In the past year, apparel supply chains have been faced with disruption, ushering in a transformation toward more ethical, environmentally responsible operations.
“It feels almost as if we’re at a breaking point where the industry is fragile, it’s fragmented, and it’s essentially kind of breaking down,” said Megan Stoneburner, the director of sustainability and sourcing at Outerknown. “But I don’t want to state that it’s at a breaking point where it’s failing. What I think is actually happening within the system is that it’s flawed, so we’re at this point where we have to course correct.”
During the latest episode of Carved in Blue’s Blue Cast podcast, Megan explained that for Outerknown—the sustainable apparel company co-founded by professional surfer Kelly Slater—this push to change the status quo happened pre-pandemic. Since its launch in 2015, the brand has carefully picked its suppliers to support fair wages and eco-minded production. And a couple years ago, the brand set a target to be fully circular by 2030.
Read more on Carved in Blue.
This article is one of a series on Rivet from Lenzing’s Carved in Blue denim blog. From conversations with the experts behind the mills that make some of the world’s most-wanted denim to the global brands bringing novel denim made with TENCEL™ Lyocell and Modal to the market, Carved in Blue shares the stories of those whose roots run deep with denim. Visit www.carvedinblue.tencel.com.
