Conscious Fashion Tech News & Events in NYC | 11.12.18 - 12.06.18 | Circular Business Models Event Recap

Dear Friend,

Hello from the sunny and chill LA, which I'm visiting for a ReMode conference this week! I'm scheduled to record 10 interviews with CEOs of the top fashion tech and sustainability companies - for Fashion is Your Business Podcast by Mouth Media Network! Very excited and will share with you the interviews as they come out!

On Halloween night, Oct.31st we had our Balanced Fashion event on Circular Fashion Business models in collaboration with Business Models Canvas Inc. Panelists were Jennifer Yassen, Director of Strategic Relations, Fashion of Tomorrow, Kimberly Neer, Community + Operations, Wardrobe, Jessica Kelly, Founder, Thr3efold and Sergey Moliavko, Founder, Sharecloth.

We spoke about what circular economy and circular fashion mean to each panelists and how it's different from the classical, linear economy. We agreed that circular economy in fashion means that products are designed with the end in mind and after the product is no longer needed by one customer, it can be reused by someone else, repurposed and, later, recycled into a new product. According to Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the circular economy is based on three principles: 1. Design out waste and pollution 2. Keep products and materials in use 3. Regenerate natural systems

The panelists discussed how these principles can be applied to the fashion industry. There are multiple ways for fashion industry to "close the loop", and they include providing take back and recycling programs in the stores, offering subscription, rentals and mending services for your brand and educating a customer on how to take care of their garments and how to properly dispose of it when it is no longer being used.

We also touched upon the concept of on-demand production and how it can be looked from a circular fashion perspective: custom-made products tend to be more valued by a customer, creating a longer fashion lifecycle. Product produced on-demand also tends to be of higher quality, which means it last much longer than a fast fashion product. The panelists also stressed the importance of providing opportunities and education for customers on fixing, restoring and taking care of their existing products. 

Meg Luce from Business Models Inc facilitated a Business Model Canvas workshop after the panel, she walked the audience through how to effectively use the Canvas.

You can watch the full video recording from this event on our Balanced Fashion Facebook page.

For our next Balanced Fashion event, we are collaborating with Jessica Couch, a fit technology expert at Luxor + Finch on an event focused on fit technology for sustainable fashion. It's not a secret that a poor fit is a huge issue in the fashion industry, so come to our panel to find out what innovative technologies are out there to help your brand improve your fit and decrease return rate. Get your ticket now and use the discount code BFFriends50off for a 50% off an early bird price! We had to push the event date to early December, will keep you posted on the confirmed date!

Today's newsletter features less events than usual due to the Upcoming Thanksgiving week! HAPPY THANKSGIVING! 

News Digest:

Sustainability & Ethics

  • Is fashion’s eco-consciousness more than a label yet? - Business of Fashion
  • ‘A necessary change’: Sustainability in fashion is becoming a given, not a gimmick - Glossy
  • Putting the brakes on fast fashion - UN Environment
  • Making Fashion More Sustainable - Bloomberg (Video)
  • A New Accelerator Model Tackles Fashion Industry's Supply Chains - Forbes
  • Five innovators join Fashion for Good - Innovation In Textiles
  • Amazon and ASOS quizzed by lawmakers over 'fast fashion' sustainability - CNBC 
  • Is sustainability incompatible with fashion? - i-D
  • The Urgent Need For Sustainability in The Fashion Industry - Entrepreneur
  • ‘A necessary change’: Sustainability in fashion is becoming a given, not a gimmick - Glossy
  • The suddenly surging business of recycled plastic puffer jackets - Fashionista

Business & Technology

  • How open-source innovation may transform fashion - Business of Fashion
  • If we built the retail model from scratch, what would it be? -  Business of Fashion
  • AI bots are awkwardly learning how to dress themselves - Dazed
  • Digging into drop culture: Evolving a roaring retail ritual - Forbes
  • Designing people’s Instagram Stories is now a million-dollar business - FastCompany
  • Hedi Slimane and the art of the ‘drop’ - Business of Fashion

Events:


Monday, November 12th

6:30pm The Future Is Female - How Femtech Is Empowering Women to Take Charge of Their Lives

With that event title, I'm sure the conversations are going to be refreshing and inspiring! Finally, tech is thinking about women! Price: Free Location: Rollworks, 386 Park Ave S

Thursday, November 15th

6:00 - 8:15pm MouthMedia Network's American Fashion Podcast Live Recording

This is a must go 100%. Charles Beckwith and Cathy Schepis will be live interviewing guests Lawrence Lenihan, Joseph Ferrara, and Daniel Vosovic. Price: Free Access  code: americanfashion Location: RESONANCE, 632 W 28th St, 5th Floor

Friday, November 2018

7:30pm - 10pm The Big Quiet

My newsletter readers have been asking me where I hang out when I'm not on fashion or tech events. I'm going to start incorporating those events in this newsletter to help us stay... balanced. Shocking!! The Big Quiet, a 1500 person mass meditation at town hall. This meditation experience is always incredible - you'd LOVE it I swear. Pric: $25+ Location: Town Hall, 123 West 43rd St.

Monday, November 19th

6:30pm – 8:30pm NYC FTC Sustainable Fashion Committee Meeting

I've been to NYC Fair Trade Coalition event - great if you're a young brand looking to pave your way into sustainable fashion. Very well structured community event and great for networking. Highly recommend for joining their membership for more solid support! Price: $8 (free for NYC FTC members) Location: LIM College, 216 E 45th Street

Tuesday, December 4th

Sustaining Sustainable: Creating Content

SewEthico Think Tank is a new monthly series that will help sustain sustainable businesses! Sounds great to me! Claire Brooks, Content Creation Expert will be speaking about creating an awesome content for brands. Also, all Cat Bradley's event are top-notch. Price: $16-20 Location: The Arlo Nomad, 11 East 31st St

Wednesday, December 5th or Thursday, December 6th (TBC)

6:00 - 9:00pm Fit Tech and Sustainability in Fashion: Balanced Fashion event in collaboration with Luxor + Finch

Balanced Fashion event = MUST GO! (not biased at all.. :)) More details are coming soon! Price: $20 ($10 Early Bird + use discount BFFriends50off for 50% off) Location: TBC

Stay Inspired,

Nataliya Makulova 
Founder of Balanced Fashion, Conscious Fashion Tech Consulting Agency
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