ITM’s Sustainable Global Sourcing Forum

On March 24, 2015, over 150 attendees participated in the Department of International Trade and Marketing’s Sustainable Global Sourcing Forum!

We hosted over 25 speakers, including Fashion Designers, Magazine Editors, CEOs, Brand Presidents, Sustainability Vice Presidents, Global Managers, FIT Professors and FIT Alumni who discussed current sustainable global sourcing trends, challenges and opportunities along organizations’ supply chains and product life cycles.

Below are some photos of speakers and panel members.

Panel_19 – 10 am – Strategic Sustainable Vendor Partnerships: Creating Successful Sourcing Relationships throughout the Value Chain
Exploring real world case studies and best practices focusing on creating the strategic sustainable vendor partner relationships that are forging the new ways to bring sustainability into the forefront product design and development.
Panelists:
Jeff Honerkamp, Head of Decospan
Stefanie Zeldin, Co-Founder, In2green
Libby Bernick, Senior Vice President, North America, TruCost
Moderator:
Lisa Hendrickson, President, Spark City

 

Panel_210 – 11 am – Sustainability Programs, A Key to Unlocking Employee Engagement
Discussion of the ways companies integrate sustainability programs to catalyze employee engagement, productivity, well-being, and profitability. The session will feature a mix of business leaders who will share their successes as well as their challenges in engaging employees.
Panelists:
Kyle Thomas, Sustainability Manager, Le Pain Quotidien
Niki King, Senior Manager of CSR Program, Campbell Soup Company
Naomi Mirsky, Vice President of Sustainability and Innovation, Denihan Hotel Group
Moderator:
Shoko Sekiguchi, Founder/CEO, Ampleen LLC

 

Panel_311 am – Noon – Sustainable Sourcing in the Cosmetics and Fragrance Industry
Panelists:
Graham Byra, Planning Director, Batallure Beauty
Jeb Gleason-Allured, Editor in Chief, Perfumer & Flavorist Magazine
Georgia Kalivas, Consultant for EcoCert and Adjunct Professor, Textile Development and Marketing, FIT
Moderator:
Virginia Bonofiglio, Chairperson, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing, FIT

 

Photo to be uploaded shortly

 1 – 2 pm – Sustainable Sourcing in the Fashion Industry
Panelists:
Maxine Bédat, Co-founder, Zady.com
Benita Singh, Founder and CEO, SOURCE4STYLE
Marci Zaroff, Founder, Under the Canopy and President, Portico Brands
Moderator:
Kate Black, Founder, Magnifeco.com and EcoSessions

 

 

Panel_5

2 – 3 pm – 360 Degrees: From Ethical Supply Chains to Indigenous Culture
Panelists:
Bob Bland, CEO & Founder, Manufacture NY
Andrew Savini, Manager, Supplier Management, Intertek Group
Stephanie Joy Benedetto, Co-Founder, Business Director, Paper No. 9 and CEO and Founder, Queen of Raw; Cess Oliva and Jennifer Garay, Co-Founders, BGG Knits

Moderator:
Valerie K. Parker, Founder and CEO, Second World

 

Panel_6_updated

 3 – 4 pm – FIT Alumni Weigh in on Sustainable Global Sourcing
Panelists:
Elizabeth Pulos, ITM ’14
Andrea Reyes, Co-Founder, A. Bernadette
Sabrina Caruso, Henry Daussi Jewelry
Joanne Krakowski, Founder and Director, Mu-Aat LLC
Moderator:
Sophie Miyashiro (ITM ’14), U.S. Customs broker and Founder, Global Citizen Customs Brokerage

 

Panel_7_updated

 4 – 5 pm – FIT Professor’s Global Impact Project
Carmita Sanchez-Fong, Assistant Chair, Interior Design, FIT

 

The forum is organized by Professor Shireen Musa and is a collaborative effort between International Trade and Marketing, Cosmetics Fragrance Marketing, and the Enterprise Center.

 

Written by Professor Shireen Musa,

Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York

 

25 thoughts on “ITM’s Sustainable Global Sourcing Forum

  1. Society today is definitely more focused on having a healthy lifestyle and being socially responsible. We are aware that the future of the environment and, by extension, the potential of future generations will be greatly impacted by our decisions. The co-founder of Zady.com, Maxine Bédat, does not hold a different viewpoint, which is one of the reasons she founded Zady.com with her friend and co-founder Soraya Darabi. Their goal is to prioritize honesty while providing great production. Each item is fashionable, constructed from materials of the highest caliber, and environmentally friendly.

