World Fashion Forum at the United Nations

International Women’s Day was certainly a day to remember for me this year. I had the honor of being invited to attend the World Fashion Forum at the United Nations. The World Fashion Forum aims to identify how the Fashion Industry’s economic, social and cultural powers can be best positioned, focused and managed to alleviate the world’s most critical needs. Their goal is to instigate communication and mutual collaboration between the leaders of the Fashion Industry and the United Nations so that Fashion’s resources and humanitarian efforts can be optimized and better directed to make a positive and sustainable change in the lives of those most in need. 

The World Fashion Forum began with opening remarks from Slobodan Damiyano, President of the Global Millennium Development Foundation followed by H. E. Lakshmi Puri, Assistant General of the United Nations and Deputy Director of UN Women. The honorary guest speaker of the Forum was Fern Mallis, Creator of New York Fashion Week, Former Senior VP of IMG Fashion and Former Executive Director of CFDA.

Fern led the discussion panel which included an impressive roster of strong women in fashion like Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, President & CEO SWW Creative, IMG Fashion Consultant and Inaugural Director of Fashion at Lincoln Center, Pauline Brown, Chairman of LVMH North America and Ashley Jordan, Chief Executive Officer of Fashion One. 

It was such an unbelievable feeling to be listening to these phenomenal women and sitting in a chair where so many dignitaries and world leaders have sat before me. Looking around the room I saw countless interesting people settling into their seats for the Forum. I wanted to know who they were and what they've accomplished. Every single person looked so dignified and with their own compelling story to tell.  

The panel discussed a myriad of important topics like fashion’s role in social humanitarianism, fashion industry’s consciousness and efforts and fashion media for global awareness and engagement. 

Fashion Bloggers and their value in the fashion world was also mentioned in the discussion. As a Fashion Blogger it was such a gratifying feeling to hear that what I do is no longer a taboo subject in fashion. Fashion blogging is now publicly accepted as part of the fashion world and will continue to evolve its way through the industry. 

The World Fashion Forum concluded with a song by UN Women called “One Woman”. It featured artists from all over the world and was meant to inspire listeners to join the movement for women's rights and gender equality. It highlighted overcoming violence and discrimination against women to remind us all that we’re all "One Woman".

I look forward to seeing what the next steps will be for the World Fashion Forum and how it will work to bring tangible change to the world through fashion. 

Thank you so much to my dear friend Eleonora Quizmolli from Sensation of House Production for inviting me to this monumental event in fashion history!