Sourcing Journal Radio

Diversification has quickly turned from “nice to have” to “need to have” as an escalating trade war between the U.S. and China has made the industry's number one manufacturing destination a more expensive choice. In a challenging climate, brands are also becoming more risk averse, and a broader sourcing map that goes beyond the “China plus one” strategy helps to hedge against headwinds. “The importance of diversification—and not just to one other area plus China, but to many other geographical locations in several different continents, potentially—is seen as an importance and an urgency, regardless of the logistical frictions that may exist in pursuing such a strategy,” said Yossi Nasser, CEO of Gelmart, which manufactures intimates for major retailers like Target and Walmart. Although it also has operations in China, Gelmart is leaning on its factories in the Philippines amid ongoing trade tensions between Washington and Beijing. More than just a means to circumvent a tariff spat, Nasser noted the Philippines is a sourcing destination that should be on the industry's radar.  Listen to this episode to hear Nasser speak with Sourcing Journal's sourcing and labor editor Jasmin Malik Chua about what makes the Philippines a solid choice for garment production and how Gelmart is strategizing for long-term resilience. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talk about tariffs has been filling newspapers, websites, airwaves, boardrooms, factory floors and dinner tables for a while, but reality is just starting to sink in now. What are the true costs of tariffs, and who is going to be paying for them? Ian Fredericks, president and CEO of Hilco Consumer-Retail, chats with Lauren Parker, director, Fairchild Studio, about how tariff worries — real and perceived — are affecting shopping behavior, inventory and pricing, and what companies can do to prepare. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Geopolitical upheaval. Tariffs and trade wars. Inflation. Sustainability concerns. Changing buying patterns. As the list of disruptions and demands that the industry must consider when sourcing goods keeps growing, one strategy has become a top priority: diversification. “The retailers and the brands are looking for multiple countries of origin and mitigating their risk by making sure that their productions are spread across different regions,” said Masooma Zaidi, vice president sales and merchandising at manufacturer Interloop Limited. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Upscale legacy brands have a challenge when it comes to technology. How do you blend future-facing digital strategy with the timelessness of luxury? How do you balance exclusivity with digital-first accessibility? And how do you integrate omnichannel innovation into personalization, as well as the in-store experience? Here, Lauren Parker, director of Fairchild Studio, chats with Yang Lu, the chief information officer at Tapestry, to learn how Tapestry is approaching luxury in this digital age. Lu explained the company's test-and-learn digital strategy to meet customers where they are, and why “iteration is the new perfection.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The political will toward sustainability is constantly shifting, and with the official exit from the Paris Agreement and a ‘drill, baby drill' fossil fuel mentality, things are moving in another direction. This has created a climate of uncertainty for eco-minded businesses seeking support from government sustainability requirements. That said, the underlying drivers of a sustainable future—innovation, tapping into cost-efficient renewable energy, and consumer demand for ethical practices—remain intact. In other words, eco-champions are a tenacious bunch. Sourcing Journal has dug deep into the situation with its State of the Industry Sustainability Report, released the same day as our Sustainability Summit in New York. Here, Lauren Parker, director of Fairchild Studio, chats with two editors who wrote most of the report: Jasmin Malik Chua, SJ's Sourcing and labor editor, and Alex Harrell, SJ's Sustainability & Innovation Reporter. To download SJ's Sustainability Report, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lately, tariffs have become the most powerful word in the world. They are moving stock markets, upending longstanding international trade agreements, and evoking lots of confusion—and emotion—across industries. Sourcing Journal recently released its annual State of the Industry Sourcing Report, and one thing is clear: tariff turmoil has gripped the fashion sector. In this episode, Lauren Parker, director of Fairchild Studio, chats with Kate Nishimura, Sourcing Journal's features editor and resident tariff expert, on where things stand now, where they might go, and all the implications in between. To download SJ's Sourcing Report, click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Roughly half the world's zippers and fasteners come from YKK, totaling an astounding 10 billion zippers in 2024 alone. And at such scale, these little parts have big impacts. That's why YKK has doubled down on sustainability, from recycled materials and zipper slides that can carry data-carrying digital product passports (DPPs) to new material innovations that allow for circularity. In this episode, Lauren Parker, director, SJ and Fairchild Studios, chats with Brian La Plante, senior manager, sustainability, of the Japan-based YKK Fastening Products Group, about addressing sustainability's "full hierarchy of circularity." