Fashion’s future depends on media growing a spine
12 lessons from a closed-door discussion on why fashion can’t fix sustainability without rethinking its media, language, and power structures.
Well, Paris Fashion Week has drawn to a close, and thus so has another season of shows. Given the unfathomable quantity of images and press releases and videos of celebrities answering inane questions it generated (was I going delirious or did someone ask Marina Abramović for her advice to someone who bumps into their ex on the street?), we’ve decided that the best kind of news digest today would be none at all. At first we thought we’d give our two cents. But instead, quiet. Blissful silence. There have been collections we’ve loved and collections we’ve hated, but the idea of sharing an opinion today seems futile. Instead, we’ll get straight into today’s dispatch – lessons learnt from a deep discussion between the kind of respected stakeholders that keep the industry moving, but aren’t being asked ‘what to do when you bump into your ex on the street’ at shows.
By Jorinde Croese
At this summer’s Copenhagen Fashion Week, 1 Granary joined a group of industry leaders, editors, and brand founders for a candid discussion about the role of media in shaping fashion’s response to sustainability. Moderated by Dal Chodha, the roundtable brought together figures including David Pemsel (BFC), Cecilie Thorsmark (CPHFW), Julie Gilhart (Gilhart & Co), Eva Kruse (Bee:Wild), Olya Kuryshchuk (1 Granary), Isabella Rose Davey (CPHFW), Fatine Layt (A ___ Curated By), Simon Hanson (Danish Fashion & Textile), Sara Sozzani Maino (Fondazione Sozzani), Lucy Maguire (Vogue Business), Naja Munthe (Munthe), Thomas Hertz (Stine Goya) and Kristoffer Kongshaug (Forza Collective).
In keeping with the Chatham House Rule, we are not attributing individual comments in what follows. The conversation was strikingly open: rather than repeating well-worn talking points, participants interrogated the realities of consumer behaviour, the pressures on media, and the responsibilities of institutions. What emerged was not a neat set of solutions, but a series of sharp lessons about where the industry stands and what it must confront. Below are 15 key takeaways from the session – insights that highlight the contradictions, opportunities, and urgent needs facing fashion today.
1. Storytelling over sustainability jargon
One of the strongest insights to emerge from the conversation was that the word “sustainability” itself has become ineffective. Consumers either switch off when they hear it or associate it with higher costs and moral pressure. Instead, what really resonates is storytelling – fashion at its core is about emotion and connection. People want to be swept up in narratives that inspire them, not burdened with guilt. The challenge for the industry is to find ways of embedding responsibility within stories that captivate audiences. That could mean telling the journey of a fabric, highlighting the craft behind a garment, or framing a material innovation as part of a broader cultural shift. When the story is compelling, the values come through naturally. Sustainability communicated this way is no longer a lecture, but part of fashion’s magic – a reminder that responsible practices don’t have to strip away allure, but can actually deepen it.
2. Rethinking how we treat emerging designers
A recurring concern was the fragility of young designers’ careers in the current media landscape. The speed at which new names are hyped up and discarded has created a system that sets many up to fail. Often, a designer’s first or second collection is their peak of visibility, after which the support evaporates – leaving them without