  2. Having forums such as the Department of International Trade and Marketing’s Sustainable Global Sourcing Forum is imperative. The turnout for the event shows the demand for such forums. While the forum did occur in 2015, I think that a lot of the topics are still relevant today. Having a similar forum today can highlight that and what has changed regarding those topics. Individuals interested in the industry such as FIT students can learn a lot from such forums.
    I would be interested in learning on how the pandemic has impacted sustainable vendor partnerships. Supply chains have been an ongoing issue because of the pandemic. Many industries have been impacted due to supply chain issues. I think it would be crucial to have speakers that have experienced this firsthand talk about what they have learned and experienced. Much like the 2015 forum any future forum would serve as an insight into what is occurring in the industry today.

  3. It is nice to know that sustainability efforts throughout the fashion industry have been implemented over a long period of time, and continue to evolve. From sourcing relationships to customer engagement, many consumers are not aware of the various “behind-the-scenes” efforts put into place in order to make our world sustainable. Dr. Musa, you have done a great job by collaborating with different departments in order to bring awareness to this topic. While sustainability efforts can be looked at as limiting plastic waste, it can also be seen through the type of thread used to create a blouse. Without sustainable global sourcing, I believe consumers will continue to run into hurdles that limit their exposure to a variety of actions led by professionals. In this case, it is definitely a collaborative effort, and if the sourcing of a product is not sustainable, what would make a consumer think any other practice is abiding by sustainable criteria.

  4. Sustainability is an important factor; it is not just about being eco-friendly. Sustainability plays a part in three factors: our economic development, environment protection, and social development. Today sustainability is becoming a conversation that is being spread and people are becoming more aware and noticing the potential damage or damage that unsaustabile habits are bringing. Companies are becoming more mindful maintaining econscious and effective sustainable practices. It takes over 2,000 gallons of water just to make one pair of jeans. Which causes water pollution and shortage of water causing bigger issues.

  5. I wish I was able to attend this event. I believe that as our world continues to move forward in a plethora of aspects, it is important to keep sustainability at mind and be eco-friendly. It is inspiring to see the FIT community come together and discuss issues such as global sourcing trends, challenges and opportunities along organizations’ supply chains and product life cycles (mentioned above.) What caught my interest the most was the issue of sustainability in the fashion sector. I believe that it is a major issues for some companies because they are not incorporating sustainability in their plan and it is important awareness is brought. However, there are many large companies that are headed in the eco-friendly direction and are sustainable.

  6. I wish I can attend this event. It would be nice to hear out all the industry leaders to talk about their experience on Sustainable Global Sourcing. I did not know that there are issues on the apparel industry till I took the ITM courses at FIT. I never thought about that how fast fashion are having impact on our planet. And the companies expect to get the cheaper labor and the mass productions on the newly developing countries and developing countries. A pair of jeans need to be dyed multiple times and use all the chemical in it then wash it over and over again. People are not really think about the process of the production. The water pollution, shortage of water, unethical labor are happening in the meantime. Individuals and companies are really need to think about the sustainable way to keep their business going.

  7. Wow! It is incredible to see such a large variety of people bring awareness to sustainability at the global sourcing forum. This is was informative. I believe it is import to establish an maintain a good relationship with your vendor partners especially the ones that are bringing sustainability to the forefront. Product design and development are crucial and making these aspects sustainable would be beneficial to the environment. This event was definitely a great way to educate consumers about sustainability in the fashion world. I think that with the direction and knowledge people are attaining, we are moving in a direction toward sustainability.

    Further researching Benita Singh, Founder and CEO, SOURCE4STYLE ( now LE SOUK), it was interesting to read how Benita Singh came in and created sustainability design for this company. She connected designers to the marketplace globally.

  8. I found this forum most interesting and I wish if I went to the forum, because I thought this forum is closely related to the “global sourcing” class.

    First forum was strategic sustainable vendor partnerships. In global sourcing, it is really important to form good relationship with vendors, because they work on product development process, and they directly affect to the business.

    Second forum was a key to unlocking employee engagement, talking about employee engagement and productivity. Employees are another important people engaged in production process. It is really important to sustain good working conditions for better attitude and productivity of workers, which would derive better profitability as a result.

  9. I was internship in Le Souk (source4style) this summer. In their show room, there are tons of fabric for buyers to choose.There are so many fabrics in this world and it is hard to find the fabric you want. Le Souk build a easier way for designers to find fabrics on their deigns. By searching on their website you can find what you need.

  10. I was interested to find more about BGG Knits.

    According to their website, The Peruvian artisans collectively produce sustainable solutions to fashion out of raw alpaca and ecological cotton. They use alpaca fiber is shorn and hand spun by small family herders in the mountains of Peru without pain or stress to the animals.