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the mere year and a half since it launched, Reju has already made substantial progress on its path toward scaling recycled polyester production. Last October, the textile-to-textile regeneration firm opened its first operational plant that will start deliveries this year, and it is not stopping there. With textile industry experts at the helm—including former Under Armour chief executive Patrik Frisk as CEO—and IBM-developed technology underpinning its chemistry, Reju is on a mission to fully redesign fashion systems for circularity. Together with partners such as Goodwill, it is taking a value chain-wide approach to accelerate the textile recycling rate from where it currently stands at 1 percent. In this episode, Frisk speaks with Sourcing Journal's sourcing and labor editor Jasmin Malik Chua about Reju's focus on textile-to-textile recycling solutions and why collaboration is critical to driving circularity forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Change, obstacles and opportunity sum up the state of supply chains in 2025. And while logistics are tumultuous under the best of circumstances—let alone during fiery geopolitics and a new president determined to remake the trade landscape—there's plenty of optimism and energy on many fronts.   Sourcing Journal just released its 2025 Logistics Report, which brings you the latest logistics news, from automation to mergers and acquisitions. In this episode, Lauren Parker, director of Fairchild Studio, chats with Glenn Taylor, SJ's Logistics Editor, on the report's highlights and overall industry insights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Listen to this podcast to discover what the fashion industry is up against in 2025 and how companies can effectively navigate an unpredictable supply chain landscape. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How effectively can you verify your sustainability claims and results? This question is becoming more imperative as the industry is now being held to higher standards to report and communicate their environmental impact. To meet these demands, companies need data. In 2020, the U.S. Cotton TrustProtocol was developed to collect and share farm-level data on six key metrics, providing participating brands and retailers with more insights into the profile of their cotton. “Those metrics are the overarching umbrella that help explain what's being done at the field level to an industry that's consuming that cotton,” said Daren Abney, executive director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. The other purpose of data collection is measuring progress. Setting goals, gathering baseline figures and then benchmarking against them lets the industry know how far it has come, and what gaps it still must close. “It's not just about collecting data,” said Deepika Mishra, Ph.D., standards and data lead consultant at the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. “It's about using it to drive real, measurable improvements in the sustainability of cotton production.” Listen to Abney and Mishra in conversation with Jasmin Malik Chua, sourcing and labor editor at Sourcing Journal, to learn how the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol is using traceability to give brands a full picture of the cotton supply chain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As a new administration takes office in the United States, the retail industry is watching what will happen with trade. While tariffs could hike the import price of finished goods, they would also have an impact on the cotton market. Any trade conflicts with China could disrupt a key export destination for U.S.-grown cotton if China pushes back with its own tariffs, as it did in 2018. “China just didn't take our increases…sitting down,” said Jon Devine, senior economist at Cotton Incorporated. “They did have some retaliation, and one of the first products to be hit in terms of the U.S. trade to China was cotton.” Listen to this chat between Devine and Alex Harrell, staff writer at Sourcing Journal, to hear more about what to watch for in the next Trump term and whether a recession is likely in the next year. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sourcing Journal turned 15 this year, so there was a lot to celebrate at its annual Fall Summit held in New York this November. The event tackled trade issues and industry turmoil, not to mention Trump's proposed tariffs, which were particularly top of mind as the event occurred just days after the election. In this episode, Lauren Parker, Director of SJ and Fairchild Studios chats with Peter Sadera, Sourcing Journal's editor in chief, about event highlights and its accompanying Companion Report, which recaps the event and also "continues the conversation." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

ESPR is one of the most comprehensive sustainability regulations so far in the world. Min Zhu of testing, inspection and certification company SGS chats with Lauren Parker of SJ and Fairchild Studios to offer insights. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this fireside chat, Andre Claudio, staff writer, strategic content at Sourcing Journal, chats with Kendall Becker, fashion and editorial strategy director at Trendalytics, about how the retail intelligence platform is leveraging this technology to help retailers make more profitable, data-driven decisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this fireside chat, Lauren Parker, director of Sourcing Journal and Fairchild Studios, chats with Kelly West, manager of business development for North America of Trimco Group (based in the U.S.), and Claire Piccinno, sustainability advisor and ProductDNA team leader of Trimco Group (based in France) to get a global perspective on this evolving issue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this podcast, Glenn Taylor, logistics editor at Sourcing Journal, and Cayce Roy, founder and CEO of Standvast, discuss how the company is shaping the future of order fulfillment through its innovative technology and services. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Nishimura of Sourcing Journal chats with Lauren Parker of Fairchild Studio about what Trump's next presidency could means for apparel, footwear, textiles and retail when it comes to tariffs, trade and taxes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Automation holds immense potential for the product development process. Moving rote tasks from humans to artificial intelligence allows teams to focus their energy on the creative aspects of the job. It also streamlines the workflow, reducing samples and iterations, which in turn boosts efficiency and reduces waste. “You're… ultimately shifting teams from firefighting to adding value and helping businesses become more agile [and] creative while still being sustainable,” said Kristen Ohlsson, head of strategic solutions consulting at apparel design software firm Browzwear. To get the most out of AI, companies need to underpin the technology with digitalized systems and solid data management so that the machines are learning from the right information. Also critical is training so employees don't dread the technology. “AI is not there to replace your jobs,” said Lars Villumsen, strategic solutions architect consultant director at Browzwear. “It's to assist you on working smarter.” This conversation between Ohlsson, Villumsen and Sourcing Journal's senior editor, strategic content Sarah Jones covers what tasks should—and shouldn't—be automated and AI's future place in product creation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Combatting climate change has become a top target for the fashion industry, but reaching carbon-cutting targets will require action across the entire supply chain. In September 2022, the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol was named the lead recipient of the U.S. Climate Smart Cotton Program, receiving funding and recognition as part of the USDA's Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities pilot projects to support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help brands and retailers report against Scope 3 emissions reductions for cotton used in products. The Climate Smart Cotton Program is a five-year collaborative initiative that brings together partners from across the supply chain and provides additional benefits for growers, including technical and financial support. “The goal is really helping cotton growers improve their profitability, their operations and of course, their environmental stewardship,” said Daren Abney, executive director of the U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol. One of the participants, Louisiana-based Hardwick Planting Company, is taking a well-rounded approach to sustainability that includes returning unproductive farmland to natural and biodiverse habitats, paring back tillage and better targeting pest and weed control. Although many of these practices are longstanding, technology is enhancing these sustainability efforts. “Advances in technology…will continue to improve our ability to save inputs, be more precise; that really goes a long way,” said Mead Hardwick, partner at Hardwick Planting Company. Here, Abney, Hardwick and Sourcing Journal's sourcing and labor editor Jasmin Malik Chua discuss what the Climate Smart Cotton Program entails and how carbon-cutting measures are being rolled out at the farm level. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To see how the fashion industry is faring regarding sustainability, Lauren Parker, director of Fairchild Studios, sat down with Peter Sadera, editor-in-chief, Sourcing Journal, to discuss the positives pushing things forward, as well as the obstacles blocking more progress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this fireside chat for business hub Retail Rx, Tim Anderson, senior business leader and executive vice president, Hilco Valuation Services, explains to Lauren Parker, director, Fairchild Studio, how retailers and brands must evaluate their respective brick-and-mortar and digital channels—individually and collectively—to ensure overall omnichannel success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Alex Harrell, Sourcing Journal staff reporter, discusses the gains and obstacles in the exciting world of alt materials. Download the Material Innovation Report to learn: What's next for Renewcell, rebranded Circulose under its new private equity owner How Under Armour is pushing the envelope with its new Neolast fiber What Ganni's playbook, “How to Get Started Creating a Sustainable Business,” can teach startups and existing businesses alike How textile-to-textile recycler Ambercycle is scaling up and exploring new relationships to bring its signature creation, Cycora, to the masses How next-gen materials developer Polybion has brought its bacteria cellulose leather alternative, Celium, to the global market Why the global market for biopolymers is set to grow by 17 percent over the next five years, according to a report by the nova-Institute Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Lizzie Kroeze, director of product development and marketing for the EU and UK at AGI Denim, chats with Angela Velasquez, executive editor at Rivet about its upgraded operations. The vertically integrated B Corp manages the entire production process, from yarn spinning and fabric weaving to garment sewing and finishing. In addition, earlier this year AGI Denim launched The Agency, an in-house creative service offering a range of tools to clients, including trend decks, fit catalogs, wash stacks, specialized insights and rapid prototyping in both digital formats (such as 3D designs and AI-generated visuals) and physical formats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Far from some distant sci-fi fantasy, artificial intelligence has made its way into all aspects of our lives, and the fashion industry is no exception. