Dialogue: Sustainable fashion from an economic perspective

On 17 September 2024, XAVAN Inc.and Humans of ISME@NEU co-organized talkshow 'Dialogue: Sustainable fashion from an economic perspective, a part of ISME Debate Contest 2024. XAVAN Inc. would like to express our sincere appreciation to the presence, contribution and support of Dr.Le Thi Huong Lan – Head of Cooperation and Development Department – International School of Management and Economics (ISME) - National Economics University (NEU)

Objectives

• To create an open discussion and an interdisciplinary conversation among experts in the creative industry (fashion) and experts in economics/ marketing

• To propose different angles of ‘Sustainability in Fashion’

• To encourage target audience to learn and practice sustainable values

  
  

Speakers

•  Dr. Vu Hoang Linh: Professor in Marketing at Faculty of Marketing, National Economics University, Hanoi, Vietnam. Visiting Professor at University of the West of England, UK. Ph.D. from NEOMA Business School, France.

• Mitchell Vassie: Designer, Fashion Design Lecturer with more than 23 years of experience in the Fashion industry in Europe and America. Worked as Senior Designer and Head of Design for brands such as Karen Millen, Lee Jeans, Dockers, O'neill, Mexx, etc.

• Le Ngoc Ha Thu: the first Vietnamese designer to win the international sustainable design competition Redress Design Award 2020. Co-designed the Lunar New Year 2022 capsule collection with the Timberland brand. Redress Ambassador in Vietnam.

  
  

Target audience

• Students participating ‘ISME Debate Contest 2024’

• People interested in sustainable/ ethical fashion

• People studying/ working in the creative industry

• People studying/ working in Economics/ Marketing, who is interested in

  interdisciplinary activities

 Dr. Le Thi Huong Lan with her opening speech

Content Summary

Section 1: What is a sustainable business model in fashion and its example?

Designer Le Ngoc Ha Thu has presented a case-study of 'Dong dong'

Presenting a case-study of 'Dong dong', a business that turns used canvas to fashion products, Ms. Thu has described 3P principles in sustainable development including: People, Planet, Profit. The example of 'Dong dong' has showed how recycled canvas could be used efficiently. At the same time, the use of abandoned commercial billboards has created the brand's unique cultural DNA

Some key takeaways from the discussion:

• An old-aged business model existed in Vietnam for such a long time can properly be a sustained model: Cooperative. This model can be seen in the form of a ‘craft village’.

• The criteria for a successful/ developing business do not simply lie in their profit. We need to consider the working conditions of the workers in the supply chain and the positive impacts on both the environment and the community.

Section 2: Sustainable fashion from a marketing perspective

Dr. Vu Hoang Linh in the second section of the talkshow

How to convince consumers to buy sustainable products when many choose to buy for cheap price and appearance?

• To sustainably change an industry, it is essential to involve all of the stakeholders including consumers, enterprises, media, and authorities. Education for both customers and people working in the field plays a crucial role in sustainable transformation. The actual progress to sustainability requires a relentless and long-term commitment.

• A sustainable brand should convey to customers not only the finished product but also information about the process and the people who contributed to creating it. This is a way to communicate the brand story with rich authenticity.

  
  

Section 3: Approaching fashion through cultural values as a method to help slow down the consumption cycle

Designer Mitchell Vassie has shared his experience with cultural values

• Culture and history are very broad categories. Cultural history can include traditional, folk, street elements, etc. There will always be ways to incorporate them into designs that are suitable for users, even young people. In fact, fashion design is always a job that requires learning from the past. Collecting archival items in the fashionindustry is not something new.

• Generational legacy is also an interesting and meaningful way to use an item for a longer time, thereby slowing down consumption. A piece of clothing can be passed down from parents to children, from siblings to each other. Vintage items handed down to the younger generation can always be styled with more modern trends.

A lively discussion with a lot of interesting and tricky questions from the audience

An opportunity to show the perspective of people from both creative and economics field

Young audience has connected with experienced experts

The end of the talkshow