Starting the week strong, at 10 AM on Monday, July 24th, FASHINNOVATION kicked off the first edition of the DigiTALKS, an online event created to strengthen even more the connection between community members by allowing a more free and open discussion through the Zoom chat.
The webinar was moderated by Tatiana Alexa, founder and CEO of Sangrove, a B2B2C company focused on facilitating consumerism in a made-to-order mindset.
The idea is to reduce production without purpose and, consequently, reduce climate change.
Tatiana opened the discussion with this edition’s speaker, Rohit Burman, VP of Sustainability & Inclusion at Calvin Klein and PVH Americas.
In just one hour of talking, the two of them dove deep into important questions and also left space for reflection afterward.
DigiTALKS: How to approach sustainability?
One way to sum up Rohit’s intake about sustainable fashion is optimism and community.
For him, the vastness of the fashion industry’s impact on the environment can be overwhelming and make it seem like there is no point in trying.
But, the best way to get past this feeling is to realize that little steps are already a breakthrough when it comes to the fashion industry, and even if the action itself doesn’t make that much change, the message is spread and helps change the mentality of society.
“I’m a believer in positive reinforcement, I think positive reinforcement encourages people, and a positive [reinforcement] generates a positive outcome.” Rohit Burman
According to Burman, if we focus on the news and all the problems evolving climate change at once, making progress is a challenging task. It’s better to start small and work from there.
DigiTALKS: The best ideas are community-driven
The DigiTALKs discussion between Tatiana and Rohit also highlighted the importance of changing how we approach sustainability and understanding the community’s actual needs.
Brands are often focused on using sustainable fabrics and new, improved packaging but don’t focus on reshaping the company’s values and incorporating a sustainable profile in every single one of the processes.
For Rohit and Tatiana, the best way to rethink the companies is by consulting the people, the consumers, the community behind that need for sustainability.
But how to invite feedback?
Consulting the community may be simple as an idea, but putting it to the test can be a challenge.
Although many brands have already shown interest in learning from the buyers and using their feedback as a way to improve the products, the best way to do that is still up for discussion.
“[At Calvin Klein] we spent a lot of time just with our front line ambassadors […] not only spending time educating and informing them but also how do they have the dialogue with the individual that is coming into the store. Informing them, not pushing it, but, you know, bringing it to the conversation and also asking for their feedback, like ‘what else do you want to see? What else could we do better?’”
It’s essential to make that conversation a two-way street and not only make statements on the clothes tags or the website.
Get ready for more!
This was only a taste of the incredible and informative talk that happened at the first DigiTALKs. Register now to be a part of the next edition and receive the entire conversation with Rohit and Tatiana!
Who do you want to see next? Share your thoughts and ideas on our social media platforms! Just search fashinnovation.nyc
Want to know more about FASHINNOVATION’s events? Read next:
MIAMI TALKS: FASHINNOVATION MAKES ANOTHER SPLASH CLOSING OUT MIAMI SWIM WEEK
FASHINNOVATION 8TH WORLDWIDE TALKS: A 2-DAY HYBRID INSPIRING EVENT & A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CANVAS
