Articles by Guest Contributor
Guest contributors write for FashionUnited on a voluntary basis to share their expertise and highlight topics that matter to fashion industry professionals.
When retail loses footfall and relevance, brands must step in
The figures are clear. According to a forecast by the German Retail Federation (HDE), the number of brick and mortar retail stores in Germany will fall below 300,000 in 2026 for the first time since reunification – to around 296,600. At the end of 2015, there were still approximately 372,000. Nearly 80 percent of retailers report in an HDE...
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Modest shoppers look for more than just a maxi dress
The opening of Italian fashion retailer OVS in Dubai Mall provided a fitting opportunity to reflect on the retail offering for the modest shopper. In the store, we observed various brands and numerous garments suitable for a modest wardrobe: longer silhouettes, relaxed fits and pieces that lend themselves well to layering. These possibilities...
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What Fashion Farm teaches me
What began as a personal study has grown into a place where we collectively explore how fashion can reconnect with its origins. The Fashion Farm in Welsum, a small Dutch village on the left bank of the IJssel River in the municipality of Olst-Wijhe, raises a fundamental question: what happens when we reconnect fashion with the source of...
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The wonder of woad: from seed to colour
In the wet spring of 2024, Roua Alhalabi of Roua Atelier came to the Fashion Farm in the Netherlands with a glass jar full of woad seeds. A simple idea emerged from conversations about plants, pigments and textile knowledge lost over the centuries: what if we sowed this historic dye plant together here on our farm? Just among the vegetables in...
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Regardless of the World Cup winner, merchandise always loses
The World Cup is in full swing. While we remain in our small, football-mad country discuss line-ups, substitutions and the unprecedented performance of Cape Verde (!), a supply chain is running at full capacity somewhere. It is producing products with a shelf life of just a few weeks. The Dutch 'Juichjack', the World Cup dressing gown, the...
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Luxury redefined: how emotional connection is becoming the new currency of the industry
The luxury industry has always stood for prestige, exclusivity and artisanal perfection. For a long time, it was associated with a kind of promise: investing in a brand meant acquiring not just a product, but also status, cultural relevance and a sense of belonging. This understanding still holds true today, yet the underlying model for success...
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Why 10,000 metres of hand-spun flax thread is not enough for a single garment
Some designs tell a story not just through what they are, but primarily through what came before them. The Lin jacket is perhaps the most tangible example of this for me. What once began as a limited edition design of organically grown linen from The Linen Project has evolved into a garment that now carries multiple layers of meaning. About the...
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Social safety in the workplace: the art of saying no politely
In a healthy organisation, psychological safety is not just about respect and professional conduct, but also about something often underestimated: the space to set boundaries. In the fashion industry, where creativity, commercial pressure, tight collection deadlines and personal relationships constantly intertwine, being able to say a clear but...
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Programmed desire: how fashion stays desirable when AI fills the shopping basket
Fashion has always been about seduction, desire, belonging and differentiation. Aura, as people much younger than me call it. We covet a look, a feeling, a style, a lifestyle. This desire is triggered by inspiring people on social media, catwalks, in pop culture, advertising and within our circle of friends. The sources of this desire have...
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Case studies in the rise of ESG disputes: Greenwashing and social washing in focus
This week, it was announced that the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), together with four consumers, is filing a lawsuit against clothing brand Levi Strauss (Levi's). The case revolves around alleged misleading sustainability claims and labour rights violations at a factory in Turkey where Levi's manufactures. More than 400 workers lost their jobs...
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