Business Fashion Environment Summit

Business Fashion Environment Summit is a leading conference on sustainability in the CEE region organized by "Vogue Polska" and the Boston Consulting Group. Business leaders and industry experts from all over the world meet annually to reflect on the fashion industry's future. 

IV edition of BFES took place on 10.10.2023 at POLIN Museum in Warsaw, Poland, and explored the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion in fashion.

Watch the conference

Read and download the Business Fashion Environment Summit 2022 Report

A new era of fashion is dawning, bringing with it hope for greater openness. In an age of increasing social awareness, we are witnessing significant changes in this industry. What can we observe, and what can we expect in terms of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)? Answers to these questions are provided by the authors of the report "Beyond Boundaries: Diversity and AI in Fashion," prepared by Boston Consulting Group in collaboration with Vogue Poland.

Agenda

BLOCK:

STREETWEAR

9:00 - 9:10

Introduction
Zuzanna Krzątała, Sustainability Manager, Vogue Polska

9:10 - 9:30

Disrupting the Status Quo
Alek Wek, Topmodel
Daniel Naval, Manager, IMG

9:30 - 10:00

FLUID: Unisex & Unisize
Louis Pisano, Fashion writer
Louis Rubi, Stylist, founder and designer at LR3
Rafał Świąder, Designer at R.Swiader
Karoline Vitto, Designer
Mikaela Sandell, Stylist

10:00- 10:20

Style Beyond Gender
Isabelle Chaput & Nelson Tiberghien, Young Emperors
Agata Ingarden, Visual Artist

10:20 - 10:45

The Future of Luxury
Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director & Secretary General at Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030
Claire Bals, Co-founder & Chief Marketing Officer, GEZEITEN
Fernanda Hernandez, Head of Sustainability, LUISAVIAROMA
Zuzanna Krzątała, Sustainability Manager, Vogue Polska

10:45 - 11:15

COFFEE BREAK
(11:10 energizer by Aleks Kop, lululemon)

BLOCK:

DEI

11:15 - 11:30

BCG x Vogue Polska annual report
Oktawian Zając, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Head of BCG Poland, Global Head of BCG Ukrainian Virtual Hub

11:30 - 12:00

The Time is Now for Diversity & Inclusion
Annie Wu, Global Head of Inclusion & Diversity at H&M Group
Dr Gus Bussmann, IDEA Senior Manager at lululemon
Rashmi Verma, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at HUGO BOSS
Patrycja Król, Project Leader, BCG

12:00 - 12:10

Designing with Purpose: AI-Models
Michael Musandu, Founder & CEO at Lalaland

12:10 - 12:35

Adaptive Fashion - a movement, not a moment
Helya Mohammadian, Founder and CEO of Slick Chicks
Yasmin Keats, Executive Director of Open Style Lab
Sandra Prętczyńska-Plichta, Consultant, BCG

12:35 - 12:50

Moving Forward Towards Equity
Stacia Jones, Global VP, Head of IDEA at lululemon
Giada Maldotti, BCG Partner

12:50 - 13:50

LUNCH BREAK
(13:45 energizer by Aleks Kop, lululemon)

BLOCK:

REDUCE

13:50 - 13:55

Welcome back
Zuzanna Krzątała, Sustainability Manager, Vogue Polska

13:55 - 14:20

Fashion’s Waste Problem
Matteo Ward, Co-founder & CEO at WRÅD, author of ‘JUNK: Full wardrobe’
Liz Ricketts, Executive Director of The Or Foundation
Ann Runnel, Founder & CEO of Reverse Resources
Zuzanna Krzątała, Sustainability Manager, Vogue Polska

14:20 - 14:45

REpair & Care
Martyna Zastawna, Founder of woshwosh
Thami Schweichler, Founder & CEO at United Repair Centre & Makers Unite
Hasna Kourda, Founder & CEO at Save Your Wardrobe
Kamila Wagner, Fashion Editor, Vogue Polska

14:45 - 15:05

DIRT: From Seed to Garment
Arizona Muse, Founder of DIRT Charity, model activist
Karolina Sobańska, podcaster

15:05 - 15:30

Clean Beauty
Marek Gut, Co-Founder and CEO, Your KAYA
Joanna Ryglewicz, Founder of Oio Lab
Ruth Andrade, Earth Care Strategy Lead, Lush Cosmetics 
Agnieszka Zygmunt, Beauty Editor, Vogue Polska

