OPENING REMARKS BY Kirsty McGregor - deputy editor Drapers

OPENING ADDRESS: WHY FASHION NEEDS FIXING

Fashion shouldn’t cost the earth. But our desire for fashion means that carbon emissions, water use, chemical, and plastic pollution, are destroying our planet. Mary will share the findings of the Environmental Audit Committee’s recent report into the sustainability of fashion and highlight why the fashion industry must step up its game if it is to meet global targets on climate change, sustainable development and address workers’ welfare.

MP Mary Creagh and Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee

Power talk 

How adidas x Parley are harnessing the power of sport to create awareness for the threat of marine plastic pollution

Matthias Amm, Senior Global Category Director Running Marketing Footwear, Adidas

Power talk
FUTURE FASHION SCENARIOS
Climate change, the circular economy and competition for land (food vs fibre crops) – how will these three key forces shape the fashion industry in the coming years?
Sally Uren, chief executive, Forum for the Future

Case study
How the Burberry Foundation is transforming THE cashmere industry

How can luxury brands build sustainable supply chains that support local communities? Burberry’s responsibility programme director, Jocelyn Wilkinson, presents a case study on the Burberry foundation’s community programme focused on cashmere. This includes the Burberry Foundation’s programme in Afghanistan, delivered in partnership with Oxfam and PUR projet, which is empowering local communities by building a more inclusive and sustainable cashmere industry.

Jocelyn Wilkinson, Responsibility Programme Director, Burberry

Panel discussion
Circular fashion – an antidote for a throwaway culture?  
A circular business model – that eliminates waste, minimises negative impacts, and is ultimately restorative and regenerative – is seen by many as a viable, clean alternative to process-intense, disposable fashion. As an industry what do we need to move to a circular economy? 

Moderator: Pauline Op de Beeck, Lead on sustainable fashion, the Carbon Trust
Oya Barlas Bingul, business development manager UK and Benelux, Lenzing
Tara Luckman, senior sustainability manager, ASOS
Elin Larsson, sustainability director, Filippa K
Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen, sustainable materials manager, Bestseller

In conversation with

Marie-Claire Daveu, chief sustainability officer and head of international institutional affairs, Kering

Kering was named the world’s second most sustainable company across all industries and first in Luxury and fashion by the Corporate Knights Global 100 index published during the World Economic Forum in Davos this year.

Panel discussion
Selling sustainability: what’s in it for the consumer?
Most customers want fashion companies to have good environmental and ethical credentials, yet few actively seek out sustainable products and brands. How can fashion companies change the narrative around sustainability? As an industry, what do we need to do to bring consumers on board?

Lucy Shea, chief executive officer, Futerra
Thomas Berry, global director sustainable business, Farfetch
Wilson Oryema, artist and writer
Giorgina Waltier, sustainability manager for UK & IE, H&M

Panel discussion
Cleaning and greening the supply chain
The fashion supply chain is highly fragmented, which makes tracing the provenance of materials and their environmental impact difficult to track. As the industry starts to take responsibility for its environmental footprint, what will the supply chain of a future-proof business look like?

Moderator: Jill Geoghegan, head of content, Drapers
Baptiste Carriere-Pradal, vp transparency, The Sustainable Apparel Coalition
Lavinia Muth, corporate responsibility manager, Armedangels
Ebru Ozkucuk Guler, senior CSR executive, ISKO

Power talk
​"Less bulls**t, more good s**t” - building viable business models around sustainability
Jack Ostrowski, managing director, Yellow Octopus

Panel discussion
Transparency in fashion: are we doing enough?
Suppliers can run factories on tight margins and subcontract work out to third parties – but retailers and brands need to look all the way along the supply chain to ensure it is free from exploitation. The Rana Plaza tragedy was a wake-up call, but can we be sure it will never happen again? 

• Orsola de Castro, founder and creative director, Fashion Revolution
• Mostafiz Uddin, managing director, Denim Expert
• Jacquetta Lee, Programme Director, Centre for Environment and Sustainability, University of Surrey
• Craig Crawford, IT Strategist, CrawfordIT for Pivot88

IN CONVERSATION WITH … Katharine Hamnett, designer, activist and pioneer for sustainable fashion

Drapers’ Den

Fashion business start-ups will pitch their innovations to a panel of industry luminaries in front of a live audience, who will then vote for the winner. Whether working on the area of transparency, technology or circular fashion, this is the opportunity for trailblazers and disruptors to scale up their business.

Judges:

Touker Suleyman – entrepreneur and investor
Julian Lings – sustainability manager – The North Face
David Mallon – director - Red Inc

Contestants:

CEAE one-stop shop for all sustainable packaging
Cellucare a product that prolongs the life of a garment by removing pilling and rejuvenating colours
Common Objective a global sourcing and information network that enables fashion professionals to succeed in sustainable business
Hurr Collective the first peer to peer wardrobe sharing platform
So Just Shop an online marketplace that empowers vulnerable women artisans from around the world 

InAction! showcases

The afternoon will be all about turning ideas into practice – and we will do that by showcasing the projects and initiatives that are pushing the boundaries for sustainability. We are looking for companies that will bring innovation to life through real-life application – this could be anything from recycling and re-use/repair to ground-breaking business developments and new technology.
There will be two sets of showcases running concurrently on two specially configured stages with interactive elements and audience engagement. Five 15-minute presentations will take place on each stage, including: