IN THE MEDIA
2024
SOURCING JOURNAL
FEATURE
Can Fashion’s MSIs Break Out Of The ‘Cycle Of Exclusion’?
Kim van der Weerd, intelligence director at Transformers Foundation, said that the report seeks not to Balkanize different parts of the supply chain but to rally for the “collective sustainability goals that are at stake here.” She quoted an interviewee, who described the simmering conflict as “not the battle between the brand and the suppliers [but] the battle between the whole [value] chain versus the world. How the world is going to view our act of humanity and our act of good and paying the price.”
2024
Vogue Business
FEATURE
Suppliers are still being excluded from fashion’s sustainability decisions
Suppliers are too often excluded from fashion’s collective sustainability initiatives, according to a new report from denim sustainability non-profit Transformers Foundation — and it’s hurting progress.
2024
SLCP
FEATURE
Statement: SLCP welcomes Transformers Foundation’s new report
SLCP welcomes the report ‘Collective Action Reimagined: A Call For Fair Process And Supplier Inclusion In Fashion’s Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives’ by the Transformers Foundation that shines a light on the important topic of the inclusion of manufacturers in MSIs.
2024
Just-Style
FEATURE
Explainer: Can fair process model fix unequal buyer-supplier relationship?
Kim van der Weerd, intelligence director at Transformers Foundation, said that the report seeks not to Balkanize different parts of the supply chain but to rally for the “collective sustainability goals that are at stake here.” She quoted an interviewee, who described the simmering conflict as “not the battle between the brand and the suppliers [but] the battle between the whole [value] chain versus the world. How the world is going to view our act of humanity and our act of good and paying the price.”
2024
INSIDE DENIM
FEATURE
Stakeholder initiatives must change
SLCP welcomes the report ‘Collective Action Reimagined: A Call For Fair Process And Supplier Inclusion In Fashion’s Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives’ by the Transformers Foundation that shines a light on the important topic of the inclusion of manufacturers in MSIs.
2024
Fashion Value Chain
FEATURE
Collective Action Reimagined: A Call for Fair Process & Supplier
Collective Action Reimagined: A Call for Fair Process and Supplier Inclusion in Fashion’s Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives (MSIs) is the Transformers Foundation’s most recent report. The systemic obstacles to meaningful supplier engagement in some of the most significant MSIs in the industry, such as Cascale (previously SAC), Textile Exchange, SLCP, and ZDHC, are examined in this research.
2024
WTiN
FEATURE
Transformers annual report 2024
Transformers Foundation is proud to announce the launch of its latest report, Collective Action Reimagined: A Call for Fair Process and Supplier Inclusion in Fashion’s Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives (MSIs). This report explores the systemic barriers preventing meaningful supplier engagement in some of the industry's most influential MSIs, including Cascale (formerly SAC), Textile Exchange, SLCP, and ZDHC.
2024
Yahoo News
FEATURE
Can Fashion’s MSIs Break Out of the ‘Cycle of Exclusion’?
The MSIs named in the report said they welcomed Transformers Foundation’s insights and acknowledged that persistent struggles remain. Cascale said that it recognizes that its engagement efforts have “not always been as effective as they could be” but is taking “concrete steps” to do better as “part of a longer journey.”
2024
ECOTEXTILE
FEATURE
Leading MSIs 'failing to engage suppliers'
Cascale, Textile Exchange, the Social & Labor Convergence Program (SLCP) and Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) are failing to engage fashion suppliers in their efforts to reduce the industry's impacts, according to a new report.
2024
THE spin off
FEATURE
What's next for Transformers, Denim Days and more events
For this edition, instead of putting together expert panels that might not address denim business insiders’ real concerns, Transformers Foundation, the event’s organisers, surveyed directly the suppliers of the industry, collected hot topics of discussion, and created a program built around the denim industry’s most urgent needs.
2024
Thomson Reuters Foundation
FEATURE
Fashion suppliers want brands to help with EU green regulations
International brands must collaborate with these suppliers to adhere to the new rules, according to a study by clothing makers in Asia that was supported by the Transformers Foundation, which represents the denim industry, and GIZ FABRIC, a project from German development agency GIZ to support sustainable textile production in the region.
2024
Devdiscourse
FEATURE
EU Green Rules Set to Boost Costs for Global Clothing Brands
Transitioning to green practices is estimated to require a $1 trillion investment, and suppliers will likely need to secure new contracts and financial support to meet these costs. The directive also includes repercussions for failing to protect workers and communities, pushing for comprehensive compliance up and down the supply chain, according to the study backed by the Transformers Foundation and GIZ FABRIC.
2024
VOGUE BUSINESS
FEATURE
Who’s footing the bill for fashion’s climate progress?
Fashion has committed to decarbonisation, but overhauling the supply chain is costly work — an estimated $1 trillion worth, according to the Apparel Impact Institute (AII). Because most of fashion’s emissions are generated in the supply chain, brands depend on suppliers to take on the burden of reducing them.
2024
VOGUE BUSINESS
FEATURE
What suppliers need to know about upcoming legislation
Crystal International Ltd, Diamond Fabrics Ltd, Lenzing Aktiengesellschaft, Pactics Group, Poeticgem Group, Shahi Exports Pvt Ltd, Simple Approach and the Sourcery teamed up to analyse the changes that are coming down the pike and to develop pathways to navigate them. They had support from sustainable development agency Giz Fabric, and denim industry non-profit Transformers Foundation, which noted the significance of competitor collaboration and hope the project inspires more suppliers to work together to create solutions in the future.
2024
BOF
FEATURE
What Will It Take to Tackle Fashion’s Climate Financing Gap?
Meeting the industry’s emissions targets will require more collective action and new financing models, according to a new report by leading manufacturers.
2024
Thomson Reuters Foundation
FEATURE
How can fashion's net-zero future be paid for fairly?
As the fashion world races to cut its carbon emissions, garment makers are calling for a global fund to share the cost of the green transition between big brands and manufacturers in the Global South.
Here's what you need to know.
