Dear Friend,
It is hard to believe that it's already the end of January! This is my favorite month of the year, and it is usually one of the slowest months in Retail/Fashion Industry. Sometimes I not-so-secretely dream for all industry be as slow as a month of January. When people just choose not to buy anything unless they really need something. (mostly because they are simply exhausted after the shopping craze of the Holidays season, not because they care about sustainability). After over a year of very, very careful and conscious shopping practices and 75% of the time spent abroad I realized how little I really need in terms of clothing, accessories and beauty tools. Our industry is way, waaay out of control in terms of the amount of items produced and sold. What was the last time you shopped and what was the intention behind that shopping activity? I can easily remember and count how many and what items I bought this year, all of which are either from ethical sources or from second hand. I've been carefully listening to myself, staying consious and not being influenced by ever changing trends and societal pressure is the key. I still accept that I work in this industry but I no longer feel like I need to follow its currents, and I share about it anywhere I go, opening eyes of more and more people on how harmful and destructive the fashion industry really is. It feels so good to live freely and speak up for the Truth!
On another note, I feel you'd benefit from checking out the two latest Fashion is Your Business Podcast episodes that I co-hosted: The first one is with Matt Kaden, a Managing Director for MMG Advisors (providing investment banking, strategic and financial advisory services to clients in the retail, fashion) - we recorder it at the Lead conference in Brooklyn last Fall.
Another one of the latest Fashion Is Your Business podcast episode is the first one of many that I recorded on location at Remode conference in LA. This one is with Rob Keve, CEO/Co-Founder of Flow Commerce, Inc. (the world’s most advanced solution for cross-border e-commerce, with a revolutionary platform providing flexibility for merchants to design their own ‘custom’ international solution).
Both episodes are filled with valuable insights on industry innovation and how technology affects the shift we are all experiencing in fashion and retail.
TOP NEWS:
High Consciousness: Where is our industry heading?
- CFDA launches sustainability resource hub - Fashion United
- Sustainable fashion hubs rise in Hong Kong and Taipei - Business of Fashion
- The Circular Fashion Games Are a Boot Camp for Sustainable Design -Sourcing Journal
- Style Trial: Net-a-Porter launches a try before you buy service for VIP customers - Evening Standard
- Think Tank: The Future of Fashion Is Circular - WWD
- What's Behind the Rise of Upcycled Garments? - Fashionista
- 8 brands deploying vending machines as smart retail solutions - The Current Daily
- Levi Strauss, Harvard Trial Ethereum Tech to Track Factory Workers’ Welfare - CoinDesk
- Monetize Your Closet With New Peer-To-Peer Fashion Marketplace, Wardrobe - Forbes
- 4 Ways the CFDA’s New Sustainability Report Will Change Your Fashion Week Conversations - Vogue
- Think Tank: Making Sustainability the ‘New Normal’ in Fashion - WWD
What do we need to know to prepare for the shift?
- Why retail innovation is failing - Business of Fashion
- Americans throw out 10 pieces of clothing a year for not knowing how to care for them - Fashion United
- Rent the Runway Launches Exclusive Designer Lines - Business of Fashion
- The Big Issues Facing Fashion in 2019 - Forbes
- Catering to Gen Z is a balancing act of activism and selfies - Sourcing Journal
- Why Are Young People Pretending to Love Work? - New York Times
- Fashion CEOs Told To Urgently Address Their "Catastrophic Impact" On Climate Change - Forbes
- Earthy, boxy, boring: Do sustainable clothes have a standard look? - Vogue India
- Making the Business Case for Sustainability - Business of Fashion
- Stella Mccartney: "The Fashion Industry Is So Old-Fashioned It's Embarrassing" - Grazia
TOP EVENTS:
Tuesday, January 29th
6:00 pm American Fashion Podcast - New York Fashion Week Pregame Show
With Lauren Sherman (Chief Correspondent, The Business of Fashion) & Gary Wassner (Founder, Interluxe Holdings). Price: $25 Location: The Cutting Room, 44 E 32nd St
