Fashinnovation's 2nd Spring Salon Dinner Gathers Top Fashion Leaders to Discuss Sustainability in Fashion.

The 2nd edition of the Spring Studios X Fashinnovation Dinner Series took place on May 12th with the goal of discussing the problem of sustainability in the current global fashion landscape. Guests included model Brana Dane, designer Norma Kamali, executive Lewis Perkins and founder/tech leader Sinead Bovell, among others.

Fashinnovation, the global platform that promotes connection via Technology/Innovations & Sustainability for the Fashion & Lifestyle Industries, presented a ‘Dinner Series’ with partner Spring Studios, in NYC. Programmed to happen every other month, the dinners are for 25 selected guests from the fashion, technology, business and design worlds, discussing specific relevant topics for the industries and promoting positive change for all the sectors.

On this new dinner series, Fashinnovation's Co-Founder, Jordana Guimarães stated: “It's a privilege having the chance to meet personally with so many important decision-makers from the fashion and innovation sectors, to discuss such an important and time sensitive topic as sustainability. The Dinner Series - in partnership with Spring Studios - is generating opportunities to debate relevant issues for our present - and future - with the leaders and change makers, that we can then share it with everyone so that we’re all a part of the change.”

The 2nd dinner - following the kickoff which focused on the Metaverse, in March - took place on May 12th from 5:30 PM to 8 PM at Spring Studios, where the main topic was on sustainability in the fashion industry and contributions from the industry to environmental preservation.

“Last night the Spring X Fashinnovation dinner was another important milestone in our partnership,” said Giuseppe Stigliano, global CEO of Spring Studios. “25 fashion executives, activists, designers spending time together as friends, discussing how the industry should reinvent itself. Simply amazing! At Spring we believe that diversity in thoughts, opens minds and inspires progress”.

The guests were Norma Kamali (Founder & Creative director), Brana Dane (Model & Founder), Hayley Segar (Founder & Influencer), Sinead Bovell (Model, Tech Leader & Founder at WAYE), Keith Lissner (EVP at Vera Wang), Abrima Erwiah (Co-Founder, Studio One Eighty Nine), Rana Sidahmed (Senior Director, Avery Dennison), Marci Zaroff (Founder), Martu Freeman Parker (Director, Mana Fashion), Enzo Barraco (international Photographer), Gary Wassner (President, Hilldun), Gabby Hirata (President/CEO, Diane Von Furstenberg), Kika Hazan (entrepreneur), Ariane de Vos van Steenwijk (DVF), Kerry Bannigan (Founder & CEO at Conscious Fashion Campaign), Giuseppe Stigliano (Global CEO at Spring Studios), and Fashinnovation's Founder, Marcelo Guimarães, and Co-Founder, Jordana Guimarães.

“The dinner is a great way to delve deeper into the niche issues related to fashion,” said Brana Dane. “Being involved in the intersection of sustainability and fashion, myself, it was a rare opportunity to take the temperature of the top leaders in this focused area. Due to the intimate size of the dinners you really get a chance to get to know every single person and as a result real connections are made. Norma was an inspirational guest speaker during the dinner and so willing to converse about the nitty gritty of fashion. I think we should do more dinners like this in fashion to encourage innovation and community.”

Kerry Bannigan also expressed her enthusiasm for the event, commenting: “Community is at the core of Fashinnovation. In this dinner series collaboration with Spring Studios, the partnership is bringing together voices of change and industry leaders to engage on how fashion and technology are driving our sustainability today and beyond.”

The special ‘Galapagos’ installation by international photographer Enzo Barraco was also presented at the event. The main goal of the Dinner Series is to promote a close contact between today's leaders from diverse creative industries, in order to trade strategies, knowledge and unique experiences that will clear the path for the future of fashion.

Attendee, Sinead Bovell, said of the event: “The Fashionnovation Sustainability dinner was an evening filled with co-collaboration, ideation and passion for building a more sustainable fashion ecosystem. With guests from all different aspects of the industry, the doors were opened to learning from new perspectives and cross-pollinating ideas. A critical step in redesigning the industry.”

Speaking to Fashinnovation, Abrima Erwiah said: "I had an amazing time. What I love about you and your events including last night’s dinner is that they are filled with love and with optimism. You create safe spaces and encourage dialogue and encourage a cross-networking of people with the vision that you hope that they will come together to solve critical social issues. But your baseline is always positive. That resonates with me. I have been to your online events during the pandemic, to your in-person events internationally and domestically and I always get the same feeling. It was a brilliant idea to host a small intimate intentional dinner. And I’m thrilled it’s the first of many. Congratulations! You are a guiding light."

Author: ​​Júlia Vilaça, Head of Content at FASHINNOVATION.