CPHFW Official Talk Program: Craft & Culture
The official SS27 Talk Program, supported by Mercedes Benz, is a vital part of the Copenhagen Fashion Week schedule, exploring the ideas, challenges, and opportunities shaping the future of fashion.
Copenhagen Fashion Week will bring the SS27 Talk Program to a live audience, with a dedicated session taking place each day at the Copenhagen Fashion Week Talk Hub, hosted in the Mercedes-Benz Showroom in the heart of the city.
The Talk Program is open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. Each session will feature a 30-minute panel discussion followed by a 15-minute Q&A. Drawing on Copenhagen Fashion Week’s global network, the program will bring together industry leaders from across a range of organisations and disciplines to share insights and perspectives on the topics shaping fashion today.
Craft & Culture
How does craft shape fashion and culture, and how can we modernise craftsmanship while preserving traditions?
To explore the topic, Moderator Christina Cacouris, writer and consultant, brings together Omoyemi Akerele, Founder and Executive Director of Lagos Fashion Week; Madhu Vaishnav, Founder and Director of Saheli Women; and Ruby Redstone, Fashion Historian and Founder of New York City concept store, Mess.
Moderator:
Christina Cacouris — Writer, Consultant and Speaker
Christina Cacouris is a writer, speaker, and consultant based between Paris and Copenhagen. She contributes to The New Yorker, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Aperture on fashion, art, and culture. She also hosts an interview series at Nick Knight’s SHOWstudio focused on fashion photography, and has lectured at institutions including the National Arts Club in New York, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Karl Lagerfeld’s private library in Paris.
Panelists:
Omoyemi Akerele — Founder & Executive Director, Lagos Fashion Week
Omoyemi Akerele is the Founder and Executive Director of Style House Files and Lagos Fashion Week, working across Africa’s creative ecosystem to build sustainable fashion infrastructure and support emerging designers. She leads initiatives including Green Access, Woven Threads, and Irapada, focused on circularity and innovation. She is a BOF 500, Yale Climate Fellow, and TIME100 Climate honouree, and in 2025 Lagos Fashion Week received The Earthshot Prize for its work in sustainable fashion.
Madhu Vaishnav — Founder & Director, Saheli Women
Madhu Vaishnav is the Founder of Saheli Women and the Institute for Philanthropy and Humanitarian Development, established in 2015 to create opportunities for women in rural Rajasthan. The organisation has trained more than 800 women and employs over 200 across the sustainable textile value chain. She serves on the UN Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network advisory committee and has received international recognition including the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Award.
Ruby Redstone — Founder, Mess; Fashion Historian and Writer
Ruby Redstone is the founder of Mess, a New York City concept store, as well as a fashion historian and contemporary fashion writer. Her work has been featured in Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and New York Magazine. She holds an MA in Fashion History from the Courtauld Institute of Art.
