Sustainable Apparel and Textiles Conference USA
This two-day business conference will address how brands can adapt practices to deliver on ambitious commitments and growing stakeholder expectations. We’ll equip delegates with the best-practice and guidance to develop net-zero strategies, transform supply chains, manage consumer communications, scale circularity, reduce waste, and drive positive social impacts.

Climate action

How apparel brands can develop a clear roadmap to net zero, implement regenerative and nature-positive approaches, and take more urgent action on climate

Circular systems

The leading technologies and approaches to implement true circularity and the solutions that can drive scale 
 

Factory engagement and manufacturing

Brand and factory perspectives on how best to transform factories and the manufacturing process to ensure sustainable and ethical supply 

Social impact

How to tackle the challenges in ensuring a truly ethical supply chain and delivering a clear, positive impact for workers 

2024 Speakers

Amy Williams

Citizens of Humanity

Chief Executive Officer

Logan Duran

Tapestry

Vice President, ESG and Sustainability

Laura Wittman

New Balance

Vice President, Responsible Leadership and Global Compliance

Michelle Tarry

American Eagle Outfitters Inc.

Vice President, Responsible Sourcing and Sustainability

Dana Davis

Mara Hoffman

Vice President, Sustainability, Product, and Business Strategy

Laurie Rando

Macy's

Senior Director, Sustainable Product and Human Rights

Kerry Docherty

Faherty Brand

Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer

Carmen Gama

Eileen Fisher

Director of Circular Design

View all speakers

Agenda highlights

  • Climate aspirations vs. business growth: Can we unravel the incompatibility of these corporate goals?
  • From ambition to action: How can fashion brands translate long-term commitments into urgent climate action today? 
  • Regenerative agriculture: How can brands work with farmers to scale regenerative agriculture and normalize these practices?
  • Avoiding a reputation for greenwashing: How supply chain data can protect corporate reputation and drive stakeholder buyer-in
  • Cross-industry champions: What can fashion learn from other industries to accelerate progress in sustainability?
  • Decarbonizing manufacturing: How brands can work with factories and key supply chain actors to tackle Scope 3 emissions
  • Resale vs. rental: Are alternative business models working for climate and the bottom line?
  • The legislative landscape: What are the expected impacts on business operations in light of globally evolving regulations?
  • Big data, AI, and the digital revolution: How is Fashion Tech evolving and what are the implications for sustainability? 
  • Designing for circularity: How brands can integrate circular design principles and scale circular practices 
  • Recycling infrastructure: What technology and strategies are available to scale infrastructure for recycling?
  • Responsible sourcing and ethical trade: Leading practices to manage supply chains, build worker resilience, and maintain compliance
  • Science based targets: What tools and tactics can accelerate supply chain decarbonization?
  •  Material dilemmas: What are the right baselines, frameworks and metrics to measure true material impact?
View full agenda

Why attend?

Discover best practices from industry leaders and get in-depth guidance on how to effectively implement policies

Meet & network with an influential audience of key stakeholders, including NGOs, business, government and supply chain actors

Benchmark company performance amongst a room of your peers and discover where you should be focusing efforts

The 4th room
We’re adding an additional space for discussion on some of the more controversial topics in sustainability. These are sessions where we’ll have a really honest conversation about the status quo, and what needs to change to drive real progress. In The 4th Room there are no speakers - instead we’ll ask everyone in the room to participate and to contribute their thoughts, their experiences, and their mistakes. 

Expanded representation
To ensure we capture the full picture of industry challenged, we're expanding representation from different areas of the value chain and bringing in even more critical stakeholder voices.
Practical, focused problem solving
We’re taking a number of breakout sessions and revamping the format to utilise the full extent of the expertise in the room. We'll deliver real problem solving that tackles the critical business challenges and provides clear and practical outputs




More networking, more connections
With increased schmoosing time, more side events and better networking options, we’re ensuring there’s the opportunity to make the connections that matter and build the partnerships that can really make a difference. 
It was a great opportunity to connect and network with industry peers, trying to make a difference in the Sustainable Fashion Industry.
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"The event featured an impressive lineup of speakers and engaging discussions that inspired and motivated attendees to be a part of the movement for a more sustainable future."
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"The collective intellect, experience and dedication to frank discussion about authentic change has inspired me enormously."
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"For those researching and practicing ESG, CSR and sustainability, this conference is a must."
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"I loved speaking alongside fantastic female movers and shakers in the fashion and apparel and ESG investing space."
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What’s different about this forum?

Innovation Forum is:
  • Candid: Entirely off-the-record discussion that enables open and honest disclosure from speakers and genuine participation from the audience.
  • Practical: A clear focus on the practical and actionable guidance that can drive change throughout industries and supply chains.
  • Focused: We provide enough time, resources and expertise to the issues that really matter. We don’t skate the surface, but get to the crux of the issues to provide in-depth, constructive discussion.
Innovation Forum is NOT:
  • A PR platform: Enthusiastic speakers are NOT given free rein to fill a session presenting their companies, allowing no time to actually get to the crux of the issues.
  • A talking shop: This is NOT an opportunity for a group people in a room to simply agree with everything said, regardless of outcomes.
  • All promise, no delivery: We will NOT promise what we can’t deliver. The issues covered are complex. They won’t be solved at a two-day conference. But we will help deliver progress through in-depth, constructive and practical advice around specific issues.

Who attends

Conservation International
Under Armour
Cascale
L.L.Bean
New Balance
The RealReal
Kontoor Brands
Reformation
Target
Environmental Defense Fund
VF Corporation
Rainforest Alliance
Amazon
Inditex
WWF
H&M
Patagonia
Stitch Fix
Lidl
CottonConnect
Eileen Fisher
Clarks
SEARS
Hugo Boss
Stella McCartney
Asics
The Forest Trust
Mammut Sports Group
PVH
Kering
Levi's
Sustainability Agents (SUSA)
Urban Outfitters
Circle Economy
Canada Goose
NYU Stern Center for Business and Human Rights
U.S. Department of Labor
Lenzing
Carhartt
US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Morgan Stanley Investment Management
Textile Exchange
Lululemon
Tapestry
J.Crew Group
Macy's
Mara Hoffman
Pakistan Environment Trust
American Eagle Outfitters Inc.

The venue


Verizon Executive Education Center

2 W Loop Rd.
Cornell Tech
New York City
10044
United States

More details

Supported by

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Get in touch

For any questions on the conference, please contact:

Catie Ball
Senior Project Manager
[email protected]

Sign up

Registration for the sustainable apparel conference is currently open. To sign up, you can do so online here, or get in touch directly for details of group discounts. 

Sponsorship

For more information and to inquire, please contact:

Gabriela Cuison
Business Development Manager

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