Dear Fashion Industry,
I’m fed up.
I’ve seen the amount of waste you produce, your lack of responsibility for your actions, and how slow and resistant you are to change – quite ironic for such a fast-paced industry if you ask me.
The way we consume and overproduce sucks.
We’re using the earth’s resources faster than they regenerate. We need 1.6 earth’s per year to match our consumption – a deficit that the fashion industry plays a big part in.
I’m not the only millennial (or Gen Z) fed up with how we retail – both producing and purchasing. I’m a tiny part of the awakening global movement wanting to do and be better, to drive material change.
So I’m going to do something about it with like-minded others.
So we’re building a community platform online to help us all understand the ethics and sustainability of all the companies involved in delivering our clothes.
Will you help us build this?
Our consideration as consumers of which clothing brands we support and why can make a massive difference and make it crystal clear to the industry that it’s time for real systems change and transparency – not greenwashing or doing the bare minimum.
Come join us,
Andréa van der Meel
www.alltc.co
John Holt is a serial entrepreneur based in New Zealand. His ventures to date have covered a wide range of industries including Security, Talent Management/Human Resources, Property, and Sustainability. His first global venture, Sonar6, was sold in 2012 to US publicly listed firm Cornerstone.
In 2010 John founded Kiwi Landing Pad alongside a non-profit focussed on helping Kiwi companies and founders go global – which has over 6,000 members worldwide. He remains Chairperson of Territory3 and takes an active interest in mentoring and supporting founders of a wide range of companies and was an Executive Producer of the recently released feature film Outside the Valley.
He is passionate about building businesses with Purpose and Profit and maintains connections with the Corporate world through his roles as a Director of Airways Corporation New Zealand and regional Chairperson of the Bank of New Zealand. He also Chair and trustee of Porirua-based waste minimization charity FreeForAll.
Andréa van der Meel is a seasoned retailer based in New Zealand. Her experience in the retail sector spans 15 years, having worked with various clothing & footwear brands from store level through to retail operations and production.
During her time on the frontline and behind the scenes, Andréa saw gaps in how retailers were operating, particularly the frequent mismatch between what and how much brands were producing, and what consumers actually wanted. This drove her to create SeekStock, a software platform enabling direct two-way dialogue between frontline retail staff and head office to discuss product demand, in real-time.
This supply/demand disconnect is a driving force behind All Things Considered as well, this time focusing the conversation on sustainability and ethics. Andréa is on her own considered journey, committing herself to maintain an 80% pre-loved wardrobe. Her ethical values and experience in the retail and technology sectors place her perfectly to help grow and empower the All Things Considered community.
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