2024
SOURCING JOURNAL
FEATURE
Who Should Pay for Fashion’s Decarbonization Efforts?
Last week was a busy one for the entire denim industry. The day before Kingpins Show kicked off was jam packed with events. We started with Transformers Foundation’s workshop about legislation in the morning, followed by an event celebrating the end of the three-year-long Denim Deal initiative, which included a look at its next chapter.
2024
SOURCING JOURNAL
FEATURE
Legislation Shouldn’t Exacerbate Supply Chain Inequities, Garment Manufacturers Say
As the fashion world races to cut its carbon emissions, garment makers are calling for a global fund to share the cost of the green transition between big brands and manufacturers in the Global South.
2024
yahoo news
FEATURE
Legislation Shouldn’t Exacerbate Supply Chain Inequities, Garment Manufacturers Say
Sharma spoke at a media briefing on Tuesday ahead of the release of an update of last year’s “An Apparel Supplier’s Guide: Key Sustainability Legislation in the EU, U.S. and U.K.” Compiled by a coalition of suppliers, including Crystal International Group, Diamond Fabrics, Lenzing, Pactics Group, Poeticgem Group, Shahi Exports, Simple Approach and Sourcery, with support from German developmental agency GIZ’s FABRIC initiative and the Transformers Foundation, version 2.0 includes revised factsheets for 12 legislative initiatives—the UFLPA and the New York Fashion Act, included—that could weigh disproportionately on manufacturers.
2024
Textile Value Chain
FEATURE
New Report Highlights Crucial Role of Innovative Financing in Decarbonizing the Apparel Sector
Today marks the release of a pivotal supplier-led report, “From Catwalk to Carbon Neutral : Mobilising Funding for a Net Zero Fashion Industry,” co-commissioned by Epic Group, TAL Apparel, NITEX, Pactics Group, Artistic Milliners, MAS Holdings, Simple Approach. It is supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, FABRIC Asia Project, and Transformers Foundation, and endorsed by the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and Fashion Producer Collective (FPC). The report sheds light on the urgent need for innovative funding models in the apparel sector’s journey towards decarbonization. As the industry grapples with its significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, this report offers a deep dive into the challenges and solutions for funding climate action in apparel manufacturing.
2024
Eco Business
FEATURE
Can joint financing for Asian manufacturers help clean up fast fashion’s supply chain?
Kim van der Weerd, intelligence director at Transformers Foundation, which advocates for more sustainable practices in the denim industry, told Eco-Business that this new programme by DBS and H&M is “a necessary piece of the puzzle” to address some of the barriers to funding cited by suppliers, especially for emissions reduction projects that offer “quick” financial returns within two years or less. These are typically energy efficiency investments, such as to improve boiler efficency or recycle heat waste from production processes.
2024
TEXtile technology
FEATURE
Guiding suppliers in navigating sustainability laws
In light of the increasing and urgent need for suppliers in the Global South and other manufacturing regions to understand the implications of new laws on their operations, a group of leading apparel suppliers, Crystal International Group Limited, Diamond Fabrics Limited (Sapphire Group), Lenzing AG, Pactics Group, Poeticgem Group, Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd., Simple Approach, and the Sourcery, with support from the textile project Fabric of the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, Bonn/Germany, and Transformers Foundation, New York City, NY/USA, has launched “An Apparel Supplier’s Guide 2.0: Key Sustainability Legislation in the EU, US & UK.”
2024
TEXFASH
FEATURE
Updated Version of Guide Launched to Enable Suppliers Understand Implications of New Laws on Operations
Recognising the urgent need for suppliers in the Global South and other manufacturing regions to understand the implications of new laws on their operations, a group of leading apparel suppliers have updated the apparel supplier’s guide.
2024
JUST STYLE
FEATURE
New report says innovative financing is ‘essential’ for decarbonising apparel
Titled “From Catwalk to Carbon Neutral: Mobilising Funding for a Net Zero Fashion Industry,” the report is co-commissioned by apparel leaders Epic Group, TAL Apparel, NITEX, Pactics Group, Artistic Milliners, MAS Holdings, and Simple Approach.
2024
ECOTEXTILE
FEATURE
Report spells out suppliers' climate challenge
Innovative funding models will be needed if fashion and textiles suppliers - who are responsible for the bulk of the industry's CO2 emissions - are to play their part in meeting climate change targets.
That is the conclusion of a new report, 'Catwalk to Carbon Neutral', commissioned by seven major manufacturers which points out that suppliers are the least-well equipped to meet the cost of decarbonisation.
2024
inside denim
FEATURE
White Paper calls for fairer funding for denim’s decarbonisation
'From Catwalk to Carbon Neutral: Mobilising Funding for a Net Zero Fashion Industry' offers a deep dive into the challenges and solutions for funding climate action in apparel manufacturing.
The Transformers Foundation, which helped publish the report, said: “The apparel sector, a substantial force in the global economy, is currently responsible for an estimated 2-8% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. On the one hand, most of those emissions - by some estimates as much as 80% - are in the supply chain. On the other hand, these are the entities with the lowest margins and least able to foot the bill. If we fail to devise new ways of financing decarbonisation we will also fail to realise our climate goals.”
2024
TEXFASH
FEATURE
New Report on Decarbonisation is Welcome, But Has its Flaws and Drawbacks
A conversation that began in the late 80s should have covered a lot of ground till today. Unfortunately, it did not and while the industry is making a lot of noise around value chain decarbonisation, it continues to place a disproportionate burden on the manufacturer, says a new report in a new bottle commissioned by a group of manufacturers.
2024
bnn breaking
FEATURE
Mobilizing Green Finance: Pioneering the Apparel Sector's Journey to Net Zero
In a groundbreaking initiative, leaders from the apparel industry including Epic Group, TAL Apparel, NITEX, Pactics Group, Artistic Milliners, and MAS Holdings have co-commissioned a vital report titled "From Catwalk to Carbon Neutral: Mobilising Funding for a Net Zero Fashion Industry." This comprehensive analysis, released in 2024, delves into the significant role of innovative financing to drive the decarbonization of the apparel sector amidst growing environmental concerns. With the fashion industry grappling with its substantial greenhouse gas emissions, the report identifies both the challenges and potential solutions for funding climate action, aiming to align with the targets set by the 2015 Paris Agreement.
