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Each year at this time, anchored to the release of THE ICONIC Annual Progress Report, we gather a roundtable of industry figures – models, CEOs, founders and THE ICONIC team members – to publicly lead a discussion on the condition of our industry through the lens of sustainability, inclusion, diversity and body positivity, as well as to talk about their own firsthand experiences and our targets for the future.
Today was that day, and true to 2020, we went virtual, live-streaming the panel discussion between the industry leaders.
Moderator Jennifer Child, of McKinsey & Company, was joined by THE ICONIC CEO, Erica Berchtold, Nick Molnar, Co-Founder and US CEO of Afterpay, as well as Clare Press, the presenter of podcast, Wardrobe Crisis, Leila Naja Hibri, The Australian Fashion Council CEO, Co-Founder of Nobody Denim John Condilis, as well as top Australian model Charlee Fraser, who returned for a second year in a row.
With visibility on today’s just-launched Annual Progress Report 2020, which shares transparently THE ICONIC’s achievements and future targets on sustainability, inclusion, diversity and body-positivity, the conversation spanned consumer behaviours, shopping online for the first time, the need for seasons and importantly, customers’ values.
Clare Press observes that with everything that this year has brought, “We have been jolted into questioning if we need so much stuff.”
“And the other side of that, we’re looking for storytelling and deep connection behind the things that we do decide that we need. In terms of mindful consumerism, brands are going to have to work a bit harder to win over the customer who’s not just buying on a whim anymore. We’re looking at things completely differently.
“I still see a role for fashion – I love fashion – but I want to hear the stories about the designers’ process, I want to see how it was made. I don’t just want to buy meaningless stuff without thinking about it – and not just fashion, consumer products in general.
“We’re at a really cool juncture because what I think is coming on the other side is more meaning and more connection.”
The story behind the product is woven into Nobody Denim’s DNA. They’ve just launched a range of traceable-fibre denim, grown in Australia, “giving you full traceability from the cotton fibre, right through to the end consumer,” says co-founder John Condilis.
Consumers “get emotionally attached to a product or a brand when they believe in it and actually understand what that stands for.” A concept that Condilis confirms is not a trend but a sentiment that’s been growing for a decade.
“The question that I’ve been asking myself for the last five years is, ‘why aren’t we more transparent?’”
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THE ICONIC Roundtable Discussion 2020
Erica Berchtold, THE ICONIC CEO says, “A long time ago it felt like you had to choose between being environmentally sustainable or being financially sustainable – there wasn’t an obvious path to being both. What we’ve started to see, and prove, and lead is that you can actually do both of those things.”
“Last year we created the Considered shop on our site so that you can shop by your sustainability values – that was very customer-led functionality that we developed because they were asking for that information and that’s given us encouragement to go forward.”
Charlee agrees that people want to know the story of the cultural background too, not just the production. “Cultural discussions are happening in such a positive light. People are willing to take action and it’s not just talk anymore.”
Leila Naja Hibri, CEO of The Australian Fashion Council says, “There is a huge appetite at the moment for local production and Australian-made. I love Nobody Denim – John has worked very hard to continue to manufacture in Australia. We need to hero Australian-made but we also need to highlight Australian brands.
According to Afterpay’s Nick Molnar, “A lot of the support of small business is actually coming through Gen Z. A consumer that’s really conscious and shopping local.”
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THE ICONIC CMO, Alexander Meyer introducing the roundtable discussion
THE ICONIC is also contributing to the make-up of our society through initiatives like our first RAP. “We just submitted our Reconciliation Action Plan,” says Erica. “It is quite a lengthy process to go through but one that we are so much better for having gone through because we’ve been opened up to this whole opportunity of storytelling, just in our Indigenous community, let alone all the other environmental aspects as well.”
“We just see ourselves as a great platform to help lead this conversation. We can just open peoples’ eyes a little bit … and that’s going to gain momentum and groundswell and we’re so excited to be part of this.”
Looking at the shift towards online shopping that 2020 imposed on Australians, Erica comments, “What was supposed to take the next six or seven years has taken a year.”
“All of us, as retailers, need to think about how we connect with customers and help them solve a problem or inspire them. The channel in which they shop [bricks and mortar or online] is secondary.”
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THE ICONIC Roundtable Discussion 2020
Press observes, “Fashion confounds me because it’s meant to be this industry that’s leading the change and looking to the future and really forward-thinking but we’re locked in these really old-fashioned systems that date back 100 years, or when it comes to seasons, date back 50-60 years, Why are we even still talking about spring-summer, autumn-winter or seasonal show calendars or being scared of digital?
“Yesterday I went to see all the Fashion honours graduates from UTS in Sydney – so inspiring – but none of these young designers are thinking about channels or seasons or even fashion weeks. They’re thinking about completely new business models, making one-offs, digital-first, they’re meeting their customers where they are. There’s so much possibility and excitement that’s already happening, I wonder why we’re so fearful of change. Saying goodbye to these systems that haven’t served us is terrific.”
The conversation wrapped up with commitments for the future, which ranged from personal goals like Charlee shopping her Christmas list more sustainably, to Erica promising “continuing to be transparent,” and Clare’s cautionary comment on fashion as a whole – “enjoy responsibly.”
If you would like to know more about THE ICONIC’s sustainability, inclusion and diversity achievements and targets, you can read the full Annual Progress Report 2020 here.
Our thanks to:
MODERATOR:
Jennifer Child, Partner - McKinsey & Company
PANELLISTS:
- Erica Berchtold, CEO - THE ICONIC
- Nick Molnar, Co-Founder and US CEO - Afterpay
- Clare Press, Presenter - Wardrobe Crisis Podcast
- Charlee Fraser, Australian Model
- John Condilis, Chair / Co-Founder - Nobody Denim
- Leila Naja Hibri, CEO - The Australian Fashion Council
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