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Since synthetic materials came on the scene almost a century ago, they have grown to become the most popular choice for apparel. But the prevalence of polyester and other polymer-based fibers has come with a tiny yet pervasive problem: microplastics. Textiles are a key contributor to microplastic pollution, as tiny plastic particles break off and enter the air and water, posing harms to humans and other living things. Polyester and other synthetics are also persistent in the environment, since microplastics and garments themselves are not readily biodegradable.  “What do we do about this plastic and where this plastic ends up? And what does it even mean to the environment as well as to our own health?” said Dr. Jesse Daystar, chief sustainability officer and vice president, sustainability at the not-for-profit research and promotion organization Cotton Incorporated. “The world and consumers are sort of waking up to the fact that this is an issue.” In this episode, Daystar and Yvonne Johnson, senior director, product development at Cotton Incorporated, speak with Jasmin Malik Chua, sourcing and labor editor at Sourcing Journal, about Why natural fibers are a better, more sustainable choice and what will finally move the industry away from polymer-based fibers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special “Chat Box” episode, part of a series of executive spotlights for RetailRx community hub, Danielle Schmelkin, chief information officer of J.Crew Group joins Fairchild Studio Director Lauren Parker. Schmelkin discusses the shifting role of the CIO, J.Crew and Madewell's digital transformation strategies, and sheds light on how retailers should use AI and other technologies to set themselves up for digital success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2021, Pakistan-based manufacturer Interloop had a vision: to expand beyond the hosiery category and become a “full-family” producer. As the company grew its verticals, it established separate teams for each product type, and cross-category customers had multiple points of contact. Over the last six months, Interloop has undergone a transformation to restructure its teams by job function instead of business units. This has improved collaboration in areas like product development and boosted customer service, giving buyers a single account lead at Interloop. Feroze Ahmed, chief strategy and transformation officer at Interloop, spoke with Sourcing Journal editor-in-chief Peter Sadera about this strategy and the next action items on Interloop's agenda. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In real estate, the mantra is often location, location, location. But when it comes to truly effective real estate asset management, there is so much more to it, like knowing when to play the long game, when to make a quick decision and why "time kills deals" In this Sku View fireside chat for Retail Rx, Laren Parker, director of Fairchild Studio, interviews two seasoned real estate experts, Alan Shaw and Larry Finger. Both are executive vice presidents of Hilco Real Estate, a division of Hilco Global, and co-CEOs of Hilco Real Estate's Asset Management division. Both have spent the majority of their careers managing some of the largest and most complex retail real estate properties in the world. They have also "lived through three real estate cycles" and emerged with decades of wisdom to pass along to those still struggling to understand brick-and-mortar's positioning in an omnichannel world. Watch the fireside chat to learn: How Hilco Real Estate and Hilco Asset Management advise and manage real estate for business owners and investors such as private equity firms and the benefits of using a third-party business to do so How commercial real estate has evolved over the past decade Specific strategies that can maximize the value and performance of real estate assets Examples of adapting to significant market fluctuations and economic downturns Successful retail turnarounds and tales from the trenches The most significant risks facing commercial real estate assets today and how companies can identify their vulnerabilities and address them effectively Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Coach remains one of the world's most recognizable brands, which is no small feat after 80 plus years. It's not easy for legacy brands to stay relevant, yet reinvention with the younger consumer can be even harder. Coach has done both by realizing that product-centric isn't enough; handbags and other fashion items can also be a stand in for self-expression and purpose. In this fireside chat, Lauren Parker, director of Fairchild Studio, interviews Sandeep Seth, chief marketing officer and president of Coach North America, on how the global brand has courted Gen Z with the approach that product can boost self expression and purpose, and how the brand's creative advertising is driving this home.  