2024
YAHOO LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
Who Should Pay for Fashion’s Decarbonization Efforts?
The supplier-led report “From Catwalk to Carbon Neutral: Mobilizing Funding for a Net Zero Fashion Industry” was co-commissioned by Epic Group, TAL Apparel, NITEX, Pactics Group, Artistic Milliners, MAS Holdings, Simple Approach, GIZ FABRIC, and Transformers Foundation. It was endorsed by the International Apparel Federation and Fashion Producer Collective.
2024
THe spin off
Feature
How Transformers' “From Catwalk to Carbon-Neutral” report can inspire change
A new report aimed to shed light on the need to find new models in the apparel sector toward decarbonization will be released soon.
The "From Catwalk to Carbon Neutral: Mobilising Funding for a Net Zero Fashion Industry" was co-commissioned by various players in the industry including Epic Group, TAL Apparel, Nitex, Pactics Group, Artistic Milliners, MAS Holdings and Simple Approach.
Supporting the project were Transformers Foundation, an association involving denim industry insiders pursuing initiatives that can bring positive change, GIZ GmbH (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), a German association for international cooperation, and FABRIC Asia Project (a project focused on creating solutions for a sustainable and fair garment and textile industry operating in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Vietnam and China).
2024
kohan textile journal
Feature
From Catwalk to Carbon Neutral: Mobilising Funding for a Net Zero Fashion Industry
Today marks the release of a pivotal supplier-led report, “From Catwalk to Carbon Neutral : Mobilising Funding for a Net Zero Fashion Industry,” co-commissioned by Epic Group, TAL Apparel, NITEX, Pactics Group, Artistic Milliners, MAS Holdings, Simple Approach. It is supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, FABRIC Asia Project, and Transformers Foundation, and endorsed by the International Apparel Federation (IAF) and Fashion Producer Collective (FPC).
2023
SOURCING JOURNAL
Kingpins Amsterdam: Denim Innovation In Difficult Industry Times
Last week was a busy one for the entire denim industry. The day before Kingpins Show kicked off was jam packed with events. We started with Transformers Foundation’s workshop about legislation in the morning, followed by an event celebrating the end of the three-year-long Denim Deal initiative, which included a look at its next chapter.
2023
BUSINESS of fashion
Feature
Suppliers Warn on Fashions Climate Commitments
With fashion set to miss its climate goals, the pressure is on for every employee to drive progress in their own field, including creative directors. But finding the right person for the job means rewriting the role entirely.
2023
VOGUE BUSINESS
Feature
How to turn creative directors into sustainability changemakers
With fashion set to miss its climate goals, the pressure is on for every employee to drive progress in their own field, including creative directors. But finding the right person for the job means rewriting the role entirely.
2023
JUST STYLE
Feature
‘Ruthless’ fashion industry urged to take decisive action on decarbonisation
Fashion Revolution presented five action points for the sector, developed in collaboration with global campaigners such as Stand.Earth, Eco-Age, Action Speaks Louder, and the Transformers Foundation, at COP28.
2023
innovation in textiles
Feature
Call for a collective approach to decarbonisation
While Transformers Foundation supports the collective objectives of the Paris Agreement, its research suggests that an approach must evolve to ensure practicality, fairness and shared responsibility. This means ensuring that responsibility for climate action is shared rather than a supplier burden.
2023
CONTEXT NEWS
Feature
How to fix the carbon crisis in fast fashion
Last month, Transformers Foundation - a New York-based think tank that speaks for denim makers and brands - released a report urging more collective action to achieve a climate transition.
Kim van der Weerd, intelligence director at Transformers Foundation, said the apparel sector rarely asks 'who pays' for the big transition, assuming that it is the suppliers whose facilities must change who will foot the bill.
2023
TEXTILE VALUE CHAIN
Feature
Towards a collective approach: Rethinking fashion’s doomed climate strategy
The Transformers Foundation, a leading advocate for sustainable practices within the denim industry, is proud to announce the launch of its annual deep dive report, titled “Towards A Collective Approach: Rethinking Fashion’s Doomed Climate Strategy.” This comprehensive report addresses critical issues within the fashion sector’s climate initiatives and calls for a collective approach to tackle the challenges of decarbonization.
2023
ecotextile news
Feature
COP28 call on fashion brands and lawmakers
The Fashion Revolution initiative is calling on fashion brands to set robust climate targets in consultation with their suppliers and on policymakers to hold them to account on decarbonisation.
The call to action was issued to coincide with the COP28 climate summit in Dubai which aims to bring world leaders together to agree and co-ordinate global action to address climate change.
2023
IMAGES BUSINESS OF FASHION
Feature
Towards a collective approach: Rethinking fashion’s doomed climate strategy
Transformers Foundation, a prominent advocate for sustainable practices within the denim industry, has introduced its annual deep dive report, provocatively titled “Towards A Collective Approach: Rethinking Fashion’s Doomed Climate Strategy.” The report delves into the fashion industry’s climate commitments and urgently calls for a more equitable and practical approach to decarbonization.
2023
THe spin off
Feature
Discover how next Hong Kong Denim Festival will be like
Focusing on the themes of “Denim sustainability and innovation”, HKDF x Kingpins Hong Kong Pop Up and Transformers will take place at the Mills on November 6th and 7th, 2023.
Kingpins will host ten Kingpins exhibitors and two artisans, and will also present two seminars. Transformers Foundation will host two denim focused round tables.
