But it is the Key to Sustainable Transformation

In the ever-evolving landscape of sustainability, a fundamental shift is taking place – one that centers around transparency.

The question arises: Is transparency the new frontier of sustainability? To embark on this journey, one must navigate the complex web of the fashion industry’s supply chain, peeling back layers to uncover the truth.

Yet, embracing transparency is no simple feat. It requires a delicate balance between disclosure and discretion. In the realm of fashion, the challenge lies not only in being transparent but also in understanding what to communicate to the discerning consumer.

The era of excessive communication, marked by overuse of terms like “green” and “sustainability,” is yielding to a more cautious approach. The fear of greenwashing, of making claims that lack substance, has prompted a shift toward more measured messaging. The goal is clear: to communicate authentically and responsibly, void of vulnerability to accusations.

This shift is further underscored by emerging regulations like the European directive on Green claims, which propels the industry towards a scientific form of transparency. Every assertion made must rest on a foundation of substantiated evidence, with data collected through rigorous scientific methods.

The essence of fashion transparency lies in the meticulous tracking of data along the entire supply chain. It is through these regulations that the fashion world is returning to its roots – collecting verified, real-time, scientific, and reliable information throughout a product’s lifecycle, and sharing this transparency openly with the consumer.

But what’s the missing ingredient in this equation?

Fashion Transparency: The Power of Collaboration

This vital component has been acknowledged in forums like the Global Fashion Summit, Yoonaverse, and the e-p Summit. The involvement of every link in the supply chain is imperative to achieve true transparency. Collaborations between brands, manufacturers, supply chains, and other stakeholders are key, transforming them into active participants.

As expressed by Dr. Hakan Karaosman at the GFS, decisions cannot solely be top-down; instead, involving factory owners in decision-making and ensuring compliance with new standards is crucial.

Case Studies: Mango and PVH

Mango

Mango’s Global Sustainability and Procurement Director, Andrés Fernández, knows that to validate sustainability attributes, total traceability and transparency are needed from its suppliers regarding the materials and processes used in the manufacturing of its products.

The commitment to work with its suppliers to ensure that they too do their part starts with involvement.

“We had to increase the level of involvement with all suppliers and allow them to understand the strategy,” says Fernandez.

By involving suppliers in its sustainability work, Mango believes it can reach all levels of its supply chain.

It organizes annual production summits with sessions that touch on sustainability, digitization, efficiency, transparency and any other issues that concern the company.

The goal is to provide suppliers with the visibility they need to make positive changes.

“We have created a dedicated communication channel with suppliers by creating close discussions with them” explains Fernandez, “We want to let them know how we measure the sustainability, performance, and quality of our products.”

PVH 

As a partner of PVH Group this year we attended the PVH Footwear summit event in Amsterdam.

300 people followed the panel discussion from Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein team together with suppliers from Portugal, China and Vietnam. The concept was clear and simple: traceability is essential in order to become a reliable and long-lasting partner.

It is a very strong change of direction, that we are increasingly finding also in other fashion brands which is expressed with a new word: From the supply chain to the Value chain.

The main challenge in making the supply chain transparent includes increasing the relationship with the suppliers and involving them as much as possible in the impact that the finished product will have, starting from the individual materials.

The commitment is to make the supply chain an active partner, to create a strong trust between the brand and its Value chain.

Our Platform

Our supply chain traceability platform stands out from other platforms precisely because of the involvement of the supply chain in the process.

 The process starts to connect your suppliers to the platform by inviting them to fill out the Accreditation Form. It is a form to extract the main information from your suppliers

All the suppliers involved perform a Platform Training Step with our customer service team. 

It is a one-to-one training to enable suppliers to apply QR codes in the best way and activate them on the platform. 

In addition to online video lectures available 24 hours a day together with bi-monthly webinars focused on the main traceability KPIs and key advantages.

Discover more about our Traceability Platform here: https://theidfactory.com/traceability-platform/