Products of Change Conference 2024

On the 6th November Fashion-Enter Ltd (FEL) was invited, by the Bravado International Group, to join them at the annual Products of Change conference. The event is aimed at connecting retailers, brand owners and product manufacturers.

FEL has been working with Bravado for several months on a new exciting project to bring life back to deadstock merchandise, a big issue within the music merchandise industry. 

Matt Young the president of Bravado shared how they produced 25million merch products last year but only 10% of them were sustainable. He acknowledged they had a long way to go to increase this number but had dedicated teams working on this issue. Bravado cover many artists, however Billie Eilish is leading the way in sustainability which they hope will show that it can be done with other artists following suit. 

Primark’s Nicholas Lamber, Head of Circularity, updated on Primark’s latest initiatives  and how they were integrating circularity into their business. Through Primark Cares, they focus on giving products a longer life, protecting life on the planet and enhancing people’s lives. Primark regularly hosts repair workshops within their stores and have launched new initiatives such as Wornwell and Primark Preloved.

Lisa Ly, senior sustainability manager, & Jo Seddon, design manager – product research, development and innovation from Dunelm spoke about how they were designing with sustainability in mind. Their Austin Sofa is designed for circularity and built to last. The frame is made in the UK from hardwood and guaranteed for 25 years. The modular design allows additional pieces to be purchased changing the configuration and be taken away for repairs if needed. When the sofa is no longer repairable, the construction allows for easy dismantling and separation of parts for recycling. 3D printing is also featured within their design. 

The conference was informative and insightful and it was encouraging to hear how brands are actively beginning to incorporate more sustainable practices into their business models.