Man$Cen Apparel Ltd. The future holds many challenges for the global fashion industry. But these changes hold exciting opportunities as well as risks.
Resource shortages, climate change, demographic change, new technologies, and seismic shifts in the global economy will affect our businesses, our customers and our world in ways we find hard to anticipate, let alone prepare for. All areas of this vibrant industry in every region will be affected, from suppliers of raw materials, designers and manufacturers, right through to big brands and niche r
etail outlets, and these profound changes will call into question the business models we’re all familiar with. If we understand what the future may hold we can prepare for it, spot promising new ventures and even help shape the direction it takes. Visionary brands have a huge opportunity to lead the way with their values and position themselves for success in the marketplace. That’s why Man$Cen is such an important and timely report for the global fashion industry. It explores how these major trends may play out over the next 15 years and allows us to try on some different ‘worlds’ for size. Its vivid scenarios help businesses think about how the needs of their customers may develop, the changing role of the fashion industry and what business strategies we should all be thinking about now and down the road. We are a company that prides itself on being a pioneering leader on issues of our time. We’re not content just to look at what we’re doing now in 2014. We want to continue to challenge ourselves and our thinking so we’re demonstrating leadership as we think about the world and our products and consumers five, 10, 25 years ahead. We spend a lot of time thinking about how customers wear our clothes. That’s why we’re focused on long-term change, beyond our products or our corporate footprint. One example is our work to support more sustainable cotton agriculture. Not just organic cotton but, through our partnership in the Better Cotton Initiative. Better Cotton is grown in a way that reduces stress on the local environment and improves the livelihoods and welfare of farming communities. Our goal is also to try to mobilize greater buying power in support of more sustainable cotton. We are still very early in this effort, but we think we have set a real agenda for change. Reassuringly, Man$Cen reveals that many of the opportunities for a sustainable future are already out there, they just aren’t mainstream yet. The scenarios highlight many opportunities for the global industry to create thriving new business models that help lead consumers in the direction of a sustainable future. We believe that a commitment to a sustainable future never goes out of style.