15:30 - 16:00

COFFEE BREAK
(15:35 energizer by Aleks Kop, lululemon)

BLOCK:

SOLUTIONS

16:00 - 16:30

Wear Your Values
Ayesha Barenblat, Founder and CEO of Remake
Aditi Mayer, Labor rights and environmental justice activist
Cameron Russell, Model activist, community organizer
Zuzanna Krzątała, Sustainability Manager, Vogue Polska

16:30 - 16:55

From Climate Commitment to Climate Action
Katarzyna Bałucka-Dębska, EU Climate policy - citizens and stakeholders engagement at the European Commission
Dr. Hakan Karaosman, Asst. Prof. Cardiff University, Co-Founder, Fashion’s Responsible Supply Chain Hub
Irmina Opala – Sołtysiak, Head of Leasing, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Jakub Skwarło, COO, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield
Filip Karasiewicz, Project Leader, BCG

16:55 - 17:15

Sustainable Thinking: The Power of Storytelling
Aditi Mayer, visual storyteller and photojournalist
Alec Leach, author of The World Is On Fire But We're Still Buying Shoes
Ina Lekiewicz, Editor in Chief, Vogue Polska

17:15 - 17:20

WRAP UP
Zuzanna Krzątała, Sustainability Manager, Vogue Polska

Meet our speakers

Business Fashion Environment Summit 2022 Recap 

On October 11, 2022, the third edition of the Business Fashion Environment Summit was held at Nobu Hotel in Warsaw. Titled “Fashioning New Realities”, the BFES 2022 explored the theme of the metaverse and its impact on the fashion industry. Amongst the many great speakers were Stella McCartney, Julie Pelipas, Dana Thomas, and Lucy Shea from Futerra.

Dana Thomas, European Sustainability Editor at British Vogue, author of “Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes”

Dana Thomas, European Sustainability Editor at British Vogue, author of “Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes”

Henrik Wenders, Chief Marketing Officer AUDI AG with Ina Lekiewicz, Editor-in-Chief at „Vogue Polska”

Henrik Wenders, Chief Marketing Officer AUDI AG with Ina Lekiewicz, Editor-in-Chief at „Vogue Polska”

Beata Wilczek, Founder of Unfolding Strategies, Ngozi Okaro, Founder of Custom Collaborative and Zuzanna Krzątała, Sustainability Manager at Vogue Polska

Beata Wilczek, Founder of Unfolding Strategies, Ngozi Okaro, Founder of Custom Collaborative and Zuzanna Krzątała, Sustainability Manager at Vogue Polska

Stella McCartney, designer 

Stella McCartney, designer 

Julie Pelipas, Founder of “Bettter”, former fashion director of  „Vogue Ukraine”. 

Julie Pelipas, Founder of “Bettter”, former fashion director of  „Vogue Ukraine”. 

Natalia Modenova, Co-founder of DressX

Natalia Modenova, Co-founder of DressX

Leanne Elliott Young and Cattytay, Founders of the Institute of Digital Fashion

Leanne Elliott Young and Cattytay, Founders of the Institute of Digital Fashion

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Dana Thomas, European Sustainability Editor at British Vogue, author of “Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes”

Dana Thomas, European Sustainability Editor at British Vogue, author of “Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes”

Henrik Wenders, Chief Marketing Officer AUDI AG with Ina Lekiewicz, Editor-in-Chief at „Vogue Polska”

Henrik Wenders, Chief Marketing Officer AUDI AG with Ina Lekiewicz, Editor-in-Chief at „Vogue Polska”

Beata Wilczek, Founder of Unfolding Strategies, Ngozi Okaro, Founder of Custom Collaborative and Zuzanna Krzątała, Sustainability Manager at Vogue Polska

Beata Wilczek, Founder of Unfolding Strategies, Ngozi Okaro, Founder of Custom Collaborative and Zuzanna Krzątała, Sustainability Manager at Vogue Polska

Stella McCartney, designer 

Stella McCartney, designer 

Julie Pelipas, Founder of “Bettter”, former fashion director of  „Vogue Ukraine”. 

Julie Pelipas, Founder of “Bettter”, former fashion director of  „Vogue Ukraine”. 

