In discussion with Mr. Avinash Mane, Commercial Head- South Asia at Lenzing Group. A well-recognized name in the sustainability space with his vast experience of 19 years. Quoting the visionary Ellen MacArthur Foundation, we must “Discard The Make, Use & Dispose Approach” As the fashion supply chain is often complex, transparency is crucial to make sure sustainability targets are met. A lot of Fashion retailers have been committing to their green initiatives since almost 5 years now, but are seen pushing their commitments. 2019 has seen a significant number of new fashion brands announce sustainability targets, some updated their list with more ambitious goals. Gap, Levi's, PVH Corp, Abercrombie & Fitch, Zara and Kohl’s are a few examples of companies which made new promises in 2019 The Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) revealed in July that the signatories of the 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment, an initiative launched in 2017, have only met 21 percent of their targets. Similarly, the latest FTSE 100 Sustainability Report, published in September'19, revealed that, while 81 percent of the FTSE 100 companies have some sort of emissions reduction target, 85 percent of them do not have a strategy in place to limit global warming to safe levels.
In discussion with Mr Shirish Srivastava, Head of Apparel sourcing - PUMA, India. A well-recognized name in the Athleisure Industry with his vast & varied experience of 19 years. Activewear started in the gym/field, moved on to casual outings, then was an airport favourite, and now is being admired and accepted on and off the ramp. This trend burst out when people could wear their outfits for multiple occasions without having to change, which meant greater convenience for them. Sportwear brands are crossing over into casual wear fashion and hence sports clothing has become much more fashion-sensitive in terms of colors and design. All major retailers and brands have been adopting activewear in their collections and their apparel products are getting influenced by sports in terms of style, colors, fabrics and comfort. Owing to major shifts in consumer lifestyles over the last few years the activewear market has just been rising.
In discussion with Ms. Deepti Lahane, Chief Manager, Market Intelligence at Fibre2Fashion. India has opted out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the trade deal touted to be the world's largest when it becomes operational. We discuss how it was a correct decision at this point in time considering India’s past experience with FTA’s and also are we infrastructurally ready to open our domestic market to such trade deals in the future?
In discussion with Mr. Dhirendra Lodha, ED, Dird Group, Bangladesh on understanding how Bangladesh can benefit from the ongoing downfall of China as an apparel sourcing hub.