Copenhagen Fashion Week Podcast

The evolving role of media in fashion

Is media in a state of flux, or is it evolving into new formats, with fresh values and outlooks? How is fashion media in today's age advancing the industry, or is it crippling the creative landscape?

To explore the topic, Moderator Dal Chodha, Editor of Archivist Addendum, brings together Jeppe Ugelvig Editor-in-chief of Viscose Journal and Navi Ahluwalia, Managing Editor of Hypebae.

Moderator:

Dal Chodha — Editor-in-chief of Archivist Addendum

Dal Chodha is a London-based writer, consultant, and Editor-in-Chief of Archivist Addendum, a publishing project exploring the space between fashion editorial and academia. He is a Contributing Editor at Wallpaper* and Pathway Leader of the BA Fashion Communication: Image & Promotion course at Central Saint Martins. Dal is also the author of SHOW NOTES and You Gotta Keep Your Head Straight About Clothes.

Panelists:

Jeppe Ugelvig — Editor-in-chief of Viscose Journal

Jeppe Ugelvig is a curator, historian, and cultural critic based in New York City. He specialises in the intersection of art and fashion and is the author of Fashion Work and Commodity Ecumene, along with numerous essays and articles. He has taught and lectured internationally at institutions including NYU, Parsons School of Design, Goldsmiths, and the University of Copenhagen, covering topics in art criticism, fashion theory, and curatorial studies. Jeppe is also the founding Editor-in-Chief of Viscose, a journal for fashion criticism and analysis that collaborates with leading art institutions worldwide.

Navi Ahluwalia — Managing Editor of Hypebae

Navi Ahluwalia is a journalist, mentor, and Managing Editor at Hypebae. She covers fashion and culture, with a particular focus on inclusivity and representation. A regular attendee at fashion weeks across Europe, she has become a prominent voice in the global fashion industry.

CPHFW x The Soulfuls: Creative Pathways

Exploring the many pathways into fashion through creativity, collaboration and community.

To explore the topic, moderator Aram Ostadian-Binai, Founder & CEO of The Soulfuls, sits down with Eva Kruse, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Bee:wild and former Founder & CEO of Global Fashion Agenda and Copenhagen Fashion Week, for a conversation on the experiences, relationships and opportunities that have shaped their careers.

Moderator:

Aram Ostadian-Binai — Founder & CEO, The Soulfuls

Aram Ostadian-Binai is Founder & CEO of the award-winning NGO The Soulfuls — a 4,000+ member community connecting women with mentorship, networks and opportunities, with a focus on supporting women from underrepresented backgrounds. Aram is a recognised leader in fashion, culture and inclusion, with more than 13 years of experience building global brands and creating cultural impact.

Panelist: 

Eva Kruse — Founder & former CEO CPHFW

Eva Kruse is a pioneering sustainability leader, internationally recognised as the “mother of sustainable fashion” for her role in transforming environmental and social responsibility within the global fashion industry. In 2006, Kruse founded Copenhagen Fashion Week and the Danish Fashion Institute, serving as Founder and CEO until 2016. During her decade-long leadership, she helped establish Copenhagen as an internationally influential fashion capital while using the position to place sustainability on the industry’s agenda.

In 2009, in conjunction with the UN Climate Change Conference COP15 in Copenhagen, Kruse founded Global Fashion Summit – now the world’s leading forum for sustainability in fashion. She subsequently established and led Global Fashion Agenda, the acclaimed thought-leadership organisation behind the Summit, working with many of the world’s most influential business leaders and global brands, including for eksample Kering, Nike, PVH, Target, H&M and Bestseller.

Under Kruse’s leadership, Global Fashion Agenda developed a series of landmark initiatives and publications that helped accelerate the industry’s shift towards more responsible practices. These included the 2020 Circular Fashion Commitment, the Pulse of the Fashion Industry reports in partnership with Boston Consulting Group, the annual Fashion CEO Agenda, and Fashion on Climate in partnership with McKinsey. Together, these tools established essential industry benchmarks and encouraged companies and policymakers to pursue bolder and more urgent sustainability action.

