AYA TALKS 2025

AYA Talks, held on the 13th, has established itself as the largest sustainability event in the fashion, beauty and wellbeing sectors in Brazil. The gathering brought together executives, entrepreneurs, creators, journalists and activists to discuss central themes of the transition to a regenerative economy: corporate leadership, impact entrepreneurship, influence on conscious consumption, the value of Indigenous cultures and strategies to accelerate circularity and the bioeconomy. The initiative is part of the AYA Earth Partners ecosystem, the first and largest hub dedicated to connecting companies, civil society organisations and specialists in the mission of driving Brazil towards a low-carbon economy. Under the leadership of Patricia Ellen, former secretary in the São Paulo state government, AYA seeks to create integrated solutions so that business leaders can turn climate challenges into opportunities for investment and innovation.

Among the highlights of the programme, the talk by the young UN climate leader Txai Suruí set the tone of urgency: “Climate change is already affecting everyone, above all Indigenous peoples, and it is in the big decision-making spaces that we need to take our reality. We need to use our instruments, such as mobile phones, drones and cameras, to fight our battles, because traditional media still does not show the challenges we face”.

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Moda as a vector of transformation

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According to Maria Toledo, AYA's ambassador for fashion, beauty and wellbeing, the aim is to “burst the bubble”, bringing the world of fashion and beauty closer to urgent discussions about sustainability. “Transformation has to start from within. Companies need to adopt internal measures, beyond legal regulation and reputational reporting, and generate real positive impact”, she explained. As ambassador, she highlighted the strategic role of the press and of consumers passionate about fashion and beauty in amplifying the discussion. “When we bring sustainability into this sector, we strengthen the debate”, she said. The expectation for the coming years is clear: to strengthen the adherence of more brands to the AYA ecosystem, encourage internal projects of positive impact and consolidate the event as an annual reference. “We are very happy with this year's attendance, the largest we have ever had. We want to keep expanding”, she added.

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Connection as the key

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Responsible for the curation of AYA Talks, Flávia Vagen highlighted the care taken in selecting diverse voices for the event. Her goal was to connect fashion, beauty and wellbeing with dense discussions that nevertheless need to reach audiences beyond the converted. “The main challenge was to leave the bubble. We needed to take complex themes, such as climate and bioeconomy, to the fashion public, which is still distant from those debates. The idea was to identify relevant players, brands already in transformational processes, and connect them to other sectors”, she said. Diversity was another central point. According to Flávia, the curation sought to integrate different ethnic-racial and regional profiles, bringing together voices of original peoples, fashion artists, communicators, advertisers and corporate leaders. That mix reinforces the proposal of creating a plural space in which sustainable practices can be shared and multiplied. For her, the expected impact goes beyond inspiration: “We do not want the event to be limited to talk. The aim is for the connections to unfold into concrete action. We leave here with defined agendas, with companies that have sustainable solutions being connected to brands that have not yet seen that potential”.

AYA's strategy is clear: continuous engagement, expansion of the network of members and strengthening of regenerative solutions in Brazil. By articulating fashion, beauty and wellbeing as a way into wider conversations about climate and society, the project shifts the perception of those sectors and shows their strategic relevance.