On Reimagining Fashion: An Update from Fashion Roundtable's Founder and CEO Tamara Cincik
Do you feel excited, anxious, or perhaps a combination of the two, about the easing of lockdown restrictions and the return to in-person meetings? Are you excited to be able to dress up and live beyond the screen, or does it all feel a bit of a hassle?
For me, it feels like a combination of the two. Yes, I am excited to attend some wonderful London Fashion Week events this weekend, but equally, I quite like not having to commute on a daily basis. A mix of digital and IRL, with opportunities to connect with people on and offline, feels right for me. I am sure it will be the way we work and relax for years to come: a hybrid reality. Which of course might explain why Roblox players are sporting Gucci purchases for their metaverse games, and what our avatars wear will definitely be the growth opportunity for brands attracting Gen Z and A markets in the next decade. It’s clear the world of phygital offers a number of exciting applications that are well suited to our rapidly evolving way of life.
Looking at images from the Met Ball last night —including AOC in her "Tax The Rich" graffitied ball gown made by Aurora James's label Brother Vellies, a sustainable brand designed in Brooklyn— it is clear that fashion and positive activism are now firm allies. Fashion Roundtable has been a key player in this shift: our two recent reports have highlighted the structural issues inhibiting diverse groups from achieving success, and the environmental and ethical impacts that the industry has on our planet and citizens. But Fashion Roundtable doesn't just shine a light on the problems, what we do is not just pain porn. We unravel the issues with the mission to then solve them— offering opportunities for transformation and pushing for an industry, and in turn society, which is fundamentally more inclusive and more sustainable.
Over the coming weeks we will be sharing our reimagining fashion stories, heroes and policies: whether that is: onshoring to support local jobs; brands who place as much value on corporate social responsibility (CSR) as on share price; companies led by diverse and inclusive teams; or those who are working hard to make fashion a more equitable, ecological, resource efficient and socially inclusive industry. I find this very exciting and am proud of the work we have done at Fashion Roundtable towards reimagining fashion. I hope you do too.