At the beginning of quarantine, the introvert in me was silently cheering that I would no longer have to feel guilty about skipping out on plans. I filled my days with endless webinars and tried to get on top of everything I could. But, the digital burnout is real, and picking and choosing which webinar or virtual event to attend is also difficult when they all sound like bangin' topics! But, we all love being able to come together physically and have a space to discuss ideas. Transformers Foundation's Catalysts events have proved to be a place that does so by providing a chance for industry catalysts to share their success stories, discuss the challenges and needs of the industry, and how the denim industry can be the best it can be.
I had the pleasure of hosting the Visionary Brands Panel with my friends Jordan Nordase, Founder of Boyish Jeans, Tony Tonnaer, Founder of Kings of Indigo, and Anna Foster, Founder of E.L.V. Denim, who all have extremely transparent supply chains and are using their businesses as tools for good. We discussed the decision-making process in designing and producing the most sustainable jean, and what is being measured/monitored to see that improvements are being made. Measuring carbon emissions and water usage were two key areas of measurement, as well as regular factory audits to ensure social responsibility measures are being kept.
We also discussed how to communicate the values of your brand, differentiating truly sustainable practices from those who are using greenwashing tactics!
The verdict - "It's absolutely difficult." - Tony Tonnaer
But, being honest and transparent is crucial which I discuss in detail with my fellow communications specialists at the Kingpins24 event in June in Part 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Lastly, we covered the area of traceability and implementing blockchain technology to be able to not only verify the efforts being made towards environmental and social sustainability, but also to be able to easily communicate technical information to the consumer.
Watch the full panel below!