Fast fashion is now one of the most negative terms in fashion
The annual Australian Circular Fashion Conference is Australasia's first leading business event on sustainability for apparel and textiles. Following the success of the first annual conference in 2018, the 2019 ACFC held from March 21-22, was a call to action to accelerate and expand sustainability efforts, in order to support industry and mitigate risk over the next 5-10 years. Founder and director Camille Reed spoke at length to Fibre2Fashion about the ideas discussed at the show, Australia's sustainable fashion scene, and what lies ahead for circular fashion.
What was the agenda for the second ACFC?
First and foremost, the conference elevated Australia's leadership role globally, hosting seven international guests from across the world (Milan, Stockholm, Switzerland, New York, San Francisco), it was a history-making moment for this industry and for the Southern Hemisphere. We had three of the most renowned and highly regarded sustainable fashion brands globally (Eileen Fisher, Filippa K, Mara Hoffman) and two of the most incredible private companies (Bluesign Technologies, CLASS) addressing Australian businesses on their key recommendations on sustainable materials and supplier standards. Majority of our keynote presenters were visiting Australia for the first time.
In 2019 we focused on next steps: we're taking the conversation to the next level. The 2018 event was an introduction and invitation for the industry to participate in a critical topic. Therefore, we had to elevate the level of action required to ignite industry's action. The content was drawn upon these existing businesses, who have been practicing sustainability in this space for several years.
A very new concept introduced this year was the University Challenge, an integral part of the ACFC programme showcasing an important and under-developed opportunity, partnering universities with industry companies to generate solutions for which the business is looking to immediately address their sustainable barriers. Over two big days students and industry partners presented out-of-the-box solutions which their partners could look at implementing in their business, this complex challenge was facilitated by Design Chain.
What innovative approaches do companies need to take to tackle the issue of fast fashion and consume less?
Fast fashion is now considered as one of the most negative terms in fashion. Brands need to ask themselves 'do they want to be associated with fast-fashion?' One fundamental and integral step for a business is to consider re-aligning values, goals and the internal dialogue for which your employees live and work by. This is especially important when looking to adopt a new brand vision to the target market. Your internal dialogue needs to reflect what your brand stands for. Every department needs to be involved in establishing change.
Further, we associate the term with poor quality, cheap materials, disposable, etc. How do we achieve the opposite of each-good quality, affordability, durability and longevity? This leads on to consumption-a modern societal issue derived from the accessibility of the internet and hyper-connectivity. We know the global population is increasing at an exponential rate; therefore, consumption will not slow down. So, a new message and level of commercial education needs to be addressed-could we look at producing less and raising the cost of items to reflect the cost of responsible, quality and sustainable design? New tech can offer businesses accurate stock and inventory metrics, plus deliver key stats on customer returns. This will have a tremendous effect on consumption.
Which brands have incorporated the circular business model? Is this number on the rise?
If we're talking truly circular, then Eileen Fisher and Filippa K are two pioneering womenswear brands who've addressed the true meaning of circular. This number is on the rise. There's a number of large brands such as Nike, Adidas, Levi's, G-Star, Quicksilver, Kathmandu, Spell & The Gypsy Collective, Target, Bonds, featuring new materials in their collections.
For example, Eileen Fisher have a take-back programme where customers can return garments in return for a discount off a new purchase. The second-hand items are assessed for repair, re-sale or recycling. Their unique recycling process began a number of years ago with the establishment of the Tiny Factory. The brand had accrued a library of returned items and a mix of materials. Fast forward 3-4 years later, the brand now reproduces garments from customer returns. Their supply chain is fully transparent, and the business only works with the highest quality sustainable materials many of which are natural and will decompose. Filippa K assessed the importance of a garment's lifecycle-the intention behind the design for a short or long life-span. The brand has been working and collaborating with external stakeholders such as recycling experts, academics, materials professionals to best understand why and what they're creating, what does its end-of-life look like and how can each item have meaning.
Two very different approaches, highly innovative and adaptable.
