From 8 to 11 June 2026, the second EcoVogue International STEAM and Fashion Festival took place in Vienna, Austria, and as a partner in the EcoVogue Erasmus+ project, ADI was delighted to see the programme grow in scope and ambition. The four-day mobility brought together students, educators, and partners for an intensive and inspiring week focused on sustainability, creativity, and hands-on STEAM learning.
Building on the energy of the first festival in May, this second mobility deepened participants’ engagement with the core themes of the project: the relationship between fashion, climate change, and environmental responsibility. The programme mixed field visits, creative workshops, practical street activities, and collaborative group work, all designed to encourage young people to think critically and act sustainably.
The week opened with welcome and introductory sessions that set a collaborative tone from the start. Icebreakers and open group discussions gave participants space to share their experiences with sustainability and fashion before diving into the full programme.
A particular highlight was the visit to the Seeds exhibition at Kunst Haus Wien. Through art and installation, participants explored themes of biodiversity, ecological systems, and the human relationship with nature, a thoughtful, unexpected entry point into environmental thinking that resonated strongly with the EcoVogue project’s values.
The second day brought the group to the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts, where they explored the MAK Design Lab and the permanent textiles and carpets collection. The visit offered rich insight into design processes and material choices, and helped participants see sustainability not just as a constraint but as a source of creative possibility.
One of the most practical moments of the week was a sustainable fashion street activity in Vienna. Students visited different clothing stores, comparing garment labels, materials, prices, and sustainability information side by side. This exercise, which was simple in format, but powerful in impact, helped participants develop their critical consumer thinking and understand the real environmental and social footprint of what we wear.
During the workshop sessions, participants developed sustainable fashion concepts using recycled materials and prepared presentations for the EcoVogue International STEAM Fashion Festival. The collaborative process promoted creativity, problem-solving, and teamwork, exactly the competences that EcoVogue is built around.
The festival itself was the centrepiece of the week: students showcased their recycled-material creations, presented their ideas, and shared their group outputs in a celebratory and supportive setting. It was a vivid demonstration of how much young people can achieve when given the right tools, the right environment, and the encouragement to experiment.
The final day was dedicated to reflection, evaluation, and looking forward. Participants discussed what they had learned, how they would bring these ideas back to their schools and communities, and what a sustainable future might look like, for fashion, for their cities, and for themselves. The mobility closed with a certificate ceremony recognising each participant’s contribution.
At ADI, projects like EcoVogue remind us why international collaboration matters. When young people from different countries come together around shared values, something genuinely meaningful happens. We are proud to be part of this project and look forward to the next steps.
