ASBCI targets sustainability/sourcing solutions at October Fashion Re:set Summit

By

Nigel TAYLOR

Published
Sep 27, 2022

A call to the fashion industry to work together to find collective solutions to its most pressing challenges will be the core message at next month’s Fashion Re:set Summit.

Organised by the Association of Suppliers to the British Clothing Industry (ASBCI), the 11 October Summit at the Hilton Hotel, York is being structured around four key themes – ESG, sourcing, digital transformation, and staff wellbeing and talent management.

The themes will be delivered through a combination of presentations and panel discussions, with the event’s format “designed to encourage debate and foster collaboration at all levels between ASBCI members and the wider industry”.

The summit will be opened by a keynote presentation on the current state of the industry from fashion technology storyteller and analyst Ben Hanson, editor in chief of The Interline.

Hanson will be followed by an exploration of ESG in the fashion industry, with a panel discussion featuring contributors from industry and academia.

The sourcing segment will be opened by Angela Gaskell, group sourcing, sustainability and fit director from N Brown. She will then join the sourcing discussion panel to discuss how the industry can overcome the sourcing challenges of the last few years and the opportunities of new technologies, near-shoring, made-on-demand, and personalisation.

Jason Wang, Alvanon COO, will address the summit by video from the US in the digital transformation session, talking about the digital fit ecosystem and the roadmap to a sustainable and profitable future.

Will Verdon, head of product development at Lyle & Scott, will also discuss sustainability and digital technologies.

The summit will close on a topic that has been "catapulted into the limelight by Covid" -- employee wellbeing and its link with talent management and the skills shortage.

ASBCI chairman Dr Alistair Knox said: “For years, the conversation has been about the need for change – for more sustainable business models, for new technology, for plans to tackle skills shortages or supply chain issues. But while there are many businesses out there doing good things, meaningful industry-wide progress on many of these issues has been slow. And Covid shone a spotlight on the industry’s weaknesses.

“However, Covid also demonstrated the link between sustainability and sustainable business in its broadest sense. To move forward on climate, attract and nurture talented people, and ensure a profitable future, we must tackle these issues together – within businesses and as an industry.”