Samantha Taylor’s Post

Where does the EU get its clothing from? Sharing this slide from TGSD Türkiye Giyim Sanayicileri Derneği conference this week. This slide was part of Ranjan Mahtani from the Epic Group’s talk. While this demonstrates finished goods, it’s worth noting that each country is not a closed entity. There are inputs on these garments coming from other countries. Turkey does not produce enough cotton fibre for its output, so it needs to import some. Where they import it from will, largely, be decided by price. Duty free routes will be preferred, because then you can pay more for the fibre than taxes. Ranjan talked about the importance of global partnerships in the ability to ensure preferred tax routes. The textile industry is a global entity, and its worth noting that 50% of global trade happens within transnational businesses. So duties often benefit big corporations at the expense of family run businesses. Something to note if you’re a small business in the states at the moment. #ApparelIndustry #EUTrade #SustainableFashion

What does competitive advantage look like in the face of overwhelming regulatory compliance? In truth, it’s going to be impossible for either brands or manufacturers to take on the social and environmental requirements alone. Partnerships are going to be more important than ever. But as with everything, there are good and bad relationships. Each party must assess the viability of a partnership being mutually beneficial, or mutually destructive. To quote one member of the Turkish Clothing Manufacturers Association TGSD Türkiye Giyim Sanayicileri Derneği; “we need therapy!” Strong partnerships are not solely about what happens between 2 parties. It is how each one is supported within their own geography and industry. In a word: industry associations are more important than ever. It was a privilege to be invited by TGSD Türkiye Giyim Sanayicileri Derneği to give a talk at their 17th annual conference around AI, supply chain work flows, and democracy. But more than that, it was a privilege to talk to so many passionate manufacturers who are struggling in the race to the bottom amid declining Turkish exports. The work of the TGSD is vital to an industry that has been stripped of support. And they rose to the challenge of providing informative, relevant and actionable talks across this conference. I learnt so much. For a deeper dive into the takeaways from this conference and the future opportunities of the Turkish apparel industry, make sure you sign up to my newsletter at www.thegoodfactory.co.uk at the bottom of the home page. #SupplyChain #ApparelSourcing #ESG

Yesterday I encountered a person whom is of the opinion that the sun is causing climate change and not GHG emissions. Let’s get into the science of that…. The idea comes from the 70s, when scientists thought sun spots caused the mini ice age that ran over the 1700s. They also thought a massive volcanic eruption in the late 1600s caused it. What we have learned since is that both these events had a small impact, but the biggest impact was a wobble in the earth’s orbit which happens roughly once every 100,000 years. It’s worth noting that the average global temperature drop from that ice age was 1 degree C. We have a major ice age roughly every 100 million years. And there have been 5 over our plant’s life. The last ice age began roughly 2.6 million years ago. Humans have been around roughly 6 million years. An important point for this person is that ice ages don’t happen overnight. Or even rapidly. Certainly not as rapidly as we see the warming happening now. This is one of the reasons it’s unprecedented. A large contributor to the last ice age was the formation of the Himalayas, roughly 40 million years ago, which absorbed carbon. Other cooling factors will have contributed. The point that needs to be made is that yes, our planet has warm periods and cool periods. And this lump of iron will still race through space in its little air bubble long after we’re gone. The point about global warming is not the survival of our planet, but the survival of sentient life on it. We have recently discovered that life tried, and failed, to form earlier that we first thought. This isn’t the first go round! Carbon keeps the planet warm. Without it the average global temp wouldn’t get above freezing. Because it absorbs and radiates heat. Hence why too much is a bad thing. This is all physics and can be confirmed on many government websites and by NASA. (To this person; YouTube is not a reliable scientific source). Awareness remains at the heart of our survival. What other reasons have you heard for people denying human caused climate change? #ClimateChange

Are you, or anyone you know, running a pilot in the apparel industry using CIRPASS or CIRPASS 2.0? And would you mind answering some questions I have for a DPP newsletter I’m sending out next week? This week’s newsletter will be a review of the Istanbul Apparel Conference I’ll be attending this week! Link in comments if you’d like to sign up! #DPP #EULegislation #SustainableFashion

