State of Fashion Biennale 2026 program announced

The State of Fashion Biennale 2026, titled "Available to Promise; Hidden Systems, Shared Futures," is scheduled to take place in Arnhem from May 14 to June 28, 2026. Unveiled on November 6, the program shifts the focus from finished clothes to the infrastructures—supply chains, technology, cultural processes, and ecosystems—that shape the global fashion industry.

The curatorial team, Anne Zhou, Anouchka van Driel, and Shanu Walpita, use the logistics term "Available to Promise" to guide the exhibition, which seeks to map how these practices intersect with human and nonhuman agents. The program is organized around five pillars: Develop, Distribute, Hype, Experience, and Transform.

Global Reach and Local Activation

Arnhem will serve as the main "Homesite," hosting exhibitions in multiple locations across the city center, including the Eusebius Church and Rozet. Parallel to this, the Biennale will activate "ONsites" in key production regions: Ghana, China, and Sri Lanka.

The public program will integrate local and international collaborations. Highlights include a performance by Introdans with Spijkers & Spijkers and an anniversary celebration by the ArtEZ Fashion Design bachelor program. The Biennale also includes an Open Call for Arnhem-aligned makers, workshops by Crafts Council Nederland, and a symposium developed with ArtEZ University of the Arts and NewTexEco, anchoring the academic exchange. Further partnerships are expected to be announced leading up to the event.