Presented by the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), The Global Fashion Summit: Copenhagen Edition 2025 convened over 1,000 participants to accelerate the fashion industry's journey towards a net positive future. Held at the Copenhagen Concert Hall, this year's Summit provided a crucial platform to address the sector's most pressing sustainability challenges amidst intersecting global crises and evolving policy landscapes.
The Summit's Innovation Forum facilitated over 400 connections between stakeholders and 30 solution providers, while the newly introduced Ignite Stage showcased dynamic, innovation-led content focused on scaling impact.
A highlight of the Summit was the announcement of Refiberd as the winner of the Trailblazer Program 2025. Selected from over 200 applications across 44 countries, Refiberd was recognized for its AI-powered hyperspectral imaging technology, which provides precise material identification for accurate sorting, authentication, and traceability – essential for achieving textile circularity.
Over 100 speakers from 26 countries shared their diverse experiences and expertise, emphasizing the global nature of industry transformation. Supported by the H&M Foundation, GFA enabled participation from key manufacturing regions like Bangladesh, Ghana, Nigeria, India, Brazil, and South Africa.
The Summit also explored the crucial role of nature in fashion. In the ‘How Can Fashion Value the Rights of Nature?’ session, Sanya Singh advocated for ‘letting nature shape fashion.’
Discussions on freshwater use highlighted its critical undervaluation and the alarming degradation of ecosystems. Payal Luthra, Global Apparel & Textiles Lead, WWF, cited a devastating 85 per cent loss of freshwater biodiversity since 1970. Kering's recently launched Water-Positive Strategy was presented as a significant initiative in this area. The importance of storytelling to bridge the gap between data and public understanding for inspiring action was also a key theme.
In her keynote address, Jessika Roswall, EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience, and a Competitive Circular Economy, stated, ‘more than a barrier, sustainability is a bridge to competitiveness, innovation and inspiration.’ The Summit also strongly advocated for conducive regulation to support circularity and transparency and for the harmonization of EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility) schemes both within the EU and globally.
In her concluding remarks, Federica Marchionni, CEO, Global Fashion Agenda, urged industry leaders to embrace courage and action. Now is the time to assert your vision and courageously drive action on sustainability, she said.