2023
SOURCING JOURNAL
Transformers Updates Its Report On Cotton Misinformation
This World Cotton Day, the nonprofit organization is revisiting that report, publishing an update Saturday incorporating the latest data from the International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC)—the last report covered data from 2019, while the update refers to 2020 data from ICAC’s 2022 Cotton Data Book—as well as Bayer Crop Science and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Though the revised report’s numbers on water and pesticides showed little change from what Transformers published two years earlier, the update introduces new data on fertilizers, including sales and usage. As in other chapters, the new fertilizer section stresses the importance of taking a more localized view of environmental impact
2023
Just Style
Feature
Farmer relationships key to cotton sector ‘transformation’
Following the release of its latest report update: ‘Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation,‘ the Transformers Foundation said though it advocated for “dependable data and transparent methodologies and contextual understanding as essential tools for well-informed decision making and strategy implementation, the real transformation lay in reshaping the cotton farmer-industry relationship.
2023
Ecotextile News
Cotton Misinformation Report Updated
The Transformers Foundation nonprofit has released a new report updating its 2021 study of what it described as the cotton industry's "misinformation problem".
Transformers Foundation, which aims to encourage a more responsible denim industry, built on Ecotextile News' own 'Busting Myths' investigation in its first report, 'Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation'.
2023
Textile Value Chain
Transformers Foundation Releases Update To Their 2021 Report: “Cotton: A Case Study In Misinformation”
Expanding upon the findings of the 2021 report, the updated annex provides new data and analysis on key aspects of cotton production including pesticide use, water use and fertiliser use from ICAC’s Cotton Data Book 2022 (whereas our 2021 report covered data from 2019 and did not cover fertilisers). It aims to not only gather and share accurate information but also encourage the industry to rethink the way we source cotton.
2023
Kingpins Show
Transformers Foundation: Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation (Updated!)
Transformers has updated their 2021 report: “Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation” with the latest data from ICAC, Bayer Crop Science, and the FAO. Discover the latest figures and context on pesticide, water, and now, fertilizer use.
2023
The Spin Off
Discover Transformers Foundation’s new report on sustainable cotton
Today, November 10 at 3pm CET/9am ET, through Transformers Foundation’s own Zoom channels, is presenting the study trying to set up a road for rebuilding chemical management by explaining what brands and retailers can do to ensure the best standards, what legislators can do to accelerate change and what chemical companies can do to simplify this unnecessarily complicated landscape.
2023
Yahoo
Feature
Transformers Updates its Report on Cotton Misinformation
Following the release of its latest report update: ‘Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation,‘ the Transformers Foundation said though it advocated for “dependable data and transparent methodologies and contextual understanding as essential tools for well-informed decision making and strategy implementation, the real transformation lay in reshaping the cotton farmer-industry relationship.
2023
WORLD COTTON DAY
Feature
Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation | UPDATE
Fashion’s narrative, particularly surrounding cotton, has been entangled in a web of half-truths and misconceptions. Transformers Foundation first sought to illuminate these issues in our initial report, and now, recognizing the evolving dynamics and the imperative of accurate information, Transformers Foundation is presenting an updated report with the latest data and context.
2023
Just Style
Feature
Signal: X posts of the week – sustainability, ethical practices, human rights
Following the release of its latest report update: ‘Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation,‘ the Transformers Foundation said the report update aims to clarify the fashion industry’s “misinformation problem” with the most current and sound data from International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) with new data on fertilisers that was previously uncovered.
2023
SOURCING JOURNAL
‘The Game Is Up:’ Why Denim Needs A ‘Commercial Compliance Rider’ Now
From China to Bangladesh to Mexico to Vietnam, denim suppliers are stressed, tired and bristling for change.
That much is evident from the Ethical Denim Council’s (EDC) inaugural “State of the Denim Supply Chain” study, which the year-old nonprofit says provides “overwhelming” evidence that brands and retailers are engaging in so-called “unethical” behaviors despite raking in record profits.The organization, which arose out of a 2020 Transformers Foundation report about badly behaving companies during the pandemic, sent a survey to more than 120 suppliers from nearly a dozen countries. In the end, 74 manufacturers, representing roughly 233,000 employees, responded, though not without some amount of effort.
2023
THe spin off
Feature
Are you ready for next Kingpins Amsterdam?
Kingpins Amsterdam is ready to start. The international denim focused trade show will take place from October 18 to October 19, 2023, at the Sugar Factory, in Amsterdam.
2023
SOURCING JOURNAL
Lack of Supplier Voice Could Thwart Sustainability Legislation’s Intent
So Simple Approach reached out, first to the New York-headquartered Transformers Foundation, then to Hong Kong and Bangladesh’s Epic Group, Sri Lanka’s Norlanka Manufacturing and India’s Shahi Exports, along with German developmental agency GIZ’s FABRIC initiative. In partnership, they commissioned a report that would provide their fellow clothing suppliers with a better understanding of how they’ll be affected by discussions in the halls of power in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, a.k.a. the global North. Yet the burden of any new laws, they say, will fall, for the most part, on the shoulders of those in the global South who are already disproportionately bearing the brunt of sustainability demands.
2023
Vogue business
Where Fashion Is Leading On Us Environmental Policy — And Where It’s Falling Behind
So Simple Approach reached out, first to the New York-headquartered Transformers Foundation, then to Hong Kong and Bangladesh’s Epic Group, Sri Lanka’s Norlanka Manufacturing and India’s Shahi Exports, along with German developmental agency GIZ’s FABRIC initiative. In partnership, they commissioned a report that would provide their fellow clothing suppliers with a better understanding of how they’ll be affected by discussions in the halls of power in the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union, a.k.a. the global North. Yet the burden of any new laws, they say, will fall, for the most part, on the shoulders of those in the global South who are already disproportionately bearing the brunt of sustainability demands.
2023
Texfash
Multiple Legislations May Exacerbate Duplicative Burden of Standards on Suppliers
Kim van der Weerd (Transformers Foundation / GIZ FABRIC): From the perspective of my work with Transformers Foundation, an entity representing the denim supply chain and its ideas for positive change, we were wanting to engage more in the legislative space but weren’t really sure where to begin. This project was a chance to “get the lay of the land” and see where and how it could make sense to engage.
