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The New School
New York, NY
Nov 5th, 2007
[A video version of this presentation is available at Fora.tv]
Today's consumer has more knowledge about the environment and cares about buying brands that provide transparency about their social responsibility to the development of a sustainable environment. With its need to roll out multiple collections a year, fear of limitations to creativity, especially in considerations of color, dying and toxicity, fashion faces a unique challenge in working with the environment in mind.
Whether it is with the adoption of organic cotton, hemp, or using low-impact dyes, to redefining their procurement processes keeping in mind farmer welfare, the fashion industry has caught on the green design initiative. The old association of the word fashion with extravaganza is beginning to accommodate sustainability or environment friendliness in the consumer's mind.
Panelists Marci Zaroff of Under the Canopy, Helen Job, the US Editor for www.wgsn.com, Scott Hahn, co-founding partner of Loomstate, and Julie Gilhart, fashion director of Barneys, discuss some of the challenges faced and the valuable business models they've introduced in measuring up to this new trend. The panel is moderated by Alice Demirjian, Visual Specialist at Reebok International.
Marci Zaroff is the creative inspiration of Under the Canopy. She is an internationally respected expert and lecturer in the areas of organic food and fiber, a committed yoga practitioner, an artist, a devoted wife and the proud mother of two children. Marci has been involved in the natural products industry for over 18 years. Having earned a finance and marketing degree from the University of California at Berkeley's Haas School of Business, she spent six years as a licensed financial manager while creating a natural/organic foods catering service. She then founded and ran Gulliver's Inc. in midtown Manhattan, a living and learning center with a retail store, an Aveda Concept Spa and salon and an organic foods cafe. She was also the publisher and chief editor of Macrocosm Magazine, a 92-page national bi-monthly wellness publication, and the founder of Sierra Natural Resources, an international exporter of natural products and services. Early in 1996, she coined and trademarked the term "ECOfashion®" and the concept of Under the Canopy® was born. She is a member of the Organic Trade Association's Organic Fiber Council Steering Committee defining the standards for organic fiber certification. Marci also is an active participant and spokesperson in the global Organic Exchange, a worldwide collaboration committed to propelling the organic fiber industry forward. Ms. Zaroff is a member of the Direct Marketing Association, Coop America, Businesses for Social Responsibility and the Organic Trade Association.
Helen Job is currently the US Editor for www.wgsn.com, the leading global trend forecasting service providing online research, trend analysis and industry news to the fashion, design and style industries. As US Editor, Helen directs coverage of the influential youth/junior market ages 8-24. She also works with a firm network of style setters and tastemakers throughout the industry to predict future trends in fashion, music, sport, and entertainment. In addition, Helen speaks with people behind the business of fashion. Originally from the UK, Helen came to New York in 2004 with a background in consumer fashion magazines and four years of trend tracking at WGSN headquarters under her belt. Her expertise is widely recognized and she has been featured as a trends expert in international publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fashion Week daily, Star Girl, Bliss, and Shout magazines and has appeared on ABC and NBC news. Helen is also a professor on the Fashion Marketing AAS programme at Parsons School of Design.
Scott Hahn is the Co-founding Partner of Loomstate, a cutting-edge fashion label offering organic denim jeans located in the United States.
As fashion director of the most forward-thinking big store in the city, Julie Gilhart is responsible for feeding customers a constant diet of the new and lust-worthy. She does this by trekking to designers’ studios and then championing those she thinks have the proper balance of real design skill and luxury. She’s promoted Alber Elbaz (now a star at Lanvin after a rocky few years), Proenza Schouler, Olivier Theyskens, Goyard, and Project Alabama, to name a few. And with Barneys expanding across the country, Gilhart’s effect is going national.
Alice Demirjian received her Bachelors Degree in Apparel Marketing from The University of Massachusetts. Her Masters of Science Degree in Fashion Studies with a Marketing Concentration from Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science. She has published a research study for apparel manufacturers and retailers on how to target young adults termed 'Gen Y'. Ms Demirjian is a Visual Specialist at Reebok International, coordinating and executing a visual merchandising and marketing program. She directed large-scale nationwide event; 'The Reebok Product Experience'. While completing her graduate degree, she worked in merchandising at Urban Outfitters in Philadelphia for the women’s buying team. She was also the director of marketing at DPI, 2000, an event and advertising agency. She worked on creative campaigns and focused on developing marketing opportunities while cultivating new channels for business. Ms Demirjian currently teaches full time at Parsons while working on freelance marketing projects, consulting and visual merchandising.
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