CO-ORGANISED BY REDRESS AND THE HONG KONG TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL

Date: Monday 18 January, 2016
Time: 11.30am-12.30pm
Location: Seminar Room, Hall 1A, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre,1 Expo Drive, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

Can circular business models be a solution for the fashion industry’s textile waste?

The fashion and textile industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. As the depletion of natural resources prevails and the cost of virgin materials continues to show volatility, the current linear model of ‘take, make, waste’ is no longer a sustainable business option for the fashion industry to remain competitive.

Circular business models may be a solution by unlocking value in textile waste that could lead to a competitive advantage. Many fashion brands are exploring new initiatives to capture and capitalise textile ‘waste’ back into their businesses. Some are integrating waste materials into new products, reducing and eliminating waste in their products by designing with end-of-life use in mind, to offering services that extend the life of clothes as this new wave of businesses offer consumers a new way to consume clothes.

This session explored the opportunities and challenges in adopting a circular business model and asked whether closing the loop on textile waste is part of the future of fashion and a viable and practical business opportunity.

PANELISTS

Hanna Hallin, Sustainability Manager, H&M

Hanna Hallin is the Sustainability Manager for H&M Sales markets of Greater China, covering Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Macao. Previously she was one of the twenty global Sustainability Business Experts at the H&M Group’s Head office in Stockholm. Hanna’s background is in the non-profit sector, and includes roles at Fairtrade Sweden and the Clean Clothes Campaign. Before joining H&M in 2012, she was the Executive Director of a Swedish think tank on civil society.

Shan Shan, Co-founder, Yeechoo

Shan Shan is the co-founder of Yeechoo.com – Greater China’s first designer apparel online rental platform. Since its July 2014 launch Yeechoo has drawn significant media coverage and successfully attracted a large and rapidly growing user base across Asia. Shan’s previous experience includes six years in the Investment Banking Divisions of JPMorgan, UBS and Jefferies in both Australia and Hong Kong where she was involved in numerous multi-billion dollar mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, equity and debt transactions with a cross sector client profile, including a large number of leading global companies.

Jong Lee, Founder, Bonham Strand

Jong Lee is Chairman and Managing Director of RGL Holdings, Ltd. He has spent 20 years building and reinventing businesses as principal, executive, investor, banker and lawyer in the United States, Japan, South Korea and greater China. Jong specializes in technology, social enterprise, traditional industries and special purpose real estate. He founded the award winning social enterprise, Bonham Strand in 2012 to provide a traditional bespoke suit service using local master tailors with its integrated Second Chance Program, which has a strong social and environment mission.

MODERATOR

Christina Dean, Founder and CEO, Redress

Christina Dean is a sustainable fashion advocate who founded Redress in 2007 in Hong Kong. She is a regular speaker at seminars, contributes opinion pieces and editorials to a wide range of magazines. She has received numerous recognitions, including Coco Eco’s ‘2010’s Most Influential Women in Green’ and by UK Vogue as one of the UK’s ‘Top 30 Inspirational Women’. Previously, Christina was an award winning journalist and a practicing dentist.