The fashion industry stands on the precipice of a profound transformation. Decades of innovation have brought the promise of sustainability closer, but for all the talk, the pace of tangible progress has been slow. Brands and retailers set ambitious goals, yet the mechanisms to achieve them remain elusive.

At the recent Web Summit in Lisbon, Jeanine Ballone, Founder of World Collective, made an urgent call to action: “We can’t just talk about sustainability anymore; we need to do it. And that means inviting everyone to the table—especially the suppliers.”

Her words struck a chord. The backbone of the industry, suppliers often remain sidelined in critical conversations about sustainability. This oversight not only hinders progress but also perpetuates a cycle of fragmented efforts. As a Transformers Foundation report, featured in Vogue Business, aptly highlights, suppliers’ exclusion from decision-making is one of the largest barriers to meaningful change.

The Hidden Key to Systemic Change

For years, sustainability in fashion has been treated as a top-down process. Brands dictate goals and set benchmarks, often overlooking the realities on the ground. Some capsule collections appear her, a temporary collab there and that has all to industry has pretty much done so far.

Suppliers—the lifeblood of the industry—bring the technical expertise and on-the-ground knowledge needed to turn vision into action. Yet, their voices are often absent from the very conversations shaping the industry’s future. As Transformers Foundation founder Andrew Olah notes:

“You cannot talk about sustainability in the textile industry without involving the people who make the textiles.”

This exclusion stifles innovation and creates misaligned priorities. Suppliers are left grappling with impossible demands, while brands miss out on the wealth of expertise suppliers bring to the table.

The World Collective Vision: Bridging the Divide

Jeanine’s vision for World Collective is rooted in dismantling these silos and creating a collaborative ecosystem. The World Collective Marketplace, a groundbreaking digital platform, aims to bring suppliers, brands, and retailers into alignment.

“Every supplier should have the opportunity to showcase their innovations, certifications, and materials,” Jeanine emphasized at the Web Summit. “We’re not just giving brands a tool to source sustainably—we’re giving suppliers a voice and a platform to drive change.”

The Marketplace is designed to:

1. Centralize Certified Suppliers: A curated hub of suppliers meeting the highest sustainability standards.

2. Offer Real-Time Insights: Tools to provide brands with lifecycle impacts, carbon footprints, and water usage for informed decision-making.

3. Streamline Collaboration: A digital space where brands and suppliers can connect without barriers, enabling faster, more effective partnerships.

Why Supplier Inclusion is Non-Negotiable

Suppliers don’t just produce materials—they innovate them. From next-gen bio-based textiles to closed-loop systems, suppliers are often at the forefront of sustainable breakthroughs.

Excluding them from sustainability strategies is akin to building a house without a foundation. Including suppliers ensures:

• Practical Feasibility: Suppliers understand the challenges and realities of implementation better than anyone else.

• Accelerated Innovation: Collaboration fosters co-creation, unlocking sustainable solutions faster.

• Shared Accountability: Inclusive decision-making creates equitable systems where everyone contributes and benefits.

Without suppliers, sustainability risks becoming an empty promise rather than a transformative movement.

Breaking Barriers

The Challenges to Inclusion

Structural challenges often perpetuate the exclusion of suppliers. Many SMEs lack access to technology and marketing capabilities, global supply chains remain fragmented, and power imbalances favor large brands.

Core Challenges Include:

1. Technology Gaps: Suppliers often lack the digital infrastructure to connect with global buyers.

2. Fragmentation: Disconnected supply chains make cohesive strategies difficult to implement.

3. Lack of Representation: Suppliers are rarely included in forums, panels, or committees shaping sustainability policies.

Possible Solutions:

• Invest in Digital Tools: Platforms like the World Collective Marketplace bridge the gap, providing suppliers with the resources to compete globally.

• Encourage Dialogue: Forums and events must prioritize supplier participation to foster inclusive strategies.

• Align Incentives: Shared KPIs and transparent policies ensure all stakeholders are aligned in their goals.

Technology as the Great Equalizer

World Collective is proving that technology can be a game-changer. The Marketplace isn’t just a sourcing platform—it’s a comprehensive tool to empower suppliers and brands alike.

Through real-time data, certification integration, and intuitive design, the Marketplace simplifies complex processes, enabling suppliers to showcase their innovations while providing brands with the transparency they demand.

“When suppliers are empowered with technology, the entire industry benefits,” Jeanine said. “It’s about leveling the playing field and creating a future where sustainability isn’t a privilege but a standard.”

World Collective and the Road Ahead

Jeanine’s vision goes beyond tools and platforms—it’s about creating a culture of collaboration. Through partnerships with organizations like the Transformers Foundation, World Collective is building bridges between brands, suppliers, and retailers, ensuring that sustainability efforts are grounded in reality and equity.

The Marketplace is just the beginning. By fostering supplier inclusion and driving digital transformation, World Collective is setting the stage for a new era in fashion sustainability.

A Call for Collective Action

The exclusion of suppliers from sustainability conversations isn’t just a missed opportunity—it’s a systemic failure. As Jeanine’s speech and the Vogue Business article make clear, the path to a sustainable fashion future must start with inclusion.

World Collective is showing the industry what’s possible when we empower every stakeholder in the supply chain. The Marketplace offers a blueprint for the future: a space where collaboration, innovation, and sustainability thrive.

Now is the time to move from ambition to action, from exclusion to inclusion. Together, we can build a fashion industry that’s not only sustainable but truly equitable. And it all begins by bringing suppliers to the table—where they’ve always belonged.

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