28/11/2025
The Istanbul Policy Center–Sabancı University–Stiftung Mercator Initiative will hold the event "Synthetic Fashion and Beyond: Fast Fashion, Climate, Plastic, and the Future of Textiles," prepared under the leadership of 2025/26 Mercator-IPC Researcher Sedat Gündoğdu, on Wednesday, December 10th from 10:00 to 16:30 at IPC Karaköy.
The event will address the global transformation of the fast fashion industry, as well as the plastic addiction that permeates the entire textile value chain and its environmental impacts. Given that synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic account for more than 60% of all textile fibers produced globally today, the climate and environmental impacts of the cycle, from fossil-based raw material extraction to the production process and post-consumer microfiber release, will be discussed.
In recent years, findings from the Changing Markets Foundation's Microplastics Research Group, Fashion Revolution, and other independent research organizations clearly demonstrate that fast fashion is losing its sustainability with its current production model. The event, moderated by Gündoğdu, aims to assess the climate and ecological footprint of fast fashion in light of these findings.
The event will bring together a broad audience of participants, from scientists and policymakers to fashion industry representatives and civil society organizations, providing a comprehensive platform to discuss new collaboration opportunities for systemic transformation in the textile sector.
The event program will be shared with participants separately.
