Florence van der Spek’s Post

The world of fashion was filled with colour, athleticism and new trends in 2024. A year after launching an equity strategy that champions sustainability in the fashion industry, Robeco’s Fashion Engagement team reflects on the themes of the year, and the opportunities ahead: 🧵 Beauty brands are breaking into fresh spaces and adorning new faces. For example, global revenue from women’s sports surged to USD 1.3 billion in 2024, spurring beauty labels to partner with top female athletes – blending athleticism and digital savvy to market products to new generations of fans and followers. 🌻 The USD 300 billion cosmetics market experienced subdued demand in 2024, but the dermatological segment thrived – driven by consumers seeking science-backed claims and proven outcomes. Results-driven trends are fueling R&D in clinically tested ingredients. The beauty industry offers clear opportunities for companies that leverage innovation, social media, and effective products to attract discerning consumers. 💎 Although the personal luxury market has expanded to reach roughly EUR 375 billion in 2024, geopolitical tensions and China’s macro-economic volatility have tempered sales. Positive signals are emerging and pent-up demand is building; when the Chinese economy improves, these savings will support future luxury spending. More from the portfolio management team, Dora Buckulcikova, CFA, Alyssa Cornuz, CFA and Danae Motta, here: https://lnkd.in/e9UPpMaz Carl Ghielen Ed Verstappen CFA/CEFA Ralf Oberbannscheidt Richard Speetjens, CFA Jack Neele Sam Brasser Michiel van Voorst, CFA Nicolas Bénéton, CFA Berit Gehring Serena Coato Frank Groven Sharolyn Reynard #fashion #fastfashion #equities #investment #assetmanagement

Beyond chuffed that Hannah Phang and I have been named in The Vogue Business 100 Innovators list in the Sustainability Thought Leaders category alongside the co-founders of VEJA, Mara Hoffman and many brilliant others. 🤯 Building a new business that focuses on building better, more impactful ways to work on sustainability challenges has been the most fun, exhilarating and challenging endeavour. Our hunch has always been that to build the next world, we need to change how we work. With brands and organisations facing highly fragmented sustainability challenges as well as a myriad of ever-changing issues to address, it's impossible for the same team - whether that's an in-house team or an agency/consultancy - to solve it all. That's why we wanted to build a new model for working on the world's most pressing issues. Two years into our journey, we are now building entirely bespoke teams to answer sustainability briefs and enabling our clients to scale their teams and gather expert insight, on-demand. A big thank you to our brilliant clients, talent network and partners. And also to Bella Webb and the team for spotting that how we organise sustainability work is also a sustainability solution.

Tonight, I had the privilege of hosting Vanessa Barboni Hallik, founder and CEO of Another Tomorrow, in my Brand Session Workshop (the 11th edition). Vanessa’s journey from the finance industry to building a purpose-driven, luxury fashion brand is nothing short of extraordinary. Another Tomorrow is redefining what it means to be a luxury brand today—anchored in sustainability, innovation, and transparency. From their regenerative agriculture initiatives to authenticated resale programs and cutting-edge digital IDs, they are paving the way for a more responsible and connected fashion industry. And to complete, it is a B Corp Brand. In our conversation, Vanessa shared invaluable insights about: ✨ Balancing sustainability with the allure of luxury. ✨ The role of transparency and storytelling in creating meaningful connections with consumers. ✨ How collaborations, like the partnership with Angelina Jolie, amplify the brand's mission and impact. ✨ The future of fashion, with AI and technology as key drivers of change. It was an honor to learn from such a visionary leader, and her words left us all inspired to think bigger about the future of branding, sustainability, and innovation. Thank you, Vanessa, for your generosity, authenticity, and for sharing Another Tomorrow's powerful story with us. Let’s continue these important conversations about reshaping the fashion industry for the better. 🌍✨ #BrandSessionWorkshop #SustainableLuxury #AnotherTomorrow #Innovation #Branding

