How Apparel Brands Maintain Factory Productivity Amid Consolidation

How can brands and retailers navigate transparency and traceability in complex supply chains riddled with potential pitfalls? In this episode of the Sustaining Voices podcast, Sourcing Journal reporter Jasmin Malik Chua speaks with Jamie Barsimantov of SupplyShift, and Tai Ford at Retraced.

What does "carbon neutrality" mean for the fashion industry?

In this episode of the Sustaining Voices podcast, Sourcing Journal reporter Jasmin Malik Chua speaks with Gregory Schlegel, founder of the Supply Chain Risk Management Consortium, and Nikki Baird, vice president of retail innovation at Aptos, about how the retail supply chain can adapt to a post-pandemic landscape that will look markedly different from the one that came before.

Are biosynthetic materials made from engineered yeast or pineapple skins hype or hope for the fashion industry?

G-Star RAW's denim and sustainability expert, Adriana Galijasevic, has a wealth of knowledge she wants to share with the industry.

While the pandemic will prompt some apparel firms to adopt speed and flexibility initiatives, capital concerns will cause most to lag.

Kontoor Brands senior director of global sustainable business Roian Atwood is somewhat of a wonk for denim sustainability.

Warp + Weft founder Sarah Ahmed talks inclusivity and building a direct-to-consumer.

Outland Denim founder James Bartle dishes about his decision to dabble in crowdfunding.

Jason Denham, founder of Denham, talks quality, premium jeans and preparing for pandemics.

The world is drowning in textile waste. What are the factors that contribute to its creation, and are there existing and emerging solutions that can mitigate the problem?

Sustainability has moved from the sidelines to the center of the conversation but even so, the apparel industry is facing so many headwinds, it’s fair to wonder how and if the C-suite can and will prioritize true change in this area.

Advancing sustainability is more than just installing new tech or even fixing legacy production processes. Lena Lim of Browzwear discusses how sustainability is really a holistic mindset companies must adopt throughout their entire operations—starting with the very top of the C Suite.

For the past year, the apparel and footwear industries have been on edge as tranche after tranche of tariffs have been placed on goods coming out of China. And while our industries had largely been spared, consumers are likely to feel the full brunt of the impact starting with Spring ’20 goods. In response to the uncertainty and hit to the bottom line, brands and retailers have been searching for production alternatives around the globe. And while many are trying out new destinations, most would agree that nowhere compares to China.

Blockchain is—finally!—evolving from buzzword to mainstream terminology, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t saddled with confusion. In the latest episode of Sourcing Journal Radio, SJ founder and president Edward Hertzman sits down with Amit Guatam of TextileGenesis to learn how the technology can be used to authenticate fibers, which—for as long as clothing has been sold—has been nearly impossible to do.

Menno van Meurs, CEO of Tenue de Nîmes, talks about sourcing premium denim and building a sense of community in denim.

Whether they’re jumping into a spin class or running to the office, consumers want their clothes to look great, feel even better—and have a positive impact on the planet. Renee Henze of DuPont Industrial Bioscience discusses how DuPont™ Sorona® offers exactly that.

Isko product manager Baris Ozden discusses why the future of sustainability relies on “responsible innovation.”

The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement has several key points that differentiate it from its predecessor—points the textile and apparel industries need to take note of before it comes up for a vote in Congress. It’s just one more moving piece in the ongoing geopolitical changes making international trade more challenging than ever. Suzanne Richer, director of the Trade Advisory Practice for E2Open, discusses the advantages of the trilateral trade agreement as well as the areas that textile and apparel need to be aware of.

It can be a touchy subject, but this is no time for hurt feelings. The apparel industry simply isn’t doing enough when it comes to climate change. In a provocative, no-holds-barred episode of the Sustaining Voices podcast, produced in partnership with Cotton Incorporated, Sourcing Journal publisher Caletha Crawford explores whether our incremental changes are having the impact that’s needed. Joining her are Morton Lehmann, chief sustainability officer for Global Fashion Agenda, and Jeff Wilson, senior business development manager of sustainability for NSF International.

Where to source and how to source smarter is top of mind for the entire apparel industry right now. With the speed of change and so many competing demands, it can be challenging to weigh the options.

More than 150 million trees are logged each year and turned into cellulosic fabric, many from ancient and endangered forests. As a result, irreparable damage is being inflicted upon the roots connecting our world’s facilities. Amanda Carr, director of strategic initiatives at Canopy, and Franco Costantini, managing director at Control Union, discuss the problem and possible solutions.

Transparency has been a hot topic in apparel recently but the industry is still struggling to gain visibility into much of the supply chain—and as a result, it is missing opportunities for improvement. A recent report from the International Corporate Accountability Roundtable outlines the benefits brands and retailers could realize if they truly made transparency a priority. Alison Kiehl Friedman, executive director of the ICAR, joins us to discuss what’s holding the industry back, the catalysts for change and the possible rewards.

Sourcing Journal founder and president Edward Hertzman talks with AAFA executive VP Stephen Lamar about these pressing uncertainties, as well as the potential implications of President Trump’s upcoming meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping and why China could be benefiting from the trade war in more ways than one.