Kruse has collaborated extensively with organisations including the United Nations, the European Commission and leading global foundations, using her ability to engage business, government and civil society to advance systemic change. From 2021 to 2024, she served as Group SVP and Chief Global Engagement Officer at PANGAIA, the materials science company developing breakthrough innovations for everyday lifestyle products.

Today, Kruse is Co-founder and Executive Director of Bee:wild, a science-led civic engagement initiative launched at COP28 in Dubai and powered by Re:wild, the global nature conservation organisation co-founded by Leonardo DiCaprio. Bee:wild mobilises governments, businesses, scientists, citizens and cultural leaders to protect pollinators, restore urban biodiversity and nature corridors for healthier, more nature-rich people and planet. The initiative is already building an influential international coalition with support from heaviweights like of Heartland by Anders Holch Povlsen, Susan Rockefeller, BAMM Foundation by Melony and Adfam Lewis, The Fabel Fund by Akash Mehha.

Early years Kruse was educated at the alternative business school The Kaospilots and built a successful career in media as editor-in-chief of Eurowoman and VIVA and as a television presenter for Danish TV2, TV3 and ZTV. This background, combined with her experience convening leaders and driving complex agendas, has made her a formidable communicator and a sought-after international keynote speaker, including at TEDx. 
Her honours include a Human Rights Prize from France and a Royal Order of Chivalry from the Danish Monarchy. 

Across fashion, business, media and nature conservation, Eva Kruse’s career has been defined by her ability to turn ideas into movements, bring unlikely partners together and place sustainability at the heart of cultural and commercial change. 
Kruse is Danish, currently based in the UAE, and is married with three children.

The Rise of Modest Fashion

Why the industry can no longer afford to ignore Modest Fashion?

To explore the topic, moderator Julie Lou, host of The Female Effect podcast, brings together Imane Asry, creative consultant and modest fashion influencer; Nada Merrachi, founder and Chief Creative Officer of Merrachi; Samet Akti, Senior D&I Manager at Zalando and Rawdah Mohamed, Model & Entrepreneur, RÅDA

Moderator:

Julie Lou — Host of The Female Effect Podcast 

Julie Lou is the host of The Female Effect, a podcast dedicated to amplifying women’s stories through honest conversations, challenging established narratives, and connecting women across professions and backgrounds. Previous guests include world-renowned artist MØ, Holzweiler founder Susanne Holzweiler, and feminist debater and author Emma Holten.

Panelists:

Imane Asry — Creative Consultant & Modest Fashion Influencer

Imane Asry is a Copenhagen-based creative consultant and modest fashion influencer known for blending Scandinavian minimalism with modest fashion. Since launching her first blog in 2011, she has become a recognised voice in the global modest fashion space, shaping conversations around representation, inclusion, and contemporary dressing. Her work has been featured in Vogue, ELLE, and COSTUME, and she has collaborated with brands including COS, ARKET, and Valentino. Imane also serves on the advisory board of Copenhagen Fashion Week.

Nada Merrachi — Founder & Chief Creative Officer, Merrachi

Nada Merrachi is the founder and Chief Creative Officer of MERRACHI, a global modest fashion brand redefining contemporary dressing for women worldwide. Drawing on Moroccan craftsmanship and self-taught design, Nada has built a brand that bridges contemporary fashion with cultural identity and personal expression. Through her work, she continues to shape conversations around representation, inclusivity, entrepreneurship, and the future of fashion.

Samet Akti — Senior D&I Manager, Zalando

Samet Akti is a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion leader enabling global organisations through strategic culture transformation. As Senior Expert DEI at Zalando, he leads the direction of the “Inclusive by design” strategy, embedding inclusion across the organisation and making Zalando’s assortment more accessible for a diverse customer base across 29 markets. Previously, Samet worked across DEI, employee experience, and communications at IBM, Google, and Coca-Cola. He is also the founder of AKTIVISM, a DEI consultancy supporting organisations to translate inclusion strategies into practical action for leaders and teams.

