Blog
Meet the Browzwear Interns from Oregon State
We're excited to introduce our interns from Oregon State University. They are based in our Corvallis, OR office and work directly with Browzwear...
How Can Your Apparel Organization Reduce Its Eco-Footprint?
When it comes to safeguarding our planet, it’s never too late to make a change. This year, as billions of people around the globe come together to celebrate Earth Day, it’s time to take a step back and look at how each and every one of us can improve for the better.
Over the past decade, sustainability has become a major focus for many apparel brands in order to combat fashion’s looming environmental crisis. From committing to responsibly sourced materials and opting for recycled or biodegradable fabrics to re-thinking the entire apparel supply chain at large, now more than ever must the apparel industry take the necessary steps to minimize their environmental impact.
With the apparel industry accounting for 10% of annual global carbon emissions and 5.2% of the waste in our landfills, digitization of the apparel supply chain has become a key factor in enabling fashion companies to create a more transparent, efficient, and less wasteful industry.
At Browzwear, as we continue to drive the apparel industry toward a digital future, we’re proud to work hand in hand with apparel organizations that are embracing innovation to achieve their core values. Throughout Earth Month, we chatted to several of our customers to learn more about how innovative technology is impacting their existing sustainability efforts.
Minimize the Use of Physical Samples
PrAna strives to responsibly outfit adventures with respect for the planet and its people since 1992. With a longstanding commitment to education and exploration in the name of progress, the company continuously creates clothing for positive change.
“We are excited to be utilizing Browzwear’s 3D platform to innovate in the apparel industry. At the intersection of fashion and technology, there is a great opportunity to reduce sampling waste and improve lead times for development, which directly supports our sustainability work.”
Never Stop Innovating and Improving
Global lifestyle apparel company, Kontoor Brands , with a portfolio of some of the globe’s most iconic brands, prides itself on its longstanding commitment to innovation, design, and sustainable performance. By setting goals and measurable targets, the company is dedicated to addressing the environmental and social impacts of its operations, products, supply chain, and of course, people.
“At Kontoor, our approach to sustainability is centered around people, product, and planet. For us, it’s not just about the end goal, we reflect on our progress each year and look to see how we can improve for the next. By working together and consistently innovating by adopting new technologies, there is so much we can do to achieve our goals and create a more sustainable future for the apparel industry.”
Utilize 3D to Minimize Customer Returns
Authentic fashion retailer, Refinery , provides both quality and affordability to all consumers. After prioritizing limiting the use of plastic bags across stores and replacing them with recyclable paper bags, the company soon identified the production and packaging of its clothing have the most impact from a sustainability perspective. By utilizing CAD for fashion design purposes, Refinery is actively reducing the number of samples its suppliers produce for approvals as well as minimizing the need for designers and buyers to travel through online collaboration.
“Using virtual samples in e-commerce and social media further reduces the need for additional physical samples for marketing. Showing true-to-life, interactive digital prototypes in e-commerce assist customers in getting a more detailed view of the product with a resulting reduction in customer returns.”
Rethink the entire system and its processes
Resonance , a staunch believer in environmental sustainability with a vision fundamentally change the apparel industry’s business model, enables creators to make products on-demand, with zero inventory and no apparel calendars.
“Making fashion more sustainable isn’t just about switching to eco-friendly fabrics, it’s about reshaping the entire system and transforming wasteful processes. 3D technology enables our mission at Resonance and opens up a world of design which has never been possible before.”
Limit the Use of Significant Resources
Stretchline , one of the world’s largest providers of narrow elasticated fabric is a leading supplier of covered elastomeric yarn, textile coating, and bonding solutions for some of the world’s biggest apparel brands. The company takes great responsibility for the source and the lifecycle of our products as well as how we manufacture them, thus they are constantly exploring materials, processes, and technologies that are less harmful to the environment.
“3D design encourages apparel companies to reduce waste, by limiting iterations and samples, significant resources are saved over the course of the product lifecycle, such as materials, water, and dyes, reducing the impact on the environment.”
Devise a Long Term Action Plan Over a Quick Fix
As part of its journey toward a more responsible textile industry, United Textile Group, a private label company specializing in sustainable fabrics, focuses on the changes the Textile Industry needs to adapt to. With over 50 years of industry experience and 7 years since adopting CAD for their fashion design process, UTG looks to minimize fashions’ burden on the environment and make a positive impact.
“Today 3D is a natural part of our entire workflow from sales, design, fitting, and production and we are constantly developing our own and our customer’s ability to use the technology to improve our businesses. We have experienced a great reduction of all physical samples. This means we use fewer resources in terms of fabric and energy and a significant reduction in the logistics of transporting samples from our production sites to our customers.”
When it comes to driving sustainability within the apparel industry, one thing is for sure, every organization plays its own unique role in order to make a difference. With the fashion industry’s historical reputation of being one of the most wasteful, once and for all we are able to prove to the world that we are making a change for the better. With the rise of the digital transformation, there is no better time to be a part of the sustainable fashion movement.