Fashion For Democracy: Design for Better Lives – Positions and Provocations
A ‘colorful white paper’ on the current fashion democratizers.
The Fashion For Democracy project is initiated by Beneficial Design e.V., Hessen Design e.V., and Fehrenbach. Holistic Sustain. We believe fashion ‘for the people, by the people’ is the viable alternative to our dominant, extractive, unethical fashion system. This means that fashion made and shared on the local level – which we term ‘alternative fashion’ – is more than sustainable; it also more closely aligns with democratic values.
Through discussion formats, community research, and publications, we grow our understanding of how exactly principles of democracy translate into alternative fashion. We have drafted 8 Proposed Principles of Fashion For Democracy, which were peer-reviewed by the cohort of our first Agora event last winter. We have initiated a student research group to study both Berlin-based and international alternative fashion initiatives. And, this fall, we join the official program of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026.
We are proud to release our first digital publication, which synthesizes two years of research and community dialogue on how fashion can adopt more values of democracy, to include the public and break away from corporate mass production. By returning to craft, collective structure, and open knowledge sharing, we see a viable fashion future.
“Fashion For Democracy: Design for Better Lives – Positions & Provocations” includes:
- Short articles from inspiring researchers and community organizers Zinzi de Brouwer (Studio Palha), Dr. Francesco Mazzarella (London College of Fashion), Dr. Felix Kosok (World Design Capital), and more.
- The findings of our hybrid Agora event from last winter, including the second draft of the 8 Proposed Principles of Fashion For Democracy.
- A synthesis of two+ years of research in this field, with theory from prominent scholars and cases of on-the-ground practices.
- A community glossary, which we aim to grow as the project evolves.
- Position statements and provocations from our cohort of the first Fashion For Democracy Agora.