    I think BGG Knits represents a very ethical eco and animal friendly international brand. They sell head gear, scarves and accessories, sweaters, wraps and ponchos. It is nice to see countries all around the world are participating in eco friendly practices.

  11. Wow. What a great event. The topic that sparked my attention was ‘Sustainability Programs, A Key to Unlocking Employee Engagement.’ Often overlooked by management, high employee engagement is extremely valuable. When people are enthusiastic about their work, it furthers the organization’s reputation and interests. Most employees want to get more out of work than a paycheck and making a difference is especially important to graduating university students. Maintaining a commitment to sustainability is advantageous for both recruitment and retention. Bravo for making this a topic of discussion!

  12. First and foremost, I would like to thank all of you for taking out of your busy schedules to familiarize and educate us in the many ways to be sustain-ably responsible.
    This information on sustainable sourcing was very informative. It serves as a catalysis for our new ventures; from conception to fruition. Most designers would like to create Eco-friendly fashions, but sourcing these fabrics are very expensive and limited. So Benita, prop goes out to you for creating LE SOUK (SOURCE FOR STYLE) an actual database for Eco-friendly designers. You have opened up a whole new world of possibility by giving us direct access to suppliers/factories, who follow Fair Trade and Sustainability practices. This in turn will make our products more affordable by cutting out the middle man and give us a bigger market share. I was happy to hear that you have webinars to educate the factories and made Transparency and The Living wage a central focus in the development of this new market. As Marci puts it “sustainable clothes starts at the factory, make it stylish, beautiful not just green/organic.”

  13. I had such a wonderful time at the Sustainable Global Sourcing Forum, the speakers were very interesting, motivational, and made me aware of positions that are beginning to exist more and more in corporation that ave everything to do with sustainability and compliance! What I also loved about the day was the verity of inducted that were represented; cosmetics, fragrance, construction, restaurant chains and fashion all had a presence at the forum.

    During the panel that featured Benita Singh of Source For Style, Marci Zaroff of Under the Canopy and Metawear and Maxine Kaye Bédat of the Bootstrap Project and Zady.com it was such a privilege to hear from these driven, accomplished women about their passion for sustainability. Each speaker had their own journey that brought them to really connect with the cause, the one that really spoke to me was Maxine’s. Maxine has an extensive background in law, and was heavily involved in the Rwanda criminal tribunal. While in Africa she came across a woven basket, she searched and inquired where she could find the artisans who made theses baskets. She tracked them down and found herself traveling a great distance to a village where they wove these baskets, the reeds used were actually collected by the village that was next door to that one. = Vertically integrated grassroots venture. Maxine realized that by paying close attention to the supply chain, researching to ensure that things are completely up to par/up to code she could expose the world to beautiful products that were made ethically, as well as bring an economic surge into these areas of the world.
    She said, “You can do it all therefore you should do it all.” By knowing something is beautiful from start to finish, it will make you feel good to purchase it and encourage more companies/brands to do the same.
    She also made a great comment (examples) regarding how we can combat/ascertain who really cares about sustainability; look at Mcdonald’s there is no line out the door, then look at Chipotle and there is a line around the block. If brands make it about being cool (aka being sustainable is cool) then the Millennial generation will be attracted to buying or learning more about the brand! This generation wants to buy from brands that have values.
    Marci commented on this same point as well; she said don’t fall behind the trend, most brands are aware that the millennial generation are the largest group. They are looking for the BEST project = sexy, awesome, relevant, useful and green. Marci said that collaboration is key, she is working on a project with the company Micheal Stars. They already have a great following and a very loyal customer base, however by creating and supporting beautiful products (the result and the process to create said product) then they can have further reach to more consumers as well as showing their current ones how much they actually do care!
    Marci’s initiative “Under The Canopy” exists to break the stigmas = not creating over expensive and not ugly products. By cutting out all of those extra hands within the suplly chain, knowing where your products are coming from, knowing your supply chain and being proud to be transparent you will produce the best results.

    There are so many incredible things I learnt from hearing from Benita and the development of Source For Style and their commitment to connecting millers and tanneries with brands and designers to expand access and exposure. Something that she mentioned that is coming up this month is Fashion Revolution day, which will take place on April 24th. Please visit http://fashionrevolution.org for more information, I did and I will be participating on social media as well as urging my peers and friends to do the same!

    Thank you Professor Musa and FIT so much for the opportunity to hear from these great examples!

