From March 15th to 17th, 2022, as part of Berlin Fashion Week, the third edition of “202030 - The Berlin Fashion Summit” took place under the title "Regenerative Fashion Systems - Implement Positive Impact".
For the first time since the summit was launched in early 2021, fifty experts met in a hybrid format, both digitally and on-site at the Metropolenhaus in Berlin. Together they analyzed regenerative mechanisms and fashion systems from a global and local perspective, and discussed possible tactics of implementation in existing systems.
The success hinges on making linear systems circular and regenerative, and on restoring biodiversity. Therefore, It’s important to promote the fair distribution of existing goods and resources, the development of culturally inclusive and socially strong ecosystems, and the reversal of climate change. As one of the largest industries worldwide, the fashion industry bears a unique social responsibility and “202030 - The Berlin Fashion Summit” has ignited discussion in order to offer constructive solutions.
To set an example for this cohesion, the summit commenced with a statement by the Ukrainian creative and designer Jean Gritsfeldt: "Today is not the time to talk about fashion, but through fashion". With the help of the Fashion Revolution network, his collection was exhibited at the end of the Berlin Fashion Week.
The results of the Pop Up Think Tanks were placed into context through discussion in over 25 panels, keynotes, critical conversations and interviews in front of 5367 participants from 57 countries. Speakers included Claire Bergkamp from Textile Exchange, who held the opening keynote “Visions & values for a regenerative fashion system,” Christian Dietrich from Sfeeri, Dilys Williams from the Center for Sustainable Fashion at the London College of Fashion Sustainability, provocateur Lavina Muth, innovator Luke Haverhals from Natural Fiber Welding and activist Nazma Akter from the Awaj Foundation.
On the second day, Daniel Ruben from Kornit Digital delivered the keynote "Technology driving local production on demand." He spoke about the increasing need for on-demand production through micro-factories in urban areas. Another highlight was the critical conversation “The positive impact of regenerative agriculture on fashion” by Nishanth Chopra from Oshadi Studio and Aras Baskauskas from Christy Dawn, which is one of the first labels to use regenerative cultivation methods to bring fallow cotton fields to bloom again.
In his keynote "Measuring and acting on corporate biodiversity impact" on the third day of the summit, Christian Dietrich of Sfeeri explained their development, which allows entrepreneurial activity to be measured efficiently and systematically in terms of biodiversity impact. This could perhaps offer a way out of the difficulty of scaling social audits.
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