The third white paper on sustainability in the fashion industry has been released by the Lectra Observatory, which tracks innovation and change in the furniture, automotive, and fashion sectors. It gives a broad summary of the industry, highlights issues both present and future, and notes new developments in technology.
The Observatory chose to continue its research on the fashion industry for its third white paper, "Sustainable Fashion: What Strategies and Technologies?" in response to its white paper on global traceability and transparency regulations for the industry.
Globally, 100 billion clothes are sold annually. The lifespan of products decreased by a third between 2000 and 2014, despite a doubling of global garment production. Significant pollution is a result of this overproduction; 10% of greenhouse gas emissions are attributable to the fashion industry. The fashion industry needs to change in order to address the social, environmental, and economic issues. It needs to improve material traceability, minimize unsold stock, and optimize product marketing.
In addition to sharing their opinions and experiences, a panel of global fashion industry experts and specialists aimed to spark a conversation about the market, its problems, and the new opportunities presented by technology.
The panelists include Stephen Russell, a professor at the University of Leeds; Kate Fletcher, a professor at the Royal Danish Academy and OsloMet in Norway; Scot Case, vice president of CSR and sustainability at the US National Retail Federation (NRF); and Marina Spadafora, a sustainable development consultant in the fashion industry. Adeline Dargent is the general delegate of the Syndicat de Paris de la Mode féminine. Members of the Lectra Group's Executive Committee Maximilien Abadie, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Product Officer, and Anne Borfiga, General Secretary, also provided their perspectives to the white paper.
"There are some significant upheavals in the fashion industry. According to Maria Modroño, chief marketing and communications officer at Lectra, "brands are subject to numerous and complex environmental regulations, particularly regarding traceability." Consumers are becoming more concerned about purchasing ethical and sustainable products. "With this white paper, we wanted to give an overview of the main issues that the fashion industry is currently facing, understand the business approaches that brands are using to deal with these issues, and find technological solutions that can balance growth, sustainability, responsibility, and profitability."
To commemorate its 50th anniversary, Lectra, a pioneer in technological solutions that hasten the shift to Industry 4.0, introduced its Observatory in December of last year. The Observatory tracks developments in technology, social and environmental issues, or business model transformation that impact the fashion, automotive, and furniture industries.