UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network Champions Innovation and Global Solutions at Fourth Annual Meeting
New York, May, 2025 – The fourth annual United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network (UNFLN) meeting convened yesterday at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, bringing together global leaders, industry experts, innovators, and policymakers to address critical challenges and opportunities shaping the fashion and lifestyle industries.
Hosted by the United Nations Office for Partnerships and the Fashion Impact Fund - a program of PVBLIC Foundation, in collaboration with the UN Sustainable Fashion Alliance and supported by Lenzing, the event emphasized urgent collective action to ensure fashion and lifestyle sectors significantly contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
“In this era of planetary and social urgency, creativity must be met with responsibility," said Kerry Bannigan, Co-Founder of the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network and President of the Board of the PVBLIC Foundation. “Our industry decisions shape the realities of garment workers, artisans, and communities on the frontlines. Our members are architects of a new blueprint, where imagination meets implementation, and where progress is redefined not by scale alone, but by integrity, community, and care.”
Executive Director of the UN Office for Partnerships, Annemarie Hou, highlighted the critical role of industry transformation in achieving sustainable goals: “Within these challenges lies immense potential for innovation and leadership. The Network is a vital platform for turning collective ambition into impactful action.”
Discussions during the event addressed key industry topics including responsible sourcing, circular business models, digital innovation, the expanding second-hand market, and leveraging culture and technology for sustainable change.
Aisling Camps, Founder and Creative Director of Aisling Knits Inc., shared how environmental responsibility is embedded in every aspect of her brand, emphasizing the importance of shifting away from disposable fashion:
“I think it's important to think about investing in garments and not really subscribing to this disposable garment phenomenon that we all seem to be partaking in, and I hope people take a step back. It's about quality. A really important part of how I design is sourcing really high-quality yarns.”
From zero-waste knitwear techniques to intentionally sourced materials, her approach champions thoughtful, enduring design.
A highlight of the meeting was the introduction of the new sustainably-designed uniforms for UN Tour Guides, an initiative enabled by the UN Department of Global Communications and the UN Office for Partnerships, in collaboration with Sofia Hedström de Leo, an advisory board member of the UN's Fashion and Lifestyle Network and former Head of Sustainability at the Swedish Consulate in New York.
The project is supported by the Swedish Government and funded by the University of Borås and the Paul Frankenius Foundation for the Swedish University of Fashion & Textiles.
Consul General of Sweden to New York, H.E. Mr. Erik Ullenhag, emphasized the importance of collaboration for sustainable solutions: “We know that all of us need to act as consumers, as citizens, as countries, in international communities and together. Because if we don't do that we will never be successful.”
The meeting concluded with renewed vigor among participants to leverage the collective creativity and expertise within the UNFLN, fostering further collaborations and innovative solutions for sustainable development.
The event is available for viewing on UN Web TV About the United Nations Fashion and Lifestyle Network The UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network is a global initiative dedicated to promoting sustainable, inclusive practices within fashion and lifestyle industries.
The Network is a collaborative initiative established by the United Nations Office for Partnerships, the Fashion Impact Fund, and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) that fosters collaboration and drives actions aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
