Inside the Industry
The Sustainable Fashion Forum, now in its seventh year, returns to Portland, Ore., April 21–22. The event gathers hundreds of like-minded sustainability advocates from all industry levels for the opportunity to connect and gain new insights. The conference will explore “The Nuanced Layers” of sustainability in fashion, recognizing the complex and multifaceted nature of the issue. Featured speakers include Maxine Bédat of the New Standard Institute, Raz Godelnik of the Parsons School of Design, Debi Rodenmayer of Neiman Marcus, Kara Solomonides-Brody of Adidas and Kohl Crecelius of Known Supply. The conversation will cover a variety of topics at the intersection of fashion, business and sustainability including circularity, standardizing sustainability, the psychology of fast fashion, the roles of online communities in sustainable fashion, the business of sustainability and more.
The Earth Day Summit, being hosted by downtown L.A.’s California Market Center, takes place April 21 from 1 to 5 p.m. When it comes to saving the planet Southern California style, a first thought is likely a pristine beach—or what used to be a pristine beach. But not when the fashion industry is involved. The annual event dedicated to elevating climate action will be cohosted by Recycle2Riches, which along with the CMC is inviting like-minded creatives, climate experts and activists to showcase innovative solutions to the green economy. “I created a collection of curated vendors, speakers and VIP guests from across California to show closed-loop solutions that are truly ethical, sustainable and good for mother earth,” said Earth Day Summit creator Ashleigh Morgan Dawson.
Republic Business Credit responded when a wholesaler of misses and junior women’s clothing needed a partner in a hurry to meet the shipping needs of its Spring and Summer collections. RBC was able to quickly stitch together the necessary financing in just a few weeks. “Having known this company since its founding more than 20 years ago, it was exciting they reached out to us. Our team worked quickly to put together the deal for a $6.5 million traditional factoring facility to help build ahead of their busy season,” said Tae Chung, senior vice president at RBC. Headquartered in Los Angeles, the company’s clothing is sold through several different labels at major retailers including Nordstrom, Stitch Fix, Bealls, Dillard’s and Burlington.
Hodges International has officially become the 68th TUKAcenter in the world with a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility. This smart factory combines advanced automation to create a highly efficient, sustainable and productive manufacturing environment, including a comprehensive suite of software and analytics tools to monitor and optimize production processes. Within a 147,000-square-foot complex, Hodges boasts fully vertical manufacturing capabilities, from design and development to manufacturing of apparel and textiles, including circular knitting. Hodges has attracted business from a variety of brands, wholesalers and retailers and has partnered with brands, government, prisons and national-defense programs. Deanna Hodges started the company in 2020 with the goal of bringing manufacturing back to the United States, purchasing the historic Black Ox/Duplan textile mill in Lincolnton, N.C.
