The 7th CIIE concluded in November with intended transaction values exceeding $80 billion. At the same time, the Global Fashion Summit made its debut in China during the period.
The Global Fashion Summit-Shanghai Gala attracted a variety of brands ranging from fast fashion to entry-level and high-end luxury, as well as decision-makers from marketing, retail, and the supply chain. Representatives from companies such as Coach, H&M, Piaget China, Décor Global, Target, Balian, and Erdos Group delved into discussions on topics such as circular economy models and sustainable retail. There also was a spotlight on implementing key sustainable strategies to swiftly extend their impact throughout the fashion value chain.
China Engages in Global Fashion Discourse
In recent years, with the announcement of China’s dual carbon goals —achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 and peaking carbon emissions by 2030 — the country’s green transition has accelerated. Chinese enterprises are helping to play a key role in global climate governance and are becoming more engaged on issues of global sustainable development and climate change. Notably, the number of Chinese fashion enterprises participating in global sustainable conferences such as the GFS and the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP) has seen a significant increase over the past few years.
Federica Marchionni, chief executive officer of the Global Fashion Summit, frankly addressed the Chinese market about the urgency for the fashion industry to transform sustainable visions and goals into meaningful actions at the 7th CIIE Sustainable Lifestyle and Consumer Innovation Industry Summit early last month. She believes “The inaugural GFS-Shanghai Gala signifies a night of profound thought leadership, set to create ripple effects throughout the global fashion industry and ecosystem.”
Federica Marchionni, chief executive officer of the Global Fashion Summit, addresses the Shanghai event.
“As the world’s largest consumer of apparel and textiles, China has a substantial impact on driving sustainable industry trends and cultivating consumers’ green preferences. When Chinese fashion enterprises join hands with international brands in sustainable cooperation, profound and enduring benefits for the industry will be delivered,” said Lynn Fu, CEO of Chinamind Next, during her summit address. Chinamind Next is the publisher of WWD China, sister publication of WWD.
She further highlighted the importance of the Chinese market to the global development of sustainable fashion and revealed plans to lead more Chinese supply chain companies to Denmark for the 16th GFS in 2025. This initiative aims to both support Chinese enterprises in seeking international opportunities and foster the sharing and optimal allocation of global fashion resources.
In fact, as the primary organizer of the event, Chinamind Next has been invested in the area of sustainability for the past five years. Since 2020, five consecutive Sustainable Fashion Global Summits have been held which garnered over 100 million online views, invited over 200 sustainability leaders, and engaged with hundreds of leading brands in sustainable fashion and luxury. The forum has spawned a range of content, products, and initiatives, including the Sustain 100 list, which has empowered more than 100 sustainable design products; the Youth Sustainable Art and Lifestyle Festival, which has attracted the active engagement of over 1,000 fashion influencers, and the Green Design Force Sustainable Fashion Designer Alliance, which has enrolled over 130 young designers.
The Challenges Ahead
GFS debuted in China the day after Donald Trump was re-elected as president of the U.S.
Trump’s environmental policies lean toward backing fossil fuel development over investing in renewable energy and environmental conservation, and his “America First” trade policies could further damage the global fashion supply chain — from raw material trade to finished goods — both of which could pose daunting challenges to sustainable fashion principles. Yet, from Copenhagen to Shanghai, industry players across the fashion spectrum continue to embrace the spirit of multilateral cooperation, determined to steer the industry toward the next milestone in sustainable development.
China, long a leading global producer and exporter of textiles, is grappling with the challenge of aligning with new ESG standards. Taking the textile industry as an example, of the Chinese textile manufacturers listed on the A-shares and Hong Kong stock markets last year, only 22 companies published stand-alone ESG, CSR and SDR reports, accounting for an overall disclosure rate of 52.4 percent. Among them, a mere 40 percent had reports that substantially complied with ESG disclosure standards, while the rest issued traditional CSR reports with subpar disclosure quality. Beyond the shortfall in ESG reporting, Chinese fashion enterprises also face a spectrum of challenges in exports, including regulatory compliance and supply chain management policies.
Green GDP is now a crucial metric for evaluating sustainable development. As a case in point, Ordos City, home to the Erdos Cashmere Group, has unveiled an enhanced model for calculating the green GDP of resource-dependent cities. According to the “Annual Report 2024 of Innovation Demonstration Zone under the National Sustainable Development Agenda,” released by the Administrative Center for China’s Agenda 21 in late November, Ordos City scored 83.07 on the sustainability index, placing it third among the 11 demonstration zones nationwide in both sustainability index and demonstration zone activity.
Aligned with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and taking into account the current state of urban sustainability, reports like the “Annual Report 2024 of Innovation Demonstration Zone under the National Sustainable Development Agenda,” which reference 84 specific indicators, are being rolled out. These reports mandate strict adherence from administrative bodies to businesses within the region, with fashion enterprises being no exception.
The fashion industry in China is making strides to sync with international standards, staying in tune with its global counterparts. A prime example is Bailian Group, a top commercial retail conglomerate in China, which is not only developing cultural landmarks to foster sustainable urban growth but also embracing artificial intelligence solutions. The group is also engaged in experience sharing with international retail leaders like Target. According to Zhang Shenyu, chairman of Bailian Group, “Urban renewal is one of the key issues in sustainable development. When it comes to commercial real estate, sustainable fashion renewal encompasses a wide range of aspects, including architectural planning, business models, and the innovation and revitalization of craftsmanship and traditional crafts.”
At the summit, Rex He, senior managing director of Target, emphasized the importance of focusing on the use and recycling of raw materials, the production of renewable products, the sale of secondhand goods, and enhancing consumer experience and satisfaction.
Jessica Vilhelmsson, CEO of H&M Greater China, also stated, “We need to shift from a linear to a circular model, making sustainable commitments in a gradual manner, reducing resource consumption, and continuously focusing on business optimization, resource planning, and designing with product lifespan and consumer experience in mind.”
The sustainability landscape in the luxury sector presents a different set of challenges. Sonia Carpentier, CEO of Piaget China, posited that embracing green development in luxury requires a multifaceted approach that pays attention to the smallest details, while also balancing this with the maximization of innovation alongside the preservation of a brand’s historical legacy. Echoing this sentiment, Liliana Lucioni, president of Coach China, noted, “The artisanal ethos within the fashion industry can indeed be integrated into the practice of sustainability.”
Editor’s Note: China Insight is a monthly column for WWD’s sister publication WWD China examining trends and developments in that key market.