What were the key takeaways and main discussions at the conference this year?
Upon receiving incredible feedback we've heard the biggest takeaway overall was the diversity in the speakers and the incredible experience each speaker demonstrated during their presentations. Speakers focussed on the key pillars of circularity from design, materials, attitudes and standards. This is the first time in Australia we have seen these many international guests attend an industry event; therefore, attendees were very appreciative of hearing what large international companies had to say on the topic. Attendees were also impressed with the level of engagement from the audience, many of which made a conscious effort to network and collaborate.
Where are business leaders attending the conference from?
We doubled the size of attendees compared with 2018, upward of 400 professionals from a diverse range of industries-charity, academia, retail, wholesale, banners + flags, Victorian + New South Wales government departments, waste, SMEs, media, consultants off the top. It's important to include every angle of the apparel and textile industry when discussing sustainable solutions and serviceable options for the local market long term.
What is the future of circular fashion?
Industry's excited-never have we seen such a dynamic shift in one of the largest industrial sectors on the planet. Brand and business engagement from every level of the supply chain is engaged, eager for more information and potential business solutions for an incredibly complex topic.
We'll see a rise in collaboration across the world, more organisations and private companies will be working closely on scalable solutions. We'll see a change in policy and regulation from governments regarding waste, recycling and importing materials.
The largest brands in the world such as Nike, Adidas, Levi's will determine the pace for technological and innovative developments in sustainable/recycled materials. Transparency and communication will be a strong contender when it comes to consumer engagement, which leads to certifications and standards. These are highly effective and important-however we need to be vigilant in which we consider progressive as opposed to a hindrance which confuses the market.
What steps are being taken to make the end consumer aware of the advantages that circular fashion offers? How can the consumers contribute towards circular fashion?
In Australia, for example, we're seeing boutique specialty brands adopting strong consumer engagement, mainly because they're ability to pivot and adopt sustainable measures that can be achieved quickly compared to a large company with a complex supply chain.
This level of engagement and education is vital for addressing long-term behavioural shifts. Naturally, we see brands who are early adopters. The same applies to customers. The easiest information consumers can obtain is from Google. We have a number of excellent media platforms covering this topic in great depth. It's a personal journey for consumers, although we need urgent action from both market and industry. We also need the right level of information and uptake from consumers.
Advantages will be felt through brand messaging, social credibility and self-gratification in terms of positive impact. For example, when our new industry body-the Australasian Circular Textile Association (ACTA)-introduces a textile takeback programme, we need to see strong levels of engagement and constructive feedback in order to fast-track progress. (HO)
Where does Australia stand in the global circular fashion movement?
Since launching the conference in 2018, we've seen tremendous recognition and interest from several international organisations. We've successfully elevated the status of Australia's ingenuity in this space through brand engagement, government interest, academic partnerships and seeking relationships with international groups. After sharing meetings with Eco Age, C.L.A.S.S, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, and Common Objective over the past 12 months Australia is considered very progressive in addressing sustainability for our fashion industry. We've seen a rise in events (large and small), numerous start-ups and consultants emerging, academic institutions and students seeking opportunities to participate and collaborate. Australia is renowned for engaging quickly and adopting new business trends.
What issues in the fashion niche require urgent attention in terms of taking sustainable efforts?
There is no one particular area which should be addressed first, nor is there a right or wrong way to introduce new circular business systems. However, a level of action and implementation is required now, business engagement and acknowledgment for measurable changes regarding goal-setting, internal KPI's, circular business development, supply chain and procurement assessment are several key areas which can be focussed on in early stage transformation. Customers and industry need to work in unison and support each other. This way business transparency is seen as a positive step rather than the classic blame and shame notion we've seen in the media.
What percentage of recycled clothing/textiles is used to make new clothing globally?
At this stage we cannot estimate the figure because a great deal of the technology is relatively new, majority of the most important requirement to close the loop is establishing an end market for the recycled textile to be purchased and utilised within supply chains-this needs to increase.
