The Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network is a United Nations (UN) hosted online platform for industry stakeholders, media, Governments, and UN system entities. The network showcases and enables collaborations that accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Considering the fashion and lifestyle sector’s significant impact on societies and the environment, the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network fosters transparent, inclusive, and transformative engagement of global stakeholders to drive urgent action for sustainability, providing an impartial platform for the industry and the UN system. Since launching in 2021, the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network has supported social enterprises towards systemic changes, adding 922 commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals from 162 members in 60 countries. Notable members of the network include Kingpins, Lenzing, Mara Hoffman, Material Exchange, Messe Frankfurt, Swarovski and Textile Exchange. The United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network is a joint initiative of the UN Office for Partnerships, the Division for Sustainable Development Goals - UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the Fashion Impact Fund. This platform represents a collaborative and transparent space that brings together leaders of the sustainable fashion industry, academia, and non-profit experts to enable collaboration for impact and strengthen the partnership ecosystem. Ultimately, the goal of the network is to provide a platform where industry stakeholders, governments and NGOs can share sustainable solutions and report progress to help accelerate and contribute to delivering the SDGs. Here, the idea is for the Sustainable Development Goals to become a shared global vision among the fashion and lifestyle sectors to move towards an overall systemic change through the promotion of sustainability. In June 2022, the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network hosted its inaugural annual meeting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. Gabriela Hearst, Tracy Reese, Arizona Muse, Mara Hoffman and Patrick McDowell joined industry stakeholders, media, Governments and United Nations representatives to highlight actions, solutions, and progress from the fashion and lifestyle sectors to advance sector engagement in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals as adopted by the United Nations Member States in 2015. Ambassador Alexander Marschik, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, opened the meeting calling upon the fashion industry to make a global statement by contributing to healing the planet. The key objectives of the meeting were to mobilize expertise, innovation, technology, and resources towards a sustainable and inclusive COVID-19 recovery, with the SDG’s as a guiding framework. The network continues its commitment to keeping the promises of the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring that everyone, everywhere can live in dignity, prosperity, and peace on a safe and healthy planet.
