Gina Bibby | Withers (0:10)

It's a really exciting time in the fashion industry and that is because there's more and more confluence around fashion and technology. For example, in the sustainability space, we have a lot of fabric technology, innovation, artificial intelligence, innovation in other parts of the fashion industry. Also around the area of data science, predicting more what consumers want and when they want it so there's not as much speculation about how much inventory has to be in the supply chain. Those are some of the really key things that come to mind.

Graham Webster | Withers (0:56)

Customers are looking for value, but value is not just about price, it's about identity, it's about resonance and brands who go back to basics to look at that core value proposition, in terms of their brand identity and how they communicate, are going to leverage in this climate.

Gina Bibby | Withers (1:14)

The lesson that was learned from the pandemic is that in any moment, if one portion of your supply chain breaks down, the entire chain breaks down. And so the question is, how do you mitigate against such breakdowns? And I think the answer is in technology.

Vadim Rogovskiy | 3DLook (1:35)

Consumers, especially Gen Z, they demand more personalized way of of buying something and that takes into account their style preferences, their demographics, their interests, etc., etc., and their body data. That's what we do at 3DLook.

Lauren Choi | The New Norm (1:54)

Finally, the modern consumer has really demanded that global brands start considering sustainability, look at their supply chain, and with this shift, especially with the pandemic, we've seen a shift towards material innovation. I think unfortunately, one of the big awareness gaps in the industry is, a lot of brands are aware of sustainability, but they're not necessarily connected to the material innovation happening, what's happening in their supply chain. So I feel like finally that gap is being bridged a little where certain start-ups are being funded, new technologies are being piloted, the more we bridge the gap between global brands who are willing to pilot and test new technologies, the faster we can move towards a circular economy.

Graham Webster | Withers (2:41)

Our industry has a particular set of norms and expectations when it comes to capital that don't easily translate sometimes to more institutional investment. And I think part of our job as advisors is to act as the bridge between that investor and the founder to ensure that you have the best recipe for success in that marriage.