Today, the Fashion for Good Museum publishes its legacy document. A testament to its transformative journey, the report was prompted by the museum’s closure on June 5th, 2024 – coinciding with World Environment Day – Fashion for Good however remains steadfast in its commitment to revolutionizing the fashion industry and amplifying its efforts through its Innovation Platform. This announced Museum Legacy document represents the museum’s mission, summarising invaluable insights gathered over six impactful years and key results such as reaching 115.000 visitors and creating a dedicated community of more than 250.000 followers online. Committed to transparency and collaboration, Fashion for Good shares its reflections, tools, and transferable learnings, as well as the future of its collections and next steps, continuing to inspire positive change within the fashion ecosystem. All information can be accessed on the Fashion for Good website for continued use and benefit of educators, the cultural sector, and the wider public.
Looking back on its journey, the Fashion for Good Museum celebrates achievements such as hosting 115.000 visitors, including 8.000 students from 200 schools, curating 13 exhibitions, offering over 75 events, launching 4 educational programs, reaching both current and future generations, and inspiring many to drive change in the fashion industry. With an earned media value of over 46 million Euros through press coverage since 2017, Fashion for Good’s influence has been significant, evident in its 250.000 social media followers and 15.000 newsletter subscribers.
This document stands as evidence of our commitment to transparency and collaboration, echoing the ethos that has driven Fashion for Good since its inception: changing the hearts and minds of its visitors and inspiring them to take action to change fashion. The report fulfils the promise we made in 2017 – to share our journey, learnings, and most impactful activities with the world. Within these pages, readers will discover reflections on our messaging, insights about creative partnerships with entities such as Lowlands Festival, Dutch Design Week, and Museumnacht to case studies of pioneering exhibitions. Our programming was created around themes and topics, such as the untold stories around cotton, circularity, and the future of biomaterials to educate and inspire visitors, ultimately empowering them to take action themselves.
SIX KEY LESSONS
Reflecting on the diverse output of the museum during its short existence, as well as its significant footprint and wide reach, while acknowledging the challenges encountered during its establishment and development, we distilled six key lessons from Fashion for Good’s unique sustainable museum practices:
- Recognition of Broader Shift: There is a wider movement towards sustainability in the museum sector, exemplified by Fashion for Good and the new ICOM definition.
- Storytelling for Societal Change: Cultural institutions are crucial in driving societal change in fashion consumption through storytelling.
- Innovation through Limitations: Embracing organizational limitations can stimulate innovation in museum collection management and education.
- Audience Engagement: Understanding and expanding the core audience is essential for effective engagement in sustainability initiatives.
- Measuring Impact: It’s challenging to measure impact for organizations with social missions, requiring clear success criteria.
- Establishing a Sustainability Framework: Defining sustainability within context is fundamental for organizational sustainability efforts.
