Abstract:

In this paper we will present the educational program of the Youth Fashion Summit. The programme is open to all design and business students worldwide. We offer a series of free webinars in advance to share the new knowledge from researchers and practitioners. These webinars were developed to build a common knowledgebase and a common language and methodology before the students met along with the a host of international facilitators for a two days workshop, that concludes at the stage of the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. Here the students voice the demands of the next generation to the fashion industry of today.

The Youth Fashion Summit coincides with the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, the world's largest event on sustainability and fashion and gives the next generation of designers and business students a voice and an opportunity to influence the decisions that will be made today, but whose effects will mostly be felt tomorrow.

Danish Fashion Institute and KEA (Copenhagen School of Design and Technology) have formed a unique partnership with four leading Danish design and business schools to create a common and international platform for business and design students from around the world to speak their
minds about the industry they would like to inherit. This collaboration offered not only workshops for students but also provided a great opportunity for networking amoungst the professionals and students alike. This year's Youth Fashion Summit focused on solutions: How can the fashion industry justify a future with fewer resources and more people to share them? What will the industry look like in 2050? In what direction should the industry head to ensure the best possible solutions for the key challenges? Prior to the seminar and conference in Copenhagen, the students participate in seven webinars with the objective of enlightening them on the different aspects within the theme and make sure that everyone is at the same starting point going into the seminar. In addition to the webinars a compendium was developed containing articles preparing the students for each webinar.

About Youth Fashion Summit
The first Youth Fashion Summit was held in May 2012, with 110 students from 14 design and business schools from across the world, alongside their teachers and other professionals. It was a monumental moment when all 110 students presented their ideas on stage at the Opera House
in front of 1,200 key business leaders, designers, politicians and other influential stakeholders from approximately 30 countries. The students stood on the stage with seven demands for the industry targeting more sustainable consumption. The voice of the next generation was described by several as one of the highlights of the Copenhagen Fashion Summit.

Keywords:

Education, sustainability, fashion, international workshop, webinars.