Global Fashion Summit, the established international forum for sustainable fashion rooted in Denmark, will be hosted in China next month. The special Global Fashion Summit: Shanghai Gala edition will take place on 7 November 2024 during the China International Import Expo (CIIE). The event, presented by Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) and Chinamind NEXT, will bring together local and international industry stakeholders for an evening of informative discussions during a celebratory gala dinner.
Convening major decision-makers from across the world, Global Fashion Summit was first launched by GFA in Copenhagen in 2009. In the 15 years since its inception, it has become the nexus for agenda-setting discussions and presentations on the most critical environmental, social and ethical issues facing our industry and planet, all intended to spark urgent action and accelerate impact in the industry.
As the first event of its kind in China, the Global Fashion Summit: Shanghai Gala content will build on the theme of June’s Copenhagen Edition – “Unlocking The Next Level”. With deadlines for sustainability targets looming, fashion finds itself at a critical juncture. Unlocking the next level of impact requires new depths of collaborative action and sharing of evidence-based progress to overcome barriers.
The gala dinner will set the scene ahead of GFA’s participation in CIIE (China International Import Expo) on 8 November 2024 – a forum renowned for its focus on sustainable innovation technology. Federica Marchionni, CEO, GFA, will deliver a keynote address during the CIIE to an audience of esteemed leaders that will showcase how innovation and emerging technologies can drive sustainability in lifestyle sectors and advance the industry towards climate goals.
China plays a critical role in unlocking this transformation. China was the world’s largest exporter of readymade garments in 2023, with a 31.6 per cent market share and exports worth 165 billion USD. The soaring growth of Chinese ultra-fast fashion brands is also significantly shaping consumer purchasing practices, meanwhile, China’s luxury market has almost doubled since in 2019. Global Fashion Summit: Shanghai Gala will therefore aim to promote collaboration across the fashion industry’s value chain, highlight pressing environmental and social issues, bridge differences between global markets, eliminate information gaps, and share innovative solutions.
The gala dinner and participation in CIIE will combine Chinamind NEXT’s esteemed regional influence and execution capability in China and GFA’s global sustainability insights and thought leadership to inspire and mobilise action.
Federica Marchionni, CEO, GFA, says: “We are glad to be bringing our established Global Fashion Summit to Shanghai – China’s leading city for fashion – with the ambition to inspire action on sustainability and mobilise more alliances across the global fashion ecosystem. Global Fashion Summit: Shanghai Gala will lay the foundation for further activations in China and is a critical step in the industry’s journey to a net positive industry for people and the planet.”
Lynn Fu, CEO, Chinamind NEXT, says: “China has established itself as the world’s foremost market for apparel and textiles, playing a pivotal role in setting industry trends and influencing consumer actions. Chinamind Next is committed to a mission of in-depth exploration in China and reaching out to the international market, we have made an unwavering commitment to the sustainable development of China’s fashion industry. We are confident that the Global Fashion Summit held in Shanghai in collaboration with GFA will open up further opportunities for Chinese enterprises to expand internationally, for international brands to establish a stronger presence in the Chinese market, for the strategic investment of patient capital, and for the establishment of a shared vision of sustainability between the East and the West. This convergence promises to imbue the industry with profound and enduring benefits.”
Global Fashion Summit: Shanghai Gala is by invitation only.