Hue has long been an advocate for caring about the afterlife of our possessions. But after an enlightening conference created by FIT’s Department of International Trade and Marketing for the Fashion Industries, we are learning to engage with where our clothes and other products come from.
The first Sustainable Global Sourcing Forum brought together more than 25 experts in the field to talk about topics ranging from sustainable sourcing in the cosmetics and fragrance industry to sustainability programs at workplaces to engage employees.
Hue was particularly excited to see a panel of International Trade and Marketing alumni addressing issues in the field.
Andrea Reyes, MPS ’12, BS ’09, cofounded A. Bernadette, a fashion company that contracts with women artisans in Uganda to make accessories out of plastic packing straps, discarded neckties, and other raw materials that might otherwise end up in landfills.
Joanne Krakowski ’07; Sophie Miyashiro ’14, U.S. customs broker; Christine Pomeranz, chair of International Trade and Marketing; Shireen Musa, assistant professor; Elizabeth Pulos ’14, Sheer & Co.; Sabrina Caruso ’13, Henri Daussi Jewelry; and Andrea Reyes MPS ’12, BS ’09, A. Bernadette.
“Americans have a negative view of outsourcing,” said Joanne Krakowski ’07, a textile and apparel consultant. “But many people in the world have nothing, and outsourcing is giving them a livelihood and a trade,” she said. “I want to change the world from a global standpoint, helping people in other countries too.”
Learning about sustainably sourced sweaters in between sessions.
Overall, the conference was a good reminder that sustainability should be at the center of business decisions, not just pulled up when it’s convenient.
“Historically, people lived this way until very recently,” said Elizabeth Pulos ’14, cofounder of Sheer, a social enterprise devoted to making transparent where our textiles and apparel come from. “The crazy thing is, people think sustainability is a new thing.”