Victoria’s fashion future: Innovating for a sustainable and fair industry

Fashion is more than just clothing—it's a powerful medium of self-expression and a $3.7 trillion global industry that affects the lives of one in six people worldwide. However, the fast-paced production of cheap, trendy items is driving environmental degradation, waste, and unethical labor practices. The Future Fashion System Talk brings leading industry experts to explore the current fashion landscape in Victoria and Australia. Learn about the challenges and potential solutions, and discover how you can take action to promote a more sustainable and equitable fashion future.

About our speakers:
Nicoletta Stecca - Nicky is a fashion designer and digital manufacturer with over ten years of experience in the fashion industry.
She advocates for a system change in the fashion industry through her two non-profit organisations, rén collective in Italy and Circular Economy Victoria in Australia, and through her work at the UN Fashion Charter for Climate Action. In her most recent role as an Innovation Officer at City of Casey, she is supporting the establishment of one of the first government-led Circular Economy Living Lab in Australia, exploring collaborative opportunities for local impact through co-design of scalable circular solutions.

Miriam Borcherdt - Miriam Borcherdt has extensive design experience working for leading European design houses as well as running her own company (www.kin-studio.com). She founded the interdisciplinary design studio Central Office of Design and Architecture (CODA) and the women’s wear label munk which opened its flagship store The Signet Bureau in Fitzroy (until 2011). She has developed a range of homeware objects in industrial felt working with the Asylum Resource Centre. Previously she worked for Romeo Gigli in Milan and John Galliano in Paris. She has also worked with Monash University and MPavilion to deliver the Wearing The City exhibitions in 2016 and 2017. She completed her undergraduate studies at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Providence, USA and is currently enrolled in a PhD at RMIT that explores scalable circular design through remanufacture. She has been teaching at RMIT since 2011 with a focus on sustainable design practices from design development to ethical manufacturing.

Event Agenda:
6:00 PM - 6:05 PM | Welcome and Introduction
6:05 PM - 6:40 PM | Panel Discussion
6:40 PM - 6:50 PM | Audience Q&A
6:50 PM - 7:00 PM | Exhibition Tour

The Glyn Davis Building is wheelchair accessible. If you have any questions about your visit, email us at msd-exhibitions@unimelb.edu.au.

Parking is available at the Eastern Precinct Carpark For your best public transport route, visit Public Transport Victoria