Watch the fireside chat to learn: ·     What Sandeep Seth's 24 years at P&G and international career brings to Coach  ·     Why Coach has emerged as Tapestry's strongest brand, bringing in $1.5 billion in revenue, a 6% increase, and besting sister brands like Kate Spade & Stuart Weitzman  ·     How Coach uses its handbags and other products to forge an emotional connection with consumers  ·     How Coach is courting Gen Z with a more purpose-driven approach including themes of courage, empowerment, identity and self-expression ·     Which celebrities resonate as authentic and courageous Coach brand ambassadors ·     How Coach's sustainable (re)loved trade-in program segued into Coachtopia, and what's next for Coach leather scraps   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Despite some bright spots, retail has had a bumpy road lately, with shifts from malls to online, store closings, bankruptcies, restructurings, liquidations and the like. Yet as Tolstoy might have put it, “Successful retailers are all alike; each distressed retailer is distressed in its own way.” In this fireside chat, Rob Gorin, managing director at Getzler Henrich & Associates, interviews Max Frumes, the global head of distress and restructuring news at 9Fin, in search of lessons learned for the industry at large and what we might expect going forward. A highly regarded senior journalist, Frumes has been reporting on distress, credit, M & A, leveraged financing, turnarounds and special situations for more than 12 years. "My prediction is that you're going to see larger retail restructurings happen with very different stakeholders that don't just include credit funds," said Frumes. "They're going to be these multifaceted companies with lots of different arms that could could wind up having a meaningful influence on these large retail restructurings or refinancings going forward." Watch the fireside chat to learn: What's different about the distressed retail category now in 2024, both from a company and creditor vantage point Some common mistakes that all distressed companies seem to make, and what lessons can be learned Retail companies that are good models for generating better returns to right the ship The implications of private Amazon aggregators that are restructuring What the fashion industry can learn from the Red Lobster loss driver that some say drove the company into bankruptcy. Future predictions for the distressed retail industry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seems as if tech is one of the biggest recurring stories that touches many facets—economies, societies and businesses. In this episode we will discuss why retailers should care about AI and what makes a successful tech-rich organizational environment. In this fireside chat, Michael Appel, managing director and head of retail practice, Getzler Henrich & Associates, sits down with José P. Chan, assistant professor, technology & innovation at Parsons School of Design to discuss AI's implications. Watch the fireside chat to learn: ·      When we say AI, what do we really mean? Is AI a magic bullet for retail problem solving? ·      How retailers should approach AI to improve efficiency and financial results, and what applications should be top of mind ·      How crucial adoption and the human elements are when thinking about AI   ·      The ethical or legal implications of AI when considering the incorporation of AI into a business   ·      Some good use cases of retail companies that have successfully incorporated AI solutions into their business models  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Well-trained, committed frontline workers are key to a retailer's success, but that's proving more and more elusive. With a worker attrition rate of about 60 percent, retailers are essentially replacing more than half their staff every year. That's a lot of churn. In this fireside chat, Christine Tutssel, co-founder of Axonify, Michael Appel, managing director and head of retail practice, Getzler Henrich and Associates, and Lauren Parker, director, Fairchild Studio discuss why investment in staff onboarding, training, development, communications and retention must come from the top, and how AI and technology can really make an impact. Watch the fireside to learn: Why staff and management turnover is so high today What Axonify's survey of 300 frontline managers revealed How technology like Axonify's tool can better foster management and frontline connections to make associates more successful How managers use the Axonify tool to train front-line employees about retail theft If retail leaders have the tools and tactics to tap into the business success that frontlines can drive Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How are smart retailers bringing their own customers into the mix as co-collaborators and co-creators? PacSun is a leader in this regard, making sure its brand resonates with Gen Z, and not just in product, but in overall vibe and messaging. Whether this means using its own consumers as models in advertising campaigns or soliciting Gen Z customer and staff input on creative projects, PacSun knows the benefits of inclusivity and community. In this fireside chat for retail business hub Retail Rx, Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD's executive editor of strategic content chats with Richard Cox, PacSun's VP of men's merchandising and design, and head of global partnerships, about why PacSun strategies like The Collective work so well. Watch the chat to learn: What is the PacSun Collective and how it engages with customers The four pillars PacSun uses for consumer success How PacSun keeps its finger on the pulse of an ever-shifting culture and arts environment How numerous arts, music and even Formula 1 collaborations drive interest and build community How PacSun hits inclusivity notes that resonate How the retailer stays “forever young” while engaging the next generation of youth Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are retailers really listening to their customers? In this fireside chat for business hub Retail Rx, Michael Appel, managing director and head of retail practice for Getzler Henrich & Associates, and Greg Petro, CEO of consumer insight platform First Insight discuss the importance of digital tools to gather voice of customer insights data and apply the analytics to drive sales—wherever the customer is.  