The UN and the Swedish School of Textiles Launch Collaboration with Central Saint Martins

Funded by the Paul Frankenius Foundation, students and researchers from the Swedish School of Textiles and Central Saint Martins will during the spring and summer design new accessory for UN Tour Guides, building on the landmark 2025 collection that for the first time in the UN’s history, embedded sustainability into the design process.

“Creativity drives transformation,” said Annemarie Hou, Executive Director of the UN Office for Partnerships. “This initiative demonstrates what is possible when global institutions and leading design schools work together. 

The announcement was made during Design Matters: Shaping a Sustainable Future Through Fashion, held in the Goals Lounge at UN Headquarters. The event marked one year since the launch of the current uniforms on Earth Day 2025. 

“By connecting leading design schools with the United Nations, this initiative allows students collaborate and translate sustainability on a global stage. Supporting the next generation is one of the most powerful ways to accelerate change,” said Paul Frankenius, Founder of the Paul Frankenius Foundation and Board Member of the Swedish School of Textiles. 

As part of the initiative, ten master’s students in design from each school will explore circular design, sustainable materials and responsible production through the creation of new accessories, a selection of which will go into production in 2026. The new products will be worn by the UN guides at the UN Headquarters.

“We are very thankful to the Swedish School of Textiles for inviting Central Saint Martins to join this design collaboration with the United Nations,” said Per Götesson, Senior Lecturer at Central Saint Martins. “Bringing together students from both institutions creates a powerful exchange of ideas around sustainability, innovation, and the future of fashion.”

“We look forward continuing the work on the UN guide collection and to doing so together with Central Saint Martins, said Karin Landahl, Senior Lecturer in Design at the Swedish School of Textiles. “Through the partnership and the meeting of the students, the foundations are laid for a valuable exchange of ideas and experiences, where innovation and creativity can flourish.”

Since 1952, UN Tour Guides have welcomed visitors into the halls of international diplomacy. With more than 200,000 visitors passing through UN Headquarters each year, the UN Tour Guide uniforms serve as a highly visible platform for engaging global audiences on sustainability. Over the decades, their uniforms have evolved with the times, shaped by designers such as Dior, Benetton and Elie Tahari.

Designed by 20 international students from the Swedish School of Textiles, the 2025 collection marked two firsts: the first time a fashion school led the design of UN Tour Guide uniforms, and the first-time sustainability served as a core design principle.

The collaboration with the United Nations and the development of the guide collection are driven and funded by the Paul Frankenius Foundation. Course development at the University of Borås is supported by KK stiftelsen.

UN partners in the collaboration are the UN Office for Partnerships and the UN Department of Global Communications, as well as the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network.

About the UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network

The UN Fashion and Lifestyle Network is a collaborative platform that brings together industry leaders, creatives and organizations to drive action for sustainable development through fashion, lifestyle and cultural influence.

About the UN Office for Partnerships

As the global gateway to the United Nations, the UN Office for Partnerships convenes and co-creates essential partnerships and programmes, as well as manages catalytic funding to accelerate solutions to keep the promise of the Sustainable Development Goals.