My own style is deeply connected to my cultural heritage. As an ethnologist, I see fashion and clothing as an integral part of our everyday culture. Although I sometimes hear comments that the fashion industry has become too democratic, I believe it needs to become even more. It feels outdated for a small, exclusive group to dictate what is ”trendy.” Instead, more people should become aware of their everyday choices and create their own style. Style is not only sustainable from an economic perspective but also from an environmental and cultural one.
My own clothes are deeply personal. For instance, I wear a fringed jacket that my mother gave me when I was heartbroken as a 16-year-old. It’s still a favourite every spring. Many of my clothes come from my grandmother’s wardrobe, and I also collect pieces from a 70s brand, Anna Modeller, from my hometown in southern Sweden. Additionally, I love many West African designers’ clothes. Having a close relationship with my clothes is special to me. I appreciate when designers pay real attention to details, like when my shoes fit perfectly because I sent pictures of my feet to a Nigerian shoemaker/designer, Maliko Shoes, to have them tailored to me. Being able to coordinate a fashion week in high heels without getting foot pain or blisters is a luxury for me.
I realise my interest in fashion may seem a bit nerdy, and I understand those who don’t care as much about details but just want to wear something nice and go out. It’s their consumption behaviour and their everyday clothing culture that we need to study. Perhaps the solution lies in the insights that cultural student Adwoa Owusuaa Bobie has highlighted in her studies of West African fashion. She describes how West African designers often work with ”customised ready-to-wear” instead of our more standardised ready-to-wear. Additionally, they are skilled at producing on a smaller scale and selling larger parts of their collections. In her article, Bobie also emphasizes how better communication with customers before production starts can lead to less frequent production of collections, which is both more sustainable and more customer-tailored.
In Scandinavia, we’re seeing an inspiring shift towards green sustainability and textile and tech- innovation in fashion, but it’s time we also look beyond our own borders. Fashion is being shaped and redefined in many places around the globe, like West Africa, where creativity and innovation thrive in ways that are both unique and profound. By opening ourselves up to diverse experiences, we have the opportunity to learn and grow in ways that can transform not just our own industry, but the global fashion landscape as well.
Exclusive clubs are so last season
While studying style and identity in ethnology, I encountered Yuniya Kawamura. Her theory, fashion-ology, is fundamental in fashion studies. Kawamura describes fashion as a complex network of ”interlocking institutions, organisations, groups, practices, individuals, and events” that together create the social phenomenon we call fashion. In her analysis, she highlights how Western institutions, particularly in Paris, have historically dominated the fashion world. According to Kawamura, this hegemony is rooted in structures dating back to 17th-century France, and she argues that Japanese designers like Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo in the 1980s still needed Paris to gain recognition.
”Limiting the significance of the fashion industry to the West and Japan ignores the creative solutions emerging in other parts of the world”
Kawamura offers a sharp analysis of the historical development of the fashion industry, but this viewpoint feels outdated today. Limiting the significance of the fashion industry to the West and Japan ignores the creative solutions emerging in other parts of the world. The fashion industry is no longer an exclusive club with Paris as the sole gatekeeper.
My experiences and views on the fashion industry
In 2019, after my latest trip to Accra, Ghana, I sat at home, bummed for missing Chiip O’Neal’s fashion show. His oval runway twisted around the Trade Fair Center Tower, draped with art from Ghanaian artist Afrogallonism. The art hung down the sides of the building and flowed out from the runway, with a look akin to the ”Yellow Brick Road” from The Wizard of Oz. The metaphor for new journeys and beginnings was brought to life with brochures adorned with flowers. The designer chose these floral details to symbolise freshness and continuous growth.
I’m often asked: ”Why?” Why did you, Hannah, choose to go to Ghana to work in fashion? My response question is: ”Why not?” Working at a fashion magazine in Ghana has provided me with insights and experiences that few other places can offer. It has also taught me that the Western world is not the obvious centre of the fashion scene.