Watch the chat to learn: Why voice of the consumer (VOC) data is more important than ever If omnichannel retailers are looking at in-store and online data as more distinct than they should be How capturing VOC data in real time can help retailers funnel it to the right channels for strategic planning How First Insight's recently launched interactive mobile app My Insight works Future predictions for the retail analytics industry Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In response to a challenged and constantly shifting retail market, WWD and Sourcing Journal have joined forces and teamed up with Getzler Henrich & Associates LLC, a Hilco Global Company, to launch “Retail Rx.” This digital content microsite presents news and insights to help executive leaders make better-informed business decisions. Fresh content is posted weekly. In this fireside chat, Lauren Parker, director, FMG Studios, sits down with Michael Appel, managing director and head of retail practice and Getzler Henrich, to discuss the need for the site and its goal of offering business leaders a competitive edge in an ever-evolving, complex retail marketplace. Retail Rx includes the podcast “Chat Box,” where industry experts and retail executives explore the state of retail today and tomorrow. “Retail POV” articles present exclusive finance and technology news and business insights from the Getzler Henrich and Hilco Global experts, and “The SKU View” fireside chats feature retail and industry thought leaders and experts. “Mike Drop,” is Michael Appel's “no-holds-barred” opinion column to industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Green.” “Eco-friendly.” “Low impact.” As companies compete for consumers' dollars, they are touting sustainability benefits alongside other product attributes. But rather than talking about vague sustainability claims, brands must track and show their work toward targets to effect change and meet consumers' ethical expectations. Part of this accountability is companies admitting where they fell short of targets. Transparency could also mean disclosing non-compliance with a roadmap for eradicating social or environmental risks. “It's time that we start celebrating people who have the bravery to be transparent, and also the bravery to say why something didn't work and what they're going to do differently,” said Suzanne Ellingham, event director for trade shows Source Fashion and Source Home & Gift. “It's a matter of moving away from terminology and really moving towards setting goals and being accountable.” Listen to Ellingham in conversation with Jasmin Malik Chua, sourcing and labor editor at Sourcing Journal, to hear why brands often shy away from full transparency before reaching goals and how frontrunner brands are proactively reporting on their pitfalls and progress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The benefits of producing closer to home are well known—convenience, speed to market, lower costs, better sustainability, easier communication, less geopolitical risk, and so on. But as nearshoring production in The Americas still has a way to go, what is keeping countries like Mexico from reaching its full potential with American brands and retailers? Here, Lauren Parker, Director, FMG Studio, chats with Ryan Zimmerman, founder and head of business development for Arzee International, a manufacturer that is based in LA but produces its jersey, French terry and fleece garments exclusively at its factories in Mexico. Watch the fireside chat to learn: ·     Why Arzee International initially moved its production to Mexico ·     The biggest monetary and sustainability benefits of producing in Mexico ·     Nearshoring surprises for companies embarking for the first time ·     What companies need to know to retain duty-free status on imported yarns ·     How Arzee conserves water at its manufacturing plant Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Product development has long been undergoing a digital revolution, but the pandemic pushed these efforts into overdrive. Today, fashion companies continue to experiment with digital product creation software, and one of the main ingredients required is virtual materials. Even ahead of 3D design's work-from-home boost, research and promotion organization Cotton Incorporated was supporting the industry's digital switch with FABRICAST™, a library of cotton-rich materials that can be used in programs like CLO and Browzwear. Cotton Incorporated continues to grow this range of virtual fabrics and develop new ways for the industry to explore its offerings. A prime example of this is Cotton Incorporated's virtual showroom, which was launched in November.  Virtual visitors can “walk” through the showroom to view prototypes of garments made from FABRICAST™ textiles in categories such as activewear and denim. “It's sort of like a native environment for digital fashion and digital fabrics,” said Katherine Absher, manager, fashion and digital design marketing in the Global Supply Chain Marketing Department at Cotton Incorporated, during a fireside chat with Jessica Binns in December. “And we use it to show brands, mills and…students what our fabrics could be and how they could be used, and what they could be doing with cotton in digital product creation.” In this conversation, Absher and Binns discuss the development of the showroom and Cotton Incorporated's other efforts to encourage the industry and students to create fashion digitally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bananas are a big business in Pakistan. The South Asian country grows around 154,000 tons of the fruit each year. But with this production comes waste; annually, 10 million tons of banana stems are burned. A new project between Pakistan-based manufacturer Interloop and sustainable denim consultancy Simply Suzette has transformed banana stem fiber into a multi-category fashion collection. Dubbed Unpeeled, the collection uses Interloop's Loomshake banana fiber for denim, hosiery and knitwear. