You Can’t Fix What You Can’t See: Understanding the Impact of Your Supply Chain
Do you truly understand the impact your organization is having on the Supply Chain? In this one-on-one conversation with Kutay Saritosun, head of marketing & communications at Bluesign, learn how your company can verify activities along the textile supply chain and secure greater trust and transparency within the industry and with your consumers. Leave this conversation understanding the challenges in reducing impact in your supply chain, why knowing your supply network is relevant to understanding and managing impact, and the biggest sources of impact and where they come from. In addition, hear about the latest in Bluesign offerings including a soon-to-be introduced tiered service that’s helping to democratize access to expert solutions to reduce impact for brands and manufacturers of all sizes.

Securing (Tracing) the Links on Your Supply Chain
Chain of custody has never been more important, nor under more scrutiny. From ensuring your goods are produced without the use of forced labor or banned cotton, to the ability to vet your sustainability claims, it’s imperative to incorporate both responsibility and traceability into your process.

Circularity is a Team Sport
When it comes to the best use of resources, be they fibers or financial, the industry’s approach to circularity has produced mixed results. Finding solutions that are effective, and scalable, remains a work in progress. This panel will will look at the big picture and explain the different benefits and pitfalls of reuse versus repaid, or pre-consumer vs post-consumer waste before experts in the field discuss textile-to-textile recycling, why some programs have more promising futures than others, and why industry collaboration is a vital component in making a truly greener future. 

Staying on the Right Side of Green Legislation
With more and more scrutiny being put on the supply chain, there has been greater interest (and action) from governmental bodies in legislating change. How are federal, local and state changing the way business is done from fiber inputs to warehousing? This panel will look at where regulations fit in with private sustainability goals, and how to navigate these new rules, be it Europe’s Green Deal, the NY Fashion Law or the many changes occurring in California.

Debunking Cotton Myths
Cotton has been in the crosshairs of misconceptions and misinformation for some time in regards to the true nature of its effect on the environment and the role it plays in a sustainable future. From criticism on water usage to the use of pesticides, this panel discusses those concerns and looks to separate the truths from the myths surrounding the world’s most natural fiber.

Funding a Greener Future
As funding for companies in the sustainability space continues to see a dramatic rise, this panel takes a closer look at the venture capital community that is providing the backing for green investments. The conversation with three of the top funds in the field will discuss what they look for in a potential investment, what kind of time frames are typical and where they feel the most opportunities lie.

Informa Markets Fashion's New Era
In this one-on-one interview, SJ founder and president Edward Hertzman sits down with Kelly Helfman, Commercial President of Informa Markets Fashion. With over 18 years of fashion expertise, Kelly has re-imagined the wholesale industry. Landing MAGIC as the top U.S. trade event for two consecutive years in a row, Kelly has successfully boosted globally sought-after brands, MAGIC, COTERIE, PROJECT, and SOURCING at MAGIC into new era through industry advancements with live and digitally focused trade events.

Connecting: A Sustainable Future for Apparel
The fashion industry is responsible for a staggering 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and a fifth of all industrial water pollution. So what action can retailers take to extend the life of existing garments within their inventory? This panel will showcase the power of collaboration across all corners of the industry, in a bid to advance the circular economy. Avery Dennison, UpWest, and ReCircled will share learnings from their collaborative initiative which used QR code technology to provide a new, direct-to-consumer communications touchpoint for upcycled garments, and help improve supply-chain visibility and support post-consumer lifecycle data usage. We must make circularity a reality, and with legislation fast approaching, practical solutions like this will be essential.

The Buyer/Supplier Transition
John Thorbeck of Chainge Capital is the lead consultant for the ITC, the UN agency for trade based in Geneva, and the International Apparel Federation in Amsterdam. Their joint project goal is to create a buyer/supplier roadmap to be more profitable and sustainable in all tiers of the value chain. The new model is based on shared risk over cost alone and is intended to accelerate fashion performance toward the UN’s SDG goals for 2030. Project participants include global retailers, new ventures and the 12 nations of Asia whose collaboration led to the Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative (STTI).

The Sustainability Disconnect: Are You and Your Customer Speaking the Same Language?
Brands and retailers spend countless hours and dollars trying to understand their customer. What do they want? What do they value? And how much are they willing to pay for it? One thing is for certain, you can’t paint with broad strokes. Baby Boomers and Millennials have different ideals and priorities when it comes to shopping with sustainability in mind. And the values-based habits of Gen-Z take this to a whole new level. How can you be sure that your goals and priorities align with those of your customers?

In this conversation, Greg Petro from First Insight will sit down with Eddie Hertzman, founder and president of Sourcing Journal, and share the latest findings from research done in partnership with the Baker Retailing Center at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania on what the consumer is saying… and what he or she is actually doing. It’s no surprise that the disconnects between retail executives and consumers are vast when it comes to how people define sustainability and how much more they are truly willing to spend for sustainable products. Greg and Eddie will provide practical tips and examples of how companies are using data and technology to bridge this gap and operate more sustainably.

Unlocking Value Through Sustainability
Research shows that effective sustainability initiatives have positive financial and societal outcomes. Then why is it still so hard for brands and retailers to implement sustainable solutions? How can businesses quantify the tangible and intangible benefits of sustainability and make the business case to prioritize the investments? 

Join NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business in discussing their Return on Sustainability Investment (ROSI™) methodology. Through case studies from brands like EILEEN FISHER, Reformation, and REI, toolkits, and an industry specific framework, learn how to unlock the financial benefits of your sustainability strategies. The panel will examine how to leverage ROSI™ to address material ESG issues, encourage sustainability innovation and improve financial performance.

Elias Stahl, the founder and CEO of HILOS, a platform for 3D printed shoes made on-demand, will join to discuss how the ROSI methodology can be applied to new, sustainable business models in a way that accelerates industry adoption. HILOS and NYU will discuss their current work together and some of the exciting implications it will have for the fashion retail industry.