It's interesting how life can change in an instant. For me, it all started with one eye-opening class during my time at the Amsterdam Fashion Institute back in 2003. That single moment of realisation sparked a fire within me to challenge the status quo and create a better future for fashion. It was a class about child labor and forced labor in fashion's supply chain that opened my eyes to the darker side of an industry I had long admired. The contrast of beauty and brutality was too much to ignore. And so, RethinkRebels BV: Fashion Sustainability Consultancy was born - out of a desire to do things differently, to do things better. From humble beginnings to where we stand today, our journey has been one of growth, resilience, and unwavering commitment to our values. And while the road ahead may be uncertain, one thing remains clear: our dedication to creating positive change in the world of fashion will never waver. So, how did you find your life's purpose? For me, it all started with one eye-opening class that ignited a passion for change. I'd love to hear your story. Share it in the comments below! #Sustainabilityjourney #Fashionrevolution #Lifepurpose

Let's Talk Size Inclusivity: Is Cancel Culture the Answer? I know some might disagree, but hear me out. Not every brand has to be all-encompassing right off the bat. Here's why: A Founder's Story: I once worked with a clothing brand founder who launched in sizes 8-14 based on research and data. It was a hit! But after intense (and frankly, not-so-constructive) feedback on TikTok, she expanded to size 20. The Result? Crickets. Not a single sale in those new sizes. Why? Because her initial research was spot-on. Her target audience loved her product, and it fit their needs perfectly. There are several reasons smaller brands might not offer a full size range: Demand: If the data shows limited interest in larger sizes, producing them can lead to dead stock (unsold items) that hurt the business. Budget: Smaller brands often have tight budgets. Offering more sizes means higher production costs, which can be a major hurdle. Sustainability: More sizes can create more textile waste. We should all be striving for a more sustainable fashion industry. Plus-Size Nuance: Plus-size bodies have different proportions. Simply scaling up a size medium won't work. Developing proper plus-size fits requires significant investment. Production Costs: More fabric = higher costs. This can price many consumers out, which isn't the goal! Here's the caveat: I'm ALL FOR size inclusivity! But the current "cancel if not all-inclusive" approach is short-sighted. Let's have a more open discussion. ️ What are your thoughts? Are there ways to encourage size inclusivity without pressuring smaller businesses? Let's chat in the comments #fashion #fashionindustry #textilewaste #smallbusiness #businessoffashion #BOF #indianbusiness #business

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend 'Sustainable Fashion Leadership in a Changing Landscape' hosted by Seismic with the lovely dentsu UK team. This event was just my cup of tea. Having recently finished my MSc dissertation, which focused on second-hand and circular fashion consumption amongst millennial women, I was ready to get into the weeds of this subject (and apologies to anyone whose ear I chewed off talking about this). It was hugely enlightening to hear directly from companies such as Monica Vinader, PANGAIA, The White Company, London College of Fashion and more about what they are doing when it comes to sustainable solutions within this industry. This stat is banded about a lot, but we could all do with reminding of it: 🏭 Fashion and textiles are responsible for 10% of global emissions. This is the same as concrete, and more than the marine and aviation sectors 🏭 It's staggering, however, there is opportunity for change. Here were the main highlights from the event that are worth considering when thinking about how fashion can reduce its impact: 👚 Fashion impacts both communities and individuals, and has so much opportunity to influence with an ever-expanding customer base 👚 However, it is behind the curve in terms of the impact it needs to drive 👚 Supply chain disruption is caused by climate change 👚 Gen Z are demanding emotional intelligence from their brands 👚 There is still a lot of work to do in terms of circular solutions 👚 Transparency is 🗝️ 👚 Quoting the incredible Olivia Canham, collaboration is what will drive change within fashion "compete on your product, not sustainability". Again, thank you so much Seismic for putting together such a thought provoking event and to Olivia Canham for sharing her work and wisdom! #sustainablefashion #circularfashion #fashionleadership #sustainableleadership #sustainabilityinfashion #responsiblefashion #circularsolutions #circularity #sustainabilityleadership

