After a semester of researching technology innovation in the apparel supply chain and what blockchain could mean for the garment industry, I truly believe it could revolutionize the industry, as long as it’s done right. Imagine picking up a sweater in a store and scanning a code to know exactly how much the garment worker made and if that is a fair wage, or the specific location of the mill that produced the yarn and if it’s sustainable.
Although this technology could bring much needed transparency to the industry there are a few steps that need to be taken in order to make the blockchain impactful. I wrote a post for the Fashion Revolution USA blog about what the industry needs to do to get ready. Head on over to their blog to take a look and let me know what you think!
After talking to industry experts from Goodweave, the UN Global Compact and fashion brands, it became clear that there needs to be collective action to move the industry forward. It’s been great to dissect the multi-stakeholder model this year and fully understand what it means to form a coalition of partners to drive change in an industry.
I can’t believe that the first year of graduate school is already done, and I only have one more to go. Just wanted to share with you all what I’ll be working on over the summer and into next year so you’ll know what’s coming down the pipeline.
This summer I’m taking a research break to focus on fun creative projects. I’ll be working on my #SummerMending project, repurposing clothing and fixing pieces that have seen better days. I’m beyond excited to get back to working with my hands, and letting my imagination wander. I’ll also be catching up on some sustainable and ethical fashion reading and will post some book reviews as I go.
Next semester I’ll be switching gears a bit to focus on social impact through the lens of ethical compliance programs, entrepreneurship and impact investing. Looking forward to continue learning and widening my scope of how to drive change in the fashion industry. I’ll share more about these projects as I get closer, stay tuned.