Fast fashion has ten years left. If so, what’s next?

Zalando’s CEO Robert Gentz has stated that the apparel industry must “abandon the fast fashion business model within the next ten years”. The steep environmental costs of the take-make-waste system are obviously incompatible with the recent net-zero pledges of countries, cities, and businesses. If this is the start of the end of fast fashion, what does the apparel business model of the net-zero future look like? 

In this opening panel from Innovation Forum’s recent sustainable apparel and textiles conference, leading sustainability professionals from across the apparel industry debate the business model transformation required and what sustainable growth looks like. 

Session panel, led by Innovation Forum's Toby Webb:

• La Rhea Pepper, CEO, Textile Exchange
• José Arguedas, head of corporate responsibility and sustainability, River Island
• Liz Hershfield, senior vice-president of supply chain and sustainability, J Crew Group
• Lucita Jasmin, director of sustainability and external affairs, APRIL