“In our thirtieth year of business, we wanted to be sure the business was looking to the future of the industry, the second largest polluter in the planet," said co-founder Ruth Chapman today. "With our reputation for pioneering and nurturing fashion talent we are proud to continue to innovate by focusing our energies on addressing some of these issues within our own business and our broader supply chain. We hope to bring awareness to our brands, employees and customers and therefore spearhead change, however incremental, over the coming years. Eco-Age are without doubt the best partners for us to learn from as we begin this project.”
Eco Age is the most high-profile fashion business to shine a light on ethics and sustainability in the fashion industry, not only examining where clothes are made, from what and by whom, but also in advising businesses - especially emerging ones - how to grow their brand at an organic pace and enjoy longevity. For a brand like Matchesfashion.com, which is famed for nurturing young and left-field fashion talent, the latter of these points will prove to be an invaluable asset in supporting the brands it buys and sells. Only this week did it unveil its new concept The Innovators, a retail hub dedicated to championing the non-conformist designers who they believe deserve their own arena.
But first things first: for the last couple of months, Eco Age has been looking at the e-commerce platform and how it manages its environmental and social risks.
"I have so much admiration for Ruth and Tom Chapman as they demonstrated leadership through Matchesfashion.com all along," said Firth, herself indomitable in her pursuit of not just raising awareness but facilitating actual change in the industry (read about her Green Carpet Fashion Award initiative, set to take place at MFW, here). "The sustainability journey they have now embarked upon is not an easy task for a multi-brand retailer but the direct engagement both internally and externally of the Matchesfashion.com ethos is fundamental to the success of it. This is such a unique opportunity to make a real change."
Change is the buzzword at the retailer right now. Earlier this month, after 30 years at the helm, the Chapmans sold a majority stake in the fashion business (subject to closing conditions) to private-equity fund Apax Partners, remaining minority shareholders.
"The business has never been in a stronger position and we want to thank our loyal customers, the exceptional brands and the brilliant people who we are fortunate enough to work with," they said at the time. "They inspire us every day to be better." The old adage "what goes around, comes around" has never been more apt.
Eco Age is the most high-profile fashion business to shine a light on ethics and sustainability in the fashion industry, not only examining where clothes are made, from what and by whom, but also in advising businesses - especially emerging ones - how to grow their brand at an organic pace and enjoy longevity. For a brand like Matchesfashion.com, which is famed for nurturing young and left-field fashion talent, the latter of these points will prove to be an invaluable asset in supporting the brands it buys and sells. Only this week did it unveil its new concept The Innovators, a retail hub dedicated to championing the non-conformist designers who they believe deserve their own arena.
But first things first: for the last couple of months, Eco Age has been looking at the e-commerce platform and how it manages its environmental and social risks.
"I have so much admiration for Ruth and Tom Chapman as they demonstrated leadership through Matchesfashion.com all along," said Firth, herself indomitable in her pursuit of not just raising awareness but facilitating actual change in the industry (read about her Green Carpet Fashion Award initiative, set to take place at MFW, here). "The sustainability journey they have now embarked upon is not an easy task for a multi-brand retailer but the direct engagement both internally and externally of the Matchesfashion.com ethos is fundamental to the success of it. This is such a unique opportunity to make a real change."
Change is the buzzword at the retailer right now. Earlier this month, after 30 years at the helm, the Chapmans sold a majority stake in the fashion business (subject to closing conditions) to private-equity fund Apax Partners, remaining minority shareholders.
"The business has never been in a stronger position and we want to thank our loyal customers, the exceptional brands and the brilliant people who we are fortunate enough to work with," they said at the time. "They inspire us every day to be better." The old adage "what goes around, comes around" has never been more apt.
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