The mood in Copenhagen two weeks ago? Mixed. You know when you show up to a group dinner and half the table’s buzzing with ideas and the other half is lowkey spiralling about the bill? That’s kind of what the Global Fashion Summit felt like this year.
On one hand, there were real moments of hope: brands talking circularity without using it as a buzzword, garment workers actually being centred in the conversation (not just shouted out on a slide), and clear calls to move beyond greenwashing and into actual systems change. On the other? A bit of greenhushing, some awkward silences around policy delays, and a realisation that even the biggest players don’t quite know how to make this all work yet.
But here’s the bit that matters: the Summit showed us exactly what conversations are about to shape fashion for the next 5–10 years. Because while a lot of fashion events are just dressed-up press junkets, GFS is where the big-picture roadmaps get dropped… Quietly, if you’re not paying attention.
The biggest takeaway? “Operationalising circularity” isn’t just a phrase to chuck into your investor pitch anymore. Everyone’s scrambling to figure out what that actually looks like on the ground. Lenzing talked recycled fibre innovations, WBCSD launched circularity metrics, and Tommy Hilfiger’s team admitted the challenges of shifting big systems while still trying to keep up commercially. Basically: no one’s nailed it, but the urgency’s there now.
It’s also worth noting who wasn’t the centre of the story: legacy fast fashion giants. This year, more space was given to innovators, garment worker organisers, and cross-industry collabs. That shift feels tiny but symbolic, maybe finally we’re letting go of chasing unicorns and starting to build collectives.
There were also juicy side notes about upcoming EU regulation (hint: DPPs and EPRs are coming for your samples folder) and a surprising focus on water resilience. Like, yes, finally someone said it: we can’t have sustainable textiles if we’re draining rivers to produce them.
But probably the best bit? The emerging creatives who were given the mic. This year’s Summit didn’t just nod to youth voices, it passed the mic. And when you’re a small brand founder or upcycling designer trying to figure out if you even belong in these rooms, seeing someone like you speak truth to power on stage matters.
So what does it all mean for us UK-based, early-stage, side-hustling, DIY-til-you-die fashion makers? It means pay attention to the energy shifts. Because by the time those trends hit Vogue Business or brand decks, the real ones already clocked them months ago. The next three years are going to reshape fashion’s supply chains, storytelling methods, and sustainability metrics and if we know what’s coming, we can move quicker, pivot smarter, and honestly? Lead better.