Influencer marketing has changed the game for fashion brands trying to access the hearts and minds of Gen Z. While it’s returns are massive, as paying them is a lot cheaper than traditional marketing, the downfall can be even bigger. How many of you have heard of Young Filly? He is a well known English YouTuber, who has worked with ASOS.com, FOOTASYLUM, Ann Summers and the FA. He was extradited to Australia last week on multiple r*pe charges. But that’s not the worst part. The worst part is that producers of these campaigns have come forward to say that his behaviour on these campaigns made people feel uncomfortable. And despite complaints, brand’s ignored this because of his ability to make them money. While these campaigns have currently been made private, not one brand is yet to issue a statement about how they ensure safety for women on campaigns. This is a far cry from 2018 when Nike cancelled an $2.5 million ad campaign directed by FKA Twigs for being too racy. I miss 2018. Does it not feel a bit double standard to be making young women feel unsafe on a campaign, while trying to sell to women who are, well, them? #InfluencerMarketing #EthicalMarketing #SustainableFashion

AI and other digital tech has the potential to revolutionise the supply chain, for the better. I say this not as an AI expert, I am technologically incompetent, but as a supply chain expert. However, to truly profit from such technology, there aren’t drop in solutions. To get the right product, both developers and the users need to build something together that fits into a business’s detailed work flow. It may sound easy, but as I witnessed some years back at Wiggle when Oracle were building a bespoke solution, it can get derailed really quickly. Oracle bit off way more than they could chew in that instance. There are a couple of solutions that I am blown away by, and to find them out you need to sign up to my newsletter which is out this morning! (Link in comments). In my opinion I think a trade organisation like Textile Exchange or Fashion for Good have the opportunity to own a project that oversees AI adoption for the supply chain that reduces over production and secures resilient supply chains. #SupplyChain #AI #Innovation

I’m branching out by joining Gavin Lendon at Sustainology UK as a consultant! Gavin and the team provide incredible guidance to businesses across strategy, reporting and comms for circular implementation and upcoming legislation. I met Gavin on LinkedIn almost 2 years ago (or it could be 3?!), and he’s been such a pillar of support and guidance for my business. Bringing incredible knowledge around business management, accounting and legalities. So I am thrilled to be able to add my experience to this already fab team. Riccardo Sai Maria Soleil ☀️ Katherine Moore Tash Morgan-Etty 🌍 #Circularity #BusinessConsulting #ESG

Based on Textile Exchange’s 2024 Market Report, elastane production has risen 67% in the last 5 years. And this is a problem for circularity. Not least because it’s made of fossil fuels. But it hinders recycling at any stage. At mechanical it can damage machines, and chemical it makes the recycled fibres at the end more expensive because they get less out. There are instances where elastane is critical. Think compression socks. And other where it’s not only pointless, but it also reduces the products useable lifespan. Thank you to World Textile Information Network (WTiN) for asking me to pen an article on why, and how, we should start phasing out elastane. A special thanks to Jessica Basey for her expert guidance, ensuring this article actually answers those questions. And to Victoria at Nanoloom for really making me question what Next Gen materials need to solve for us. Link in the comments to read the article in full. #Innovation #DesignForCircularity #EPR

I’m so excited to speak at TGSD Türkiye Giyim Sanayicileri Derneği Istanbul Apparel Conference next week. My talk is mainly going to cover digital solutions for manufacturers. But with a massive twist 😀 Because while I will be talking about the tech solutions that impress me the most, as I understand how they fit into manufacturing streams as opposed to how tech works. I’m also going to be covering the why. And that’s where the twist comes in. If you can’t make it to the conference, but really want to know what this twist is, then sign up to my newsletter. Link in the comments, and scroll to the bottom of the page to sign up! #Innovation #DigitalSolutions #ApparelManufacturing

Whenever I have a number of article commissions on and I feel a little overwhelmed I head to my library and read The Economist and the New Scientist. I’ll get at least 4 articles out of what’s in here! Where do you find your inspiration? #Inspiration #Circularity #GreenEconomy