2023
EcoTextile News
New Report Shines Light On Legislative Pitfalls
The report, from denim industry trade body the Transformers Foundation and sustainable development consultancy Giz Fabric, along with several apparel suppliers including Epic Group, Norlanka, Shahi Exports and Simple Approach, aims to provide guidance for manufacturers, particularly those established or headquartered outside what it calls the "global north".
2023
textiles resources
Leading Apparel Suppliers Collaborate with GIZ FABRIC and Transformers Foundation to Release Groundbreaking Report on Sustainability-Related Legislation and its Impact on Global Apparel Suppliers & Beyond
The report highlights the importance of determining whether companies are directly or indirectly in-scope of these legislations. It emphasizes that even indirect in-scope companies may still face significant impacts and potential legal liabilities. By engaging with the factsheets and compliance recommendations provided in the report, companies can
proactively prepare for compliance and mitigate potential risks.
2023
THE SPIN OFF
That’s all you need to know about next Munich Fabric Start
The panel discussion “A supplier's guide to key sustainability legislation in Europe, The US and The UK” organized by the Transformers Foundation will host Danijela Cafuta, Sustainability Manager at Lenzing AG, Rashid Iqbal, Executive Director at Naveena Denim NDL, Ilishio Lovejoy, ESG General Manager at Simple Approach, and Kim van der Weerd, Intelligence Director at the Transformers Foundation.
2023
SOURCING JOURNAL
The Regenerative Revolution—A New Era Of Agriculture
At its core, regenerative agriculture is farming in harmony with nature. Its goal is to continually advance the health of the soil with practices to promote microbial activity and increase carbon cycling. In return the results improve plant health, water holding capacity, nutritional value and crop productivity including yield.
Our lives depend on soil and the biology within, and the soil depends on the lives of plants growing within. This may sound somewhat confusing or poetic, but basically healthy living soil depends upon growing plants to stay alive.
2023
SOURCING JOURNAL
How The Ethical Denim Council Will Settle Disputes When Arbitration Fails
Andrew Olah has a problem. The CEO of Olah Inc. and the founder of Kingpins, Transformers Foundation and the Ethical Denim Council, can’t stand it when people don’t behave in a way he deems fair. Or in a way that’s not good business. He really hates it when brands place big orders then cancel them. He also loathes it when brands won’t own what they do wrong and make it right.
2023
SOURCING JOURNAL
Transformers Foundation Develops Transparency Tool Specially For The Denim Industry
Transformers Foundation will unveil the Transformers Foundation’s Transparency Tool (TTT) at Kingpins Amsterdam Wednesday, giving mills a comprehensive new way to measure the environmental impact of denim across every stage of production.
TTT collects data from information databases and from the insight from Transformers Foundation’s expert members and advisors. The foundation’s representatives from mills, laundries, machinery manufacturers and farms provide information based on practice.
2023
INSIDE DENIM
Transformers Creates Tool to Boost Transparency
The Transformers Transparency Tool (TTT) provides a view of a product's supply chain, impact calculation, compliance information and supplier surveys.TTT has been built in collaboration with Natific, a Swiss company that provides digital solutions for supply chains.
Andrew Olah, founder of Transformers Foundation, said: "Our goal is to provide businesses and consumers with the accurate information they need to make informed decisions about the products they buy. The TTT is an important step towards measuring our impact in a real way."
2023
THE SPIN OFF
Discover Transformers Foundation's New Transparency Measuring Tool
During the last edition of Kingpins Amsterdam, Transformers Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides denim suppliers with a platform to share expertise and opinion on industry threats and solutions, launched Transformer Transparency Tool (TTT), a new measuring tool that can help manufacturing companies from the denim value chain measure their impact.
2023
APPAREL RESOURCES
Transparency tool for denim to debut at Kingpins Amsterdam
At the next Kingpins Amsterdam show, a transparency tool that objectively assesses the environmental impact of each step in the manufacture of a pair of denim jeans will make its premiere.
The ‘Transparency Tool’ (TTT) from the Transformers Foundation uses unprocessed data from a comparison of inputs/outputs for a set of clothes to assist mills and brands in making strategic decisions regarding the goods they produce and purchase.
2023
TEXTILE TODAY
Transparency Tool to Revolutionize Denim Manufacturing at Kingpins Amsterdam Show
Developed by the Transformers Foundation, the "Transparency Tool" (TTT) will use unprocessed data to compare inputs and outputs for a set of clothes, providing mills and brands with the information they need to make informed decisions about the goods they produce and purchase.
With the TTT, denim manufacturers will be able to apply scientific techniques to sustainability promises, assigning a trustworthy figure to sustainability claims. According to Kingpins creator Andrew Olah, this tool will "forever shift the entire discourse around sustainability in the jeans industry."
2023
WeAr GLOBAL NETWORK
WeAr Denim #4 – Supplement to WeAr Issue 74
Denim platform and organization, Transformers Foundation, is launching a free-to-join Supplier Community. The foundation has been a central player in education, information and contact with consumers, brands, NGOs and media in the denim industry since 2020. Supplier Community is open to all manufacturers of denim garments, components, or other raw materials, makers of denim-related equipment and machinery, growers and raw material extractors, and denim sourcing agents.
2023
Just Style
Denim transparency tool to make debut at Kingpins Amsterdam
The Transformers Foundation’s “Transparency Tool” (TTT) uses raw data from a comparison of inputs/outputs for a set of garments to help mills and brands make strategic decisions about the products they are making and buying.
The transparency tool will allow denim makers to use scientific methods to attach a real and reliable number to sustainability claims, according to a letter from Kingpins founder Andrew Olah.
2023
VOGUE BUSINESS
How to Accelerate Progress on Sustainability? Listen to Suppliers
With the tagline "sustainability starts with producers, the Transformers Foundation Supplier Community launched earlier this year with the goal of creating a space for suppliers - and only suppliers, but from any tier of production - to engage with each other, join industry councils, participate in developing or endorsing reports, and receive monthly updates of resources and events. The updates are "veted by people whoactualy know a thing or two about production", the foundation says.
