The Emperor is Naked

It’s all about exposure. The fashion industry took a hit last month with “Sustainable Apparel’s Critical Blindspot” naming 22 out of 49 brands as being non-responsive to claims that they use polluting factories. This month, we speak to Ma Jun on why fashion brands need to stop greenwashing and start taking responsibility. Greenpeace also shares with us their work in removing endocrine disrupting hormones from the supply chain, whilst Dupont tells us how enzymes can solve this. It’s not just reputation at risk, future consumers are also targeted. Beijing based, Thirst tells us how they are influencing the choices of the young by teaching them about the hidden value of water in their food & clothes. Exposure to water risk is builiding – isn’t it about time investors look deeper? Hi-street & hi-end portfolio diversification may not work when products are sourced from the same supplier – check out blackholes & blacklists.However, it’s not all doom & gloom, there are brands pro-actively trying to make sustainable apparel work. Jason Kibbey, director of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition walks us through the Higg Index and the challenges of measurement.