Natalia Modenova, Co-founder of DressX

Natalia Modenova, Co-founder of DressX

Leanne Elliott Young and Cattytay, Founders of the Institute of Digital Fashion

Leanne Elliott Young and Cattytay, Founders of the Institute of Digital Fashion

Read and download the Business Fashion Environment Summit 2022 Report

Business Fashion Environment Summit 2021 Recap 

On October 22 September 2021, we held the second edition of the Business Fashion Environment Summit at the Royal Łazienki Park in the heart of Warsaw. Among notable speakers were models and activists - Amber Valletta and Anja Rubik, Michael Beutler, Sustainability Operations Director at Kering, Derek Blasberg, Cyrill Gutsch, Founder of Parley for the Oceans and Robert van de Kerkhof from Lenzing. The conference was not only intended to publicize sustainable fashion, but also to build relationships between influential players in the industry.

Amber Valletta, model and activist, and Ina Lekiewicz, Editor in Chief of "Vogue Polska"

Amber Valletta, model and activist, and Ina Lekiewicz, Editor in Chief of "Vogue Polska"

Anja Rubik, model and activist and Cyrill Gutsch, Founder of Parley for the Oceans

Anja Rubik, model and activist and Cyrill Gutsch, Founder of Parley for the Oceans

Michael Ferraro, Executive Director of the FIT DTech Lab, Eva Kruse, Global Executive at PANGAIA and Global Fashion Agenda Board Member, Robert van de Kerkhof, CCO at Lenzing AG, and Kristina Mennella at Boston Consulting Group

Michael Ferraro, Executive Director of the FIT DTech Lab, Eva Kruse, Global Executive at PANGAIA and Global Fashion Agenda Board Member, Robert van de Kerkhof, CCO at Lenzing AG, and Kristina Mennella at Boston Consulting Group

Michael Beutler, Director of Sustainability Operations, Kering, Simone Cipriani, Chairperson of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, and Kirstin Mennella at BCG

Michael Beutler, Director of Sustainability Operations, Kering, Simone Cipriani, Chairperson of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, and Kirstin Mennella at BCG

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Amber Valletta, model and activist, and Ina Lekiewicz, Editor in Chief of "Vogue Polska"

Amber Valletta, model and activist, and Ina Lekiewicz, Editor in Chief of "Vogue Polska"

Anja Rubik, model and activist and Cyrill Gutsch, Founder of Parley for the Oceans

Anja Rubik, model and activist and Cyrill Gutsch, Founder of Parley for the Oceans

Michael Ferraro, Executive Director of the FIT DTech Lab, Eva Kruse, Global Executive at PANGAIA and Global Fashion Agenda Board Member, Robert van de Kerkhof, CCO at Lenzing AG, and Kristina Mennella at Boston Consulting Group

Michael Ferraro, Executive Director of the FIT DTech Lab, Eva Kruse, Global Executive at PANGAIA and Global Fashion Agenda Board Member, Robert van de Kerkhof, CCO at Lenzing AG, and Kristina Mennella at Boston Consulting Group

Michael Beutler, Director of Sustainability Operations, Kering, Simone Cipriani, Chairperson of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, and Kirstin Mennella at BCG

Michael Beutler, Director of Sustainability Operations, Kering, Simone Cipriani, Chairperson of the UN Alliance for Sustainable Fashion, and Kirstin Mennella at BCG

Read and download the Business Fashion Environment Summit 2021 Report

Business Fashion Environment Summit 2020 Recap 

On September 22, "Vogue Polska" organized the first conference on sustainability the business and fashion industey in Central and Eastern Europe. World experts and environmental activists met during the Business Fashion Environment Summit in Warsaw, including His Serene Highness Maximilian, Prince of Liechtenstein, Alexi Lubomirski, Samata Pattison and Robert van de Kerkhof.

The guest of honor at the conference was HSH Maximilian, Prince of Liechtenstein.

The guest of honor at the conference was HSH Maximilian, Prince of Liechtenstein.

Robert van de Kerkhof, CCO w Lenzing AG

Robert van de Kerkhof, CCO w Lenzing AG

Filip Niedenthal, former Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Poland in conversation with Alexi Lubomirski

Filip Niedenthal, former Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Poland in conversation with Alexi Lubomirski

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The guest of honor at the conference was HSH Maximilian, Prince of Liechtenstein.

The guest of honor at the conference was HSH Maximilian, Prince of Liechtenstein.

Robert van de Kerkhof, CCO w Lenzing AG

Robert van de Kerkhof, CCO w Lenzing AG

Filip Niedenthal, former Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Poland in conversation with Alexi Lubomirski

Filip Niedenthal, former Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Poland in conversation with Alexi Lubomirski