In World 283 in March 2026, the Clothing Party won two seats in the municipal elections in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Through provocative actions and broad public mobilization, the party succeeded in placing the transition toward a fair and sustainable fashion industry on the political agenda. This is particularly significant given Arnhem’s position as a national fashion hub, home to ArtEZ academy and the international State of Fashion biennial. Now part of a progressive governing coalition, the party enters a new phase. At the municipal council meeting on 29 May, it will introduce motions to reduce the impacts of fast fashion and strengthen the local circular textile ecosystem.
What if …
… we treated our clothes with the same love and care as our pets?
Issue targeted:
The endless cycle of production and consumption driven by the desire to be ‘in fashion’, causing the exploitation of people and endangering our living planet.
Inspiration:
The Animal Party in the Netherlands, that successfully put animal rights and our relationship with all living species on the political agenda.
This World was contributed by Dagan Cohen, Bille van Katwijk, the Amsterdam Fashion Institute and Centre of Expertise Creative Innovation (part of the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences) (located in Amsterdam), using a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International licence which allows others to share and adapt the work in any medium and for any purpose, providing that they credit the author and share their material using the same Creative Commons licence.
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