Fashion industry

Current Issues in the Fashion Industry:

• Cultural appropriation : The use of motifs, techniques, and knowledge from indigenous cultures without consent or recognition.

• Lack of compensation : Absence of fair compensation for communities that hold traditional knowledge (TK) and cultural expressions (TCE) utilized in products.

• Neglect of TCE and TK : Failure to integrate traditional knowledge and cultural expressions throughout the value chain, from design to marketing.

• Disconnect between product and message : Products often fail to authentically reflect the cultural origins, creating a gap between marketing messages and reality.
  

Challenges Facing the Fashion Industry:

• Respecting and valuing cultures : How can the fashion industry adopt practices that honor TCE and TK while ensuring fair compensation for the originating communities?

• Reducing cultural appropriation : How can we ensure that creations inspired by traditional cultures are not mere acts of cultural appropriation but instead become equitable, transparent collaborations?

• Integrating TCE and TK into the value chain : How can the fashion industry rethink its processes, from design to production and marketing, to authentically incorporate traditional knowledge and cultural expressions?

Solution Offered by Anima:

• Cultural insetting : Anima integrates traditional knowledge and cultural expressions directly into the fashion value chain. This includes mapping out relevant knowledge, co-developing products with local communities, and using the MyRites platform to protect and equitably distribute customary rights.

• Anima compliant certification : Ensures that products meet ethical, cultural, and environmental standards, with certification validating the integration of TCE and TK at every stage of the value chain.

• Authenticcultural storytelling : Helps brands develop marketing narratives that genuinely reflect the cultural origins and significance of their products, thereby enhancing authenticity and ethical commitment.

Alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• SDG 8 : Decent Work and Economic Growth by ensuring fair compensation for local communities, Anima supports the creation of decent jobs and sustainable economic growth in the regions involved.

• SDG 10 : Reduced Inequalities by protecting cultural rights and fairly redistributing the benefits from the use of TCE and TK, Anima helps reduce inequalities between traditional communities and large fashion corporations.

• SDG 12 : Responsible Consumption and Production by integrating sustainable cultural practices into the value chain, Anima promotes more responsible production and consumption patterns, reducing negative environmental impacts.

• SDG 13 : Climate Action cultural Insetting helps reduce the carbon footprint of textile and fashion companies by incorporating local, sustainable practices that reduce reliance on long supply chains and energy-intensive industrial processes.

 Impact on Carbon Footprint and Insetting:

• Carbon footprint reduction by promoting local production and the use of traditional, often more sustainable materials, Cultural Insetting reduces reliance on distant resources and carbon-intensive industrial processes. For instance, using natural dyeing techniques or local fibers decreases the need for international transportation and polluting chemical inputs.

• Cultural insetting : Rather than merely offsetting emissions through external carbon credits, Cultural Insetting integrates sustainable cultural practices directly into the company's operations, contributing to a reduction in carbon footprint at the source. This approach aligns with a proactive emissions reduction strategy while respecting and valuing local cultures.