Fashion Futurist, Futures Designer and Educator
Geraldine Wharry
(
Private sector
)
#SDGAction49173
Description
Fashion futurist Geraldine Wharry guides businesses in the style industry who are putting sustainable innovation, diversity, ethical and regenerative futures at the centre of their strategy and impact.
Wharry forecasts the new edges of society and possible futures ahead, to advise on innovative decisions and activations putting the people and the planet first. Helping organisations understand the new playbook by providing future insights and actionable strategy steeped in sustainability and systems change has been at the centre of Wharry’s practice since 2013.
In 2019 Wharry founded the Trend Atelier (https://www.thetrendatelier.com/), a global community and school supporting and gathering forecasters and creatives working in the style industry and beyond, around their shared mission to lead sustainable systems change.
In terms of implementation methodologies, as a fellow of the RSA (Royal Society of the Arts), Wharry uses the Living change approach, a framework for making social change happen. The 6 principles of Living Change are:
1- Systemic - We see and change systems in nested and interconnected ways
2- Collective - We bring the power and wisdom of the collective to lead change, with the welfare of people, place, and planet at the heart, in equal measure
3- Imaginative - We draw on our capacity for imagination to create hopeful alternatives to the reality that we know
4- Long-term - We hold a long-term view of success and consequence beyond this generation
5- Adaptive - We recognise that change is living as we design, test, and iterate to improve ways forward
6- Local to global - We start with place and context to impact bio- regionally and globally
Wharry also applies Transition Design principles in her work, as a trans-disciplinary approach aimed at addressing the many ‘wicked’ problems confronting 21st century societies which include climate change.
Finally, Geraldine Wharry has created methodologies as part of her work as the founder of the Trend Atelier, inspired by the principles of sustainable fashion, regenerative farming practices, mindfulness, and participatory education:
- Transcendence foresight
- The Syntropic Flower Model
- World building framework
In terms of in person implementation both online and offline, supporting sustainable approaches to future foresight for the fashion and creative industries, emerging futures and futures literacy is carried out through the practice of:
- Keynote presentations
- Panels
- Lectures
- Workshops
- The leadership Wharry provides for the Trend Atelier community and learning journey
Geraldine Wharry is a consultancy led by its founder Fashion Futurist Geraldine Wharry.
In terms of strategies, Geraldine Wharry focuses on a 3-pronged approach:
1- Futures advisory by working with industry and institutional leaders on future forecasts, advisory, strategy sessions and innovation workshops
2- Futures Literacy and kinship by working with universities, education programmes and the Trend Atelier
3- Futures Design through the practice of speculative design and participatory futures work with collaborators and institutions
Geraldine Wharry’s involvement in programs includes but is not limited to:
- Founding Trend Atelier, a global community and school dedicated to futures literacy, supporting forecasters and futuring creatives to create a sustainable impact and future. This is done through courses, workshops and a community platform hosted online.
- Being a mentor for the Black Business Incubator program at Somerset House, a key cultural institution in London, UK.
- Wharry also works pro bono to promote circularity and sustainable systems as a speaker and panel moderator at sustainability festivals and conferences
- Wharry is a founding member of Fashion Act Now, an activist group campaigning for regenerative practices, Degrowth, the wellbeing economy, environmental justice, and climate justice.
- Wharry guest lectures at several universities including but not limited to the London College of Fashion, The Institute of Design, the Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins, Conde Nast University, Brixton University, Nottingham Trent University
- Wharry is a Fellow at the Royal Society of the Arts, a global institution
and network of changemakers enabling people, places and the planet to flourish
Here are insights pertaining to strengths and results Geraldine Wharry’s consultancy have provided to leading brands, agencies in the fashion eco system:
NIKE
“Geraldine is an incredible thinker and futurist who is generous with her insights and perspective. Willing to have challenging conversations and really inspire teams to think differently, consider the uncomfortable and ultimately push outside their comfort zone.”