Rawdah Mohamed — Model & Entrepreneur, RÅDA

Rawdah Mohamed is a Norwegian-Somali model, founder of RÅDA, and one of fashion’s most impactful hijabi voices, recognised for her Vogue covers, collaborations with leading high fashion partners, and her former role as Fashion Editor at Vogue Scandinavia. In 2021, she launched the viral #HandsOffMyHijab campaign, becoming a leading advocate for Muslim women’s representation, with appearances on HARDtalk and at Forbes panels.

Craft & Culture

How does craft shape fashion and culture, and how can we modernise craftsmanship while preserving traditions?

To explore the topic, Moderator Christina Cacouris, writer and consultant, brings together Omoyemi Akerele, Founder and Executive Director of Lagos Fashion Week; Madhu Vaishnav, Founder and Director of Saheli Women; and Ruby Redstone, Fashion Historian and Founder of New York City concept store, Mess.

Moderator:

Christina Cacouris — Writer, Consultant and Speaker


Christina Cacouris is a writer, speaker, and consultant based between Paris and Copenhagen. She contributes to The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Aperture on fashion, art, and culture. She also hosts an interview series at Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio focused on fashion photography, and has lectured at institutions including the National Arts Club in New York, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Karl Lagerfeld’s private library in Paris.

Panelists:

Omoyemi Akerele — Founder & Executive Director, Lagos Fashion Week

Omoyemi Akerele is the Founder and Executive Director of Style House Files and Lagos Fashion Week, working across Africa’s creative ecosystem to build sustainable fashion infrastructure and support emerging designers. She leads initiatives including Green Access, Woven Threads, and Irapada, focused on circularity and innovation. She is a BOF 500, Yale Climate Fellow, and TIME100 Climate honouree, and in 2025 Lagos Fashion Week received The Earthshot Prize for its work in sustainable fashion.

Madhu Vaishnav — Founder & Director, Saheli Women

Madhu Vaishnav is the Founder of Saheli Women and the Institute for Philanthropy and Humanitarian Development, established in 2015 to create opportunities for women in rural Rajasthan. The organisation has trained more than 800 women and employs over 200 across the sustainable textile value chain. She serves on the UN Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network advisory committee and has received international recognition including the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Award.

Ruby Redstone — Founder, Mess; Fashion Historian and Writer

Ruby Redstone is the founder of Mess, a New York City concept store, as well as a fashion historian and contemporary fashion writer. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and New York Magazine. She holds an MA in Fashion History from the Courtauld Institute of Art.

Fashion and Technology

How can technology disrupt the fashion industry, from helping to create a more sustainable future to promoting creativity?

To explore the topic, moderator Emily Chan, Contributing Sustainability Editor at British Vogue, brings together Filipe Mulonde, GPU Modelling Engineer; Graysha Audren, Founder & CEO of Weffan; Iris Skrami, Co-Founder & CEO of Renoon and Tina Wetshi, Global Head of Events at Nothing.

Moderator:

Emily Chan — Contributing Sustainability Editor, British Vogue

Emily Chan is a sustainability editor, writer and consultant, and Contributing Sustainability Editor at British Vogue. She was previously the Senior Sustainability & Features Editor at British Vogue, where she led on sustainability coverage and special initiatives, including launching the Closet Digest podcast and Fashion is for Everyone campaign. As a leading voice in the sustainable fashion space, Emily regularly speaks at industry-wide events, including moderating discussions at the Global Fashion Summit, UN Climate Conference, and Copenhagen Fashion Week.

Panelists:

Filipe Mulonde — GPU Modelling Engineer

Filipe Mulonde is an Angolan GPU modelling engineer with a background in software engineering and artificial intelligence. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Software Engineering and a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence. He also spent a year conducting scientific research at ETH Zurich, one of the world’s leading computer science institutions. Filipe currently works at Arm Holdings, a world-leading technology company shaping the future of AI compute. His work contributes to technologies used by billions of people, helping power everyday digital experiences. Beyond engineering, he is passionate about fashion, dance, education, and exploring the intersection of fashion, technology, and AI.

