Dear GFA Community,
As we usher in 2026, I extend my gratitude to our dedicated community for another impactful year together.
It would, however, be remiss of me not to acknowledge the challenges that our industry has collectively faced this year – from climate catastrophes, and global supply chain disruptions, to the questioning of sustainability goals, and reshaping of cultural narratives. The industry’s collective capacity to withstand and adapt has been profoundly tested and the widening gap between climate ambitions and tangible implementation feels ever starker.
At GFA, we remain committed to guiding the industry through these complexities and have been encouraged by the adaptive and innovative thinking that we are witnessing firsthand across our community.
Overcoming barriers and building bridges was the cornerstone of Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen in June, where dedicated fashion stakeholders convened around the collective ambition for a better future. This sentiment continued through to Climate Week NYC where GFA was proud to collaborate with its partners to host a number of action orientated roundtables, innovation networking sessions, and a policy masterclass.
In addition to our productive convening moments, we accelerated our impact through programmes centred on circularity, pay equity, and climate. We proudly launched the Circular Fashion Partnership: Türkiye, expanding on successful implementation in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Indonesia.
This year, we’ve continued to equip thousands with tools and knowledge to support implementation, including the Fashion CEO Agenda 2025, Fashion Impact Toolkit, Policy Matrices EU & Americas, Apparel and Footwear Circularity Map, and Upstream Circularity Podcast.
As we reflect on a year marked by both challenges and opportunities, I’m also inspired by the leaders of tomorrow from our Next Gen Assembly and the innovative solutions platformed by our Trailblazer Programme. This is the ingenuity and optimism that bring me hope and can inspire a flourishing future for the fashion industry.
I once again reiterate my thanks to you – our vibrant GFA community. I believe sustainability can be a uniting bond among all of us, and a mindset for us to thrive. As we approach the new year, I wish you a restorative and reflective time and eagerly anticipate the impact we can cultivate together in 2026. Together we can build resilient futures for our industry, our planet, and generations to come.
Best wishes and happy holidays,
Federica Marchionni, CEO
