Fashion For Change Project Concludes in Style at “Investor Glam” Event in Milan
On September 26th, 2023, Milan, the global fashion capital, hosted the grand finale of the Fashion For Change project at the exclusive “Investor Glam” event. The event was organized in conjunction with the TechChill Milano startup conference and in collaboration with our community partners, Talent Garden and Fashion Technology Accelerator.
Community Partners: Talent Garden and Fashion Technology Accelerator
The success of the “Investor Glam” event was made possible through the strong support of our esteemed community partners. Talent Garden, a hub for innovation and collaboration, provided the perfect setting for this event. Meanwhile, Fashion Technology Accelerator, a leading force in fashion tech in Italy, played a pivotal role in nurturing the startups that showcased their innovative concepts.
Event Highlights
The Fashion for Change x TechChill “Investor Glam” event attracted more than 150 registrations and 65 attendants. Interested in networking and knowledge sharing, it gathered investors, fashion tech startup founders, fashion tech enthusiasts, corporate and support organization representatives.
It started with some welcome words, building a bridge to a short introduction to the Fashion For Change Knowledge Hub – a comprehensive resource designed to empower and educate those interested in the fashion tech industry’s circular economy and sustainable practices. The results of the Fashion For Change programme, including the recently published guidelines on how to organize a design hackathon for circular business ideas, were presented by the project coordinator representative, Civitta’s Senior Consultant Ramona Dremljuga.
The main focus was placed on the captivating panel discussion, moderated by Elena Salamandic-Alijosiene, partner at Katalisa Ventures. The distinguished panelists, Rebecca Sehlbach, Head of Operations at Fashion Technology Accelerator, and Annamaria Tartaglia, Founder & Board Member of Angel4Women, focused on the intersection of fashion tech trends, circularity, and investment practices in impact startups.
As a pre-course of the last part of the day – startup-investor networking – the best performing teams from the Fashion for Change growth programme shared their super-speedy 1-minute pitches. The event wrapped up with a relaxed mingling session, fostering connections, idea exchange, and the formation of lasting relationships within the dynamic fashion tech ecosystem.
Key Takeaways from the Panel Discussion
The discussion emphasized the evolution of fashion tech trends, highlighting sustainability, innovation, and circularity as the industry’s driving forces. The panelists stressed the importance of circularity in fashion tech, with a focus on sustainable and eco-friendly practices as a response to the fast fashion industry’s negative impact.
Valuable insights were shared on investment practices for fashion tech impact startups, underlining the significance of supporting ventures that make positive contributions to both the environment and society.
Startup Pitches
The “Investor Glam” event showcased the innovation of nine fashion tech impact startups, including the alumni of Fashion For Change Growth Program:
- Manufy 🇳🇱 Simplifying sustainable sourcing by connecting European brands and manufacturers to create locally-sourced fashion.
- Fix That Shirt 🇫🇷 Simplifying fashion after sales repairs and alterations for brands and people through its seamless digital platform.
- The Rewear Company 🇪🇪 A circular kidswear rental marketplace benefitting parents, brands, and retailers.
- Lebiudesign 🇮🇹 An R&D Material Innovation Company repurposing waste from the cork industry to create a new bio-material for garments, shoes, accessories, and furniture.
- COSH! 🇧🇪 presented their initiative aimed at expediting the transition to circular fashion.
Four more startups were put into the spotlight, including the Fashion Technology Accelerator portfolio companies and TechChill Milan Fifty Founders Batch winner:
- Must Had 🇮🇹 A SaaS platform that enables textile companies to responsibly manage excess materials in compliance with new regulations.
- Ciccone 🇮🇹 A game-changer in the cobbler profession, offering an innovative home repair service through technology and authentic communication.
- Textale 🇱🇹, circular fashion platform for C2B2C consignment and B2B resale, connecting all the other services, consumers and brands need to prolong clothing stories also presented their pitch.
- TechChill Milan Fifty Founders Batch winner, TA-DAAN, showcased their creative hub and content e-commerce platform dedicated to contemporary craftsmanship.
For the latest news, updates and resources in the fashion tech and circular economy realm, we encourage you to explore the Fashion For Change Knowledge Hub.