ASU FIDM hosts conference on eco-friendly fashion

Fashion leaders, designers and sustainability innovators from around the world visited ASU FIDM this fall for the Responsible Fashion Series, an international conference exploring how technology, design and Indigenous knowledge can transform the fashion system toward a more ethical and sustainable future.

Previous gatherings for the conference have spanned locations such as London, Milan, Brazil, China and Kazakhstan. This year, as part of the conference's U.S. edition, ASU FIDM — Arizona State University’s fashion school based in downtown Los Angeles and Phoenix — showcased California’s and Arizona’s leading-edge contributions to sustainable fashion and design education.

The two-city event included talks on the intersection of circular design, legislation, bio-materials, AI and responsible innovation. Speakers included Academy Award-nominated costume designer Deborah Landis of the University of California, Los Angeles; leading academic, author and Responsible Fashion Series founder Ian King of the University of the Arts London; and ASU FIDM’s own Associate Professor Galina Mihaleva, who has won international awards for her sustainable designs.

“The ability to share research on fashion and education from international perspectives enhances our faculty and students’ opportunities to connect with the field on a global scale,” said Dennita Sewell, director of ASU FIDM and professor of practice. “Having scholars from around the world choose our location, travel here and spend time with our program reflects the caliber of ASU FIDM and our position in the field.”

Stephanie Mallon, a research staff member for the cultural anthropology and European ethnology master's program at the University of Göttingen, said the conference provided an opportunity to work together with others and explore ideas for responsible fashion.

“The most wonderful aspects for me were meeting with colleagues and developing strategies on sustainable fashion together with the various experiences and practices while experiencing the fertile grounds of ASU FIDM in Los Angeles and Phoenix,” Mallon said. “We have all extended our networks so we can continue advancing responsible fashion.”

After two days in Los Angeles at the ASU California Center Grand — where attendees also had the chance to connect with ASU FIDM faculty and students and to tour the school’s fashion studios, the ASU FIDM Textile Testing Lab and the ASU FIDM Museum — the conference moved to downtown Phoenix.

In Phoenix, the group participated in workshops and demonstrations at Fusion on First in ASU FIDM’s fashion studios, Fab Lab and Wearable Technology Lab, and continued working on paper presentations and exhibitions.

The presenters also visited the classroom — speaking to students as part of ASU FIDM’s Professional Practices for Fashion course, which brings in fashion industry professionals from across the field as guest speakers each week to discuss their career paths and development, share insights into the industry and offer advice to students. During conference week, presenter Annick Schramme, professor and director of the Master of Cultural Management at University of Antwerp, spoke to the class about working in fashion, Belgium's fashion industry and the Antwerp Six — a group of Belgian fashion designers in the 1980s known for traveling across Europe in a van with their collections to show their designs in London, which led to their international fame.

“This week was my favorite presenter so far,” said fashion merchandising student Alejandra Ponce. “I loved talking with Annick after class and discussing fashion with her. I cannot understate how important the Antwerp Six are to me and how they have inspired me. I am glad that I was able to attend this lecture.”

Fashion student Kev Ortiz said the talk demonstrated how culture, education and personal expression shape creative identity.

“Before this talk, I only considered major fashion cities like Paris, Milan and New York to be at the center of the fashion world,” Ortiz said. “Learning about Antwerp’s rise as a ‘city of fashion’ revealed to me that new ideas can emerge from unexpected places when creativity is supported, even in limited-resource environments.”

For Phoebe Drew Moore, the class talk and a visit to the conference set in motion her next steps after she graduates from ASU FIDM.

“Dr. Schramme also touched on the topic of furthering our education,” Moore said. “I stopped to talk to Dr. Schramme on this topic after class, and found her advice to be very helpful and thought-provoking.”

Moore, who is interested in fashion journalism, said Schramme advised her to attend the conference the next day and talk with some journalists from Italy.

“I took her advice, and ended up having an incredibly influential conversation. After a whole host of consideration and reflection on my conversations, I have formally set in motion my plans to pursue further education, and I feel incredibly energized by this decision and grateful for Dr. Schramme’s advice and words of wisdom. Her presentation and her words had a huge impact on me, and I am incredibly grateful to have gotten to meet her through this class.”

Another attendee, Fernanda Correra Bernardo, a master's student at the University of São Paulo and member of the Sustexmoda Congress of Brazil, said the conference gave her hope and the chance “to see everyone working toward a better future.” 

As the week came to a close, that sense of connection reached far beyond the conference rooms, linking students, scholars and creators across continents. Attendees left not only with fresh ideas but with a strengthened belief that collaborative, global fashion education has the power to reshape the industry — and the responsibility to guide it toward a more sustainable future.