Year in Review: Carved in Blue’s 2020 Reflections
It’s a wrap…closing out 2020
As we approach the end of this year, it is a time of reflection on how we cope with disruption and insecurity.
The normal pace of business—with a rodeo of trade shows, dinner meetings, corporate events and in-store experiences—abruptly ended. The year I planned out last January never happened. The seasons defined by the fashion calendar were suddenly gone. But what did all of the past normal mean? Why were we doing it all anyway? Has this global experiment of digitalizing everything from meetings to shows to shopping worked successfully?
How we coped
We could have retreated to our respective homes and managed by phone. But somehow we craved more connection as a way to provide comfort during a time of confusion. During the early weeks of the pandemic, I reached out to my denim friends to check on their safety and sanity. It was really for my own well-being that I needed to hear how they were dealing in their own countries and cities. It is insightful to look back at our series, “Headspace,” which documents the concerns people had in March and April of this year.
Throughout the year, we saw the paramount change happening in the industry and looked to get thought leaders together in our Denim Think Tank series. Again, it was probably for our own comfort to have over 22 conversations with speakers ranging from women in the denim industry and consultants to mills from China, Mexico, Pakistan and Turkey. All were able to talk with various perspectives of what they were experiencing and how we are all ultimately transforming. As we come out of our cocoons, how will we support social change, redefine value, collaborate for action and consider the environment?
Looking back over all of these conversations, they also shape and mold my own impression. It was started with women in the denim industry who wanted to have a platform to voice their opinion on empowerment within the industry. These women brought together a unique perspective with an emotional intelligence combined with business savvy, presenting views from all over the world. The sense of denim sisterhood is more crucial now than ever before.
In some of the conversations, we were able to gather an unexpected mix of people, including some known competitors. Never before had all of the competing denim shows’ leaders had one conversation together. Yet now they realized they were facing similar challenges and the only way to go forward is to openly discuss the current situation. Competitors within one country, like Pakistan, were willing to be on one screen together. They understood the unique benefits and challenges in sourcing and saw the need to support the citizens within their shared home country. One of my favorite discussions was with the denim archaeologists who share a common passion for finding unique treasures and study social history through denim. All these conversations represent the mood and spirit of the time.
Looking forward
None of us will ever forget where we were in 2020 and the human loss and suffering. The cold winter months carried over to the freedom of summer, which then morphed into a restrictive fall. This year meant a return to basics, going from living in a material world to living in a digital world.
Despite this loss, there was so much we gained in perception, principles and people. Going forward, we will see a renaissance of ideas developed out of this time. My hope is that we can carry the spirit of humanity and support for others into the year ahead. The TENCEL™ Denim team, Michael, Hale and myself, appreciate that we could stay connected throughout this year. Wishing everyone a healthy, resilient and fulfilling 2021!
Tricia Carey