Guests:

Giovanni Palumbo:
Specialist in color and textiles in apparel product development - Madewell
Giovanni is also an educator at the NY School of Design

Tim Voit:
Chief Marketing Officer at Thomaston Mills

Dora Xu:
Sustainability Consultant - Metabolic

Special Edition: Sustainability in Textiles
The most comprehensive discussion on fiber and fabric to date on SFTS. Our diverse mix of experts represents fashion brands, mills, and upstream production. Their collective insight covers production waste, recycling challenges, brand preferences, and sustainable options. This is one episode that CANNOT be missed!

Guest: Avedis H. Seferian President and CEO of Worldwide Responsible Accreditated Production (WRAP)

Assent Compliance as one of the Top 100 Corporate Social Responsibility Influence Leaders for 2020

Chairman of the Executive Board of the Association of Professional Social Compliance Auditors (APSCA) and sits on the Impartiality Committees of several audit organizations

Avedis is the undisputed heavyweight champion in the Compliance and Audit space for Footwear and Apparel. In this episode, Avedis gives us an overview of the compliance landscape, and we also talked about the positive evolution of compliance in the face of COVID. This episode is critical for anyone working in or interested in the complex supply chains of apparel and footware

Guest: Julie Verdugo
Director of Sustainability and Social Impact at Free People, of URBN Inc
Member of the Fashion Advisory Board at LIM College

In this episode:
Julie talks to us about impact, body positivity, sustainability, and circularity at Free People. We discuss the importance of community building and STEM education in the fashion industry. She also talks to us about the unique journey that led her into fashion and corporate social responsibility.


List of resources for further learning:
The Responsible Company - By Vincent Stanley and Yvon Chouinard
Inconspicuous Consumption - By Tatiana Schlossberg
HBS Course online (Sustainable Business Strategy) - by Prof. Rebecca Henderson

Guest: Walter Bridgham
Sr. Business Development Manager – Home & Interiors, N. America for Tencel at Lenzing Fibers

In this episode:

Walter Bridgham talks to us about how to identify, source and use sustainable fibers with an emphasis on Cellulosic fibers made from wood pulp. We also talk about his upcoming panel at TexWorld where he will talk about a Sustainability Toolkit for those who are thinking about greener and cleaner operations!


Sources for further learning and thought leadership:

Texworld Registration: www.texworldusa.com/register

UN SDG: https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Textile Exchange: https://textileexchange.org/

Sustainable Furnishings Council: https://www.sustainablefurnishings.org/

Canopy (NGO): https://canopyplanet.org/

Tencel: https://www.tencel.com/

Guest: Dr. Karen Pearson
Chair of Science and Mathematics at FIT & Chair of FIT’s Sustainability Council

In this episode:

Dr. Pearson is a leading voice in engineering, education, sustainability, and is among the 100 most influential women in STEM. She joins us to talk about FIT's approach to sustainability and the happy marriage between science and fashion in creating new job opportunities for graduates. This topic is very relevant in a shifting industry landscape for both young and seasoned fashion professionals


Sources for learning more/thought leadership:
FIT Sustainability Page: https://www.fitnyc.edu/sustainability/


Articles to learn more about FIT initiatives:
https://news.fitnyc.edu/2019/06/25/biodesign/

https://www.fitnyc.edu/sustainability/

Guest: Tim Voit - Chief Marketing Officer at Thomaston Mills

In this episode:

Tim is a textile industry veteran with deep experience in US manufacturing, overseas sourcing, and a prominent figure on the policy side working with the Department of Commerce, US Trade Representative, AAFA, and many others. In this episode, we discuss the future of US manufacturing in light of COVID, sustainability, and long term trends. This episode is must-listen for anyone interested in US manufacturing!!

Sources for learning more/thought leadership:

https://www.nrdc.org/resources/clean-design-apparel-manufacturing-and-pollution

www.aafaglobal.org

www.ncto.org

www.americanblossomlinen.com

The latest episode of Stright From The Source presents a CSR and raw materials deep dive with the amazingly talented Dora Xu - a sustainability expert with deep experience in upstream supply chains, carbon-sequestering, and raw material production! This episode shines a spotlight on cotton and the impact of COVID on CSR commitments in the fashion industry.

Link from our discussion:
https://www.goblu.net/blog

In this episode:

We discuss in detail the short run fallout from the halt in manufacturing, long-run strategies to mitigate problems around over-reliance, lack of transparency, and rising costs and tariffs. Note: At the time of recording, the no. of infected cases was 73,000 currently, the numbers are closer to 89,000 and growing.

For those looking to diversify production in Bangladesh here is a link to a YouTube series created by US travel bloggers showcasing everyday life in the country: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlNLIHxuTe0