June 19, 2018
In a series of pieces, covering almost half of the June 17th Issue, Sunday Times Style highlighted an incredible breadth of issues, innovations, initiatives and good businesses that at some point in the (hopefully) not too distant future will become what all fashion and luxury brands simply are.
Journalist Fleur Britten first introduces the idea of the mega trend... sustainability isn't a fad, it's a global movement. Started by (among others) academics, activist brands and innovators - the values that underpin a sustainable business are now impacting the long term strategy of the largest brands in the world.
Key concepts like transparency, slow fashion, closing the loop and the minefield of different certification regimes are all covered and I have never seen so many genuine hero brands, where substance has always been way ahead of story, given this much attention.
We were really pleased to be mentioned along side our fellow fashion B Corps: Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, Reformation, Mud Jeans and Finisterre. We are all businesses that (every 2 years) have passed a very stringent set of tests covering everything from governance, workers, community, environment and products / consumers. No supply chain stone is left unturned and more importantly, in order to stay a B Corp each certified company has to change its constitution - it must "not be beholden to shareholders' short term interests, but the needs of people and the planet."
The piece starts with a question, Does Fashion Have a Heart? And although it gives no explicit answer, it is clear that from a small start of brands that do, things are really looking up!