Durability by Design: The Future of Sustainable Fashion | Milan Longevity Summit 2026

*What if the future of fashion begins with a simple idea: designing things to last?* Fashion is one of the world's most resource-intensive industries, built across complex global supply chains and dependent on enormous flows of materials, energy, water, labour, and consumption. But a new generation of designers, businesses, researchers, and innovators is challenging the model and asking what fashion could look like if *durability, circularity, responsibility, and regeneration* were designed into the system from the beginning. In this panel *Marina Spadafora, Caterina Occhio, Matteo Ward, and Hakan Karaosman* come together for a conversation presented by *Antonella Di Leo* on how the fashion industry can move from incremental improvements towards deeper transformation. The discussion explores the entire value chain, from materials and design to sourcing, production, labour, traceability, consumer behaviour, and what happens to garments after they are sold. What does it really mean to design for durability? Can circular business models succeed in an industry still driven by volume and speed? How can brands build more responsible and transparent supply chains? What needs to change in the relationship between producers, brands, consumers, and workers? And can regenerative thinking move fashion beyond reducing harm towards creating positive environmental and social value? The panel also confronts a fundamental business question. *If the most sustainable product is often the one we do not need to replace, how does the industry create value in a world that consumes differently?* *Speakers:* • Marina Spadafora – Owner, Marina Spadafora • Caterina Occhio – Responsible Supply Chain Advisor, Caterina Occhio Consulting • Matteo Ward – Chief Executive Officer, Inside Out Fashion, Textiles & Home • Hakan Karaosman – Associate Professor, Politecnico di Milano • Presented by Antonella Di Leo – Publisher, Wise Society Ultimately, sustainable fashion is not simply about replacing one material with another or making existing production slightly less damaging. *It is about redesigning what we make, how we make it, how long we use it, and how value is created throughout the lifecycle of a product.* Durability offers a powerful place to start: *creating fashion designed not for disposability, but for longevity.* *Powered by Marina Spadafora* _The *Vitality Stage* at the Milan Longevity Summit explores how innovation moves from ideas and scientific breakthroughs into the markets, technologies, products, services, and business models shaping healthier lives and a healthier planet._ *Learn more about the Milan Longevity Summit:* https://www.milanlongevitysummit.org/speakers26 #MilanLongevitySummit #SustainableFashion #CircularFashion #FashionInnovation #Durability #CircularEconomy #RegenerativeDesign #ResponsibleFashion #Vitality #FutureOfFashion