“We need to build a collaborative network. A network that would help us figure out how to make collaboration work towards systemic change in the fashion industry”
Adriana Marina.
On July 9th, Hecho por Nosotros hosted a side event on Building Resilient Circular Supply Chains by Empowering Grassroot Action: Collaboration as a tool for Achieving SDG’s in Fashion at the United Nations High Level Political Forum for Sustainable Development. Once again, Hecho por Nosotros swore by collaboration, encouraging dialogue among the attendees and global leaders on the different challenges faced today by the fashion industry.
During the virtual event, the audience had the opportunity to select a topic of their interest to be discussed with a particular expert on the topic. At the end, each breakout room leader shaped three main takeaways of the conversation held.
Within the Climate Change and Net Zero: MSMEs access to decarbonization strategies and technological tools to contribute to reducing climate change, Pranav Khanna, Andy Moose and Pernilla Dahle, from Antrop, pointed out the need to collaborate towards climate change mitigation, understanding the key role MSMEs play to achieve real change. They stressed on the need of promoting tools and innovations towards achieving net zero, particularly on data and regulations.
At the breakout room Investing in Sustainable Fashion: Perspectives and Challenges from a Sustainable and Responsible Investor’s Viewpoint, three responsible investment specialist, Radhika Shah, Sumeet Singh and Sunny Dogra brought up, as an overarching conclusion, a point was made on the need to bridge the gap between investors, artisans, handworkers, and other stakeholders towards the building of a community with the capacity of transforming the current linear model to a circular-driven sustainable one in the fashion and textile industry.
Carla Albornoz, together with Paula Coto, from Chicas en Tecnología and Laura Giardou Koch, made special emphasis on the role of technological and digital tools to promote gender equality within the industry. Bridging the technological gap, by developing skills and promoting the entrepreneurial field, is a key element to begin to solve the problem.
Nikolay Anguelov, in his breakout room about New Ways to Design and Create Clothes with Technology: How the Emergence of Mass Customization can Impact Local Level Sustainability Efforts, hold a discussion that traced the emergence and proliferation of mass-customization and referred to the challenge regarding communicating the benefits of such a modality to the main fashion buyer - a 14 year-old. The Future of Luxury and Fast Fashion: Empowering artisanal and local creativity Through Collaboration and Technology.
Technology was also the center of attention in the breakout room on Collaboration, Transparency and Traceability: How can Technology in the hands of MSMEs achieve Systemic Change, led by Christiane Schulz, Ewald Meyer from BanQu and Agustín Pandolfini, from IOV Labs. The audience had the opportunity to discuss about how technology and blockchain can help farmers and MSMEs become more transparent.
Tricia Langman, Sarah Angold and Kate Goldsworthy also made reference to the consumer behaviour in order to replace a linear model towards a circular one in the fashion industry. They reflected on the future of the meaning of luxury and stated that change begins with education and creating new narratives towards replacing our addiction to newness.
Holly McQuillan, in her room on Zero Waste Fashion Design: from ancient wisdom to design methods and circular systems hold a discussion on the need to make changes regarding agricultural practices, overproduction and textile materials to address the current situation in terms of waste. A related topic was analyzed in the breakout room on Regenerative Models, hosted by Rebecca Burgess ad Andrés Gonzalez. Experts invited the audience to reflect on biodiversity and ecosystem services, and the importance of recognizing agricultural biodiversity and human interconnectivity.
In relation to environmental conservation, another group discussed the urgency of adopting circular models and abandoning linear fast fashion ones. Waste Management Towards Achieving SDG 12. Anita Ahuja, Nicholas Amartey and Stephanie Benedetto, explained how the waste results in a solvent business and how collaboration is key to build a better future, where we can not only survive, but thrive.
Analysis was also made regarding the role of big corporations and journalists. In the session led by Tara Donaldson and Ana Pimienta, the audience discussed the responsibility of journalists to promote ethical consumption engagement. Consumer engagement was also a key issue in the session led by Craig Wilson and Maria Fernanda Fabrsis, on Marketing and e-commerce. In this room, experts invited the audience to debate on how online marketing can be used to engage consumers with sustainable values.
Lastly, Francesca Romana Rinaldi in dialogue with Adriana Marina, expert consultant at UNECE, shared a dialogue on the substantial role of transparency for consumer engagement and supporting innovation with SMEs in the fashion industry, supporting their long term development and participation in sustainable supply chains. They talked about the launching common programm around “Plaid for sustainability: Trace, trust, and Wear”
Thank you all for those who were part of the HxN Side Event at the HLPF 2O21
Until next time!