  14. This year’s ITM’s Sustainable Global Sourcing Forum was very interesting and once more gave me the hope that fashion industry can be different and not so much disturbing from the humanitarian perspective. During my time studying on FIT, I realized how majority of people involved in making beautiful fashion actually live. It is also sad how fashion affects world and global warming and how it is destroying our planet in general. As these women spoke about their journeys on finding the way to make fashion more philanthropic, I was hopeful that eventually we can all do little bit in our power to change the fast fashion production and consumption on this way. I was researching about jeans manufacturing and overall dark color dyeing. So much water is wasted every second in garment dyeing and fashion industry that it is sad how people don’t speak about it and educate the consumers and spread more awareness. In my Marketing of Luxury brands class, we already had people coming from similar small companies presenting their responsible fashion missions, and I remember that we treated those products as luxury items that many people can not afford. As those sustainable items are handmade and almost always unique, they are not as cheap as H&M t-shirt and many people can not spend $100 on an item made this way. I am glad to hear that more fashion brands today are advertising this sustainable way of fashion producing and I hope that in the future, consumers will dictate, demand and appreciate the items made on more sustainable and humanitarian way.

  15. I choose to research Lo Souk formerly known as SOURCE4STYLE founded by Benita Singh. After taking Global Sourcing this semester, it was nice to see a company that combined both global sourcing and organic materials. Le Souk brings suppliers to you at the click of your mouse. It connects buyers and sellers popular in the industry reducing the time and effort to gather information needed to place orders. GENIUS!!!!!!

  16. I attended the Sustainability Sourcing in the Fashion Industry forum from 1-2pm. I was very impressed to see a group of women standing out as leaders in such a vital issue with our industry today. Not only are the panelist speaking to educate others but their actions are setting examples as well through their own companies. A statement was made comparing the food and fashion industries. When Chipotle emerged on the scene, the idea of healthier eating was not well accepted. Over time, the word spread that you can enjoy a healthy and tasteful meal, I hope that the comparison was accurate. Now people will continue to notice/care, and soon take action against the inhuman treatment of garment workers and the pollution/damage to our planet. Reduction can lead to elimination.

  17. I didn’t get a change to attend the Sustainable Global Sourcing Forum in FIT, but I think nowadays, more and more businesses understand how important role sustainability plays in business, as well as the huge benefits that it is going to bring. By doing research of the co- founder of In2green, Stefanie Zeldin, I have learned that the concept of being sustainable is not just doing something eco-friendly, but it is also improving the domestic economy by buying American goods. In her June 17th blog in In2green website, Stefanie Zeldin states in2green is committed to its sustainability. She introduces “5 great reasons to buy American”. She advocates that “Buy American” provide extensive benefits to our nation. It will help our country to grow economically by creating more local job opportunities and getting local employees with better wage. In addition the company’s objective is also includes reducing the fuel consumption of international shipping. Furthermore, In2green shuts its doors to any unethical manufacturing environment overseas. It seems to me that global sourcing is not the primary target to her company, but her article also helps me to think in depth that going global is not just about making benefit to your own business, but a real contribution to our society.

  18. I believe that this generation is focus more than ever on being social responsible, as well as leading a healthier lifestyle. We’ve become conscious that our decisions will have a huge impact on the future of the environment therefore, will impact the potential of future generations. Maxine Bédat, the Co-founder of Zady.com does not think any different, which is one of the reasons she created Zady.com with her co-founder and friend Soraya Darabi. Their mission is to focus on honesty while offering quality in their manufacturing. Each product is stylish and made of high-quality materials, while being sustainable for the environment. As Soraya and Maxine put it, our generation is currently focus on what we put on our bodies by eating organic foods and now it’s time to place attention on what we wear – they want to become “The Whole Foods of Fashion.” In my opinion, the apparel industry is an industry that leaves a huge footprint on the environment so I believe it’s time for more apparel companies like Zady.com, to go above and beyond by creating solutions and supporting farmers, washers, dryers, millers, knitters, and sewers. Zady.com will be launching their first apparel line called Made In The USA, which was created keeping in mind the impact on the environment.

  19. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the event on March 24th but I was able to research two speakers listed in the article. Niki King, the Senior Manager at the CSR Program Office at Campbell Soup Company is responsible for managing the production of Campbell’s Corporate Social Responsibility Report. She communicates CSR initiatives internally and externally and helps drive the company’s CSR and sustainability strategies. Naomi Mirsky, Vice President of Sustainability and Innovation at the Denihan Hospitality Group is extremely passionate about sustainability and convinces higher ups to create a full-time position dedicated to implementing best, green practices. Naomi Mirsky did just that in her company. Both of these women are truly inspired by the sustainability movement and have already in the last five or so years have made a strong impact within their companies. The initiatives that these ladies have taken greatly affect the current sustainable global sourcing trends.

