Fashion and culture are intrinsically intertwined in a continuous flux of change and novelty. As an ongoing process within the heart of culture, fashion does not only reflect stylistic preferences, but also human values, beliefs, and attitudes expressed by material choices.

In societies driven by capitalist principles of economic growth, progress and innovation fashion plays a crucial role in threatening our futures, by emphasizing frantic cycles of desire where novelty comes to play triggering consumerism dynamics despite the consequences for the planet.

So, how can we collectively rethink fashion towards a new era, where societies, systems, and models operate on a more sustainable basis? And what is the role of culture and behavioral changes in building new and sustainable futures?  The fashion industry has taken a few steps in this direction, but much more can be done. Current initiatives are mainly technocratic, based on the development of new materials and processes, but still distant of reflecting on how changes in culture that might support a better understanding of the institutional, structural, and cultural conditions under which fashion as change is deployed.

This workshop explores cultural values invisibly inscribed into fashion dynamics to pursue a collective imagination of alternative futures for and through fashion. This initiative intersects participatory design, speculative design, fashion, and foresight, inviting participants to challenge held convictions about fashion and society to then create alternatives for fashion futures from a cultural perspective in more sustainable and equitable worlds.