H&M Group, Timberland, Gap Inc, Depop, PANGAIA & More Join the #SFF22CON Lineup
The countdown to #SFF22CON starts now! April 22nd is just around the corner, which means the 6th annual Sustainable Fashion Forum is almost here!
A bridge between industry realities and passion for change, we’re incredibly proud of the global community we’ve built and the diverse stakeholders who, each year, come to speak on the SFF main stage (this year digital). SFF speakers represent a wide array of sectors within the fashion industry. From thought-leaders and cultural influencers to psychologists, scientists, innovators, and VPs at major companies, SFF connects diverse voices and unique POVs from across the supply chain to ask tough questions, ignite conversation, and drive true systemic change in the fashion industry.
We’re thrilled to have an incredible lineup of speakers this year and are thrilled to announce six additions to the 2022 digital lineup.
Discover the newly added speakers and sessions hitting the SFF digital mainstage.
Featured Sessions
The latest report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC) warns that we must halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 to stay within the Paris Agreement 1.5°C pathway. For fashion to achieve this, the industry needs to be more aggressive in setting holistic and ambitious climate goals and implementing solutions to meet its environmental targets. However, since most of fashion's emissions come from their supply chain, reducing emissions remains a challenge, especially since this is where brands have less direct control. Despite countless brands setting lofty climate goals, a 2020 report found that fashion's greenhouse gas emissions aren't decreasing but rather on track to increase to around 2.7 billion tons a year by 2030 if further action isn't taken. How does a global brand like H&M translate the IPCC warnings into corporate targets to reduce emissions across its value chain? Despite its best efforts, can H&M make tangible progress in tackling its environmental impact under its current fast fashion business model? Can H&M reduce emissions across its value chain and contribute to the solution in a meaningful way while simultaneously churning out increasing volumes of new clothes? In an exclusive #SFF22CON Q&A, H&M Group’s green investment program specialist Peter Ford and SFF founder, Brittany Sierra discuss.
For many designers and brands, the easiest first step on their sustainability journey is to begin by replacing existing materials with sustainable alternatives. However, sustainable material sourcing is no easy task. Each fabric choice has trade-offs, from oil, land, and water to pesticides, dyes, and chemicals. Whether a fiber is “better” or “worse” depends on the numerous factors that influence its lifecycle – from the cultivation to processing, assembly, transportation, use, and the subsequent disposal of the garment by the consumer. With so many contradicting perspectives, how should brands approach material sustainability? What questions should brands ask when sourcing? How should data be used to compare and contrast materials? PANGAIA chief innovation officer Dr. Amanda Parkes joins Bombyx vice president Hilmond Hui; Gap Inc sr. manager of product sustainability, Diana Rosenberg; Triarchy Denim’s creative director Adam Taubenfligel, and Re:Source(d) founder Tara St James for a roundtable moderated by Sourcing Journal’s sourcing and labor editor, Jasmin Malik Chua to explore the nuanced layers of material sustainability.
From social justice to climate change, GenZ is known for leading the charge against some of the most pressing issues of our time. GenZ has strong opinions and even higher expectations regarding the brands they engage with. However, while this younger demographic of shoppers are increasingly wary of the implications of fast fashion, their shopping habits don't always reflect their desire to be more sustainable. Unpacking the paradox between GenZ's values and their purchasing decisions is a layered conversation. To learn more about the mindset and shopping habits of GenZ Teen Vogue editor-in-cheif Versha Sharma joins Depop head of sustainability, Justine Porterie for an exclusive fireside chat exploring how GenZ is changing the way we shop and influencing the next decade of business practices.
Over the years, rental, resale, subscription services, and peer-to-peer sharing platforms have gone from niche to mainstream, emerging as solutions to keep clothing in the cycle and shift consumer perception away from thinking of clothing as disposable. However, a key component often left out of the conversation is repairs. As we move towards a circular fashion economy, putting an end to the current linear 'make-take-dispose' model, it's clear that aftercare and a product's second-life need to be as much a part of the fashion experience as the initial purchase. Tune in for a roundtable between Sojo founder Josephine Phillips and The Restory co-founder and head of marketing & business development, Emily Rea about how/why repairs need to be a more significant part of the sustainability conversation. Plus, hear Timberland’s director of global community engagement & activation, Atlanta McIlwraith, share insights on what they’ve learned since launching Timberloop, what it says about consumers' appetite for circular systems, and what we can learn from the popularity of take-back programs to change consumer behavior.
Lean more about the conference and purchase your ticket today to tune into our virtual conference on April 22-23 featuring 50+ speakers and 20+ sessions unpacking the multifaceted and nuanced layers of the sustainability conversation at the intersections of fashion, ethics, climate change, and culture. Register Now!
