On the occasion of Impact, event dedicated to eco-responsible fashion, launched last September, during Parisian trade show Who's Next, Frédéric Maus, CEO of WSN, the company organizing the event, sizes up this first edition, motivated by the desire to "get out of fashion ecological crisis from the top, by bringing together all stakeholders in the sector, from upstream production to end consumers".

By Ludmilla Intravaia

Le Boudoir Numérique : On the occasion of Who's Next, from last 6 to 9 September, you launched Impact, an event dedicated to eco-responsible fashion. Why ?

Frédéric Maus, CEO  of WSN : The world of professionnal trade shows, like the fashion world, is evolving quickly and, because of its central position in the fashion ecosystem, WSN had to be a sounding board for all positive initiatives in the area of ​​eco-responsibility. Fashion has been in turmoil for some time, so we now have the opportunity to get out of the crisis from the top, by bringing together all stakeholders in the sector, brands, distribution with, for example, Galeries Lafayette Go For Good (approach of this department store, in favor of responsible fashion, inaugurated in 2018, AN), consumers but also all upstream manufacturing interlocutors, some of which already in the process of switching towards more rational ways of producing. We are very satisfied with the result of this Impact first edition, a place open to meeting and sharing on common themes, with a real desire to make things happen together.

During the Impact talks, numerous initiatives were mentioned, such as the Fashion Pact presented to the G7 leaders to limit the environmental consequences of the textile industry; the creation of Paris Good Fashion association to boost sustainable fashion in the French capital; the Fédération française du prêt-à-porter féminin guide to responsible supply, H&M commitment to sustainable materials or the announcement by the French government of a ban in the next two to four years on destruction of non-food items. In your opinion, are things really changing ?

Yes, a movement has definitly begun. This is clearly seen with the emergence of new brands that, from the start, look at things in an eco-responsible way. The upcycling, the second hand, the vintage, the made in local are taking on increasing proportions. We reach this tipping point, where when a sufficient number of people modify their behavior, the silent majority follows the movement. This is why we are at the dawn of a radical change in the way we create, distribute and consume fashion.

How will this change take place ?

When we talk about ecological transformation, it is utopian to hope to change the game, if we do not plan to reinvent ourselves, to find new economic models, on which to support this transition of fashion. We are witnessing the emergence of small brands that have shaken up business models and, behind them, big brands are obliged to follow, even if it is more complicated for them, because of their greater inertia. Small brands are acting at their level and when the big brands will really take over, this is where we will see real transformations and significant results.

Is greenwashing present ?

The issue of greenwashing necessarily arises, but I am convinced that if we do not encourage all the initiatives that go in the right direction, we are mistaken and we will never move forward. All useful actions, from the smallest to the largest, should be commended, because they all participate, on their own scale, in a global positive dynamic.

Does technology have a role to play in sustainable fashion ?

One thing is certain, technology has already transformed all our ways of doing things, especially when we consider it from the digital point of view. The last transition that we have missed, at least in the fashion industry, is the digital one. We have long opposed physical trade and digital commerce, to realize, in recent years, that we must bring them closer together. I hope that the ecological transition will be better conducted than the digital transformation, generating cleavages between different generations or between small and large companies, in terms of financial means, for example. I feel that the ecological transformation will be much more inclusive and shared by all. I am thinking in particular of French Fashion Union (FFU), a Facebook page on which young creators can register to exchange advice, good plans and good practices to carry out their work. These kinds of initiatives have a beneficial role to play, in terms of eco-responsibility. So yes, technology can help sustainable fashion, as long as it is mastered and collaborative, to bring it to the best, in terms of innovation.

Can technology grant better traceability for fashion items, for instance ?

That’s the importance of transparency that a brand must have vis-à-vis the end consumer. If, in order to preserve one's carbon footprint, the customer is asked to pay more, for example for products made with local know-how, he must be able to check the commitments claimed by the brand. Technological solutions will favor this better traceability of the supply chain, but also the optimization of transport and manufacturing costs, as well as the use of innovative textile materials that are more resistant to use or generate less pollution. They will also allow, for example, to organize the management of second-hand sales on brand websites. In short, all this is getting underway, in a phenomenon favorable to the reinforcement of new types of consumption, more sensible in terms of ecological impact, to which aspire a growing number of people.

* The next edition of Impact and Who’s Next will take place from 17th to 20th January 2020, at Porte de Versailles, Parc des expositions, in Paris. Who’s Next website is here.