On August 27, leaders from across fashion, lifestyle, culture, media and innovation gathered at the Goals Lounge at United Nations Headquarters in New York for the United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network Media Preview.
The gathering offered a closer look at what’s next for the Network — from upcoming global initiatives and member achievements to new opportunities for collaboration around New York Fashion Week and beyond.
For Fashinnovation, it was also another important moment in a relationship built around a shared belief: fashion can be a platform for connection, innovation and global impact.
A Global Network Built Around Collaboration
The United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network, an initiative of the UN Office for Partnerships, provides a convening platform where fashion, lifestyle, policymakers, media, academia and cultural leaders can collaborate with the United Nations to advance progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals.
Today, the Network includes more than 400 members across 130+ countries, representing over 2,250 commitments to the SDGs.
Its work is organized around four ideas:
Connect. Collaborate. Showcase. Advance.
From bringing together changemakers across sectors to elevating innovations and turning shared ambition into action, the Network demonstrates what can happen when an industry uses its influence collectively.
Inside the Media Preview
The August 27 Media Preview brought together media, Network members, partners and industry stakeholders to explore the Network’s next phase of work and the initiatives already taking shape across its global community.
Lucie Brigham, Chief of Operations at the UN Office for Partnerships, welcomed guests and introduced the Network.
The program also featured contributions from Marcelo Guimarães, Founder of Fashinnovation; Maika Nakaoka, Head of Creativity at the Swarovski Foundation; Vincenzo Pugliese, Acting Chief of UN Visitors Services; Sofia Headström de Leo, Senior Programme Lead of the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network; and Steven Williams, President and CEO of WBGO.
The initiatives highlighted reflected the breadth of the Network — spanning design, education, culture, responsible production, circularity and more.
Among the examples presented across the Network’s work are initiatives involving the Swarovski Foundation, Lagos Fashion Week, Pandora, Depop, the Swedish School of Textiles, WBGO, Göteborg & Co and others.
What’s Next: The 2026 Fashion Week Series
The Media Preview also set the stage for the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network’s 2026 Annual Meeting | Fashion Week Series, taking place at the Goals Lounge at United Nations Headquarters on September 10, 14, 16 and 17.
Across four days, the program will explore:
September 10 — Made to Matter: Portugal
How Portugal’s fashion and footwear sector has built global competitiveness around quality, longevity and sustainability.
September 14 — Future of Fashion
Bringing educators, students and industry leaders together to explore the cultural shifts and ideas reshaping fashion and the role of education in preparing the next generation.
September 16 — Smart Materials
Exploring heritage, craftsmanship and innovation in the development of more sustainable material systems.
September 17 — The Ripple Effect: Lifestyle for Impact
Examining how fashion, culture, sport and innovation can influence communities and bring sustainable ideas into the mainstream.
From Conversation to Collaboration
Fashion is one of the world’s most influential economic and cultural forces.
But influence alone isn’t impact.
Impact happens when people, organizations and ideas come together — and when conversation leads to collaboration.
That is where the relationship between Fashinnovation and the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network continues to evolve.
As a Strategic Partner of the Network, Fashinnovation remains committed to connecting the fashion industry’s leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs with conversations that can help shape what comes next.
Because the future of fashion isn’t shaped by one organization, one company or one voice.
It’s built together.
