CanopyStyle initiative has 20 new companies

13 Feb '18

3 min read

Courtesy: CanopyStyle

The CanopyStyle initiative has been joined by 20 more companies, taking the number of brands part of the initiative to over 125. All partners will eliminate the use of ancient and endangered forests, as well as advance conservation solutions in landscapes of hope such as Indonesia’s Leuser Ecosystem, Vancouver Island’s rainforests and Canada’s Boreal forest.

The 20 new companies will eliminate the use of endangered forests in their textile supply chain by 2020. With the addition of companies zLabels, MQ Retail, Koala, TAMGA Designs and Spell & The Gypsy Collective, the CanopyStyle initiative has now surpassed 125 brand partners representing over $134 billion in annual revenue.

The Leuser Ecosystem is the last place on earth where the Sumatran elephant, rhinoceros, tiger and orangutan co-exist within one area. Vancouver Island is ground zero for many of the last remaining stands of thousand year old cedars, ancient Douglas Fir and spruce which store vast amounts of carbon and support biodiversity, while the Boreal forest is the largest source of unfrozen fresh water on Earth.

With this announcement, 125 brands are now part of the CanopyStyle initiative and will be working for the long-lasting transformation of the rayon-viscose supply chain to protect these ecologically-rich forests. CanopyStyle partners are also prioritising the development of next generation solutions such as alternative fibres and circular economy sourcing.

This latest cohort of fashion brands and retailers taking leadership on saving forests includes Canadian ethical clothing brand TAMGA Designs, zLabels, a subsidiary of Zalando that develops its in-house brands, leading Swedish clothing chain MQ Retail, high-tech mattress and home furniture producer Koala, and Australia’s modern bohemian fashion brand Spell & The Gypsy Collective.

“Spell & The Gypsy Collective is committed to not source from the world’s ancient and endangered forests, and to encourage our suppliers to shift to more innovative recycled fibres,” said Lizzy Abegg, co-founder and chief brand officer of Spell & The Gypsy Collective. “Our company cares about the plight of forests and the species that live in them. We look forward to working with Canopy to make the world’s forests a safe home for them.”

“The addition of 20 brands and designers from three continents is a clear signal of CanopyStyle’s continued and strengthening momentum around the world,” said Nicole Rycroft, founder and executive director at Canopy. “The transformation of the viscose supply chain is going to be a game changer for our climate, for the lasting protection of forests, and for the advancement of traditional communities’ rights.”

In recent months, Canopy and its brand, retail and design partners have catalysed significant transformation of the viscose supply chain. Through work with producers and other industry stakeholders, 25 per cent of the global viscose supply has now been verified at low risk of originating from ancient and endangered forests. An additional 35 per cent of rayon supply is currently in the CanopyStyle Audit process and six next generation solution enterprises are working with Canopy to bring their innovative technologies to market at scale. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India

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