Thursday, January 31st
6:30pm The Importance Of Store Associates In The Digital Age
With Louis Egasse (CEO, Maison Kayser), Gena Smith (SVP HR & Head of Global Exec & Creative Recruitment, LVMH), Alain Bernard (CEO North America, Richemont), Joelle Gruberg (CEO, Lacoste). Price: Free Location: WeWork Bryant Park, 54 W 40th St
Friday, February 1st
7:00pm Global Fashion Exchange Launches the FIRST Permanent Swap Shop in NYC
Join us for the opening party is this Friday, Feb 1st, and will include talks focused on the Sustainable Development Goals moderated by Emilie McGlone from the US Peace Boat and Parties 4 Peace, co-hosted by the Regeneration Mag, it will be a night filled with education, sustainability and fun! Music by Carlos Chiesa and drinks by Toast Ale. Price: 10$ Location: 132 Bedford Ave, Williamsburg Brooklyn
Monday, February 4th
7:00pm - 8:30pm Divine Adornment: Environmental Impact and the Way We Dress
What is the relationship between spirituality and fashion? Is responding to the call of the environment a spiritual pursuit? How can we consume fashion responsibly, keeping the well-being of individuals and the planet in mind? Join Gemma Gambee Lewis and a dynamic panel of experts as they explore the presence of the spiritual — and the lack thereof — within the fashion industry, and how we can shape our future with the choices we make. Price: $35 (Free for The Assemblage Members) Location: The Assemblage NoMad, 114 E 25th St, 12th fl.
Tuesday, February 5th
4:00 - 6 pm TEXTILE TUESDAY: Organic Fabric Presentation with Xoomba
Once each month, BDFA invites a sustainable textile vendor to come present their materials and processes. Join us for November’s Textile Tuesday with Xoomba, a young design company producing organic fabrics in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Xoomba abides by the highest environmental and ethical standards to create sustainable livelihoods in Sub Saharan Africa. This revolutionary line is delivered with an upbeat sense of style at a moderate price. Price: $10 Location: Brooklyn Fashion + Design Accelerator 630 Flushing Ave, Brooklyn
Wednesday, February 6th
6:00pm The Power Of Personalization
With Ginger Conlon (US Editor, The Drum), Caroline Blavet (VP Business Ops, Dailymotion), Josh Neckes (Founder, Simon Data), Claire Mitchell (Dir. VaynerSmart, VaynerMedia). Price: Free Location: Dailymotion, 50 W 23rd St
Tuesday, February 12th
7:00 - 10 pm Adalinda Sustainable Fashion Show
A showcase of Designers Committed to Social Progression and Environmental Awareness through Fashion. Price: $20 Location: Garment District, 35 West 38th Street
7:00 - 9pm #SustainingSustainable: Legal Logistics
One of the topics that feels the heaviest and most confusing for designers and entrepreneurs falls into the legal department. Between legal lingo and the potential for getting into a huge amount of legal trouble or being sued, and having to pay fines or throw out extra cash to fix legal mistakes, we end up hiring lawyers for things we don’t necessarily need. Price: $20 Location: Arlo SoHo, 231 Hudson Street
Wednesday, February 20th
7:00 - 9pm Future of Sustainable Development Goals - 17 Ways to Transform the World
Join us for an inspiring conversation on how individuals and organizations are using the SDGs as a framework for building a better world by 2030. Our panel will discuss how the SDGs are providing a holistic approach to achieving sustainable development for all as well as ways you can get involved in the global goals movement. Price: $20 Location: Prime Produce, 424 W 54th St (between 9th and 10th aves)
Sunday, February 24th
12:00 pm – 8:00 pm Volunteer: Sustainable Fashion Clothing Swap & DIY Event!
A d.i.y. party that teaches D.I.Y. and mending tutorials, saving unwanted clothing from hitting landfills! Price: Free Location: Project Farmhouse, 76 East 13th Street
COOL FINDS:
- The Circular Fashion Games (CFG), by Startup Mix, a Dutch talent incubator
- Loop is a circular shopping platform that transforms the packaging of your everyday essentials from single-use disposable to durable, feature-packed designs.
CONSCIOUS QUOTE:
“Are we giving them an experience they can’t get on their couch?”
— Rachel Shechtman, founder of Story in New York City, which was acquired by Macy’s
Stay Inspired,