Articles by Guest Contributor
Guest contributors write for FashionUnited on a voluntary basis to share their expertise and highlight topics that matter to fashion industry professionals.
Beyond Maximalism: The Miximalist Shift for SS27
A new wave of maximalism is emerging for Spring/Summer 2027. Expressive yet intentionally eclectic, Miximalism hints at where maximalism is heading next: not a return to overt excess, but a more layered and nuanced interpretation of visual richness. ABOUT Written by Patricia Maeda, Director, Womenswear Future Snoops. Arriving as a response to...
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Why 10,000 metres of hand-spun flax thread is not enough for a single garment
Some designs tell a story not just through what they are, but primarily through what came before them. The Lin jacket is perhaps the most tangible example of this for me. What once began as a limited edition design of organically grown linen from The Linen Project has evolved into a garment that now carries multiple layers of meaning. About the...
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Social safety in the workplace: the art of saying no politely
In a healthy organisation, psychological safety is not just about respect and professional conduct, but also about something often underestimated: the space to set boundaries. In the fashion industry, where creativity, commercial pressure, tight collection deadlines and personal relationships constantly intertwine, being able to say a clear but...
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Why circular fashion doesn’t always mean less environmental impact
Today’s textile industry is largely linear. According to Circle Economy’s Circularity Gap Report Textiles, it uses 3.25 billion tonnes of materials every year, with the vast majority—over 99 percent—coming from virgin sources. What’s more, the rise of fast fashion has intensified textile consumption cycles, encouraging consumers to buy and...
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The rising tide of copycat litigation: recent UK copycat case law and what brands need to know
With the rise of social media and increasingly online lifestyles, products are constantly scrutinised in public, and brands rely heavily on influencers to shape perception. Independent designers are struggling to take action against large fashion retailers that may be copying designs from smaller businesses. At the same time, shifting economic...
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How AI Is Turning Resale Into Fashion's Biggest Opportunity
Fashion is an industry with only one constant: change. Not long ago, fast fashion revolutionised retail by doubling production. Now brands face a different kind of disruption: products they have already sold find a second life without them. The infrastructure being built around that second life is what has allowed this market to evolve this...
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Cultural shifts shaping SS27 menswear
As we look toward Spring/Summer 2027, four distinct menswear directions emerge that will respond to evolving consumer needs and cultural shifts. These directions spotlight overarching themes of cross-category elements, price-first driven versatility demands in consumerism, and the rising desire for authenticity in design. About Written for...
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When space becomes spectacle: The age of inflated experiences
There’s something deliciously mischievous about oversized, larger-than-life forms in brand experience. They are too large to ignore, too playful to behave, and too theatrical to be mistaken for background noise. In a time where we are questioning everything we see, the most persuasive answer from brands might be the most analogue one of all:...
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What AI is not going to fix for you in retail
It feels like everyone, everywhere is talking about AI. What it will change, how fast it will move, and how it might solve some of the biggest challenges businesses face today. It’s being positioned as the answer to everything from inefficiency to innovation. There is far less conversation about the other side of that coin: what AI is not going...
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Programmed desire: how fashion stays desirable when AI fills the shopping basket
Fashion has always been about seduction, desire, belonging and differentiation. Aura, as people much younger than me call it. We covet a look, a feeling, a style, a lifestyle. This desire is triggered by inspiring people on social media, catwalks, in pop culture, advertising and within our circle of friends. The sources of this desire have...
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