- Material Design Director Nike
AFTERPAY
“Geraldine served as a partner for the global Afterpay team. Her incredible insights helped us formulate trend and data reports that we could share with key media and merchant partners. She approaches her work in a very thoughtful and articulate way, providing insight into how the fashion and retail industries are evolving and what it means for the future. We deeply appreciated her partnership, and still look to her for inspiration on the future of retail.”
- Christine Kapp, Director of North America, and UK Communications - AFTERPAY
CHRISTIAN DIOR LVMH
“I first spotted Geraldine on an Instagram post and immediately knew we needed to collaborate. After years in forecasting positions, I realize how information is not power anymore, only clarity is. Her unique perspective on societal shifts and her ability to connect the dots is providing just that: clarity. By combining both a global vision with fact-backed precision, she’s been a great asset in orienting the message we convey to our teams and top management.”
- Guillaume Dacquet, Head of Prospective Skincare & Brand Projects
GUNG HO COMMUNICATIONS
“I have had the delight of working with Geraldine as we have partnered with her as an agency for a couple of years now. Geraldine’s approach and content are always inspirational and one step-ahead… informing, augmenting, and future-proofing our work. Our goal is to provide our clients with a futures point of view on the impact of the evolving consumer landscape ... alongside trends on relevant industries, sectors, and topics.
Geraldine’s reports and strategic input provide thought-leadership and disruptive thinking that helps our clients to harness market trends, understand and adapt to emerging consumer needs and help us position their brands for success. Being at the forefront of shifts in consumer mindsets and brand responses has never been more important as this will enable us to drive innovation and embrace resilience. I’m delighted that Geraldine is part of our team in helping discover and translate future thinking into relevance now and guide us in how to navigate the puzzling economic, social, and environmental terrain we’re in. What a talent - enthusiastic, foresightful, imaginative. a great mind, a great collaborator with a great heart! Thanks Geraldine.”
- Paul Phedon - CEO Gung Ho Communications
HACKMASTERS
“Whilst running an innovation led business, it’s rare to find an individual who truly manages to surprise you in any way. But this is exactly what Geraldine does every time with her thinking. She has an integral ability to engage the people around her in the journey of discovering the extraordinary and she does it with high consideration of what value will this bring not just for now, but for the future too.
She is not afraid to criticise, yet she manages to do so with an invitation to reflect, grow and discover better alternatives for all. This innate sense of integrity, curious mindset and positive spirit is what makes her a great team member and a true innovator. Geraldine has worked with us on a number of projects on a global scale where her insightful contribution has shaped our client’s thinking and truly pushed them to consider not evolutionary, but transformational approaches for them and their products. “We are humbled and incredibly grateful for having her as part of our network.”
- The team at Hackmasters
THE PINEAPPLE LOUNGE
“Every time we have worked with Geraldine, she has genuinely blown every member of the team away (as well as our clients) with her unique, fresh thinking and cultural references which unfailingly expand our horizons and awareness. She’s also wonderful to work with: personable, conscientious and fun. The value she adds is second to none and we genuinely can’t wait to work with her again whenever the opportunity next arises”
- Gemma Martinez - Project Director at The Pineapple lounge
Below are insights pertaining to strengths and results Geraldine Wharry’s leadership of Trend Atelier:
Lilian Marino
Fashion Consultant and Researcher
Thank you for your brilliant work about Futurism/Forecasting as well as this safe educational space you created. I have no words to truly express how happy I am to be here, learning every day, in a very special and exciting way! Since I joined the community, I feel like I found "my tribe", the type of people I want to hang out with, and I enjoy seeing everyone grow and push the boundaries. When I wake up every day, the first thing I think is the learnings, insights, ideas and provoking thoughts I get from here, how all of this makes my life better, and this is the life fuel I was searching hard for many years - I guess the Universe listened to my wishes and granted me this gift.