2023
SOURCING JOURNAL
Ambiguity Looms Over Chemical Auditing
Transformers Foundation took its conversation about supply chain auditing certifications on the road last week to Bluezone in Munich.
It’s a topic the nonprofit covered in a report about the complexity of chemical auditing and in recent follow-up webinars that have highlighted the how the realm of voluntary chemical safety can be “needlessly complicated and woefully ineffective,” according to Kim Van der Weed, Transformer Foundation intelligence director.
The report, she added, details how the “chaos of chemicals and how chemical certification schemes” are being leveraged by brands and retailers as a market differentiator at the expense of actors across the supply chain.
2022
SOURCING JOURNAL
Why Are Suppliers ‘Quiet Quitting’ Certifications?
Suppliers are doing it, too, except instead of avoiding extra paperwork over the weekend it’s skating by on certifications, said Andre Raghu, CEO of HAP, a supply-chain mapping platform.
The issue, he said at a recent Transformers Foundation webinar, is that schemes meant to surveil supply chains have largely proven inefficient and ineffective. A study that the nonprofit published last month about chemical auditing said as much. Without universal agreement on what needs to be measured—and how—the realm of voluntary chemical safety has proven confusing, expensive and riddled with loopholes. And until something changes, factories aren’t going to put in more effort than they have to.
2022
Techstyler
Fashion’s Sustainability Certifications Don’t Work. Here’s Why, And What Should Be Done About It
The latest deep dive report by Transformers Foundation, the US-based non-profit representing the denim supply chain, reveals damning evidence that fashion’s chemical certifications are needlessly complicated and woefully ineffective. As the Foundation's Intelligence Director, I’ve been reflecting on the report’s broader implications. For all the fancy chemistry talk of Restricted Substances Lists (RSLs) and Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), my key takeaway from the report is actually very simple: it’s time to let go of certifications – whether chemical, material, or social – as a central pillar of our collective sustainability strategies.
2022
TEXFASH
Human Rights Due Diligence Should be Mandatory and Effective, Says New Alliance
A new industry alliance has argued that mandatory due diligence needs to be well-designed to promote the creation of an EU-wide level-playing field, and should capture the responsibility of companies to respect human rights and the environment in their supply chain as formulated in the OECD Guidelines.
2022
Apparel Resources
Industry Groups Call Upon The European Parliament To Develop More Mandatory Human Rights
A comprehensive group of business and multi-stakeholder initiatives and manufacturers like amfori, Ethical Trading Initiative, Fair Wear Foundation, Sustainable Apparel Coalition, Transformers Foundation, and manufacturer associations from the Sustainable Terms of Trade Initiative, are allying to advance effective mandatory human rights due diligence at the EU level.
2022
Inside Denim
Transformers Takes Chemical Certification To Task
A new report from industry innovation platform Transformers Foundation seeks to pull back the curtain on pressures faced by denim’s supply chain when it comes to shouldering the financial burden of ticking disparate, yet not dissimilar, private-sector chemical certification and testing boxes in the place of “penny-pinching” brands.
2022
Textile Value Chain
Needlessly Complicated, Woefully Ineffective
This paper calls for collaboration and alignment around a single set of rules: sound chemical management systems should be a ticket to play, not a market differentiator. “Fashion’s Certification Complex: Needlessly Complicated, Woefully Ineffective” is an investigative report that equips fashion professionals with the actions they can take to reform chemical management in the fashion industry.
2022
Kingpins Show
Transformers Foundation’s: 2022 Annual Deep Dive Report
Transformers Foundation, the non-profit organization that provides denim suppliers with a platform to share expertise and opinion on industry threats and solutions, has a new investigative report looking at how fashion’s chemical auditing is failing the industry and what can be done to fix it.
2022
The Spin Off
How Transformers Foundation Is Exploring The Chemical Certification Jungle
Today, November 10 at 3pm CET/9am ET, through Transformers Foundation’s own Zoom channels, is presenting the study trying to set up a road for rebuilding chemical management by explaining what brands and retailers can do to ensure the best standards, what legislators can do to accelerate change and what chemical companies can do to simplify this unnecessarily complicated landscape.
2022
Just Style
Transformers Foundation’s Guidelines On Chemical Management
Today, November 10 at 3pm CET/9am ET, through Transformers Foundation’s own Zoom channels, is presenting the study trying to set up a road for rebuilding chemical management by explaining what brands and retailers can do to ensure the best standards, what legislators can do to accelerate change and what chemical companies can do to simplify this unnecessarily complicated landscape.
2022
FASHION UNITED
An Alliance of Responsible Garment Industry Representatives Calls Upon the European Parliament to Develop More Mandatory Human Rights
“Fashion has a chemical certification problem,” the Foundation says. “Dozens of private-sector auditors, consultancies, labs, and certifications provide an expensive and inefficient form of surveillance over the supply chain on behalf of brands.”
Many of these organisations offer almost identical services. While brands and retailers use chemical management as a differentiator, a marketing tool, and a way to shirk responsibility, it is the supply chain—from the chemical companies to the denim laundries—that pays for testing, certification, and management of these overlapping safety protocols.
2022
Sourcing journal
Kingpins Picks Its Most Sustainable Standouts
“Innovation, sustainability and transparency are the critical elements of our show today,” Andrew Olah, founder of Kingpins Show and the Transformers Foundation, said about the new project. “MSP is our solution to bring actionable and reliable information to brands and designers looking for the most sustainable and impactful resources at their disposal.”
2022
Sourcing journal
Denim Events You Need To Know: Fall 2022 Edition
As countries loosen travel restrictions and denim companies continue to work on their pandemic recoveries, industry event organizers are loading up the calendar with opportunities to mix, mingle and do business.
2022
Sourcing Journal
H&M Lawsuit Over ‘Misleading’ Green Claims Exposes Fashion’s ‘Unique Obsession’
Kim van der Weerd, intelligence director at the Transformers Foundation, a denim-focused nonprofit, recalled a friend in manufacturing telling her that if the purpose of a consumer-facing product labeling tool was to empower consumers to choose products with a smaller carbon footprint or some other sustainability goal, then it had to be specific about its intent.
