Drapers Talks

Industry leaders from Harrods, Neem London, Deckers Brands and Infor Nexus discuss some of the biggest challenges facing the supply chain, from balancing cost and agility to embedding sustainability and ESG.  Moderated by Lee Kenny, news editor of Drapers, during the Drapers Supply Chain Summit 2024.

Matalan’s chief supply chain operations officer, Phil Hackney, reveals the latest trends in operations management, supply chain performance improvements, and the biggest opportunities in 2024 and beyond.  Moderated by Lee Kenny, news editor of Drapers, during the Drapers Supply Chain Summit 2024.

Listen to Catherine Jobling, chief operating officer of AllSaints, explain how the premium high street retailer’s strong relationships with suppliers and symbiotic approach helps to future-proof the company's supply chain. Find out how AllSaints collaborates with its partners on sustainability, and the challenges the business has faced and overcome. Moderated by Gabriele Dirvanauskas, acting editor of Drapers, during the Drapers Supply Chain Summit 2024.

Innovative approaches to customer engagement and what they mean for the future of fashion The future of fashion is not just about what we wear, but the entire customer experience. How is engagement going to evolve? Drawing from her broad knowledge in machine learning, Tian explored the opportunities that generative AI will potentially be able to offer fashion brands in serving their customers. She also discussed Zalando's AI-powered assistant which was co-created together with customers and how to inspire and entertain customers with AI experiences onsite. Tian Su - vice president personalisation and recommendation - Zalando

Fashion trends in the digital era Listen to Jonny as he discusses the fusion of fashion trends and digital technology. Discover how brands can leverage AI-powered tools and emerging platforms to stay ahead of and respond to trends as well as shape market narratives. Jonny Longden - group digital director - Boohoo Group

Crystal ball forecasts: what should fashion retailers be investing in to future-proof their businesses? With so many tools available, what are the most promising emerging technologies and disruptive innovations on the horizon for fashion retail? How are fashion businesses leveraging AI? How can fashion retailers adapt their strategies to cater to the unique preferences and behaviours of the Generation Alpha consumers? Chris Williamson - group director of technology - N Brown Papinder Dosanjh - director of data science and AI - Asos Stephanie Legg - chief marketing officer - Schuh Sangeetha Chandru - senior vice president, AI - EXL

Outside view: how to drive innovation within your business Peek at other industries' technology innovations with Paul Wilkinson, who drew on his experience driving innovation at industry giants like Deliveroo, Amazon and Tesco. Paul talked about actionable strategies to ignite innovation within your team and lessons that fashion retailers and brands can learn from unexpected places. Paul Wilkinson, product director - Deliveroo

Retracing fashion's steps to build in sustainability Understanding how and where fashion retailers are tackling sustainability is critical: these changes – even seemingly small ones – can have a huge impact. Our panel explored: How are fashion retailers creating products built to last, and reducing overconsumption? Exploring materials efficiency and longevity, ways of designing differently, and approaches to limiting overproduction; Which projects and partnerships are driving change? Optimising collaboration between brands, suppliers, industry bodies and beyond; Changing consumer behaviour: exploring the role fashion retail plays, and uncovering initiatives to drive this. Alison Ward Chief executive - CottonConnect   Lynne Walker Director of Primark Cares - Primark   Susan Fairley Head of sourcing, quality and sustainability - New Look   Tom Berry Independent advisor - Tom Berry Sustainability Consulting  

Rethinking revenue streams: accelerating growth via circular business models Fashion resale, rental, repair and recycling are at the beginning of a rapid growth projection. Our panel of speakers hosted a deep dive into the opportunities offered by circular business models, including: Rethinking customer experiences, changing consumption habits and reimagining ownership: exploring journeys around rental, repair, reworking, resale and beyond Discussing the additional benefits of alternative revenue streams, from customer loyalty to data Rethinking and re-educating consumers around end of life - from takeback to closed-loop technology Adele Gingell head of positive impact - Finisterre   Catherine Loader sustainability manager - John Lewis Partnership   Julian Lings senior sustainability manager - The North Face   Majonne Frost head of environment and sustainability - SATCoL

Play your part: cohesively threading sustainability across the value chain From sustainable materials to consumer strategies and scope 3 targets, everyone across the fashion retail industry needs to be on the same page to reach sustainability goals. How can retailers, brands, manufacturers and suppliers all play their part? Our speakers discussed: Outlining sustainability obligations: does everyone in the value chain know what is required from them? How to build collaboration into your day-to day working Where are products, processes and partnerships working well; what can we learn from this? Ben Dreyer Strategy, sustainability and operations director - Boden   Isabella West Founder and chief executive - Hirestreet   Katharine Beacham Head of materials and sustainability in clothing and home - Marks & Spencer   Rob King Co-founder and chief executive - Zedify