The fashion industry has hit a turning point. With climate change disrupting supply chains and consumers demanding better, putting “sustainable” on a label just doesn’t cut it anymore. The industry has been forced to move beyond superficial green marketing into something much more meaningful, and it’s raising an important question: how must fashion education evolve to prepare tomorrow’s professionals?
Four former Polimoda students: Frederik Berner Kühl, Designer and Founder of Berner Kühl; Majdouline M’Saad, Head of Collection and Product Development at Camper; Maria Clara Prati, Industrial Sustainability Specialist at Prada Group; and Seerat Virdi, Brand Manager at the R Collective, help us get to the bottom of the question, revealing how sustainability in fashion has evolved from a marketing concept to an integral part of the industry.
Fashion education must therefore integrate sustainability and responsibility into its programming in order to prepare students for the next few decades which will surely see environmental policy regulation increase across all areas.



Majdouline M’Saad, Undergraduate Fashion Product Management graduate, emphasizes this industry-wide evolution: brands are “waking up” to these changes. What seemed like an idealistic “let’s change the world” slogan five years ago has become a regulatory necessity, forcing brands to rebuild their supply chains and sustainability metrics. Seerat Virdi, Master in International Fashion Business graduate, reinforces this perspective, noting the industry’s shift from greenwashing and eco-friendly buzzwords to genuine investment in circular business models and long-term thinking.
Design emerges as the cornerstone of sustainable innovation across all roles. Maria Clara Prati, who works extensively with raw materials and low-impact solutions, says that “everything starts with design, it can be a powerful tool to change the model from a linear one to a circular one.” Her background in economics and management of art and culture, before graduating with a Master in Sustainable Fashion, taught her to value balance and harmony – principles she sees as fundamental to sustainability.




Camper, a pioneer in sustainable design, exemplifies this integrated approach. Majdouline describes their methodology as meticulous, “almost like architecture or driving a car,” breaking down each component of a shoe to optimize its sustainability. This attention to detail has led to groundbreaking achievements: Camper was the first brand globally to help develop plastic-free footwear materials.
However, smaller brands face unique challenges in implementing sustainable practices. Designer, and Master in Creative Direction graduate, Frederik Berner Kühl, advocates for simplicity in sustainable design: “We do pretty simple stuff, it’s meant to live for a long time, we don’t change everything from season to season.” Yet he acknowledges the industry’s fundamental contradiction: “The most sustainable thing would be not to do it. Our industry is one of the most polluting ones, but it’s a dilemma when you really love something and you can’t help yourself but to create things.” Smaller brands often struggle with higher minimum order requirements for sustainable materials, though their role in pushing the sustainability conversation forward remains crucial in influencing larger industry players through consumer expectations.
All four professionals highlight that deep knowledge of materials and supply chain processes is non-negotiable for advancing sustainability in fashion. Frederik’s commitment to visiting every supplier’s factory before collaboration exemplifies this hands-on approach. This raises important questions about fashion education; Frederik argues that the distinction between sustainable and regular fashion design should eventually disappear, suggesting that within 5-10 years, sustainability should be implicit in all fashion design. He advocates for a more comprehensive education that combines creative design skills with practical knowledge of industrial production, supply chain management, and material sourcing. Seerat echoed this sentiment, “I don’t think there’s any such thing as a “normal” designer, you have to be conscious of what you design, there is no other way.”

As Seerat states, “I don’t think sustainability is optional. It’s the future of the industry.” This sentiment is echoed across all professionals interviewed, who emphasize that the distinction between “sustainable fashion” and “regular fashion” is rapidly disappearing.
Working in sustainability involves challenges and requires determination, what comes to the fore is the passion and almost nerdy commitment to sustainability these four professionals have. What is clear is that there is real demand and need for the next generation of professionals from across business and design fields in fashion; Seerat is emphatic when she says that there is a need for innovators in this space, “a lot of friends and peers are pivoting to sustainability and corporate social responsibility,” although stating that “in design there’s a huge gap to fill.”


Majdouline’s advice for sustainable fashion hopefuls? “Be competitive in the market; the more you are updated, the more you have knowledge and purpose, the more you can guarantee yourself a place in the industry.” All professionals agree that there is a huge gap in new graduate incomers, either across material and supply chain knowledge, design roles or specialized corporate talent. While there’s growing investment in circular business models and material innovation, achieving true sustainability remains a complex goal. Success requires a combination of technical knowledge, creative problem-solving, and persistent determination. The future belongs to those who can marry traditional design skills with sustainable practices and deep supply chain understanding.
Most encouraging is the sense of optimism running through the industry, despite its challenges. There’s unprecedented investment in sustainable solutions and growing transparency across the sector. As Maria Clara observes, the challenge now is “to ensure sustainability is a standard and not just an exception”, and education might be the key to making this happen.

Frederik believes comprehensive, sustainability-focused education could be a powerful force for change. He expects future graduates will need to demonstrate deep knowledge of industry-level sustainability practices. “A designer will always be a designer first, they stay creative and do collections,” he notes, but suggests that even basic sustainability knowledge can help push the industry toward less harmful practices.
“I think it’s an exciting time to study this topic,” he adds. The new constraints around sustainability aren’t limiting creativity. Instead, they’re challenging designers and fashion professionals to think in innovative ways, potentially reshaping the entire industry for the better.