2022
VOGUE BUSINESS
Denim Is Cleaner Than Ever. That’s Not Good Enough
The denim industry has battled a reputation as one of the dirtiest categories in apparel manufacturing. Brands and suppliers have worked hard to improve — but despite major progress, many of the root problems remain.
2022
BBC Sounds
Does It Take 10,000 Litres Of Water To Make A Pair Of Jeans?
Various claims have been made about how much water is used in the production of a pair of jeans, that cornerstone of casual clothing.
With growing worries over the environmental impact of denim production, More or Less decided to investigate - with the help of journalist and researcher Elizabeth L. Cline who has written extensively on sustainability and the fashion industry.
2022
Sourcing journal
Denim Events You Need To Know: Fall 2022 Edition
The bi-annual denim event returns to SugarCity in Amsterdam on Oct 19-20. A global roster of mills, trims suppliers and other links in the denim supply chain will present their seasonal collections across the former sugar factory’s four floors. Expect to see Spring/Summer 2024 trend presentations as well as plenty of networking opportunities. (Kingpins New York will return in January 2023.)
2022
Sourcing journal
Kingpins To Launch ‘Most Sustainable’ Garment Collection
The next edition of Kingpins Amsterdam will feature the first Most Sustainable Garment collection. The collection will feature select fabrics and washes Kingpins named the Most Sustainable Products (MSPs) in 2019.
Transformers Foundation board member and Kingpins’ technology leader Miguel Sanchez walked the show floors to make the final 10 selects based on three general categories: fibers, application processes and new concepts.
2022
What They Think
Cotton: The Myths vs. Reality
In today’s world, we are inundated with misinformation and disinformation, and it is a constant daily battle to separate the wheat from the chaff, the truth from fake news. This is not limited to politics and healthcare. It’s also a factor in how the fashion industry—in cotton in particular—is portrayed. This article is a summary of a recent report by Transformers Foundation highlighting common myths about cotton. We recommend reading the full report and/or listening to a recent Supima webinar for the entire story.
2022
Sourcing journal
Bluezone And Transformers Foundation Find Synergies In Education
When Kingpins Show organizers evolved its educational Transformers event into a foundation in 2020 to foster actionable change and sustainable collaboration, they aimed to bring together all key players in the denim industry, including trade shows.
At the show’s Keyhouse lecture hall, the foundation will hold two seminars centered on energy and decarbonization, and innovation. Transformers will provide a “vetted round-up of the truest innovations on the market” and opportunities for attendees to network with the people behind them.
2022
Sustainable brands
When It Comes to Cotton Production, Sustainability Is in the Water
Contrary to popular belief, cotton is not a water-intensive crop. According to Transformers Foundation, global averages about cotton’s environmental impact can be misleading, as they fail to capture huge local variations in resource usage and impacts. While global data can be useful to tell whether cotton’s overall impact is going up or down decade over decade, content and local data are key. Currently, two-thirds of cotton grown in the US is not irrigated, utilizing natural rainfall to grow. Roughly one-third uses irrigation to supplement natural rainfall and only 2 percent is solely dependent on irrigation.
2022
Sourcing journal
Why Investors Should Put Fashion’s ‘Zombie’ Data Six Feet Under
A recent study by the Transformers Foundation found that the biggest tropes about the fiber, including the claim that it takes 20,000 liters of water to grow enough cotton to make a T-shirt, are inaccurate, highly misleading or oversimplified. Misinformation can spread when critical context is stripped or data is selectively edited, it noted. Another route involves the phenomenon known as “erratic copying,” a sort of game of telephone that introduces errors that accumulate and worsen over time. It’s when a false claim gains enough traction that it’s legitimized and enshrined as fact.
2022
What They Think
Cotton: The Myths vs. Reality
In today’s world, we are inundated with misinformation and disinformation, and it is a constant daily battle to separate the wheat from the chaff, the truth from fake news. This is not limited to politics and healthcare. It’s also a factor in how the fashion industry—in cotton in particular—is portrayed. This article is a summary of a recent report by Transformers Foundation highlighting common myths about cotton. We recommend reading the full report and/or listening to a recent Supima webinar for the entire story.
2022
Sourcing journal
Sustainability in Fashion: Checking the Facts
When industry figures—including brands, nonprofits and the media—discuss cotton in particular, a number of statistics get cited time and time again. But some of these frequently mentioned data points are actually misleading. A recent report from Transformers Foundation used cotton as a case study on fashion misinformation, dispelling some wide-held beliefs about the crop. For instance, the report debunks the idea that producing each kilogram of cotton fiber requires 20,000 liters of water, and that cotton uses one-quarter of all global insecticides.
2022
Inside denim
UK denim education goes from strength to strength
Denim designer, consultant and educator Mohsin Sajid has outlined a packed line-up of denim education projects running at UK universities and colleges in 2022, supported by denim suppliers and established UK designers.
2022
Inside denim
Transformers focuses spotlight on chemicals
Transformers Foundation, an independent “voice representing the denim industry’s change”, is launching Season 2 in its Truth Series, with a webinar on chemicals.
The foundation said the event will allow a true understanding of the hazards related to chemical use in fashion and how they are rated in terms of risk and hazard.
2021
Fashion united
Roundup: Sustainable Initiatives of The Fashion Industry in 2021
The second pandemic year made it clear that sustainability is a must; the industry needs to renew and innovate. 2021 saw a number of collaborations, initiatives and commitments that will continue in 2022 and beyond. What is needed now is real change and goals that work towards it in the long term and seriously; it is too late for empty promises. FashionUnited has once again compiled the most important sustainability initiatives of 2021; which one is your favourite?
