WEAR2019 – Sustainable Fashion Toolkit & much more!

At the World Ethical Apparel Roundtable (WEAR2019) conference held from 7-19 October 2019 in Toronto, organisers Fashion Takes Action and PwC launched the Sustainable Fashion Toolkit – initially free available on the internet – bringing together curated content for all levels of knowledge, size of business and across the value chain. Some other themes at the conference:

A shift from measurement to knowledge will be needed, as availability of recourses will differ depending on climate effects and environment. Managing the supply chain will also become more important, since customers increasingly demand data that can be trusted. Fortunately, suppliers are realising the market value of transparency, because without openness the vital contracts will go elsewhere. Image authentication has also become essential, because images and videos on smartphones that are used in the ordering proces may not be trusted. Finally, unwanted side-effects of E-commerce need attention, such as the fact that an estimated 30-40% of online sales are returned. All in all, the advantages of high-tech in the fashion industry lead to new challenges.

Therefore events such as this conference could lead to innovative solutions. They reach across the value chain and could play a vital role in facilitating and creating the partnerships that are needed to bring innovation into practice.