Fashion Futuring Workshop: A Collaborative Exploration of Fashion’s Future

by Epaminondas Christophilopoulos, Greece Node Chair

On 20 January 2025, the Fashion Futuring Workshop took place as part of the Eye of Europe project, a vibrant initiative dedicated to fostering innovation and sustainability in Europe. Co-organized by the UNESCO Chair on Futures Research, Helenos Consulting, and MOMus – Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki, this dynamic 4-hour session brought together over 20 participants, including fashion designers, fashion school students, policy makers, and sustainability experts. Together, they delved into the transformative potential of fashion and its evolving values using the Fashion Futuring Methodology developed by Clarice Garcia.

At the heart of the workshop was the Fashion Futuring Methodology, a framework that engages stakeholders in envisioning diverse futures of fashion by fostering creative and critical thinking. Designed to integrate foresight and systems thinking, this approach encourages participants to examine how emerging trends, societal shifts, and technological advancements influence the values and practices within the fashion industry.

Following the workshop, participants were guided to the exhibition “Collective Threads: Anna Andreeva at the Red Rose Silk Factory” at the MOMus-Museum of Modern Art. This inspiring exhibition, provided an opportunity to reflect on the intersection of art, history, and fashion, offering a complementary perspective to the themes explored during the workshop.

The outcomes of this workshop will feed into the broader Eye of Europe project, informing future initiatives and policy recommendations. By integrating foresight methodologies into their practices, stakeholders are empowered to build resilient and innovative pathways for the fashion industry’s future.

Upcoming Event: Second International Fashion Futuring Workshop

Building on the success of the first session, a Second International Fashion Futuring Workshop organized within the Eye of Europe project, is scheduled to take place on 14th April, 2025. This follow-up event, moderated by Stavros Mantzanakis and Epaminondas Christophilopoulos, Chairs of the Greece Node of The Millennium Project, together with Eliza Savvopoulou, will further explore the future of fashion, bringing together a new cohort of international participants, among whom Mara Di Berardo, Comms Director of The Millennium Project and Co-Chairs of its Italy Node.

Fashion Futuring is an innovative approach that investigates potential links among objects, fiction, culture, and systems to understand how the values of the systems/societies can shape the future of fashion. It suggests a significant shift in the future of fashion approach, moving away from short-term trends and financial forecasting as primary factors for fashion production, towards sustainable, more humane means of fashion producing and consuming.

For more information about the event, read Second Eye of Europe Pilot in Fashion Futuring, in April, in Thessaloniki, GR on the Futures4Europe website.