Lectra Observatory devotes its third white paper to the sustainable transformation of the fashion industry

The Lectra Observatory, which studies innovation and change in the fashion, furniture and automotive markets, has published its third white paper on sustainability in the fashion industry. It provides an overview of the market, its current and future challenges, and identifies emerging technological trends.

Following on from its white paper on worldwide traceability and transparency regulations for fashion, the Observatory decided to continue its work on the fashion industry for its third white paper, entitled “Sustainable Fashion: what strategies and technologies?”.

Every year 100 billion garments are sold worldwide. While global garment production doubled between 2000 and 2014, product lifespan fell by a third. This overproduction is accompanied by major pollution: the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of greenhouse gas emissions. To meet the social, environmental and economic challenges, the fashion industry must transform and reduce waste, improve material traceability and optimize the marketing of its products while limiting unsold stock.

A panel of international fashion industry experts and specialists have contributed their views and experiences to open up a discussion of the market and its challenges, but also to shed light on the new possibilities offered by technology. The panel members are Scot Case, Vice-President of CSR and sustainability at the US National Retail Federation (NRF), Adeline Dargent, General Delegate of the Syndicat de Paris de la Mode Féminine; Kate Fletcher, Professor at the Royal Danish Academy and at OsloMet in Norway; Stephen Russell, Professor at the University of Leeds, and Marina Spadafora, sustainable development consultant in the fashion sector. Maximilien Abadie, Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Product Officer, and Anne Borfiga, General Secretary, members of the Lectra Group’s Executive Committee, also contributed their vision to the white paper.

“The fashion industry is facing some major upheavals. Consumers are increasingly concerned about buying ethical and sustainable products, while brands are subject to numerous and complex environmental regulations, particularly regarding traceability,” explains Maria Modroño, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at Lectra. “With this white paper, we wanted to give a picture of the major challenges facing the fashion industry today, to understand the commercial strategies that brands are adopting to address these challenges, and to identify technological solutions that can reconcile sustainability, responsibility, profitability and growth.”

As a leader in technology solutions that accelerate the transition to Industry 4.0, Lectra launched its Observatory last December, to mark its 50th anniversary. The Observatory analyzes the changes affecting the fashion, automotive and furniture markets, whether linked to technological evolution, social and environmental challenges, or the transformation of business models.

To learn more, read the white paper “Sustainable Fashion: what strategies and technologies?” online here.