2021
Forbes
Virtually All Cotton Claims ‘False Or Misleading’ Says Report Exposing Fashion’s Misinformation Problem
Have you ever heard the one about how “Organic cotton uses 91% less water than conventional cotton?” Or, “It takes 20,000 liters of water to make a t-shirt and pair of jeans”? Both of these statistics are inescapable in the cotton sustainability discourse, appearing in articles by Oxfam, Textile Today, and The Times, and both are unsubstantiated. A new report published last week by the Transformers Foundation demonstrates that they are false, replacing them with what they say are the most up-to-date statistics from the most reliable peer-reviewed data available.
2021
WWD
Transformers Foundation, ICAC, Release Cotton ‘Misinformation’ Report
Quotes: “It feels apropos to release a fiber-focused report on World Cotton Day — that’s why The Transformers Foundation and the International Cotton Advisory Committee announced today that its first report — centered on cotton misinformation in the fashion industry — is now live. The Transformers Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provide ...”
2021
Forbes
Organic Water-Saving Claims False, Declares Cotton Myth-Busting Report
Quotes: “The recent report Cotton: A Case Study in Misinformation published by Transformers Foundation provides the most current, peer-reviewed data on global cotton impacts, and offers an opportunity to steer more sustainable material decision-making by the public, and the textile and clothing industry.”
2021
Yahoo Lifestyle
Cotton Misinformation Is Harming the Industry’s Aims: Report
Quotes: “According to the report, figures have been wrongly rattled off on how much water a cotton T-shirt or jacket takes (not thousands of liters), and to what degree cotton is doused in pesticides and insecticides (the report advised against using outdated sales data to account for use). Even calling cotton “water-thirsty” is misleading without context, given the crop is grown in many water-stressed regions..”
2021
Inspiramais
Design, Innovation and Sustainability for Fashion Solutions Program
On Thursday, 07/15 at 3:00 pm, we participated in Inspiramais webinar about Market Vision & Fashion with Larissa Roviezzo, Mariana Santiloni, Miguel Sanchez, moderated by Thaisa Peralta. Watch the recording here.
2021
Fashion United
13 Sustainability efforts of the fashion industry in January 2021
Quotes: “Is cotton as bad as its reputation when it comes to water consumption, pesticide and insecticide dependency and land usage? A recent panel discussion titled “Cotton claims - the good, the bad and the nuanced” as part of the Truth Series by the Transformers Foundation - founded early last year as part of the global Kingpins Transformers trade shows for the denim manufacturing sector - tried to answer that question.”
2021
Quartz
Who is responsible for the world’s garment workers?
Quotes: “We believe environmental issues are crucial, but the crisis has exposed how deep the cracks in the supply chain go. We have a rare window of opportunity to fix the power differential that allowed brands, retailers, and importers to walk away from their contracts with suppliers without almost any consequence.”
2021
EcoCult
How to Fix the Global Fashion Industry: 8 Ambitious Expert Ideas to Make Fashion Ethical
Quotes: “The many ideas I’m excerpting from the Transformers Foundation report all come together to rectify this power imbalance, plus create consequences for unethical and/or illegal behavior from brands and retailers. The more of these we can accomplish, the better the fashion industry will get.”
2020
Apparel Insider
New Survey Highlights Power Imbalance in Denim Sector
Quotes: “The Transformers Foundation sent the survey to 79 leading denim suppliers and jeans factories, however, just 25 responded, with many declining to respond out of fear of reprisals from brands and retailers – even though the survey was anonymous.”
2020
Inside Denim
Andrew Olah: Bad behaviour plagues the industry and we don’t think it’s right
Quotes: “I don't love the word partnership. Unless the suppliers are engaging in sharing the profits of the brands, which I don't think the brands have any plan on doing, it's not a very clear partnership. I think it is a buyer-seller relationship that is maintained equally on both sides, that everyone is looking for. The suppliers are only asking for one thing - if you place an order, could you please take it? Imagine you ordered a refrigerator from Macy's and all Macy's asked is that you take it? It's not such a big ask.” - Andrew Olah
2020
Ecotextile News
Expanded Transformers ED to be staged online
Quotes: “The response to our past Transformers ED events has been overwhelming with students from 30 universities and fashion programmes across Europe attending to receive an in-depth and unvarnished crash course on the state of the denim supply chain,” said Andrew Olah, founder of Transformers Foundation, Olah Inc. and Kingpins Show.
2020
Sourcing Journal
Can This Foundation Be the Catalyst for the Denim Industry’s Responsible Makeover?
Quotes: “The industry has different levels of education and information, and they’re not aligned in the claims,” Sanchez said. Mills, chemical companies and brands too often work on projects in silos with “no real connection.” The Transformers Foundation, Sanchez said, can be a platform that helps the denim industry align on rational ways to make jeans. “[We need] to align, educate and train everybody in denim so we can understand each other,” he said.
2020
Sportswear International
Transformers ED: Time to educate
Quotes: “During the three days topics such as supply chain, sustainability and design will be in focus. Transformers ED is hosted by denim expert Mohsin Sajid. Among the speakers and panelists are Alberto DeConti/Rudolf Group; Jason Denham/Denham; Ebru Ozaydin/Artistic Milliners; Alberto Candiani/Candiani Denim; Sue Barrett/Denim Forum; Amy Leverton/Denim Dudes and others.”
2020
Just-Style
Blockchain tech will see traceability realised faster
“Adopting blockchain technology will make integration of end-to-end traceability faster and easier for companies, according to a group of denim brands speaking at the recent Transformers Foundation digital event.”
2020
businesswire
Wrangler® Sets Ambitious New Goal to Halve Its Water Usage by 2030
Quotes: “To realize the new goal, Wrangler is collaborating with the Transformers Foundation to complete a comprehensive water balance study, which will analyze the denim industry’s water consumption by production phase.”
“A renewed sustainability target creates an organizational focus that enables Wrangler to create meaningful change through the conservation of water resources. Because water is a shared resource, its conservation is also a shared responsibility,” said Roian Atwood, Senior Director, Global Sustainable Business, Wrangler. “Working with the Transformers Foundation will help accelerate sustainability collaboration in our industry.”
For media inquiries please contact: emily@transformersfoundation.org