Since debuting Kingpins 2004 as a small gallery-like show, Olah Inc. founder Andrew Olah has played host to the global denim supply chain at Kingpins events in New York, Amsterdam and across China.
Along with becoming a seasonal meeting place for the industry, the trade event have become a catalyst for industry-wide innovation and sustainability. This year, starting with its Kingpins Amsterdam in April, it will require all exhibiting denim mills to “meet or exceed standards” where corporate social responsibility (CSR), environment and chemical usage are concerned.
And the influence of Kingpins Transformers, the conference series that addresses the denim industry’s environmental impact, is about to grow stronger as Olah transitions the bi-annual event into a foundation starting in 2020.
The foundation, Olah said, will function as an operation that educates, sets industry-wide goals for sustainability and produces annual reports to help gauge progress. The goal, he added, is to create a singular place where people interested in sustainability can get information that is accurate and agreed upon by many different NGOs and companies.
“The foundation is going to work really diligently to bring change to our industry,” Olah said.
And it’s for these reasons and more that Olah was named one of Rivet’s 50 most influential people in denim.
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This podcast episode is made possible by Cotton Incorporated, a not-for-profit company funded by U.S. cotton producers and importers, and whose mission is to increase the demand and profitability of cotton. Discover What Cotton Can Do.
