UN Office for Partnerships is investing with Polimoda in a new sustainably focused generation of creatives
On 22 March 2022, Director of Polimoda Massimiliano Giornetti met with the UN Office for Partnerships team to discuss the substance of the collaboration.
“Polimoda has been dedicated to supporting and promoting inclusivity, diversity and sustainability for years and I believe this has become the true cultural substratum of our school today,” explained Massimiliano Giornetti, Director of Polimoda. “Our community is committed to the dissemination and implementation of sustainable development in the fashion world. This change is essential in transforming the industry from being seen as a status symbol to a symbol of sociological and cultural evolution and awareness.”
Integrating SDGs by creating key spaces in academia
The collaboration between UN Partnerships and Polimoda aims to promote and implement projects that champion sustainability, climate action while also concentrating on inclusivity, equality, education, and employment opportunities. The development of key spaces for dialogues to raise awareness among young professionals through educational programs paves the way for UN Partnerships to provide strategic advice and guidance on the integration of SDGs within academia, in this case Polimoda’s Master of International Fashion Business.
“Italy is proud of its cooperation with a high number of Universities and Academies that are actively engaged towards the implementation of the UN Agenda2030. This number further grows today thanks to the meaningful alliance between Polimoda and the United Nations Office for Partnerships, with a specific focus on SDG4 and SDG5. The sector of sustainable fashion has traditionally been a fertile ground for many collaborations between Italy and the UN, guided by a multi-stakeholder approach that brings together Governments, civil society, academic institutions and private sector players. We have a common goal and only together can we achieve it: building a sustainable, just and equal future for all, leaving no one behind” commented Ambassador Maurizio Massari, Permanent Representative of Italy to the United Nations.
From carbon neutral materials to equitable representation of women in fashion media
“We’re excited to collaborate with Polimoda for people and for the planet and co-create opportunities with young talented creatives to keep the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of the UN Office for Partnerships. “Together we can design a better, more sustainable future for all.”
Polimoda, regarded as one of the best fashion schools in the world, combines Made in Italy design and production with an international vision. Continuing its independent approach and innovative vision of fashion education based on the combination of design and business, the activation of the nine-month series of master classes within the Master in International Fashion Business will be enriched by lessons on sustainable development in the global fashion industry, held directly by CFLN experts.
Polimoda is the first academic institution to join the UN Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network, a UN-hosted platform that connects key industry stakeholders, media and governments around the world to accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). The network’s key objective is to mobilise expertise, innovation, technology, and resources towards a sustainable and inclusive COVID-19 recovery, with the SDGs as a guiding framework.
Considering the fashion and lifestyle sector’s significant impact on societies and the environment, the Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network fosters transparent, inclusive, and transformative engagement of global stakeholders to drive urgent action for sustainability.
For further information on CFLN: https://sdgs.un.org/partnerships/action-networks/conscious-fashion-and-…;
About the United Nations Office for Partnerships
Established in 1998 as the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships, UN Partnerships catalyses and co-creates collaborations for the UN system that accelerate solutions to deliver the SDGs. The Office serves as the integrated gateway for public and private collaboration on sustainable development, consistent with the sovereignty of UN Member States and provisions of the UN Charter.
Working at the local, national, regional and global levels to provide space for collective action and delivery, its goal is to strengthen multi-stakeholder cooperation and enhance coordination between the UN and actors from all sectors.
For more information, follow @UN_Partnerships on Twitter, follow @UN_Partners on Instagram.