Peter Semple’s Post

Last week, Vogue Business held their annual Fashion Futures event in London at Somerset House, bringing together brands, circular startups, investors, suppliers and NGOs to discuss how to scale sustainable fashion. Around 200 industry attendees gathered for a series of panels and keynote sessions, which unpacked the realities of scaling circular fashion brands and the challenges businesses face in raising capital at different stages of growth. Talking to Executive European Editor, Kirsty McGregor, Depop CMO Peter Semple was invited on stage to discuss how Depop has evolved from a Gen Z focused social resale startup to being a key driver of the global secondhand market. The session explored how Depop’s marketing and product experiences make secondhand buying and selling exciting and compelling for ever-widening audiences. Kirsty and Peter also discussed how to balance sustainability messaging with the primary needs of fashion shoppers - the right inventory at the right price - to further encourage the mass adoption of circular fashion. See here for highlights from the event >>> https://lnkd.in/eykBJ7dm 📷 Heather Shuker #voguebusiness

Last week, our CEO, Jolanda Kooi, attended the inspiring Fashion Futures event by Vogue Business in London. The event shone a well-deserved spotlight on the vital role of value chain partners. Panels explored critical issues such as the luxury slowdown, climate change, and the need to prioritise long-term, strategic partnerships over short-term, transactional approaches. It was incredible to see thought leaders emphasise that value chain partners must have a seat at the table to make sustainability strategies actionable. We couldn’t agree more! At tex.tracer, we’ve always believed in the power of collaboration and respect across the value chain. The expertise and hard work of value chain partners are essential to achieving sustainability goals and shaping a more transparent, ethical future for fashion. To drive real progress in our industry, brands and value chain partners must foster deep collaboration, build trust, and overcome barriers to communication—because the future of fashion is transparent, traceable, and built on strong partnerships. 👉 Check out the key takeaways from the Vogue Business Fashion Futures event here: https://lnkd.in/eFdPbiQQ Let’s continue redefining what’s possible, together! #textracer #Transparency #VogueBusiness #FashionFutures

Huge congrats to all the winners at Drapers sustainable fashion awards last week. I've been lucky enough to be a judge for this for the last 3 years. The 4 key things I took from the judging process, and the conference last week.... 1. How much innovation there is from both large and small retailers and brands in the sector - the hours spent reading entries and judging were insightful, and inspiring in the hope it's given me that change is possible, and the tools are out there. 2. How much can be achieved through leading edge partnerships - change often requires new ways of thinking and often that's best achieved putting together new start-ups/tech players with more 'traditional' businesses (partnerships is how we delivered a lot of our sustainable business work at FARFETCH). 3. How much focus there is on circularity/recommerce right now - in that category there were an abundance of innovators and incumbents all either enabling or implementing change. 4. How the best entries were those where there was a crystal clear link between business benefit (in multiple guises) and environmental or social outcomes. If you are brand or retailer starting out, or at a point of change - and don't know quite how to address the opportunity (or risk), please get in touch. I'd be happy to help. Congrats to all those shortlisted, but particularly the winnners (and Highly Commended's) ASKET, Frugi Organic Children's Clothing , ZIG+STAR, Primark, Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd (SATCoL), Thriftify, BAM Bamboo Clothing, HILOS, Reskinned, NUDEA, Pip & Henry, FatFace, Beyond Retro, Seasalt. #draperssustainablefashion #sustainablefashion #circularfashion #judge https://lnkd.in/e6Yr8E4n

🌟 How can we scale up innovation? Last week Nicolaj Reffstrup, Julia Sieger and I had the great opportunity to discuss at 2050NOW La Maison (ex-Netexplo) on how to scale innovation in the fashion industry to decarbonize it. Key Takeaways: 🛍 Brands and innovators need to collaborate to push this industry, like Ganni A/S has been doing since 2016. 📈 Brands need to help innovators get the leverage they need to raise the funding to scale, mostly by off-take agreements. ⚖ There is a gap in funding. Funds need to be injected in the setup of manufacturing capacity in order to implement new innovations and climb down the cost curve. Due to the cash conversion cycles typically seen in this industry, this funding is exceeding early VC funding but is not yet ready for private equity funding.  ♻ We can not lean on the consumers, legislation, brands, and manufacturers have to be the drivers of change ⏯ Watch the full conversation here: https://lnkd.in/eq99gyAH #fashion #sustainablefashion #sustainability #scaleup #innovation #fashioninnovation

