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Global Fashion Summit 2026: Nature as collaborator

Dirt, UK

Denmark – On the final day of Global Fashion Summit 2026 in Copenhagen, agenda-setting dialogue continued as speakers explored potential solutions to the industry’s environmental and social challenges.

Arizona Muse is founder of Dirt, a global charity working to turn fashion into a climate solution’. The organisation’s mission is to transition fashion’s raw materials toward biodynamic farming methods, with Muse describing soil as ‘an underdog of climate solutions’. Dirt is also working to develop new certification standards designed to guide the industry toward a regenerative future.

Highlighting the relationship between agriculture and fashion supply chains, Muse emphasised that ‘fashion is grown in soil – it’s our cotton, our silk, our wool, our leather’, arguing that garments can ultimately return nutrients back into the earth and become ‘food for all the microorganisms in soil’.

In her keynote address, photographer and filmmaker Ami Vitale echoed the idea of the natural world as a collaborator, positioning nature as ‘the greatest designer we have ever known’.

This signals a broader shift in how value is constructed within fashion, with brands increasingly expected to demonstrate a deeper relationship to ecological systems, material stewardship and environmental regeneration.

From a consumer behaviour point of view, dirt increasingly operates as visible proof of longevity and care, countering fast fashion’s culture of disposability – as explored in our Dirt as Dissent report.

Keep an eye on our Global Events page for our full Global Fashion Summit 2026 debrief, coming soon.

Strategic opportunity

Consider how your brand can connect consumers to the origins of the products they buy. Use storytelling, education, transparency and sensory retail experiences to make supply chains, material life cycles and environmental impact more tangible and culturally resonant

Foresight Friday: Rodrigo Tobal Pereira, director of marketing

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, director of marketing Rodrigo Tobal Pereira recaps The Future Laboratory’s first Network Evening of 2026.

: Last week, we hosted The Future Laboratory’s first Network Evening of the year at The Roof Gardens in Kensington, London, where we unpacked the future of drinks alongside Grace Bryan from Juicy Brick and Robert Alexander Smith from Bompas & Parr, with a brilliant panel hosted by our own Seyi Oduwole, the mind behind our latest drinks research.

: The evening explored insights from our Liquid Intentions report. One of the biggest themes from the discussion was how Gen Z is reshaping drinking culture. Drinking is becoming more intentional, flexible and identity led, with people embracing experiences that align with how they want to feel socially, emotionally and physically.

: Another key conversation centred around the collision between wellness and hedonism. Consumers increasingly want functionality and fun, whether through immersive experiences, functional ingredients or indulgent moments that still feel mindful.

The Future Laboratory's Liquid Intentions networking evening, UK

: We also discussed how hospitality spaces are evolving beyond consumption. Bars, restaurants and venues are becoming community hubs designed around connection, storytelling and shared experiences. The atmosphere, ritual and theatre surrounding a drink are becoming just as important as the drink itself.

: One insight that really stayed with me was the importance of brands resisting trend panic. The future belongs to those that test, learn and evolve while staying anchored in a clear identity rather than chasing every emerging behaviour.

: The evening itself reflected many of these shifts perfectly, from a custom future-facing drinks menu inspired by our research to the conversations happening across the room about culture, connection and what consumers will expect next.

The future of drinks feels more ritualised, experiential and personalised, and this conversation made it clear that we are only just beginning to see where it goes next.

: Make sure to download a copy of the report here and dive into the future of drinks.

Quote of the week

‘The key is authenticity. Don’t just bolt ashwagandha onto an Aperol spritz because it’s trending. If it doesn’t make sense for your brand, your consumers will see right through it... My advice is always to test in micro-batches. You can launch something in one venue, see how it lands, and iterate. You don’t have to go all-in from day one'

Grace Bryan, co-founder and CEO, Juicy Brick

Stat: Rising costs force 3m UK households to skip meals

Fura Space, Singapore

UK – Some 3m UK households are now skipping meals as rising living costs push consumers to take increasingly drastic financial measures, according to new Which? research.

The organisation’s consumer insight tracker, covering 11 March to 10 April 2026, shows confidence has fallen to -62, the lowest level since the height of the cost of living crisis in 2022. About 85% of people are worried about food prices, while 71% expect the UK economy to worsen over the next year.

Rising energy and raw material costs linked to geopolitical tensions are expected to drive further price increases, adding pressure to already strained household budgets.

‘Without meaningful interventions, the number of people taking drastic measures is likely to increase,’ said Rocio Concha, director of policy and advocacy at Which?

Households are responding by trading down, with 43% buying cheaper products and 37% opting for supermarket own-brand ranges. But one in 10 households are now skipping meals, and one in seven are going without certain foods altogether.

The survey also shows rising financial stress, with missed bill payments increasing to 7.5% over the past three months.

Explore our Cost of Living Crisis report to understand how organisations and brands can better serve customers who are navigating sustained economic pressure. Our New Codes of Value report unpacks the evolving definition of value, highlighting the new expectations and priorities businesses must meet to remain relevant during periods of financial strain.

Strategic opportunity

As financial strain deepens, value can no longer be defined by price alone. Develop products, services and loyalty models that help consumers maintain their health and quality of life under pressure – whether through flexible formats, smarter portions or care-led affordability initiatives