Colin Browne, CEO of Cascale, recently addressed the International Apparel & Footwear Compliance Conference in Vietnam, hosted by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA).
Colin Browne, CEO of Cascale, recently addressed the International Apparel & Footwear Compliance Conference in Vietnam, hosted by the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA). The event brought together industry leaders to deepen their understanding of U.S. compliance requirements and brand expectations for factories.
In his keynote, Browne tackled the pressing challenges of compliance and climate urgency, calling for a proactive industry approach as global legislation increasingly shifts from voluntary to mandatory requirements. He outlined Cascale’s commitment to supporting sustainable supply chains, highlighting the Higg Index suite of tools, used by over 40,000 companies to measure and improve their sustainability impacts.
Drawing from his extensive background in procurement at Under Armour, VF, and Li & Fung, Browne shared firsthand insights into supply chain impacts. He emphasized the need for leadership and disruption to guide the industry through an evolving global landscape shaped by recent and upcoming elections in key markets such as India, Pakistan, the U.S., and the U.K. He praised Cascale’s partnerships with organizations like AAFA in the U.S. and Policy Hub in the EU, which drive collective advocacy on policy issues critical to the industry’s future.
Browne commended the industry’s innovation and collaboration while underscoring Cascale’s role in driving collective action. He spotlighted the work of Cascale’s Policy & Public Affairs team, which collaborates with organizations like AAFA and Policy Hub to advocate for industry-wide positions and engage in policy discussions.
Browne emphasized Vietnam’s strategic role in global apparel exports, noting the presence of Cascale members such as the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS). He then highlighted Cascale’s local engagement, including an APAC Manufacturer Interview Group designed to amplify manufacturers’ voices in global policy discussions. He also announced plans for an APAC-focused policy paper and previewed the upcoming Cascale Forum in Ho Chi Minh City, set for May 14–15, 2025.
Closing his address, Browne urged the audience to ramp up decarbonization efforts, stressing the need for urgent action to address climate challenges while building resilient, sustainable supply chains.
This year, Cascale was a supporting organization for the Fashion Summit event in Hong Kong, which team members Joyce Tsoi, senior director of the decarbonization program; Howard Kwong, senior manager of public affairs, APAC; and Peony Tam, manager of global membership development, APAC; attended.
Fashion Summit (HK) is Asia’s leading sustainable fashion event funded by the Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) of HKSAR and organized by the Clothing Industry Training Authority (CITA). It plays a vital role in the development of sustainable fashion, bringing together key players from the fashion industry, NGOs, media, decision-makers, and leaders from around the world to exchange insights on the latest sustainable fashion trends, technology, best practices, solutions, and opportunities.
This year’s theme was “Power Up Sustainable Fashion Business,” and featured a series of events, including a one-day international conference, fashion shows, exhibitions, and a pop-up shop. The goal was to promote Hong Kong as a creative fashion hub and encourage fashion designers and industry players to integrate their creativity, innovative thinking, and sustainability concepts into business practices.
Crucial conversations and presentations included an exploration of eco-materials through the lens of material suppliers, brands, ESG advocates, and verification organizations. Further discussions delved into circularity and deadstock and the need for clear definitions of such terms. The event also highlighted the importance of compliance and the need for harmonized legislation across the industry.
Andrew Martin, executive vice president, Cascale, recently participated in the Social & Labour Convergence Program (SLCP) inaugural General Assembly.
The recent 2024 Textile Exchange conference, held Oct. 28 to 31 in Pasadena, California, highlighted the real-time process of industry transformation.
Joining forces with Worldly, the most comprehensive sustainability data insights platform, representatives from Cascale’s membership, business development, and communications teams participated. Attendees dove deep into supply chain resilience, sustainable practices, and the role of data-driven solutions like the Higg Index. Coming on the heels of Cascale’s recent updates to the Higg Materials Sustainability Index (MSI) and the Higg Facility Environment Module (FEM) 2024 update, and anticipating the policy-focused Brand & Retail Forum in Brussels in December, the discussions could not have been more timely.
Opening the conference, Claire Bergkamp, Textile Exchange’s chief executive officer, issued an urgent call for collective action. “We are not afraid here, and neither should you, to air the elephants in the room, to tackle the hard things, because it’s only in doing that that we can really come to true resolution and true solutions,” she said. “In this room we have farmers, growers, producers, recyclers, brands, consultants, non profit and so many others. The diversity in this community is our strength.”
An opening plenary moderated by Sarah Kent, chief sustainability correspondent at The Business of Fashion, brought together Liz Ricketts, from the Ghana-based Or Foundation, with Matt Dwyer of Patagonia, a founding Cascale member, to explore waste and circularity. “Ultimately, cheap commodities require cheap labor,” Ricketts said. “Everyone is being squeezed along this value chain because we are not making clothing with enough value embedded into it.” At the day’s final plenary, Textile Exchange released its Materials Matter Standard, which the organization called “a new precedent for more sustainable materials production.”
Presenters and speakers included Cascale members from the manufacturing, brand/retail, and affiliate sectors. Represented membership included CottonConnect, Laudes Foundation, GIZ, VF Corporation, Levi Strauss & Co, Patagonia, TAL Apparel Limited, H&M, U.S. Cotton Trust Protocol, GM Integrity Systems, New Zealand Merino Company, Puma, Apparel Impact Institute, Primark, Woolmark Company, Columbia Sportswear Company, Zalando SE, Reformation, Recover, lululemon Athletica Inc., adidas, ZDHC, and Eastman. Cascale Board members, VF’s Sean Cady and TAL Apparel’s Delman Lee, were also in attendance.
The critical nature of “The Case for Change,” the event’s theme, was echoed by Whitney Bauck, a climate journalist who was the event’s host. “This is life or death work,” Bauck said. “You may not feel that in your everyday, but there are communities that do.”
