Denim Transparency Takes Center Stage at Kingpins Transformers
As product accountability takes the driver’s seat now more than ever, Kingpins Transformers is equipping industry members with events, expertise and tools to help them advance supply chain transparency.
This Spring, the bi-annual denim industry conference is focusing on transparency, hosting two daylong events—one in Amsterdam April 17th and another in New York on June 5th—to address how denim brands, designers and manufacturers can boost visibility along multiple points of the supply chain. Each daylong event, which will feature transparency panels and speakers, will precede the Kingpins Show in Amsterdam April 18-19th and New York June 6-7th.
“Transparency is the ultimate commitment by brands and retailers to share all available information about their products. Today, most brands aren’t held accountable for their product components. But that’s going to change,” Transformers founder Andrew Olah, said. “Companies that think transparency is just a buzzword with no bite are likely to be eaten alive when it does.”
Kingpins Transformers: Transparency in Amsterdam will take place at the Amsterdam-based Westergastheater, with presentations beginning at 9:30 a.m., followed by an afternoon program and a roundtable discussion that will conclude at 4:00 p.m. Speakers and location details for the New York Edition of Kingpins Transformers: Transparency event are forthcoming.
Since there is not a one-size-fits-all solution for transparency, Kingpins Transformers wants to highlight movers in the chemical, fiber, machinery, textile and technology sectors, and how their efforts are helping fuel transparency.
“I don’t think anyone has reached full transparency – it is a road,” Olah said. “Many of our speakers will talk about the road they are on, their strategies and challenges.”
The two-part Amsterdam event will feature leading industry speakers including, G-Star Raw corporate responsibility director Frouke Bruinsma, Lenzing’s director of global business development for denim, Tricia Carey, Sustainable Apparel Coalition VP of Europe Baptiste Carriere-Pradal, Product DNA founder Robin Cornelius, Eco Intelligent Growth co-founder and director Ignasi Cubiñà, ZDHC implementation director Dr. Christina Raab and Avery Dennison global senior director of sustainability Helen Sahi.
“Transparency is certainly a very broad topic. The perspective I will present at Transformers is ‘The Evolution of Transparency.’ When I started working in business development of TENCEL™ Lyocell in 1998, I did not even mention sustainability and now it is typically one of the first points of conversation,” Lenzing’s Carey said. “We have to consider the progress we are making and not seek perfection.”
Sponsored by Rivet magazine, a leading denim industry publication, Kingpins Transformers tackles the social, environmental and economic challenges facing the denim industry, in addition to solutions developed by the denim community to advance progress. Established to educate and inspire corporate responsibility officers, brands, mills, designers and other members of the denim supply chain, the bi-annual denim conference aims to facilitate a more environmentally viable and socially responsible denim industry for years to come.