Tell us a little about yourself
My connection to the world of fashion is quite unusual. With a degree in industrial engineering, I have always been fascinated by the possibilities that technology opens up to strengthen and grow businesses, including fashion.
I have extensive experience in management consulting and prior to joining Trimco, nearly a decade ago, I worked as a consultant at Accenture, where my focus was on business transformation, finance and performance management, enabling from technology and innovation.
What does Trimco Group do?
Trimco specializes in the design and manufacture of brand identity and supply chain traceability solutions for the apparel industry, including some of the world’s most popular fashion and activewear brands.
We offer innovative product designs and manufacturing techniques, manage and advise on care label regulations for international markets and operate world-class logistics centers.
The group has 1,700 employees in 21 countries and we serve 800 brands and 8,600 manufacturers worldwide.
Who are Trimco’s customers?
Our clients are mainly clothing brands, including some of the most popular fashion and activewear brands in the UK and the world. We also cater to various other industries, including footwear and home textiles, and our RFID solutions are available for an even wider spectrum and industries.
Why does fashion have such a poor ESG record?
In recent years, litigation and stakeholder activism in the ESG space has focused primarily on the energy and resources sector. With ESG-related litigation globally on the rise, and an ever-increasing urgency to reach net zero sooner rather than later, the spotlight is now shining on other industries, including fashion.
The sustainability challenges for the industry are multifaceted, but some of the most entrenched issues lie in the nature of the fashion business model, particularly for fast fashion brands.
Fashion is a seasonal and trend-driven industry and thrives on the consumer’s constant desire for ‘something new’. Many fashion businesses operate on a profit-driven corporate model and purpose. As such, the industry has also developed complex global supply chains that are difficult to monitor and manage. This is where supply chain tracking and monitoring tools (such as our Product DNA solution) become very important.
How much does fashion have to do to achieve ESG?
The fashion industry still has a long way to go, but compared to some other industries, progress is happening quite quickly. It should. Customers demand it and our resources are limited, so for our industry to thrive, we need to find a better way to work, fast. And as a company that provides clothing, care labels and packaging solutions, we encourage and support brands to expand their efforts beyond the production of clothing or footwear.
A sustainable mindset encompasses every single part of a product, from the lid and shipping box to the fabric materials used and the brand’s overall environmental impact. We can certainly help with some of them.
What is product DNA?
This is a supply chain transparency and traceability platform, but it does more than that. It is designed to serve our customers’ needs for tracking, managing and communicating their sustainability and social compliance claims, all in one place. Increasing social and environmental due diligence actions are evident worldwide. These include: EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles; Norwegian Transparency Act; German Supply Chain Due Diligence Act; and the Fashion Act of New York.
All of these require compatibility, and the product’s DNA helps with that.
How does ProductDNA work?
Product DNA combines the strengths of three solutions to help our customers monitor and achieve their sustainability goals:
• Certificate Manager module to collect Domain 3 certificates across the supply chain
• Sustainability tracking and tracing module, to globally measure and report on specific social and environmental KPIs
• QR code solutions for in-product communication
Product DNA can be customized for each company’s ESG goals. As part of the solution, brands can measure the use of different sustainable materials in their collections by weight or piece.
It allows brands to monitor their ESG performance by comparing year-on-year progress or against ESG targets. The platform also links usage to garment factories’ facility and transaction certificates to validate the brand’s ESG claims.
Tracking technology enables brands to measure the amount of sustainable fibers and materials they put into the market. The tracking technology also allows easy management of garment factory ESG certificates.
Depending on the brand strategy, ESG compliance transparency can range from tier 1 suppliers (garment factories) to tier 4 (raw material suppliers). For brands that require a more detailed analysis, reporting on greenhouse gas emissions and other specific environmental metrics is also possible.
What is the future for sustainability in fashion?
Transparency and accountability are becoming much more important, both from a legislative and consumer perspective. How brands communicate sustainability credentials and initiatives to the consumer is also of great importance as brands need to build trust and loyalty.
The new generation of shoppers has entirely new demands on what it means to be a sustainable end-to-end brand. We see an increase in the adoption of QR codes as a way to better communicate and interact with the end consumer and reduce the use of label material, and we believe it is a great start. We’ve already supported brands that have implemented similar strategies involving QR codes, with great success. Circular business models simply will not be optional in the future of our industry, and the sooner they are implemented, the better.
Who inspires you?
Miranda Kong, Founder and Chairman of Trimco Group, who started the business in Hong Kong 44 years ago from her apartment. The fact that she treats all suppliers and employees as valued partners is inspiring.
Best advice ever given?
The only limit to your impact is your imagination and dedication. Do not underestimate yourself and the power of each individual.