Yolanda Martin
Advertising & PR. Fashion Communication
"I am not the same as a year ago thanks to the community."
Gemma Hardy
Designer, Sustainability & Creative Researcher
I discovered the Trend Atelier Community during the Covid winter of 2020, and it was an incredibly inspiring place of talks and presentations during a difficult period. The presentations are innovative and thought-provoking, and the community is full of engaged and intelligent individuals.
Odeta Jacė
Next-gen digital experiences strategist at IBM
Thank you for being our light and inspiration daily. Thank you for supporting, understanding, pushing us towards to grow and be a better version of ourselves. Your initiatives changed and empowered many lives, and we are extremely grateful that you are in this world!
Dazed - Spur - Gung Ho Communications - Seymour Powell – Allergan – The Black Business Incubator – London College of Fashion (UAL) – Conde Nast University – Trend Atelier – Green is The New Black
SDGS & Targets
Goal 4
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
4.1
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
4.1.1
Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
4.1.2
Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)
4.2
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education
4.2.1
Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex
4.2.2
Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex
4.3
By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
4.3.1
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex
4.4
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
4.4.1
Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
4.5
4.5.1
Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated
4.6
By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
4.6.1
Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex
4.7
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
4.7.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment
4.a
Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all
4.a.1
Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service
4.b
4.b.1
Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study
4.c
By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States
4.c.1
Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level
Goal 12
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
12.1
Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries
12.1.1
Number of countries developing, adopting or implementing policy instruments aimed at supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production
12.2
By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.2.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
12.2.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
12.3
By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
12.3.1
(a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index
12.4
By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
12.4.1
12.4.2
(a) Hazardous waste generated per capita; and (b) proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment
12.5
By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
12.5.1
National recycling rate, tons of material recycled
12.6
Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
12.6.1
12.7
Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities
12.7.1
Number of countries implementing sustainable public procurement policies and action plans
12.8
By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
12.8.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
12.a
Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production
12.a.1
Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing and developed countries (in watts per capita)
12.b
Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
12.b.1
Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability
12.c
Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities
12.c.1
Amount of fossil-fuel subsidies (production and consumption) per unit of GDP
Goal 13
Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
13.1
Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries
13.1.1
Number of deaths, missing persons and directly affected persons attributed to disasters per 100,000 population
13.1.2
Number of countries that adopt and implement national disaster risk reduction strategies in line with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030
13.1.3
Proportion of local governments that adopt and implement local disaster risk reduction strategies in line with national disaster risk reduction strategies
13.2
Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning
13.2.1
Number of countries with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
13.2.2
Total greenhouse gas emissions per year
13.3
Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning
13.3.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
13.a
Implement the commitment undertaken by developed-country parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to a goal of mobilizing jointly $100 billion annually by 2020 from all sources to address the needs of developing countries in the context of meaningful mitigation actions and transparency on implementation and fully operationalize the Green Climate Fund through its capitalization as soon as possible
13.a.1
Amounts provided and mobilized in United States dollars per year in relation to the continued existing collective mobilization goal of the $100 billion commitment through to 2025
13.b
Promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related planning and management in least developed countries and small island developing States, including focusing on women, youth and local and marginalized communities
13.b.1
Number of least developed countries and small island developing States with nationally determined contributions, long-term strategies, national adaptation plans and adaptation communications, as reported to the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
|---|
Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Feedback
Action Network
Share
Timeline
Entity
Region
- Europe
- Asia and Pacific
- North America
Geographical coverage
Other beneficiaries
- Fashion brands and retailers
- Innovators existing in the digital fashion space, biomaterials, and circularity
- Sustainable Fashion start ups
- Social change organisations
- Innovation and industrial design agencies
- Communication agencies
- Universities, Education organisations and Teachers
- Fashion students
- Individuals working in future foresight focused on the style and design industry
More information
Countries
Contact Information
Geraldine Wharry, Fashion Futurist