Graysha Audren — Founder & CEO, Weffan 

Graysha Audren is a textile engineer and 3D weaving pioneer. She founded Weffan in 2020 on a simple conviction: that waste is a design flaw, not an inevitability. With over six years of experience developing 3D weaving technology, she industrialised the world’s first 3D-woven tailored suit, which was launched globally by Balenciaga for its SS26 collection. Today, she leads textile engineering and manufacturing at Weffan, reframing how garments can be made by engineering out waste at the point of creation rather than managing it after the fact.

Iris Skrami — Co-Founder & CEO, Renoon

Iris Skrami is the Co-Founder and CEO of Renoon, where she builds the infrastructure for Digital Product Passports using AI. Her earlier work at Nike and PVH placed her inside the machinery of global supply chains and consumer decision-making, giving her a clear view of how information moves and where it breaks. Those gaps became the foundation for Renoon, designed to give products a digital identity that persists beyond their first sale. She was recognised by Forbes Under 30 for her contribution to the intersection of technology, traceability, and fashion. Today, Iris focuses on shaping an industry where every product carries its own record, accessible, enduring, and accountable.

Tina Wetshi — Global Head of Events, Nothing 

Tina Wetshi is Global Head of Events at Nothing. She joined Nothing from Dazed, where she produced events across fashion, lifestyle and culture. Previously, Tina worked in fashion PR, both agency side and inhouse, with brands including Bottega Veneta and Karla Otto. Alongside her role at Nothing, she co-founded Colèchi, a platform and collective exploring sustainability and systems change in fashion, creating spaces for people to learn, collaborate and reimagine the relationship between fashion, people and nature.

Designing Tomorrow: Fashion, Foresight, and the Futures We Choose

A strategic foresight conversation exploring the external forces reshaping fashion, and the capabilities needed to anticipate and design multiple futures to navigate complexity.

To explore the topic, Moderator Eva Zimmerman, Supervisor Business Department at Polimoda brings together Tamira Vámosi-Snell, Director & Futurist, Head of Behaviour at Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies; Eva Zimmerman, Supervisor Business Department at Polimoda and Rebekka Bay, Chief Creative Director of Marimekko.

Moderator:

Eva Zimmerman — Supervisor Business Department, Polimoda

Eva works at the intersection of fashion education and industry. Alongside her role in higher education, she collaborates with fashion brands on brand development and wholesale strategy. As Supervisor of the Business Department at Polimoda, one of the world's leading fashion schools based in Italy, Eva shapes the next generation of fashion business professionals while fostering strategic collaborations with global brands and academic partners, bringing a practical, industry-driven perspective to education.

Panelists:

Tamira Vámosi-Snell — Director & Futurist, Head of Behaviour, Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies

With a foundation in cultural sociology, Tamira's work focuses on deciphering the nuances of human behaviour, societal shifts, and the cultural underpinnings that shape our lives and choices. Tamira advises organizations on how to explore complex dynamics and uncover the signals that shape plausible futures. Her strategic experience spans industries, sectors and geographies, enabling her to always connect the dots and reveal how trends cross-fertilize and influence one another.

Rebekka Bay — Chief Creative Director, Marimekko

Rebekka Bay was appointed Marimekko’s Creative Director in September 2020. In her role, she leads Marimekko’s design team and is responsible for the company’s design strategy for fashion, bags and accessories as well as home products.

Bay moved to Marimekko from the position of Creative Director of Uniqlo Global Innovation Center in which she has split her time between New York and Tokyo. She has previously worked as Head of Design and Product of Everlane in New York and San Francisco (2015–2017) as well as Creative Director EVP of Gap Global Design in New York (2012–2015), Creative Director of Bruuns Bazaar in Copenhagen (2011–2012) and Creative Director of COS in London (2006–2011). Bay was a member of Marimekko’s Board of Directors from April 2017 until June 2020.

Fashion as a vehicle for change

How makers, activists, and journalists are transforming one of the world's most powerful industries — and what it will take to go further.

To explore the topic, Moderator Naima Yasin, Head of Secretariat at SAGA, brings together Daphne Chouliaraki Milner, Features Director at Atmos, Emma Håkansson, Founding Director of Collective Fashion Justice, Bubu Ogisi, Founder & Creative Director of IAMISIGO and Veronica D'Souza, Artist, Founder and Sustainability Leader.