Since day one, our vision has always been clear: to democratize access to sustainable solutions, ensuring that businesses of all sizes—especially SMEs—have the tools and resources to thrive sustainably. This vision has driven every step we take, and our recent partnership with Global Runway is a testament to these efforts. Partnering with Fashion 4 Development , through Global Runway, is more than just collaboration—it’s about amplifying the solutions we’ve been fostering. By aligning with this platform, we’re taking another bold step to provide sustainable fashion businesses with global visibility, direct access to high-end opportunities, and the connections they need to succeed. #SustainableBusiness #WorldCollective #SMEs #GlobalRunway #Sustainability #FashionIndustry #PositiveImpact

*Finding Leadership Inspiration in Fashion* This weekend, I attended the "Fashion Reimagined" event, organized by the wonderful Michelle Pozon, Céline Alexis Buehrer, @SophieLlyod , The Next Turn. Lisbon at the Goethe-Institut Portugal As someone with limited touch points in the fashion industry beyond being a consumer, there were many eye-opening moments and valuable lessons: - Work with what you have: there's no need to buy more, fancier, newer clothes. There's an art to giving new life to beloved garments (aka there's an art to using your strenghts to your advantage).   - Reframe: unexpected mixing and matching might lead to magic (aka new insights can result into new explorations that will benefit you tremendously). - Redefine Success: if we focus only on profit and moving up, up, and up, there's no end in sight to the (unintentional) damage. By rethinking and redefining success, we can create a change that is not only beneficial for the company, but for the community and the planet too - and let's not forget the beneficial impact on our (mental) well-being. A real highlight of the day was not just the screening of "Fashion Reimagined" - a documentary that follows Amy Powney - creative director of Mother of Pearl - and her team to challenge the norms and ignite real change in the industry, but the Q&A that followed with her, Tiffanie Darke, Ana Silva Tavares from RDDTextiles and Joana Frazão Duarte from BÉHEN . They celebrated successes and the implemented changes, while also opening up about the challenges, being critical of shortcomings, and honestly sharing the many more improvements that need to happen. Not one of us can do this alone. But we can aim to do the absolute most one can do, and together, maybe, we can create the change that is so needed. #inspired #impact #fashion #sustainability #leadership #change

I feel so honored to have formed part of the volunteer program for the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen this year. I would like to give a special thanks to the Global Fashion Agenda, Frederik Kaltoft, and Dana Schou, MSt for your guidance and support throughout this wonderful experience.  The Summit was an incredible learning experience. It was truly inspiring to meet so many passionate people, in startups to established brands, who are all working towards sustainability in their own unique ways. My eyes were opened to the countless existing initiatives in the sustainable fashion industry. I was amazed to see solutions emerging from so many different approaches and sectors. Whether it's through recycling, adopting innovative materials like mushroom leather, creating shared economy models for clothing rental, or enhancing transparency and policy in the industry, the drive for change was palpable. One of my favorite questions asked at the Summit was, "How can fashion companies make money without producing more textile?" This question kept me up all night as I considered various solutions. An idea that particularly stood out was the trend of fashion brands moving into hospitality, offering experience-based interactions with consumers. Concepts like the Christian Dior Couture Café and JACQUEMUS Beach Club are perfect examples of how brands can innovate by blending fashion with lifestyle and hospitality, creating new avenues for profit without increasing textile production. I encourage fashion brands to ask thought-provoking questions such as the one above since they incite out-of-the-box thinking that uncovers innovative solutions for sustainability that can turn challenges into competitive advantages. If I left with one thing clear from the Summit, it is that the niche of sustainable fashion is not yet fully developed and has tremendous room for growth. It's essential to transform the industry's challenges into creative solutions. I’m truly excited to be part of this journey and to help transform the fashion industry into a more sustainable future! 🌍 ♻️ 🌸 #GlobalFashionSummit #SustainableFashion #CircularEconomy #Innovation #FashionTransformation #Collaboration #FashionIndustry #EmpowerChange