Club of Amsterdam
A Blue Ocean Investment Strategy for the Textile & Garment Industry
Supporter
Impact Economy
A collaboration between Impact Economy and the Club of Amsterdam.
How Fashion Meets Impact – A Blue Ocean Investment Strategy for the Textile & Garment Industry
The combined effect of Greenpeace’s “Detox” campaign to combat the use of harmful chemicals in the textile and garment industry (launched in 2011), and the Rana Plaza industrial accident in Dhaka, Bangladesh (2013) – where over 1,100 workers died when a factory building collapsed – has been much greater pressure to sort out the precarious working conditions in fashion brand’s supply chains.
Making real progress is hard. A sustainable solution requires investment in factory modernization, going beyond compliance. To reconcile fast fashion with dignity and sustainability, the textile and garments industry urgently needs a blue ocean strategy.
Club of Amsterdam has partnered with Impact Economy for a breakfast event in Amsterdam, focusing on the potential of impact investing in solving the issues.
For the occasion, we are excited to introduce the work of the Apparel Innovation Consortium (AIC). The AIC is a factory-upgrading project that is currently being piloted in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bringing best available technologies, modern management practices, and financing to the factories, the AIC looks to cut water consumption at the manufacturing stage by half, slash energy use by one third, chemicals by one fifth, and embed world class manufacturing principles so that (women’s) work can be highly productive, safe, and appropriately compensated. All of this in ways that are investible.
The strategy is derived from the study “Creating Sustainable Apparel Value Chains”, which was hailed by leading voices in the industry as “groundbreaking”. We will share our vision and experience on the challenges in building a blueprint to take fashion supply chains into the twenty-first century, everywhere, and for all workers.
09:15 – 09:45
Breakfast
09:45 – 11:00
Introduction by our Moderator 
Eva Olde Monnikhof, Director, AVL-Mundo
Presentation & Dialogue
Eva Olde Monnikhof
Director, AVL-Mundo
Eva Olde Monnikhof is the former fashion coordinator of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Area and the current director of the Foundation AVL-Mundo (www.avlmundo.org), a foundation that makes art accessible to the regular public in Rotterdam and beyond.
During her fashion days she was actively involved in attracting new fashion companies to the Amsterdam region and supported whole heartedly the initiatives regarding talent development and sustainability in this particular sector, such as Fashion Fasterclass, MINT and last but not least Denim City.
She has a background in international relations, strategy development and project management. Next to her regular job, Eva is a regular speaker at conferences and teaches at universities.
Nice to know: In her closet you will find approximately 30 pair of jeans.
www.avlmundo.org
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