FASHINNOVATION Worldwide Talks 2020 NYFW announces Veja, Arizona Muse, Urban Zen, and Evolved By Nature

The entrepreneurial spirit of FASHINNOVATION (@fashinnovation.nyc) is alive at the upcoming Worldwide Talks 2020 NYFW on September 10th kicking off at 8:30AM EDT. Watched globally, their event creates dialogues where business leaders, innovators, creators and advocates converge with the respected voices of journalism (BOF, Forbes, TIME, BuzzFeed), to inspire reflection and change in this important moment for the fashion industry.

In Partnership with the Conscious Fashion Campaign, FASHINNOVATION Worldwide Talks NYFW is proud to announce that Sebastien Kopp (@sebastien_kopp) and François-Ghislain Morillion (@fgmorillion) join FASHINNOVATION’s panel on “Fashion Is Art, Sustainability & Design” at 12 PM EDT. Childhood friends founded sustainable shoe brand Veja (@veja) in 2004, for which Kopp is the creative director and Morillion the sourcing director. The brand manufactures its products in Brazil, made from organic cotton, wild rubber, and recycled polyester fabrics. The pair left finance to set up an NGO that took them to countries including China, Brazil, India and Bolivia to study projects about their CSR policies, reducing their environmental and sociological impact. Then, at the age of 25, they launched their sustainable footwear brand Veja in 2004. As of May 2019, 200 tonnes of the wild rubber they purchased in the Amazon rainforest has resulted in the preservation of around 90,000 acres of the rainforest. The brand is sold in more than 40 countries and has sold 3 million pairs of sneakers since 2003. It counts Net-a-Porter, MatchesFashion, Printemps and Moda Operandi among its stockists. Kobb and Morillion are building the brand organically, without raising funds through external investment.

Model, Sustainability Consultant, and Environmental Activist, Arizona Muse (@arizona_muse) has fronted campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands including Chanel, Estée Lauder, Prada, Louis Vuitton, and Yves Saint Laurent, and has graced the cover of over 40 international Vogue Magazines. With an increasing awareness of the world around her, she joins FASHINNOVATION as a passionate advocate for sustainability and environmental regeneration and one of the leading voices on the topic from the fashion industry. As well as starring in the campaign of fast retailer giant Mango’s first ecological line, Arizona has been engaged as a sustainability-consultant for fashion companies who wish to lower their environmental impact. Arizona sits on the board of The Sustainable Angle, a non-profit organisation that initiates and supports projects that minimize the environmental impact of the fashion industry, and contributes to Fashion Revolution, a team of business leaders, policymakers and brands who work together towards radically changing the way clothes are sourced, produced, and consumed. She is an ambassador for Greenpeace and Women For Women, and has also collaborated with Extinction Rebellion, Oxfam, and more recently Remake on their #PayUp Campaign.

As CEO of URBAN ZEN, Helen Aboah (@helenaboah) is no stranger to change, making her one of our most highly anticipated speakers at Worldwide Talks 2020 NYFW. Born in Eritrea, Africa and raised in Sonoma County, CA, she moved to New York City to study at Columbia University. She first achieved success in television and film where she learned the importance of storytelling, before pivoting to the retail industry where she mastered the art of combining product and design narratives with technology to create innovative digital experiences. She is currently the CEO of Urban Zen, a design vision and philosophy created by Donna Karan that defines the space where creativity, culture, and collaboration converge with retail, technology, wellness/healthcare, and social impact. Aboah is an innovative and analytical leader, with experience driving growth and expanding businesses. She is dedicated to leading her team with a thoughtful and clear strategy, and serving the customer by its deft execution.

A leading expert in natural silk biomaterials, co-founder and CEO Dr. Gregory Altman (@houndtech) heads strategy and innovation at Evolved By Nature™ (@evolvedbynature) speaking on the FASHINNOVATION panel “Fashion Is Textiles and Chemicals via Technologies Shaping Sustainability Efforts” at 11:20 AM EDT. His extensive research into silk’s biocompatibility with the human body led to the creation of his first company, Serica Technologies, where he and Dr. Rebecca Lacouture developed the first FDA-approved silk-based medical device for soft tissue reconstruction. This breakthrough technology was acquired by Allergan, where Greg served as Vice President of Research and Development and General Manager before co-founding Evolved By Nature in 2013. The inventor of several patents on clean silk technology, Greg holds a PhD in Biotechnology Engineering and BS in Chemistry from Tufts University.

For more details about FASHINNOVATION or to speak with the founders or any confirmed speakers at the event, please contact:

Kenneth Loo, Chapter 2 | ken@chapter2agency.com
Sarah Leung, Chapter 2 | sarah@chapter2agency.com

ABOUT FASHINNOVATION:

Since 2018, FASHINNOVATION has hosted over 400 of fashion's leading innovators to audiences representing 120 countries. Respected voices like Diane Von Furstenberg, Susan Rockefeller, Kenneth Cole, Julie Gilhart, and Fern Mallis, as well as new leaders including Steve Aoki, Chromat, Mara Hoffman, and Miroslava Duma. Their platform has amplified the impact of the entrepreneurial spirit of the industry with Josh Luber (StockX), James Reinhart (thredUP), Katia Beauchamp (Birchbox) and Gihan Amarasiriwardena (Ministry of Supply), and has put sustainability front and center with Paul Dillinger (Levi’s), Carry Somers (Fashion Revolution) and Oskar Metsavaht (Osklen). Institutions like the United Nations, Parsons, and FIT; brands including Louis Vuitton, Levi’s, Google, and UPS; and media channels Business of Fashion, Forbes, Fast Company, and Refinery29 have all supported its vision.

On September 10, 2020 on the dawn of a reimagined NYFW, FASHINNOVATION will bring together international business CEOs, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, fashion designers and creatives at the time they are needed most. Through this platform, founded by Marcelo and Jordana Guimarães, these global conversations will inspire and ignite revolutionary actions and change across our industry. The Worldwide Talks will cross boundaries and amplify topics including sustainable development goals, social impact, diversity and inclusion, entrepreneurship, connectivity and new technologies all seen through the lens of innovation.