Sourcing Journal Radio

As we enter the midpoint of the USTR hearings on the proposed Section 301 tariff list, some of the now-familiar questions surrounding tariffs have once again cropped up: What will the tariffs include? When will they go into effect? What kind of fallout should we expect? Is there anything we can do?

In this special podcast, Sourcing Journal founder and president Edward Hertzman talks with AAFA executive VP Stephen Lamar about these pressing uncertainties, as well as the potential implications of President Trump’s upcoming meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping and why China could be benefiting from the trade war in more ways than one.

“Smart governments will use trade agreements to do those things that they’ve been trying to do—and they perceive they want to do for the long term—that they haven’t been able to do because they’ve got domestic political opposition,” said Lamar. “So the fact that they’re doing something in conjunction with an international agreement helps give them the cover to actually do these things that might have been difficult to do domestically.”

“We all know in the industry that the Chinese government has been subtly, and in some cases not so subtly, trying to encourage the industry—apparel and footwear and some elements of textiles—to move out of China. That’s something that’s been going on for years now. And so this … is just following along with something they’ve been trying to do for a while now,” he noted.

Listen to learn:

• The worst-case scenario of when apparel could be hit (hint: it’s earlier than you think)

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This podcast series is a companion to our Sustaining Voices platform, which celebrates the efforts the apparel industry is making toward securing a more environmentally responsible future. This episode features Rogier van Mazijk, investment manager for Fashion for Good, and Luke Henning, CFO of Tyton BioSciences, which is taking part in Fashion for Good's Scaling Programme. Together Rogier and Luke provide perspectives on what it takes to launch and scale sustainable innovations.

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Gary Barraco, Director, Product Marketing and Business Development for Amber Road, a software company dedicated to helping companies improve margins, achieve greater agility and lower risk, discusses the benefits of supply chain visibility when managing costs, elevating quality and navigating trade issues.

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Since debuting Kingpins 2004 as a small gallery-like show, Olah Inc. founder Andrew Olah has played host to the global denim supply chain at Kingpins events in New York, Amsterdam and across China.

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Denim Dudes founder Amy Leverton on the denim brands and trends to watch in 2019.

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Apparel brands are looking for ways to shorten development and production timelines, and nearshoring, aided by automation, could be the answer, according to McKinsey & Company. Karl-Hendrik Magnus, partner at McKinsey and Company discusses the opportunities with Reebok VP of product operations; Erika Swan, Under Armour chief supply chain officer; Colin Browne and Ramesh Fernando, CEO of MAS USA.

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Alberto Candiani, the global manager of Candiani Denim, the famed 80-year-old Italian denim mill, shares how he's pushing his family's business into a new era of sustainability, innovation and transparency.

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Joining us are Don Howard, executive director of Alvanon, which uses technology and body shape data to advise apparel firms on fit and sizing, and William Adler, CEO of True Fit, a data-driven company that aims to help retailers personalize the shopping experience by enabling shoppers find the right products for them.

These companies represent the variety of ways apparel is working to solve the fit issue from the design side as well as from a consumer-facing perspective.

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This podcast episode focuses on apparel retail, which has had many challenges lately but is also experiencing a nice tailwind currently thanks to the healthy economy. John Kernan, managing director for retail and consumer brands for Cowen and Company, provides insights into the direction the sector is headed as both brands and retailers are attempting to shake off old processes and technologies in favor of new practices and innovations.

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For this episode, we're joined by Avani Patel of the Ember Company, formerly Trendseeder, the platform she founded in 2012 to pair fashion expertise with business acumen. The program provides startup business with the educational, advisory and networking opportunities they need in order to create sustainable brands.

Avani shares what it takes to launch a new brand in the current consumer climate, how to identify white space in the market and what new companies bring to the retail landscape that many established players can learn from.

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