Attire Accessories - Feb/Mar 2018 (Issue 68)

ATTIRE 13 NEWS & EVENTS MADE-BY PARTNERS WITH REVERSE RESOURCES IN NEW INITIATIVE TO EXTRACT UNTAPPED VALUE OF PRODUCTION LEFTOVERS IN CLOTHING SUPPLY CHAINS Not-for-profit organisation MADE-BY has announced a new initiative in collaboration with Reverse Resources that will attempt to extract the untapped value of production leftovers in clothing supply chains. The collaboration follows a new report that shows that textiles and clothes manufacturers, alongside retailers, are ‘spilling’ an average of 25 per cent of virgin material resources – a higher percentage than first thought and a figure supported by other organisations working in the field, such as WRAP. The project, part of the European Clothing Action Plan (ECAP), the first EU-Life funded project to drive sustainability, is calling for European apparel brands and retailers, as well as European and Asian suppliers, to get involved in the scheme.Those involved will receive subsidised expertise and support in measuring material leftovers, exploring ways to reduce the spillage rate and identifying recycling and re-manufacturing solutions that ensure leftovers move up the waste hierarchy, avoiding incineration and landfill. Ria Kearney, Senior Consultant at MADE-BY says, “We’re delighted to partner with Reverse Resources to better understand the current situation in regard to material leftovers and to trial and test practical innovations to improve current practices.This is a largely unexplored topic, and the project findings will be shared widely across the clothing sector in order to support the broader move towards circularity.” Those wanting to join the project should contact Ria via email at ria.kearney@made-by.org . Millennials likely to spend more on product if part of a brand’s community, says report A new report by content agency Dialogue has suggested that 58 per cent of millennials – consumers aged between 25-34 – would be likely to spend more on a brand’s product or services should they feel part of its community. The highest amount across all consumer groups, the new research, which surveyed 1,200 consumers and looked at the luxury industry as well as travel and automotive, highlights the importance of building brand communities, with millennials emerging as the audience that are most likely to stick to a brand rather than switch to a competitor if they felt part of a group. According to the survey, “Brands that engage their consumers by inviting them to join a community, where they can access exclusive content and interact with other people who buy the brand, are likelier to create long-lasting relationships.” Pure London gathers industry leaders to discuss future of manufacturing with new Pure Origin sector Pure London is set to bring together industry leaders to discuss topics such as innovation, sustainability, fabrics of the future, reshoring, and the impact of Brexit on the fashion supply chain as part of the new Pure Origin section of the show. The new section offers a dedicated seminar programme to educate, advice and inspire – targeting heads of sourcing, supply chain managers, heads of buying, technical managers, directors of supply chain, quality assurance and global product compliance from brands, retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers and start-ups. Taking place in collaboration with WGSN and Coloro, highlights of the Pure Origin section include seminars on topics such as trend forecasting for sustainability, guest interviews on topics such as future of fabrics and customisation in mass production. Meanwhile for start-ups there will be a series of lectures on workshops offering guidance on working with manufacturers, launching your own label collection, how to source the right manufacturer, the step-by-step process of garment manufacturing, negotiating prices, quantities and delivery scales. For more information visit purelondon.com Eyewear brand Mondottica secures £14.9 million funding from Santander Corporate & Commercial Nottingham-based eyewear brand Mondottica has secured £14.9 million in funding from Santander Corporate & Commercial. The designer and distributer creates branded eyewear for the likes of Ted Baker, Cath Kidston and Benetton and will use the funding to fuel its UK and international expansion plans and to develop its luxury eyewear division. The funding will also be used to help create 45 new jobs within Mondottica International to enhance its sales delivery, distribution infrastructure and systems. David Hart, Operations Director at Mondottica International Ltd, said, “The funding from Santander means we are now enabled to deliver our products and services on a global scale powered by an expanded Mondottica team. Santander has provided a flexible package tailored to us, our market and one that accommodates our international needs and ambitions. We have been guided through this process by an expert team who have become a real business asset supporting us through our first external funding.” ➨