The Slow Fashion Gala Showing the Future of Fashion
On 8 November 2025, Clarion Hotel Stockholm on Södermalm transformed into a sparkling home for Sweden’s slow-fashion movement. For the second year running, Slow Fashion Galan celebrated reuse, creative craft and sustainable design with a full day of marketplace discoveries, panel discussions, awards and a high-energy runway. We were there, and we loved every minute.
What is Slow Fashion Galan?
Slow Fashion Galan is a celebration of re-use, upcycling and thoughtful style, a meeting point for people who love vintage, second-hand and planet-positive fashion. The aim: to showcase the innovators shaping a circular future, connect creators with consumers and industry, and prove, decisively, that style and sustainability can go hand in hand.
This year’s edition was organised by Clarion Hotel Stockholm in partnership with Slow Fashion Hub, the Södermalm platform for reuse and sustainable design led by Stina Loving, Therese Forsberg and Mikaela de Verdier. Clarion hosted under its WeCare concept, spotlighting how hospitality can back a more sustainable fashion culture.
The Day: Marketplace, Music, Panel, Awards… and a Runway Finale
Throughout the day, the atmosphere at Clarion Hotel Stockholm was vibrant and full of creativity. The marketplace offered guests the chance to explore a beautifully curated floor of second-hand, vintage and upcycled pieces, clothing, accessories and jewellery all given a second life. It was a space of discovery and inspiration, where craftsmanship and circular design took centre stage.
As the afternoon unfolded, Elin Wiigh filled the room with live music, setting a warm and soulful tone before the evening’s programme began. Later, AzizMoralez took over, keeping the energy high well into the night.
At 17:15, the panel conversation brought together some of Sweden’s most insightful voices in sustainable fashion: Emily Dahl, fashion journalist and creator of Modemassakern, and Adrian Zethraeus, Project Manager and Process Leader at Science Park Borås, with Maria Lagerman as moderator. Their discussion moved fluidly between design innovation, circular business models, consumer empowerment and the policy frameworks needed to scale reuse and sustainability across the fashion industry.
Before the gala’s evening highlights, guests gathered for dinner at NÒR, Clarion’s restaurant, where conversation flowed easily between creativity, craft and climate, a fitting prelude to what was to come.
The awards ceremony followed, celebrating the individuals and businesses that have made outstanding contributions to Sweden’s slow-fashion scene.
Finally, the runway show brought the night to a dazzling close. Divided into two parts, redesign and second-hand/vintage, it showcased the best of contemporary upcycling and timeless style, proving once again that sustainable fashion can be both visionary and full of joy.
Winners 2025
Chosen from public nominations and decided by a jury of Erika Fyrvall (chair), Johanna Thofelt, Sara Frii, Erik Östling and Ebba Abelsson:
Årets Slow Fashion Butik (Slow Fashion Store of the Year): Napoli Centrale (Södermalm, Stockholm)
Jury: With warmth, wit and a razor-sharp edit, especially classic Italian football shirts, Napoli Centrale has opened second-hand to new audiences, building a genuine, engaging community at accessible prices.Årets Slow Fashionista/o (Slow Fashionista of the Year): Frida Landbecker
Jury: Makes sustainable style inviting and practical, eschewing guilt, championing second-hand and vintage, and sharing smart tips to curate, care and restyle what you already own.Årets Re-Designer (Re-designer of the Year): Waxiu Shehu, Studio 234+
Jury: Artistic, distinctive and high-fashion—Studio 234+ unites second-hand boutique, tailoring, sewing studio and dry-cleaning into a singular circular ecosystem, giving the old bold new life.
Prize partners: The store winner receives a pop-up space in AMF Fastigheter’s Ringens Galleria and a year’s supply of Pure Effect Textile Spray, a practical boost that helps elevate and care for hard-to-wash garments.
“I am incredibly happy to receive this award. Being able to inspire and help others through second-hand and sustainable fashion truly means a lot to me.”
Designers & Looks on the Runway
This year’s catwalk split showcased:
Redesign: Headlined by Studio 234+ (Waxiu Shehu), statement silhouettes, precise tailoring and imaginative remakes that prove couture-level craft and circularity belong together.
Second-hand/Vintage: Curated outfits from the marketplace community, with Napoli Centrale among the crowd-favourites, demonstrating how careful sourcing and storytelling can turn vintage into modern, wearable style.
Why It Matters
Slow Fashion Galan is a radiant counterweight to ultra-fast fashion: instead of disposability, it champions craft, care and community. It proves circular fashion is not a sacrifice, it’s joyful, glamorous and future-ready. With Sweden’s second-hand market reaching record heights this year, the gala’s message could not be timelier: use what exists, redesign what’s damaged, and cherish what you already own.
Our Take (ASC)
We were delighted to be back. As this is the event’s second year, it truly shows that sustainability doesn’t have to be boring, it can be fun, social and deeply inspiring. We met many changemakers (several we’ve already interviewed—check out our Change Maker Interview Series) and discovered new brands and platforms we can’t wait to feature. We felt genuinely honoured to dine with the Clarion team, learn more about the hotel’s sustainability work, and enjoy front-row views of the runway. And yes, we bought a few upcycled treasures ourselves. Consider it our way of walking the talk of fashion transformation.
Huge thanks to the organisers, partners, designers, performers and the wonderfully stylish crowd. See you at Slow Fashion Galan 2026, where the future of fashion keeps getting brighter, bolder and more beautifully circular.