Some of the most exciting and innovative developments of history came out of periods of uncertainty and depression. Out of the Dark Ages came the Renaissance and the Internet was initiated following WWII.

Are we currently going through a cultural revolution? What will happen during the Information Age? Perhaps this period of time will be known as when our economic system collapsed and then redeveloped for the better of people and the planet.

More importantly, how will it affect you and the fashion industry in which you work? Will we be part of the cure or the disease? Our supply chains are global and problems within them are systemic. This makes it hard for anyone to know where to begin but it isn't a reason to do nothing and we need innovative folk like your self to get us out of this mess. With more focus on where you can have influence, not only can you develop your supply chain to have positive impact on the world but you could be serving your bottom line too!

I've been a Buyer for 10 years and have worked for some of the most successful and innovative fashion retailers on the UK high street including TOPSHOP, ASOS.com and River Island. Having spent most of my career at TOPSHOP, I have seen the impact of global cultural, economic and political changes on our Fashion supply chains. Its not been pretty but something exciting is happening in the undergrowth of our industry. With the development of the Internet and online media we are more connected than ever, and information spreads like wildfire. Supply chains that were once hidden are now in a spotlight and a business that is in it for the long haul (which I'm sure is your plan!) it is paramount that you protect this asset.

One of the most exciting elements of being a Buyer or Designer is hunting out new trends, developing beautiful products and seeing them fly off the shelves. However, during the last 5 years of my career I have uncovered a new and exciting aspect of my job as a Buyer. As I embarked on a labyrinth journey of understanding fashion supply chains, I travelled to all corners of the world which opened my eyes to the realisation of just how connected we truly are and the positive influence that we can all have within the fashion industry. Along the way, I've read Vogue with female Fairtrade cotton farmers in Cameroon, shared fashion tips with seamstresses on the coast in Ghana, discussed the merits of peace silk farms in Vietnam and witnessed empowerment of providing work for exiled Tibetans in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas. I've even sat in the Zurich office of one of the biggest cotton Trading companies in the world, bashing out ideas of how we can increase access to more Fairtrade cotton to the Buyers on the high street in both financial terms and also availability.

Now this isn't currently the typical role of a conventional Buyer for a high street retailer, however, I believe it will be in the future. We live in uncertain times and as stakeholders of the fashion industry, whose supply chains affect many people around the world, it is our responsibility to make sure that the business roles we play have only positive affects on the people within them and the planet. This is known as triple bottom line – PEOPLE, PLANET, PROFIT – whereby you have financial success but with minimal negative affect on the planet and maximum positive affect for the people. Understanding your supply chain and building trustworthy partners is going to be paramount to your success. We all play a key role in addressing the systemic issues that we have within our industry.

This is one of the reasons that I set up ei8ht. We help innovative designers and businesses to develop more sustainable supply chains that they are proud of and add value to their business. ei8ht fosters and supports businesses like your own by building on your core strengths. Whether you are new to this area of the industry or are looking at ways to develop further, ei8ht has a group of specialists that can help you in all areas of the supply chain from sourcing fabrics, working with small co-operatives through to advice on codes of conduct and where you need to be most vigilant within your business. ei8ht analyses the main challenges you face within your supply chains in terms of people and planet and help you define an effective and exciting strategy to address them. We are on the look out for exciting role models for the fashion industry, who ei8ht can publicise and promote throughout its different aspects of work. We have a huge network for you to tap into all over the world and we want to see this new business model develop.

Claire is also the Sustainable Sourcing Specialist on Fashion Capital and is part of the Vectra network