Dr. Mariangela Lavanga co-initiator of Culture.Fashion

Culture.Fashion is an open, value-driven, network in the field of fashion and textile that brings dedicated people together. The fast life cycle of clothing, extreme waste of materials, worldwide transportation of raw materials and products, dreadful working conditions and disastrous consequences for the climate must change. Worldwide there is growing support for the necessary change, transparency and further collaboration that put forwards a diverse range of fashion values – financial and environmental values combined with social and cultural values. With Culture.Fashion, different parties are brought together; new local initiatives are started; a culture of collaboration is stimulated; tools are presented to highlight the Dutch fashion landscape; and the future of fashion in the Netherlands in 2050 will be explored and shaped in various working groups.

Culture.Fashion is supported by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science of The Netherlands. In 2018, Minister Ingrid Van Engelshoven announced her plans to give a boost to Dutch fashion. The overreaching mission  is to contribute to a fashion industry that addresses inclusivity, collaboration and circularity and that put forward the cultural and societal values of fashion. In the past year, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has engaged in conversations with several organizations that are trying to transform the existing fashion system. Dr. Mariangela Lavanga was among the experts invited to envision a Fashion Programme (Modeprogramma) for The Netherlands. Following a year-long of work, a number of work sessions were organized on 27 February 2020 in Arnhem. Over 100 fashion stakeholders were invited to the Town Hall in Arnhem to jointly plan for an activity programme, a mapping of Dutch fashion initiatives and a future-proof narrative for Dutch fashion.