[https://lnkd.in/eg36mQ8y] In this article, we examine the unsustainable foundations of hype-driven brands like ARNE, Corteiz, Manière De Voir, Trapstar London, Cole Buxton and many more. Brands that have experienced hyper growth but are built on questionable practices. How much of their approach stems from ignorance of their legal and moral obligations? Many entrepreneurs see "launching a fashion label" as a quick path to profit, often overlooking the consequences of unsustainable practices and that mindset itself is a significant problem. What defines a Neo-Fast Fashion brand? Is their growth model financially sustainable, especially with new legislation on the horizon? How do their claims of "high-quality" products differ from the practices of traditional fast fashion retailers? This report is just the beginning. Moving forward, we aim to provide a deeper analysis of Neo-Fast Fashion practices and their broader impact on the fashion industry. However, meaningful change requires collective action. Consumers must demand better, investors must prioritise transparency, and industry leaders must enforce accountability. The opportunity to redefine fashion is here. The question remains: will these brands rise to the challenge or continue to evade scrutiny? For tailored guidance on navigating these challenges, our mission at Clear Thread is to simplify and streamline your sustainability journey. With a 360-service from strategy to execution, we are here to support you every step of the way. Contact us: [email protected]

This is a great initiative from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation that solves the overproduction issue by transforming the fashion business model. It takes courage and trust in true partnership from global Brands to make it a “no illusion”. I can’t wait to see more on how it evolves. H&M, Reformation, and Zalando have joined The Fashion ReModel, a new initiative from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to help brands ‘make money without making new clothes’. #circularity #businessmodel #sustanability

Thank you to Vogue Business and Rachel Cernansky for including my perspective on the path ahead for sustainable fashion brands. Truth is that from the inside, it feels like the sector has been stagnant for over a decade. This reality check is both frustrating and motivating. Across fashion the biggest hurdle is that investors still aren't seeing the big picture. They're missing how consumerism, when approached thoughtfully, can fast-track positive impact. My journey in sustainable fashion has been a series of pivots, each driven by a deepening understanding of what's truly needed: 2017: Joined J.Crew to drive change from within big fashion. TPG blew that up. 2019: Founded CANAVA an innovative small brand and then global events COVID-19, Ukraine invasion sparked a long overdue realization for me that iteration wasn't enough—we needed true innovation. It's baffling that in fashion, the desire to create change is still often seen as incompatible with making money. But I'm not discouraged. I'm more determined than ever to prove that profit and purpose can—and must—coexist. CANAVA is evolving into something beyond fashion—a holistic approach to lifestyle that proves we can live well and do good simultaneously. The future of fashion lies not just in sustainable materials or ethical supply chains, but in reimagining the entire concept of lifestyle consumption. It's a ambitious vision, and I'm excited to be at the forefront of this transformation. Stay tuned. We're about to show the world that doing good is not just good business—it's the only business model that matters for our future. The article is paywalled. Below linked to my personal site for the full read: https://lnkd.in/ef4MYugK Vogue Business link: https://lnkd.in/eEgBH-VT #SustainableFashion #EthicalBusiness #FutureOfLifestyle #CanavaEvolution

➡️Encouraging, but will brands show the courage required to achieve this? As the #fashionindustry faces increasing pressure to adopt sustainable practices, it's time for us to harness the power of data. By leveraging data-driven insights, we can revolutionize our operations, ensuring efficiency gains while championing sustainability. Why #Data Matters: Enhanced Decision-Making: Optimize resource use and reduce waste. Predictive Insights: Align production with actual consumer demand, minimizing overproduction. Transparency and Traceability: Implement Digital Product Passports (DPP) to track the lifecycle of fashion items, fostering consumer trust. Efficiency Gains: Streamline operations, from supply chain management to consumer engagement, enhancing both sustainability and profitability. The framework is in place, now together, we can create a fashion industry that's efficient, profitable, and kind to our planet. 🌍👗📈 #digitaltransformation #innovation

How can #fashion brands make money without making new clothes? This is the question posed by a new initiative from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (EMF), launching today at the #GlobalFashionSummit in Copenhagen. H&M, Reformation and Zalando have joined The Fashion ReModel, a new initiative from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to help brands ‘make money without making new clothes’. EMF has set a roadmap for the project, to try and maximise impact. In the first year, participating brands will tackle #climate and nature impact evidence and finance metrics. Here's everything to know.