Sourcing Journal Radio

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 firmBlue 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 toStuart McCready-Stocks, global brand director at fashion supply chain software provider Coats Digital. Coats Digitalhas long sought to help fashion brands build more transparent, sustainable supply chains, offering theGSDCostsolution 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 steamby using the heat generated during electricity production, as well as a new fiber blending production lineto 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