The 92nd Expo Riva Schuh has dealt with a timely topic – chain sustainability of the fashion system – and what has emerged from the opening talk is that sustainability can be a significant opportunity to be leveraged in view of a greater competitiveness.
The debate stemmed from the virtuous example of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, the only Italian fair organization to be certified ISO 20121 for an event sustainability management system, thus setting the example for all players involved in its projects.
“Sustainability is now a tangible opportunity to protect our planet but also an indispensable tool to be competitive at the international level – stated Giovanni Laezza, General Manager of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi – To better respond to this market need, we are cooperating with our stakeholders to develop a code of Ethics. Such code is going to lead us to consciously track and manage all waste produced during the event with the aim to recycle at least 85% of it by 2020".
As for fashion, on the other hand, sustainability is becoming a key element after the campaigns promoted by NGOs such as Greenpeace's Detox after tragic accidents such as Rana Plaza. Global communication, social media and greater consumer awareness push companies in the fashion system to undertake more sustainable paths.
Lars Doemer, Co-founder director of GoBlu, an international company and sustainability accelerator, talks about it:
"Transparency is the key word not only as regards the resolve to provide useful information, but as an active management process allowing to conduct business through a constant and informed exchange of information with the network of suppliers and partners".
Such a consistent path of awareness allows companies to grow hand by hand with the whole chain in order to guarantee eco friendly products as shown by some case histories illustrated by Doemer.
Such choice is being embraced by an ever-increasing number of companies and brands: Cinzia Malvini, fashion journalist at La7 and Book as well as moderator of the event, provided a few examples before introducing Carla Costa, manager of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi.
Carla added that “Fashion is able to detect major changes and Gardabags, the Expo Riva Schuh project dedicated to bags and accessories, is a clear example. Almost all of its exhibitors, in fact, prove to be keenly focused on the issue, which is even more significant considering that 39% of them come from outside Europe precisely from countries where the topic of sustainability has only begun to be addressed very recently ".
The debate was closed by Tiziano Guardini, fashion designer awarded of the first Green Carpet Challenge Award named after Franca Sozzani and promoted by the National Chamber of Italian Fashion, whose collections are made with ecological fabrics only.
Source: Fotoshoe 30