  20. Although I was not able to attend the International Trade and Marketing Department’s Sustainable Global Sourcing Forum, I did research Maxine Bédat. A Columbia Law School Alum, she is also the co-founder of both Zady and The Bootstrap Project. Zady is an ecommerce dedicated to providing the highest quality products available while connecting with the makers who produce them. The Bootstrap Project is a nonprofit social enterprise focusing on creating a sustainable platform for global crafts while empowering individuals to overcome poverty and preserve heritage craft traditions. Because both companies are committed to providing a sustainable platform, while focusing on quality, heritage and craftsmanship, I believe they will raise awareness and impact sourcing on the global spectrum.

  21. organic and sustainability is still considered a cool factor. The product cant just be “this or that” but both sustainable and great design. I think right now we are going through a transition period when it comes to sustainability in a sense that the competition for sustainability is competitive which makes it costly. Over the course of the next few years it wont be a cost factor but be part of our daily life choice eventually. The key is to just keep educating people/consumers of different options that are out there in which the panel did a great job doing.

  22. I was not able to attend the ITM Sustainable Global Sourcing Forum on March 24th, but I was able to research some of the speakers from the event. The first speaker I chose to research is Stefanie Zeldin who is the Co-Founder of the company In2green. Stefanie began her career in the recycling textile business at a young age, and is continuing her passion through her work at In2green producing goods that are sold on a global scale only with sustainable materials. As said on In2greens website, “We believe unique products require unique materials – all our knit and woven products are made from sustainable materials, including organic and recycled cotton t-shirts that are produced in countries all over the world.” I found the business concept of In2green to be very unique, and hope to see more of them in the future!

    The second speaker I chose to research is Benita Singh who is the Founder and CEO of Source4Style. Source4Style puts a very edgy spin on sustainable sourcing for individual designers and brands, enabling them to connect with a network of global suppliers through their online community. As said on Source4Styles website, “We showcase the suppliers fabrics with high-resolution photos that you can zoom in on to examine the weave, and designers can check a range of details that suppliers must provide to ensure they meet the specifications of an ecological design.” I found Source4Style to be a very innovative company in the global sourcing industry and can see that they will be very successful!

  23. I was not able to attend the event on March 24th but I did look over the blog posts and researched some of the speakers from that day. I decided to research Niki King who is the Senior Manager of CSR at the Campbell Soup Company and also, Maxine Bedat, who is a co-founder of Zady.com. After doing some research on Ms. King, I realized that she and the company have done a lot to benefit the company and its global sourcing. She had stated, “We reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 4.4 percent, or more than 20,800 metric tonnes and reduced water consumption by 2.6 percent per tonne of food produced.” In the U.S. they even offered more than 430 products low in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol and then more than 300 products with less than 100 calories per serving. Clearly, Niki King was using her global resources to make these great transformations possible. On the other hand, Ms. Bedat used different skills and resources for her company, Zady.com. On their home website, they state this powerful message, “For us it is more than the bottom line, it is addressing the impact of our wardrobes, it is building an awareness of what exists behind a label, it is providing a solution to right the wrongs of the fashion industry that has been telling us to buy more and more, and it is supporting a community of farmers, washers, dyers, millers, knitters and sewers with a deep-rooted belief in quality. Look, we realize that this isn’t going to happen on its own. But we, the collective we, can turn the industry around.” I feel that Ms. Bedat and her partner are trying harder for a new revolution in clean fashion through their connections in global sourcing. I hope nothing but the best for their company in the future as the same as the Campbell Soup Company.

  24. I focused on the Sustainable Sourcing in the Fashion Industry where the forum is comprised of entrepreneurs that are curating fashion worldwide. The emphasis of their initiatives are on the importance of personifying the fashion industry in order to achieve a healthier and sustainable industry. The websites are supporting craftsmanship by telling the story of each article and creating a more aware and avid consumer audience. Through import and global fair trade, the online stores are developing foreign economies while bypassing government and corruption to drive hard working individuals out of the poverty cycle. I believe that consumers are becoming more aware to the problems created by fast fashion however in a capitalistic society it is difficult to convince customers to spend more frequently. Once this trend will gain momentum and will take over mainstream fashion it will be a huge success- for the entrepreneurs and the world.

  25. I absolutely loved the panelists from BGG knits. They seemed very enthusiastic and eco-friendly about their product. The fact that their knits are made from amazing materials around the world is interesting to know about. I love the meaning behind BGG knits because it truly defines what they are selling. I would LOVE to own a BGG knit myself!

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