Moderator:

Naima Yasin — Head of Secretariat at SAGA

Naima Yasin is a host, moderator and conversation-maker who creates inclusive forums that spark meaningful change. As Head of Secretariat at SAGA, she focuses on democracy, youth engagement and social justice, creating spaces where overlooked voices are heard and complex questions are explored with rigour and care. Across festivals, cultural institutions, media and civil society, Naima guides audiences from passive observers to active participants, leaving them with fresh perspectives long after the conversation ends.

Panelists:

Daphne Chouliaraki Milner — Features Director at Atmos

Daphne Chouliaraki Milner is a London-based writer and editor. She is Features Director at Atmos, a nonprofit publication exploring the intersection of climate and culture, where she oversees editorial content across print and digital platforms. Previously, she was a reporter at The Business of Fashion, covering independent designers and emerging creative talent. Her work has appeared in The Business of Fashion, Vogue Business, The Financial Times, i-D, Dazed, AnOther, System, GQ and other leading publications.

Emma Håkansson — Founding Director of Collective Fashion Justice

Emma Håkansson is the Founding Director of Collective Fashion Justice, a charity working to create a fashion system that protects people, animals and the planet ahead of profit. Through research, creative projects and industry consulting, CFJ helps brands, retailers and fashion councils improve their policies and material sourcing strategies. The organisation has supported major global fashion weeks to ban wildlife materials and worked with companies including Kering and GANNI. Emma is also the author of Total Ethics Fashion and an award-winning film director focused on stories of responsible fashion.

Bubu Ogisi — Founder & Creative Director of IAMISIGO

Bubu Ogisi is the Founder and Creative Director of IAMISIGO, a contemporary wearable art practice based in Lagos, Nairobi and Accra. Using fashion and textiles to tell stories, IAMISIGO treats the human body as a canvas for memory, movement and meaning. Working closely with artisans and communities across Africa, the brand transforms heritage textile techniques and unconventional materials into sculptural garments and installations. Rooted in research and craftsmanship, its work combines ancestral knowledge, experimental approaches and recycled materials to explore the intersections of identity, environment and material culture.

Veronica D'Souza — Artist, Founder, Sustainability Leader

Veronica D'Souza is an award-winning social entrepreneur, advisor, speaker and artist working at the intersection of fashion, design, technology and systems change. She is the founder of CARCEL, the internationally acclaimed fashion label creating dignified employment and living wages for women in prison in Peru and Thailand. Over the past 15 years, she has built ventures, advised organisations and led conversations on sustainability, inclusion and new economic models. Veronica serves on the boards of the Danish Design Council and The Soulfuls, co-curated the official symposium for 3 Days of Design, and hosts the podcasts AI & Os and What Shapes Us. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue, Business of Fashion, Forbes and The Wall Street Journal.

Designing the Future of Fashion: Collaboration, Innovation, and The Climate Pledge

Join The Climate Pledge and signatories Collina Strada and Circ for a conversation with Sophia Li exploring how The Climate Pledge is supporting the fashion and wider creative industry in its transition to net zero carbon by 2040.

To explore the topic, moderator Sophia Li, award-winning journalist & UN Human Rights Champion; Hillary Taymour, founder & creative director of Collina Strada; Sally Fouts, global director, The Climate Pledge; and Emily Long, brand collaborations lead, Circ

Moderator:

Sophia Li — Award-winning journalist & UN Human Rights Champion

Sophia Li is an award-winning journalist and founder of STEWARD Media, using storytelling to drive systemic change in media and sustainability. She is the global correspondent for Prince William's Earthshot Prize, Impact Editor at Family Style, and sustainability advisor to Cocokind and Saie's Climate Board — with reporting for CNN, Vogue, Washington Post, and Atmos. Named one of Harper's Bazaar's 36 Voices Shaping Culture, Porter's 12 Incredible Women Defining 2024, and a Country & Townhouse Future Icon, she's also a United Nations Human Rights Champion. Sophia has interviewed notables from HRH Prince William to Nobel Laureates and Academy Award-winning actors, and has spoken at the UN, TED Climate, and the World Economic Forum.