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fashion industry has finally come to the realization that it needs to adopt circular practices, and that's a great start… But now what? Circularity implementation—or what could be considered Phase 2—is much more difficult. It requires having the visibility, traceability and verification tools to analyze your carbon footprint, then mindfully rework R&D in response. Here, Dr. Min Zhu, Ph.D., Technical Director of U.S. & Canada Softlines of inspection and certification company SGS talks with Lauren Parker, Director of SJ and FMG Studios about what circular fashion really is, where to start, and how to proceed to next phase. Watch the fireside chat to learn: ·      What a circular fashion system really is and how it has been evolving. ·      Ways in which fashion companies should consider in material selection to embrace circularity. ·      Why companies must embrace a lifecycle assessment (LCA). ·      How SGS combined testing with supply chain verification to determine and verify the percentage of recycled polyester. ·      What the EU's impending Digital Product Passports will mean for companies and how they can prepare for them Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence has been a buzzy topic in the retail field for a few years, but the industry is still falling short of using this technology to its full potential. In a recent survey from supply chain management technology firm Blue Yonder, the retail executive respondents self reported that they know about AI and are currently using it. However, while Generative AI is being used most popularly for supply chain management, only 29 percent are using AI for predictive analytics and only about a tenth are tapping into AI's capabilities for digital tracking and scenario planning. Here, Tammy Kulesa, senior director of product marketing at Blue Yonder, and Erin Halka, vice president of product management, speak to Sourcing Journal's feature editor Kate Nishimura about how AI can be used to improve everything from planning to productivity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In fashion, there's a lot of talk about innovation and technological advancements, but when it comes to efficiency gains from technology, the industry has been slow to progress. Apparel design and production tends to be a long stepwise process, which slows down workflows and makes it harder to meet demand. Technology, however, holds the potential to provide significant efficiency and productivity gains, by enhancing the workflow of the apparel value chain. “If the fashion industry were to move at the speed of the automotive industry, it should take a day and a half to design and prepare a garment for production,” said Bill Wilcox, founder and president of 3D design software platform Clothing Tech LLC in a fireside chat with Lauren Parker, head of Sourcing Journal and FMG Studio teams. Unfortunately, noted Wilcox, too many companies are using 3D design more to visualize their 2D processes, rather than boost efficiencies all around. Watch the fireside chat to learn: ·     The opportunities and systemic problems in the $2T fashion industry ·     Where most of the problems exist and how they can be solved ·     What the automotive and electronics industries can teach fashion about automated design and production efficiencies ·     How Clothing Tech can help fulfill the efficiency promises the fashion industry's been chasing ·     How designing in 3D can improve workflow efficiencies and speed to market ­­ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An all-too-common consumer experience is finding that the “correct” shoe size is not a perfect fit. Numerical sizes are not standardized across brands and styles, leading to frustration and a potential missed sale opportunity. Retail technology firm Volumental has created foot scanning devices that help consumers avoid a footwear sizing headache. At partner retail stores, shoppers can get scanned, see their size results and then receive personalized recommendations of shoes that will fit them best based on aspects such as their foot shape, arch and more. This experience not only removes guesswork, but it also engages shoppers and provides valuable information about their individual feet. It also encourages loyalty; consumers are incentivized to give a retailer their email in exchange for their scan data, opening the lines of communication. “The cohort of people with scans actually return to the store and brand more and more often,” Volumental CEO and co-founder Alper Aydemir noted during a fireside chat with Kate Nishimura, features editor at Sourcing Journal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The past few years have ushered in a sustainability sea change for Pakistan-based manufacturer AGI Denim. Although environmental and social initiatives were already underway, the recent investments and operational shifts have created more standardization and transparency around these efforts. AGI Denim's directors Ahmed and Hasan Javed spoke to Sarah Jones, senior editor, strategic content at Sourcing Journal, about their B Corp certification and initiatives in environmental and social action. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the keys to cracking the code of footwear sustainability is reducing and managing waste. Currently, about 90 percent of shoes end up in landfills, where they begin to break down, but never fully decompose due to the materials used. This problem informs innovation at insole manufacturer and supplier OrthoLite. “How can we develop true end of life solutions for footwear—focused on product and process—to ensure that we are providing true circular solutions so that footwear has a place to go versus a landfill,” said Kristin Burrows, OrthoLite's chief brand officer. In a conversation with Kate Nishimura, features editor at Sourcing Journal, Burrows discusses how OrthoLite is tackling footwear waste and why recycling isn't the absolute solution for sustainability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Navigating the complexities of the current apparel supply chain can be cumbersome, particularly as consumers demand more sustainable and traceable alternatives and share concerns about greenwashing and labor conditions. As such, brands cannot afford to continue making sourcing decisions based exclusively on traditional pillars like cost, quality and lead times, according to Stuart McCready-Stocks, global brand director at fashion supply chain software provider Coats Digital. Coats Digital has long sought to help fashion brands build more transparent, sustainable supply chains, offering the GSDCost solution to help manufacturers better analyze all labor-related activities, whether it be cutting, sewing, inspecting or packing. The solution is designed to enable these suppliers to establish time-cost benchmarks for individual tasks and better estimate associated labor costs for finished goods. In a fireside chat with Sourcing Journal logistics editor Glenn Taylor, McCready-Stocks broke down apparel's current need to adopt a version of the “three P” methodology: people, planet and performance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 132-year-old Cone Denim, the oldest denim manufacturer based in the United States, knows a thing or two about denim but is hardly resting on its laurels. With vertical mills in Mexico and China, Cone Denim has recently invested about $14 million on more sustainable production initiatives, notably including creating a certified supply chain pipeline for recycled cotton in Mexico, water mitigation systems and even solar rooftop panels. “We're constantly looking for new technologies and new ways to up our game and remain sustainable,” said Cone Denim president Steve Maggard in a fireside chat with Sourcing Journal business reporter Matt Hickman, citing a new zero liquid discharge water treatment facility, a co-generation facility that reduces cost to produce hot water and steam by using the heat generated during electricity production, as well as a new fiber blending production line to create sustainable offerings with materials like hemp, Tencel, recycled cotton and organic cotton.  Watch the fireside chat to learn: ·      How Cone Denim's vertical mills in Mexico and China have been upgraded for better sustainability ·      How nearshoring benefits denim brands for closer-to-market trend shifts, sustainability and capital flow ·      How Cone Denim is meeting the increased demand for recycled content in both its Mexico and China mills with up to 20 to 100% recycled fiber content ·      Why Cone has invested in RCS (Recycled Claim Standard) certification and third-party certification with Oritain and why this is so critical today ·      How Cone Denim's new Zero Liquid Discharge water treatment facility is a cornerstone of the company's water conservation efforts     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While some designers use 3D design merely as an add-on for existing sketches, others have realized the tremendous benefits of designing in 3D from the outset. 3D software lets designers virtually experiment and share versions with their teams—increasing ideations and creativity, all while decreasing time and sample costs. Lauren Parker, Director of Sourcing Journal's Studio is joined by Bill Wilcox, president and founder of 3D Design software company Clothing Tech LLC, whose proprietary technology helps designers “work smarter” to bring their designs to life. This is part 2 of a 4-part series from Clothing Tech. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every retailer's mantra is—or at least it should be—“Get the right product to the right place at the right time in the right amounts.” Yet in today's increasingly complex retail climate, getting that right is harder than ever. As we've seen, having too much or too little product, or the wrong product, wreaks havoc on pricing, margins, financial liquidity and consumer satisfaction. Technology solutions, however, are giving retailers the tools they need to address these challenges.  In this exclusive Fairchild Studio Thought Leadership Roundtable, Michael Appel, managing director and head of the Retail Practice at Getzler Henrich and Associates (and the former CEO of rue21), Danielle Schmelkin, Chief Information Officer of J.Crew Group, and Greg Petro, CEO of retail technology company First Insight, share their expertise on how technology like predictive analytics can carve a path toward more precise product. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The strategic benefits of on-demand garment production are plentiful: inventory alignment, trimmed waste and higher margins. Today, this model is not the norm, but digital printing firm Kornit's goal is scaling up made-to-order manufacturing. Here, Kornit's vice president of marketing Don Whaley speaks with Jessica Binns, managing editor and technology editor at Sourcing Journal, about the growing demand for direct-to-garment technologies and how Kornit's digital production solutions address sustainability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices