\n\tFor decades, growth has been driven by the \u201ctake, make, waste\u201d linear production system. That model delivered volume, but at the cost of value \u2014 environmental, social and increasingly, commercial. Now, as EU regulations tighten and the physical limits of waste become harder to ignore, brands are confronting the more fundamental challenge of how to grow without simply selling more.<\/p>\n
\n\tAcross ChangeNow, which had a dedicated fashion track for its 11th edition, speakers emphasized that the industry is searching for ways to extract value from what already exists \u2014 through resale, repair, data and services \u2014 rather than relying on constant newness and the ever-faster trend cycle.<\/p>\n
\n\tBut the shift is uneven. Some companies are doubling down on circular models and infrastructure, while others quietly scale back sustainability commitments amid economic headwinds. <\/p>\n
\n\tAttendees buzzed about the immediate and potentially long-term impacts of the Iran war, with some noting that factories they work with are already cutting hours or temporarily closing due to power cuts, particularly in Bangladesh. The long-term fallout will put added pressure on the industry, both from a cost perspective and its dampening effect on consumer confidence.<\/p>\n
\n\tAgainst that context, many of the solutions being explored \u2014 from digital product passports to industrial-scale recycling \u2014 are less about sustainability as a stand-alone goal and more about redefining where value sits in the fashion economy. The question is no longer how to produce responsibly at scale, but whether scale itself needs to be reduced.<\/p>\n
\n\tAcross the conference, ChangeNow panelists even took aim at the idea of \u201cgreen growth,\u201d the theory that fashion can continue expanding while reducing its environmental impact, including several speakers outside the fashion industry such as celebrity academic Kate Raworth, of \u201cdoughnut economics\u201d fame, and Instagram economist Michael Mezzatesta.<\/p>\n
\n\tSustainability has to be reframed for shareholders and the C-suite to be seen less as compliance, more as a potential revenue driver, panelists agreed. Digital product passports are a case in point. Initially framed as a reporting method for the forthcoming European regulatory requirements, they are increasingly being treated as a sales tool.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWe really believe that this is the future,\u201d said Vanessa Barboni Hallik, founder and chief executive officer of Another Tomorrow. \u201cOnce that infrastructure is built, it\u2019s this amazing scaffolding that you can really innovate on very, very flexibly.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tBy linking physical products to digital identities, brands can extend relationships beyond the point of sale, enable resale and capture customer data.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cThe DPP is a CRM tool,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity to create those first-party data relationships. There are a lot of next-generation consumers encountering brands for the first time [on] secondhand [platforms], not first hand. So for all of these reasons, the DPP has enormous power. It also has tremendous power from a lifetime value perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tAt scale, the infrastructure is already coming together. The Aura Blockchain Consortium, backed by luxury groups including LVMH Mo\u00ebt Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Prada, has more than 80 million products registered on its platform, said CEO Marcel H\u00e4rtlein. The focus is shifting to activation and how brands can layer services such as repair, extended warranties and personalized engagement on top of that data.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cWhat we see now is that brands are moving more and more into the service-level area,\u201d he said. \u201cThe whole luxury industry is really at an inflection point, because trust, transparency, sustainability, customer engagement on an additional digital touchpoint are becoming super relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tExecution, however, remains the biggest speed bump, as supply chains are fragmented, with key data dispersed across multiple tiers and geographies.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s super complex, because the data actually exists, but it\u2019s everywhere,\u201d said Laure Dervaux, cofounder of Fairly Made.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"Interior](\"https:\/\/wwd.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-wwd-2021\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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\t\t\t\t\tInterior view of the Grand Palais during the ChangeNow event.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHans Lucas\/AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n