Panelists:

Hillary Taymour — Founder & Creative Director of Collina Strada

Hillary Taymour is the founder and Creative Director of Collina Strada, a fashion brand she launched in New York in 2009. Taymour has built a distinct visual language that blends fantasy, activism, and craftsmanship. Her work challenges traditional beauty standards through inclusive casting, experimental silhouettes, and unexpected storytelling. She is known for integrating environmental considerations into the brand's design and production processes, including the use of deadstock fabrics and alternative materials. Today, she continues to lead the creative direction and growth of the company while advocating for greater accountability within the fashion industry.

Sally Fouts — Global Director at The Climate Pledge

Sally Fouts is Global Director of The Climate Pledge at Amazon. Under her leadership, more than 650 companies from around the world have joined the Pledge, with the bold goal of reaching net-zero carbon by 2040. More than 100 new companies signed in 2025 alone – a 62% increase over the number that joined in 2024, showing unprecedented momentum. Many are now collaborating on climate solutions for crucial sectors like transportation, clean energy, materials, and circular economy innovations.

With over 20 years of experience building and scaling programs at Amazon, Sally brings a unique perspective on how to align sustainability initiatives with business strategy to deliver measurable impact. Since joining Amazon in 2007, she has led communications and business development across some of the company's most high-profile areas, including serving as Communications Director for Music and Video and Director of Retail Communications. Sally has overseen The Climate Pledge's strategic direction since 2020, working with businesses of all sizes - from startups to multinational corporations - to help them set and achieve ambitious decarbonization goals.

Fouts holds a degree from the University of Oregon and is based in Seattle.

Emily Long — Brand Collaborations Lead at Circ

Emily Long is a seasoned expert in sustainability and business development with expertise in turning circular innovation into real-world brand adoption. As Sr. Business Development Manager at Circ, she partners with global brands to advance their responsible material journeys — supporting strategy and guiding product integration, and supply-chain execution to bring next-generation recycled fibers to market at scale.

Drawing on deep expertise in responsible sourcing, circularity, product development, and strategic partnerships, Emily helps organizations move from ambition to implementation. Prior to Circ, Emily led sustainability strategy on the brand side, where she embedded environmental and social responsibility into core business operations and product creation, developing forward-thinking initiatives that aligned commercial success with measurable impact.

The Digital Mirror – Re-writing the Rules of Fit in Europe

The panel will discuss how new tech will master personalized fit, transforming high returns into design insights, and ensuring psychological comfort in virtual try-on technology.

To explore the topic, Moderator Amy O’Brien, Tech Editor at Vogue Business, brings together Pelin Anli Bedirhanoglu, Director of Product Management at Zalando, and Dr. Helena Lewis-Smith,  Associate Professor of Psychology at Body Image & Psychology Consultant.

Moderator:

Amy O’Brien, Tech Editor, Vogue Business

Amy O'Brien leads the discussion on how technology is rewriting the rules of design and commerce, and the strategic imperative for Europe to lead this innovation.

Panelists:

Dr. Helena Lewis-Smith, Body Image Expert and Research Psychologist

Dr Helena Lewis-Smith is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Body Image & Psychology Consultant focused on improving body image across society. Her work examines how sociocultural influences, including fashion, media, and advertising, shape body image, and she develops evidence-based strategies to promote body confidence. Her research and consultancy across business and health sectors has informed initiatives to promote positive body image and reduce appearance pressures. Helena is passionate about driving societal change and helping brands support more positive and inclusive body image.

Leona De Graft, VP of Ecommerce, Levi's

Leona De Graft acts as Vice President of Ecommerce for Levi Strauss & Co. Europe, leading a diverse, 40+ strong team spanning six countries. Her remit encompasses the full spectrum of the brand's online presence, from ecommerce trading and customer experience to operations, marketing, and loyalty programs.Prior to her tenure at Levi's, Leona spearheaded the digital transformation at Foot Locker Europe, where she managed the P&L for 18 European websites. Her impressive career also includes key roles as Global Digital Sales and Marketing Director at The Body Shop and Senior Manager, Ecommerce EMEA at Tiffany & Co.

Pelin Anli Bedirhanoglu, Director of Product Management, Zalando

Pelin is a tech entrepreneur and AI-driven product leader with 15 years of experience. She has founded and scaled two VC-backed startups in fintech and health-tech. Her expertise lies in building and scaling data and innovation products across B2B2C models. With a background in Private Equity, she focuses on solving complex, unsolved problems through innovation. Based in Zurich, she is Director of Product Management at Zalando, leading AI solutions for size and fit. Pelin holds an Engineering BSc from Koç University and an MSc from Imperial College Business School.

Fashion as a Platform for Identity and Expression

Fashion has long been a medium for expression, with this talk unpacking how its role has shaped the message of creatives, stylists, designers, and the wider industry alike.

To explore the topic, Moderator Naima Yasin, Head of Secretariat at Saga, brings together Alana Hadid, Creative Director, Activist, Model, Sylwia Nazzal, Founder of Nazzal Studio, Joseph Aumeer, Ballet Dancer and Movement Director, The Royal Danish Ballet, and Alectra Rothschild, Creative Director and Founder of Masculina.

Moderator:

Naima Yasin, Head of Secretariat, Saga

Naima Yasin is one half of the award-winning podcast "A Seat At The Table". She is also the Head of Secretariat at SAGA, a non-partisan youth movement with more than 2,600 members working to advance the priorities of young people independently of party politics.

Panelists:

Alana Hadid, Creative Director, Activist, Model

Alana Hadid, an influential activist and advocate for social change, she is recognized for her unwavering commitment to creating a more equitable and inclusive world, starting with a liberated Palestine. Alana has become a prominent figure in the fight for Palestinian Liberation.

Alectra Rothschild, Creative Director and Founder, Masculina

Alectra Rothschild was a trained tailor before beginning her fashion studies. She studied at Beckmans College of Design, completed an MA in Fashion under Fabio Piras at Central Saint Martins, and later studied sustainability and fashion at The Royal Danish Academy. During this time, Alectra trained with the likes of Iris Van Herpen and Anne Sofie Madsen. She got her first job in the fashion industry at Mugler under the creative direction of Casey Cadwallader, and has since worked freelance for Alexander McQueen and collaborated with Birkenstock. In 2023, she founded her namesake label, Alectra Rothschild / MASCULINA, a brand built on notions of craftsmanship, femininity, and high glamour. i-D named Alectra Rothschild among the “Best of CPHFW SS23 and AW23”. She was selected for the DAZED100 List in 2022 and was chosen as the first recipient of the CPHFW NEWTALENT One To Watch slot for AW23. Alectra presented a performance for CPHFW SS24 in collaboration with VISCOSE JOURNAL. MASCULINA has had the pleasure of dressing artists such as Arca, FKA twigs, MØ, Zara Larsson, Michèle Lamy, and Eartheater.

Joseph Aumeer, Ballet Dancer and Movement Director, The Royal Danish Ballet

Growing up in London, later spending time in Paris, and now living in Copenhagen has shaped Joseph Aumeer’s character deeply, both as an artist on stage and in the way he expresses his sense of style. Movement, storytelling, and fashion continue to be the driving forces behind his creative work. He is inspired by how these passions can meet, influence one another, and open new doors. Taking part and contributing to Copenhagen Fashion Week in this way feels like a natural and exciting step forward for him. He looks forward to sharing his perspective and connecting with other creatives in the room.

Sylwia Nazzal, Founder, Nazzal Studio

Sylwia Nazzal is an artist and founder of Nazzal Studio, a brand rooted in Palestinian heritage, ethics, and activism. Her work reframes fashion as a medium for storytelling and resistance. Her graduate collection, What Should Have Been Home, explored themes of displacement and resilience and later gained global attention for its raw portrayal of Palestinian identity. Nazzal Studio collaborates with refugee women to create ethical, artisanal pieces that preserve craft and empower communities. The studio positions itself as a collective of artists using clothing as a living archive of memory and defiance.