The session was moderated by Jordana Guimaraes of Fashinnovation alongside Luca Tonello and Viktoriia Shiriaeva of Dedagroup Stealth, Josh Henretig of Higg and Arcangelo D’Onofrio and Marco Ruffa of Temera.
Check out the Q&A below, along with the full webinar!
J) What is sustainability in the fashion industry and why is it more important than ever?
A) For a brand today, it has become impossible to ignore sustainability. It is something that needs to be incorporated within their business models. They need to look at their entire supply chain, from design and sourcing to production and distribution, and understand how to reduce their carbon footprint. It is clear, the shift in what the consumer wants to know about products, they don’t just want to know where they are made but they want to know how they are made, whether the fabric is sourced ethically, what is the water consumption. And there is a very high interest in knowing whether the materials used are recycled or if companies are using deadstock to produce new collections. Consumers of fashion today really want to invest in a piece that will last longer.
J) We’ve seen a huge rise in emerging brands, a lot of them being born into sustainability, why is sustainability especially important for emerging brands?
A) For emerging brands, sustainability is so important because they will find it easier compared to implement a sustainable approach from the early days. They won’t have unlimited resources, so they will have to decide what to invest in, but they will see the result a lot quicker and a lot earlier than the larger groups. Larger groups must look at a much larger picture, this is why we’ve seen a rise in new sustainability departments being created because they want to focus solely on that. For an emerging brand, taking sustainability in the early stages, they’ll get a competitive advantage over those larger groups and strengthen their DNA and brand identity, it’s the unique selling point that becomes more and more appealing to consumers, we all know everybody wants to buy into sustainability nowadays.
The other point worth mentioning is that it is notoriously difficult for new brands to keep up with industry trends of producing four to six collections a year, and if we use sustainability, you can take the advantage of reducing production, so producing less and be a little bit smarter about how you do it. Looking at someone like Priya Ahluwalia, who won the LVMH and Queen Elizabeth || Awards for sustainability. She uses sustainable products and all the materials have been sourced to give them a new life, otherwise, they would have just been discarded in a landfill. What is interesting is that her approach is appealing to larger brands, she has collaborated with Ganni, using their deadstock to produce a new collection. As hard as it sounds, it’s a great early advantage for emerging brands to look at sustainability from the start.
J) Do you think that there is an opportunity for emerging brands to be at the forefront of what the fashion industry and consumers are looking at, and are we going to see a shift with brands born into and adapting sustainability so early on?
A) Absolutely, it does give you a competitive advantage over the larger groups because it’s a hot topic and therefore everybody wants to talk about sustainability but taking it seriously from the start will allow those emerging brands to get a lot more exposure from the start, it’s something that is not always easy at the beginning. So, take sustainability to approach the market and get visibility as quickly as possible.
J) Why is transparency an essential part of sustainability in the fashion industry?
A) Transparency is an essential part, and it sets brands for future growth, being transparent should enable future growth of your brand. If you’re transparent to your customers, you create a very strong community and demand for your products. You get an upper hand over your competitors by being transparent. I’d like to bring an example of a brand, Pangaia, founded about three years ago, they use technology to create new materials, they recycle cotton for their tracksuits, they use ink made of air pollution. The products sell out very quickly because they do limited runs. So, on one side you reduce production, and on the other side, you invest in future growth by allowing the brand to research and create new products and materials in a lab. It gives the end consumer a feeling that they are part of the process and makes them feel that they are buying more sustainably. It’s about having that connection that is stronger and stronger with the consumer, and being transparent enriches that connection drastically, that’s fundamental for the sustainability journey.
J) How can small businesses and brands new to sustainability start their sustainability efforts?
A) Your starting point is really by not ignoring it and you really need to have it in your mind. You need to realise that you have the capability to change the fashion industry going forward. Let’s not forget that emerging brands have a lot more interaction with their customers, so they can take on what they are looking for. They obviously need to look at their finances as they are not unlimited when you start a business, so they need to understand where best to invest. Taking sustainability as an element, you can look at eliminating overseas production, on one side will reduce your carbon footprint and on the other, save you costs. These costs saved can be used to research new methods and materials. And understanding the importance of technology is crucial, having visibility of data allows them to have a comprehensive overview of sourcing, production cost, and with this data, to understand and make internal decisions in a smarter way. Your internal decision-making doesn’t necessarily have to be focused on the product or your end consumer, you can do it for your company culture, promote removing paper and plastic in your work environment, and use recycled materials for everyday use. These are all small steps, but they are big ones in terms of making a difference for the future of our planet.
J) Being sustainable often means investing a lot of money, how can small businesses approach this change and have the right tools to do that?
A) For small brands, resources are limited, focusing on your key processes, and trying to understand where you can get sustainability into the business. Don’t be afraid of investing in technology, don’t see technology as an investment that will come later in your journey because it can help you from the start. Look at your production, look at your supply chain to see where you can start to make a difference, and be brave.