Often associated as a must-see travel destination and a global banking center, Zurich surprises as a strong voice in dialogues and initiatives about sustainability-minded style.

Both strikingly international, as much as it is strictly Swiss, this portal to Western Europe offers an incredible spread of offerings in fashion and design and retail: 

The wide, tree-lined Bahnhofstrasse promenade marks Zurich’s standing as a luxury-minded metropolis connecting tourists and residents, local shops and global brands as a retail epicenter. 

Institutions, such as The Zurich Foundation for Textile Research and Mode Suisse, mark the city’s effect on innovation, while Zurichers themselves often embrace a more understated style, opting for sophistication and environmentally conscious brands—marks of Swiss dedication to quality and duty.

With wider, proactive pressures across the European Union to wrestle with overconsumption and wasteful practices, Switzerland has been paying epochal attention by stirring momentum for a more accessible reality.

Zurich-based Pro Helvetia, also known as the Swiss Arts Council, earlier this year launched a design-focused initiative financially and professionally uplifting both Swiss and non-Swiss (those who have connections to Swiss-supported regions) emerging fashion talent, “[providing] support to help professional fashion and accessory designers participate in international trade fairs, showrooms and specialist events. The aim is to give visibility to their work and support sustainable careers in the international market.”

Unsurprisingly, the country fosters a strong community of voices ready for change, actively having the conversation about the responsibilities of the fashion and luxury industries. 

Fashion Revolution Switzerland, a branch chapter of the larger organization of the same name, actively calls upon brands and consumers to “revolutionize the way clothing is produced, bought, and used – so that human rights violations and environmental destruction in the fashion industry will soon be a thing of the past.”

 Prioritizing longevity and experimentation, the aforementioned Zurich Foundation for Textile Research commits a money prize of up to CHF 100,000, or over $120,000 USD. The grant is a bridge between design and research, production and processing, application and digitalization, thereby supporting recipients across aspects of fashion’s progress. 

Select recipients’ work bridged cultures between Switzerland and African nations, sparking dialogue about craftsmanship, self-expression,socio-economic practices, and even natural Adire dying techniques from the native Yoruba people.

Equally bold voices are being tried and tuned at the Swiss Fashion Academy, a Zurich-based vocational school specializing in design, tailoring, production, process, styling and other relevant skills for a hands-on approach to growing the city’s fashion industry.

Excitingly, design students and established designers alike rejoice as the city prepares its first foray into hosting an official fashion week event, kicking off next year.

Zurich Fashion Week “will put the city in the spotlight as a center for creativity, fashion, and design. It will provide emerging and established designers in Switzerland with the opportunity to present their collections to a wider audience and thus gain more exposure. Furthermore, such an event will attract international fashion enthusiasts and buyers to Zurich, boosting the local economy and promoting cultural exchange,” states the event’s site.

Anchoring its own branding in sustainability, Zurich Fashion Week hopes to raise up fresh talent on a fertile foundation of partnerships, ranging from Modeco: The Swiss School of Fashion and Design, to the values-rooted Un-Dress, founded by Kim Poldner.

“Fashion is all about expressing your identity and is thus a topic close to people’s hearts,” a quote by Poldner reads on Un-Dress’ site. “It is a great vehicle for having a conversation about sustainability, not only within the university, but far beyond. Un-Dress shows that [being] sustainable can be beautiful and that it’s possible to wear your values on your sleeve.”

Overwhelmingly, Zurich prides itself as a historic city with the future always top of mind. Fashion designers, manufacturers, retailers and small businesses in luxury and style wanting to embed themselves in the city’s scene need to be cognizant of operating with environmental practices and transparent community connection.

In the spirit of Zurich’s efforts to incubate a fashion-forward industry culture, LE BOOK brings CONNECTIONS, our global networking experience, to the Little Big City next week. Our goal is to foster a day of inspiration and discovery for visionary talent in fashion, luxury, creative tech and media.

On Tuesday, May 27 at Kraftwerk Zurich come align with us around fashion’s state and Switzerland’s support for sustainable design.