”It was not Vogue Italy’s presence that mattered most, but the exchange of ideas and the strength of local networks”
With a background in peace and conflict studies and ethnology, I’ve long been aware of fashion’s power, both as a cultural force and as an actor on the political stage. When I worked as a coordinator at the fashion week in Ghana, it became clear that the focus was not on impressing Western fashion industries, but rather on showcasing creative talents from countries like Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo. It was not Vogue Italy’s presence that mattered most, but the exchange of ideas and the strength of local networks. The global fashion arena has shifted, and other fashion nodes are now stepping into the spotlight.
What Kawamura describes as the fashion industry — a tightly interwoven network of cultures and institutions — is something we see evolving and reshaping worldwide. The fashion industry faces new challenges in innovation, sustainability, and consumption. In Scandinavia, for example, we are seeing the emergence of innovative materials and solutions. However, I believe many brands still lack foresight when it comes to green solutions, and we’re also missing the integration of innovation across borders.
Global collaboration empowering local innovations
I see a need for more spaces where creators and innovators can exchange ideas globally. By ”innovators,” I mean a broad spectrum of fields, including green tech, cultural awareness, and social issues, where ideas and solutions can flourish. I want to emphasise that this should not be a place where one teaches the other, but rather an exchange of knowledge and perspectives based on give-and-take and fairness.
What do I mean by “global collaboration empowering local innovations”? We live in a global world today, both for better and worse, but often I believe within isolated bubbles. I see Scandinavia as one such bubble. I want to see us communicate more clearly with other bubbles to get a better understanding of our global context. Through these collaborations, we can find ways that benefit both Scandinavia and other parts of the world, ensuring that innovations are implemented locally and tailored to specific contexts.
One of my biggest concerns is that Scandinavia almost exclusively focuses on negative aspects, like textile dumping, when discussing fashion in relation to West Africa. This perspective not only limits our understanding but also fails to recognise the vibrant innovation and creativity happening there. We need to shift the discourse to highlight the positive development and learn from diverse stories and complex understandings that different regions offer.
The world is evolving, even if slowly. We are in a transition where the balance is shifting on many levels. It’s high time we start opening up for more conversations and discussions that break through these bubbles and create new, more inclusive perspectives. I believe in a globalised world, but it’s crucial that we build on and respect local, innovative solutions. It’s no longer ”sexy” to follow old rules; it’s time to embrace change and shape fashion that truly reflects today’s diverse and interconnected world.
On bursting bubbles, a side note
My colleague, Georgette Dwomoh-Appiah, who runs a clothing agency for West African brands, told me about the new EU regulations with the Digital Product Passport. She learned about the transition through her clients, and now the brands she works with are starting to think about how to adapt to Europe. During Copenhagen Fashion Week the other week, I spoke with several clothing brands about whether they had considered the transition regarding the new regulations. It was alarmingly how many were unaware. This is, for me, a clear example of how we can be a bit naïve and rely too much on old strategies and structures. We need to burst our bubble.
Opportunities for Scandinavia
The fashion industry is undergoing a transformation where democracy and fairness play increasingly important roles. It is no longer sustainable to let a small, exclusive group in the Western world dictate trends and style. Instead, we must strive for a fashion industry that includes diversity, reflects global perspectives, and is built on reciprocity. By breaking down old structures, we can create a fairer and more democratic industry where innovations from different parts of the world receive the attention they deserve.
Scandinavia has a unique opportunity to lead this change by integrating global influences into its local context and working towards a fashion world where all voices are heard and valued equally. To achieve this, we must actively seek collaborations that promote fairness and sustainable solutions and ensure that we not only focus on the negative but also highlight and learn from the creativity and innovation happening globally. Together, we can build a more inclusive and just future for the fashion industry, where every individual has the power to shape their own style and express their unique identity.
Hannah Wennerström is Director of Strategy, Krull Magazine, and Cultural Awareness and Bias Educator at Equity-Pulse
