Dr. Andrée-Anne Lemieux, Sustainability Chair Director IFM-KERING, Full Professor Institut Français de la Mode.

The discussion rounds concluded with an interesting panel discussion with the EFA Board members, including Carlo Capasa, Chairman of the Camera Na

The discussion rounds concluded with an interesting panel discussion with the EFA Board members, including Carlo Capasa, Chairman of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana; Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council; Pascal Morand, Executive President of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode; Elke Timmerman, International & Business Relations at Flanders DC; Scott Lipinski, CEO of the Fashion Council Germany and Zuzana Bobikova, CEO of the Slovak Fashion Council.

Commissioner Iliana Ivanova, EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, provided an inspiring conclusion to the conference day with her keynote speech: "The insightful panel discussions today have underlined the vibrancy and resilience of your industry. The discussions have also highlighted the key role of the European Fashion Alliance in supporting the European fashion and textile industry on the basis of creativity and collaboration - the driving forces of innovation. And if we look to the future and embrace the spirit of innovation, sustainability and education that animated today's discussions, then the European Fashion Alliance and its members have shown that Europe is not only the cradle of fashion, but also its future."

The results of the study "The Status of European Fashion" and the conference will be published on the EFA website and the FCG website at the end of April.